Stranger in Paradise by Robert B. Parker (2008, Hardcover)

This is Robert Parker's 7th book in the Jesse Stone series.

Jesse is Paradise, Massachusetts, Chief of Police. It was almost 10 years ago since Jesse last saw Wilson "Crow" Cromartie, and that was when he pulled the most lucrative and deadly heists in the town's history but now Crow shows up at Jesse's office, but it's not to turn himself in. It seems Crow was hired by Florida mob boss Louis Francisco to find his 14 year old daughter, Amber, and bring her back to Miami. Amber and her mom, Fiona, have been living in the old town section of Paradise in squalor and Amber is mixed up with some gang members. But Francisco doesn't just want his daughter back, he wants his wife killed! Crow is nasty piece of work but he claims he has a code ethics.....he doesn't kill women! Yet, he is afraid if he doesn't do the job, someone else will.
Hard to believe a hitman wants Jesse Stone's help, but it makes for great suspense only the way Mr. Parker can write it. It's interesting how Jesse handles all this and the tension between he and Crow, and yet they both want to do the right thing.....sort of. This was one of Parker's strangest, yet more interesting novel's to date. You just never know what's going to happen.