Jesse Stone: Night Passage begins with Jesse standing alone on a Santa Monica pier, late on a full moon night. A Santa Monica patrol car investigates his parked truck and shines a flashlight on Stone, and smells alcohol on Stone's breath. Stone says he's staying here, taking one last look before he leaves town, until he sobers up for the drive to Paradise, Massachusetts. The following morning, Jesse and Boomer head out across country.

When Jesse arrives in Paradise, his first order of business is to to meet members of the city council for his chief of police position. He still doesn't know if he's got the job yet, but for some reason, it's going way too easy--even with his acknowledgment of a drinking problem. So, he talks to the former police chief, Lou Carson (Mike Starr) and asks why he's leaving. The former police chief isn't specific, but tells Jesse the police department and the city don't necessarily agree on how to get things done.

The same day Jesse is hired for the job, he's called to participate in a domestic violence call. Joe Genest (Stephen Baldwin) has been violating a restraining order, and Jesse gives him a little incentive to not come around anymore. Jesse's simple lesson in respect for women, gets him a personal visit by the local prosecutor, Abby Taylor (Polly Shannon), who disagrees with how he should be handling his job and dealing with people. We of course, are now clued-in on how Jesse and Abby met. And I will say here, it's unfortunate watching Polly Shannon getting more comfortable with her character, while we know she's not going to be around for any more Jesse Stone movies.

Hastings Hathaway "Hasty" (Saul Rubinek), the local moneyman with significant power, attempts to induct Jesse into the way things operate in Paradise. Jesse knows there's something amiss, and discovers there is something which Lou, Hasty, and Joe have in common.