Jump (Sam McGowan Adventures)

Tim Maleeny
Poisoned Pen Press (2009)
ISBN 9781590585740
Reviewed by Danielle Feliciano for Reader Views (2/09)


After reading the first sentence of “Jump,” I groaned at what was in store.  After finishing the first chapter, I nearly put the book down. I am glad I did not because after a bad start, this book turned out to be a tremendous thriller by author Tim Maleeny.  While the beginning paragraph was bogged down by the overuse of poor similes and metaphors, the book quickly turned itself around and turned into one of those books I was unable to put down.

“Jump” opens with Ed Lowry, despised landlord, taking a fatal leap from the top of the apartment building he owns.  Police are unsure as to whether or not it is a murder or suicide, and recently-retired cop Sam McGowan finds himself drawn back in to investigate what happened.  Sam, and the reader are treated to a wide variety of suspects, including Sam himself.  This apartment building is inhabited by some of the most colorful and interesting characters I have read in quite a while. Each character has his or her own back story and that adds not only to the main storyline, but also adds interest on the part of the reader as to who these people are and how they end up becoming involved with each other. 

As Sam’s investigation moves along the story quickly picks up pace.  The writing was crisp and tight.  A little detail that I loved is Maleeny’s talent for blending the end of one chapter into the beginning of the next with the same theme or dialog, yet having turned the story over to another character.  It was done so subtly that it honestly took me a few chapters to figure out that it was being done.  I felt it was a personal “quirk” on the part of the author that I really appreciated.  He also found a way to bookend the story without being obvious about it. The only downside of that bookend was the opportunity to use another over-exaggerated simile, but the rest of the book was so perfect that was easy to overlook.

Tim Maleeny has written a true thriller in “Jump” and will keep you involved with the story until the very end. 
 

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