THE GUILTY

Author: Jason Pinter ISBN: 9780778324638 3/2008 SUSPENSE Publisher: MIRA

Justice is as fast as a bullet… As I lie in bed with Amanda, ignoring another late-night call from my ex, a shot rings out in the New York night and a beautiful starlet dies outside the city's most popular nightclub. This is the kind of story I was born to chase—but I never dreamed this story began over a hundred years ago.… Suddenly another life is taken, the bullet fired from one of the deadliest guns ever made. Both victims are highly controversial, their murders more like public executions. My search leads me into the twisted world of The Boy—a world defined by a demented code of honor and shocking, long-buried secrets of the world's most infamous outlaw. When this assassin realizes I'm getting too close to the truth, uncovering the past could jeopardize everything I care about. Because in his world there's a fine line between good and evil, and the difference between innocence and guilt depends on who's holding the gun.…

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

The second installment of Jason Pinter's Henry Parker mystery series is an exciting, rollicking, rollercoaster ride packed full of chills and thrills. And a load of imagination.

Like Murder She Wrote's Jessica Fletcher, Henry Parker appears to be a magnet to murder. This young, exuberant reporter with an astonishing sense of integrity (amazing for any media type!) leads readers through a twisty, cleverly written mystery while on the hunt for a murderer terrorizing New York City. While I have not read Henry's first brush with mayhem in THE MARK, Pinter gives enough background into Parker's run from a bogus murder charge to not be left clueless.

The outstanding mystery is the real star of THE GUILTY. An intriguing legend gets new life—and some interesting Pinter embellishments—to guarantee THE GUILTY is a fast-moving, decidedly major attraction.

The inquisitive, instinctive Parker guides readers through a maze of clues and deceptions to uncover a trail of bodies by a bold, calculating killer. In addition, Pinter's use of Henry's first person narrative and third person narrative by several secondary characters—including the creepy killer—flows smoothly, adding yet another exciting dimension to this novel.

The characters, particularly some of the secondary characters, are not as solidly written as the thriller. However, Pinter gives enough of an insight into these characters to allow readers to read between the lines. But I will say some of these characters are marvelously quirky and wonderfully flawed. Still, I would like to know what makes characters like Mia and Amanda tick.

Pinter is a talent. THE GUILTY is evidence of that talent. In his opening letter to readers, Pinter states,

"Angel or devil.
Saint or sinner.
Murderer or Avenger.
...the line between good and evil...depends on whose holding the gun..."

As this killer's first victim is a Paris Hilton type, maybe readers will consider him a saint.

Debbie Jett