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Watch Me Go
Douglas “Deesh” Sharp has managed to stay out of trouble living in the Bronx, paying his rent by hauling junk for cash. But on the morning Deesh and two pals head upstate to dispose of a sealed oil drum whose contents smell and weigh enough to contain a human corpse, he becomes mixed up in a serious crime. When his plans for escape spiral terribly out of control, Deesh quickly finds himself a victim of betrayal—and the prime suspect in the murders of three white men. When Jan, a young jockey from the gritty underworld of the Finger Lakes racetrack breaks her silence about gambling and organized crime, Deesh learns how the story of her past might, against all odds, free him from a life behind bars.
Interweaving Deesh’s and Jan’s gripping narratives, Watch Me Go is a wonderfully insightful work that examines how we love, leave, lose, redeem, and strive for justice. At once compulsively readable, thought-provoking, and complex, it is a suspenseful, compassionate meditation on the power of love and the injustices of hate.
Interweaving Deesh’s and Jan’s gripping narratives, Watch Me Go is a wonderfully insightful work that examines how we love, leave, lose, redeem, and strive for justice. At once compulsively readable, thought-provoking, and complex, it is a suspenseful, compassionate meditation on the power of love and the injustices of hate.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 22, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 69 reviews
September 20, 2020
3.5 "horse betting, murdering, loving, Americanah" stars !!!
I liked this book a lot.
This is two stories in one book and how they link together. A poor young white woman moves from Arkansas to the Finger Lakes New York to try and be a horse jockey like her daddy and meets a dreamer and gambler and love of her life. Family secrets are slowly unearthed about her own daddy's suicide and his links to her lover's own family and their dysfunctions.
Concurrently a poor black man from the Bronx is struggling with unemployment, a broken heart and disconnection from his own seventeen year old son. He innocently gets mixed up in a shady moving job and then is framed for a triple homicide. He runs and....
These two stories collide and the two main protagonists meet....
The plot is exciting and the characters are well drawn out and multidimensional. You can smell them (they are that well developed !)
The writing is very good but uneven and with further editing this book could have easily been up to par with other American Gothic/Noir writers. But not quite yet....
You will not have wasted your time if you choose to read this literary noir mystery.
I look forward to see what Mr. Wisniewski will come up with next.
I liked this book a lot.
This is two stories in one book and how they link together. A poor young white woman moves from Arkansas to the Finger Lakes New York to try and be a horse jockey like her daddy and meets a dreamer and gambler and love of her life. Family secrets are slowly unearthed about her own daddy's suicide and his links to her lover's own family and their dysfunctions.
Concurrently a poor black man from the Bronx is struggling with unemployment, a broken heart and disconnection from his own seventeen year old son. He innocently gets mixed up in a shady moving job and then is framed for a triple homicide. He runs and....
These two stories collide and the two main protagonists meet....
The plot is exciting and the characters are well drawn out and multidimensional. You can smell them (they are that well developed !)
The writing is very good but uneven and with further editing this book could have easily been up to par with other American Gothic/Noir writers. But not quite yet....
You will not have wasted your time if you choose to read this literary noir mystery.
I look forward to see what Mr. Wisniewski will come up with next.
February 11, 2015
“As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it - whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, he is trash.”
---- Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Mark Wisniewski, an award winning American author's new novel, Watch Me Go is a mind-blowing literary thriller and is one hell of an addictive read that brings two unfortunate human beings together under the consequence of murder and gambling.
Synopsis:
Douglas “Deesh” Sharp has managed to stay out of trouble living in the Bronx, paying his rent by hauling junk for cash. But on the morning Deesh and two pals head upstate to dispose of a sealed oil drum whose contents smell and weigh enough to contain a human corpse, he becomes mixed up in a serious crime. When his plans for escape spiral terribly out of control, Deesh quickly finds himself a victim of betrayal—and the prime suspect in the murders of three white men. When Jan, a young jockey from the gritty underworld of the Finger Lakes racetrack breaks her silence about gambling and organized crime, Deesh learns how the story of her past might, against all odds, free him from a life behind bars.
In the prologue, Douglas “Deesh” Sharp, an African-American, charge with murder of three white men including the jockey, Tom Corcoran, receives an unexpected and unidentified visitor in the Bronx jail where he is being held. Jan Price, a white woman, is here to exonerate Deesh of the murder of that jockey, but in return he has to convince her that he is innocent of killing the other two white men. Thus follows by the past events of both Deesh and Jan. And the author alternatively shifts his narrative from Deesh to Jan in order to unravel the mystery behind the killings. Deesh's story begins with the day when his neighbor asks him along with his basketball buddies to dump an old barrel large enough to hold a human body! All three of the guys knew there was a body, still they took the offer on the pretext of earning some extra cash. Things go haywire, when his buddy, Bark shoots a cop while they were fleeing from a race course. On the other hand, Jan's story begins when she and her mom moved from Arkansas to stay with the Corcoran family, and the son of the family, Tug, owns a horse farm. And in her quest to become a jockey like her father, Jan eventually falls for Tug. Read the book to see how the author brilliantly intersects these two different individuals lives.
From the very beginning, the author's slow yet evocative prose captivated me. Well, it's quite obvious that when an author uses two narratives in his book, it often becomes difficult to maintain the free-flowing of the narration. Similarly, for Wisniewski too, at times, the narratives became dull. Moreover, when both the stories eventually started to intersect, it seems that the articulate voice was lost thus making us feel confused with both the stories. But the strong point of the book which blindsides all the negative qualities of this book are the characters!
Deesh is an African-American man, who is often subjected to racism. Deesh is a confused guy from the very beginning of the page, more like an impulsive man. Yes he never thinks before taking a drastic step like fleeing even though he never killed a single soul, or like falling for strange stories or like couldn't be able to convince the DA that it was suicide. But as the story progresses, we see Deesh growing within himself and we become acquainted with his foolish demeanor, thus making us fall for him in the end.
Jan is a strong-willed determined woman, who was definitely quite blinded with Tug's love, whereas Tug was not that forthcoming with his feelings. Jan was trying to learn everything in the world of race courses, jockeys, and gambling since her father was a quite famous jockey.
Jan and Deesh will eventually strike you as someone quite brilliant, both lost in their world of mysteries, and it's really compelling to see how their fates become entwined together. But the choices these two characters make in the wake of crisis in their lives will simply astound you. Yes, though you see the story from two POV's, still the author leaves enough space for us to judge it from our own perspective.
Moreover, the mystery was so slowly unraveled by the author that at times, you feel like rushing to the end of the book to see the fate of Deesh. The author made the world of horse racing so dark and mystifying with his eloquent words. It is a novel which may not put you on your edges, but it is a novel that demands to be devoured in for a long time by absorbing it's dark side.
Salman Rushdie described this book as "irresistible", well to be honest, I don't know about that, but it's engrossing enough to pull you into the core of this heart-wrenching story.
Verdict: Yes it's a must read novel that is like a slow-motioned thriller but exceptionally brilliant!
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Mark Wisniewski, for giving me an opportunity to read and review his novel.
---- Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Mark Wisniewski, an award winning American author's new novel, Watch Me Go is a mind-blowing literary thriller and is one hell of an addictive read that brings two unfortunate human beings together under the consequence of murder and gambling.
Synopsis:
Douglas “Deesh” Sharp has managed to stay out of trouble living in the Bronx, paying his rent by hauling junk for cash. But on the morning Deesh and two pals head upstate to dispose of a sealed oil drum whose contents smell and weigh enough to contain a human corpse, he becomes mixed up in a serious crime. When his plans for escape spiral terribly out of control, Deesh quickly finds himself a victim of betrayal—and the prime suspect in the murders of three white men. When Jan, a young jockey from the gritty underworld of the Finger Lakes racetrack breaks her silence about gambling and organized crime, Deesh learns how the story of her past might, against all odds, free him from a life behind bars.
In the prologue, Douglas “Deesh” Sharp, an African-American, charge with murder of three white men including the jockey, Tom Corcoran, receives an unexpected and unidentified visitor in the Bronx jail where he is being held. Jan Price, a white woman, is here to exonerate Deesh of the murder of that jockey, but in return he has to convince her that he is innocent of killing the other two white men. Thus follows by the past events of both Deesh and Jan. And the author alternatively shifts his narrative from Deesh to Jan in order to unravel the mystery behind the killings. Deesh's story begins with the day when his neighbor asks him along with his basketball buddies to dump an old barrel large enough to hold a human body! All three of the guys knew there was a body, still they took the offer on the pretext of earning some extra cash. Things go haywire, when his buddy, Bark shoots a cop while they were fleeing from a race course. On the other hand, Jan's story begins when she and her mom moved from Arkansas to stay with the Corcoran family, and the son of the family, Tug, owns a horse farm. And in her quest to become a jockey like her father, Jan eventually falls for Tug. Read the book to see how the author brilliantly intersects these two different individuals lives.
From the very beginning, the author's slow yet evocative prose captivated me. Well, it's quite obvious that when an author uses two narratives in his book, it often becomes difficult to maintain the free-flowing of the narration. Similarly, for Wisniewski too, at times, the narratives became dull. Moreover, when both the stories eventually started to intersect, it seems that the articulate voice was lost thus making us feel confused with both the stories. But the strong point of the book which blindsides all the negative qualities of this book are the characters!
Deesh is an African-American man, who is often subjected to racism. Deesh is a confused guy from the very beginning of the page, more like an impulsive man. Yes he never thinks before taking a drastic step like fleeing even though he never killed a single soul, or like falling for strange stories or like couldn't be able to convince the DA that it was suicide. But as the story progresses, we see Deesh growing within himself and we become acquainted with his foolish demeanor, thus making us fall for him in the end.
Jan is a strong-willed determined woman, who was definitely quite blinded with Tug's love, whereas Tug was not that forthcoming with his feelings. Jan was trying to learn everything in the world of race courses, jockeys, and gambling since her father was a quite famous jockey.
Jan and Deesh will eventually strike you as someone quite brilliant, both lost in their world of mysteries, and it's really compelling to see how their fates become entwined together. But the choices these two characters make in the wake of crisis in their lives will simply astound you. Yes, though you see the story from two POV's, still the author leaves enough space for us to judge it from our own perspective.
Moreover, the mystery was so slowly unraveled by the author that at times, you feel like rushing to the end of the book to see the fate of Deesh. The author made the world of horse racing so dark and mystifying with his eloquent words. It is a novel which may not put you on your edges, but it is a novel that demands to be devoured in for a long time by absorbing it's dark side.
Salman Rushdie described this book as "irresistible", well to be honest, I don't know about that, but it's engrossing enough to pull you into the core of this heart-wrenching story.
Verdict: Yes it's a must read novel that is like a slow-motioned thriller but exceptionally brilliant!
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Mark Wisniewski, for giving me an opportunity to read and review his novel.
November 15, 2014
If the following reads like a blurb, it's because it is--but no less genuine and heartfelt for that. I was honored to be one of the earliest readers of this book, and I can't wait to see it again, so beautifully published by Putnam. Booksellers are going to love it, Wisniewski fans are going to be in heaven, and new readers are going to go looking for everything else he's written.
Mark Wisniewski's gift for inhabiting his characters, body and soul, is more than impressive—it smacks of the dark arts, and Watch Me Go is scary good. Seductively plotted, crazily well-written, and wholly gripping, this book at once gallops headlong and stops you in your tracks with a truths-per-page quotient that is off the charts—laser-fine insights into how we love, leave, gamble, lose, redeem, and strive once more for love. Get a good grip on the reins, reader: Watch Me Go is one hell of a ride.
Mark Wisniewski's gift for inhabiting his characters, body and soul, is more than impressive—it smacks of the dark arts, and Watch Me Go is scary good. Seductively plotted, crazily well-written, and wholly gripping, this book at once gallops headlong and stops you in your tracks with a truths-per-page quotient that is off the charts—laser-fine insights into how we love, leave, gamble, lose, redeem, and strive once more for love. Get a good grip on the reins, reader: Watch Me Go is one hell of a ride.
December 11, 2014
I received an advance galley of this through Penguin's First to Read program. This book seems to be polarizing, and unfortunately, I'm on the side that did not enjoy it. Each chapter is short, only a few pages at a time, so the alternating voices/stories are jarring. Deesh's story of being on the run for a murder he did not commit is invariably more interesting than Jan's quest to become a jockey and love for Tug. The use of the frame story (Deesh and Jan meeting at the beginning, and then circling around to continue that thread in the epilogue) made Jan's plot predictable, which didn't help my boredom. I was also bothered that even though Mr. Wisniewski chose first person narration, Jan's chapters often contain Tug's thoughts as though she could be privy to them.
My major complaint though is that people just did stupid things in this novel. Not normal stupid. Above and beyond stupid. The depiction of the cop in the Bronx was beyond cartoonish. I'm a New Yorker and obviously know that cops can be racist, but come on, a little finesse wouldn't hurt. Gabe was a strange aside, and Tug was doomed from the moment his stupid name indicated he would be pulled into darkness by some vice. I was bored and skimming by the end.
My major complaint though is that people just did stupid things in this novel. Not normal stupid. Above and beyond stupid. The depiction of the cop in the Bronx was beyond cartoonish. I'm a New Yorker and obviously know that cops can be racist, but come on, a little finesse wouldn't hurt. Gabe was a strange aside, and Tug was doomed from the moment his stupid name indicated he would be pulled into darkness by some vice. I was bored and skimming by the end.
March 24, 2015
Watch Me Go, by Mark Wisniewski
Review by Marlon L. Fick
Let the reader of this review find one of already dozens of summaries of this novel—I am not interested in the heresy of paraphrase. Suffice it to say that the reader will probably never encounter two more unlikely characters who tell their stories and whose lives cross—a young black man from New York’s ghetto and a white girl who grows up in the shadowy underworld of horseracing. While the novel never overtly leads the reader to reflect on his or her own defects or demons, the twinning of these two characters’ stories will compel any sensitive reader to engage in serious introspection. Wisniewski evidently accomplished this feat after very real struggle, which, when put down on paper, transformed into a work that is amazing: It is a novel without traditional narration. The principle characters “narrate” through overheard projections, worries, unfulfilled desires, and speculations. The point at which the two cross forms not only a sturdy narrative structure, but also a metaphorical crucifixion—one that leads to redemption.
I approach everything I read with the critical skepticism of a professional reader. In short, it is hard to sell me on most books. Add to that my abhorrence of guns, gambling, and anything “noir,” and the reader of this review might wonder why I chose to review the book. But if Watch Me Go could capture my attention, then it warrants as broad an audience as possible—that is to say, worldwide. This occurs rarely and only when the particulars have been so finely drawn that they transcend to the universal, such as in novels like Marquez’ One Hundred Years of Solitude or Murakami’s 1Q84. To avoid spoiling the end, I’ll simply confess that I—a man raised to be reserved, descended directly from the Puritans—cried like a baby and felt what Aristotle described in his Poetics: catharsis. There but for the grace of “God” go I.
Review by Marlon L. Fick
Let the reader of this review find one of already dozens of summaries of this novel—I am not interested in the heresy of paraphrase. Suffice it to say that the reader will probably never encounter two more unlikely characters who tell their stories and whose lives cross—a young black man from New York’s ghetto and a white girl who grows up in the shadowy underworld of horseracing. While the novel never overtly leads the reader to reflect on his or her own defects or demons, the twinning of these two characters’ stories will compel any sensitive reader to engage in serious introspection. Wisniewski evidently accomplished this feat after very real struggle, which, when put down on paper, transformed into a work that is amazing: It is a novel without traditional narration. The principle characters “narrate” through overheard projections, worries, unfulfilled desires, and speculations. The point at which the two cross forms not only a sturdy narrative structure, but also a metaphorical crucifixion—one that leads to redemption.
I approach everything I read with the critical skepticism of a professional reader. In short, it is hard to sell me on most books. Add to that my abhorrence of guns, gambling, and anything “noir,” and the reader of this review might wonder why I chose to review the book. But if Watch Me Go could capture my attention, then it warrants as broad an audience as possible—that is to say, worldwide. This occurs rarely and only when the particulars have been so finely drawn that they transcend to the universal, such as in novels like Marquez’ One Hundred Years of Solitude or Murakami’s 1Q84. To avoid spoiling the end, I’ll simply confess that I—a man raised to be reserved, descended directly from the Puritans—cried like a baby and felt what Aristotle described in his Poetics: catharsis. There but for the grace of “God” go I.
December 3, 2014
This is more than just a pinewood noir, but an examination of love and redemption set against the background of the racetrack. There is a poignant quality here, with two narratives in two different voices which converge in the prologue, then are told in alternating chapters by our two protagonists. Deesh has never gotten his life together after a promising start in high school, and at 37 finds himself in deep waters beyond his control. Jan, a 20 year old aspiring jockey, finds herself in upstate New York witness to and involved in the world of addictive gambling. How these two find themselves at the crossroads by book's end makes for thrilling reading. Wisniewski paints dramatic description of life on the run and behind bars, as well as on the scruffy grounds of the upstate racetrack and its cast of characters. There is a sun soaked, late afternoon quality to the proceedings that make this sensually vivid.
March 8, 2015
This is a masterfully plotted novel, structured by some bold formal choices (not just the alternating chapters but also where he chooses to end the two strands of the narrative), with all of the big themes (hatred, forgiveness, loss, fate, desire) energized with crisply rendered action. It’s certainly noir-like but the genre it inhabits most fully is the grand-daddy of them all: tragedy. Character brings on predicament and predicament tests character with devastating consequences. The novel works equally well on the psychological level, with, for example, brilliant insights into exactly how an addiction like gambling takes form and how it might both cement a romantic relationship and destroy it. The last third of the book contains two startling actions that surprised me, made sense, resonated complexly, and vaulted this book into the zone of high art: this is a book I’ll think about as I figure out how to live. A very impressive novel.
December 7, 2014
Watch Me Go by Mark Wisniewski is a wonderfully powerful book about horse racing, love and lives misspent. The use of alternating voices works beautifully and quite differently here because you’re not hearing the same story told in separate voices. Wisniewski opens at the conclusion with Deesh and Jan meeting and then follows with what led up to the meeting. The intense approach to the novel’s end had me setting it aside for a few minutes just to catch my breath. It’s spectacular.
While the horse racing references at times confused me, they in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the book. There were comparisons to be made between horse racing and love that were particularly enlightening (the certainty of one and the uncertainty of the other) and in horse racing and sports (both are a small fraction of life, they use something or someone, and in both there is beauty and ugliness).
Watch Me Go is unique and will have you at the edge of your seat many times over.
While the horse racing references at times confused me, they in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the book. There were comparisons to be made between horse racing and love that were particularly enlightening (the certainty of one and the uncertainty of the other) and in horse racing and sports (both are a small fraction of life, they use something or someone, and in both there is beauty and ugliness).
Watch Me Go is unique and will have you at the edge of your seat many times over.
November 14, 2014
I read an early version of this. Awesome novel that grabs you and keeps gaining speed and surprises you quite a bit at the end. Easy to read yet thought-provoking. Perhaps it'll be controversial? It'll make people think and talk about racism and inequality and the tendency toward argument and bullying in America. Highly recommended; no, mandatory reading for anyone with a pulse and brain activity!
December 18, 2014
I received this book in a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway...
I loved this book!! I thought the writing was excellent and the story was brilliant!! A definite must read!!
I loved this book!! I thought the writing was excellent and the story was brilliant!! A definite must read!!
January 13, 2015
Great book. Suspenseful, surprising, and very well written. Loved it!
January 11, 2015
I’m not sure about Salman Rushdie’s claim (“irresistible”) but Mark Wisniewski’s "Watch Me Go" will pull you along. The story flips back and forth between a down-and-out junk hauler with dreams who gets badly ensnared in a major crime (and then crimes, plural) and a young female jockey who is looking for a fresh start after the death of her father..
Douglas "Deesh" Sharp's situation is palpable and relevant, especially given the controversies that are sweeping the country regarding the racial tensions between city police forces and minorities, particularly young black men (or black men of any age). Wisniewki’s tale is positively prescient within the context of massive protests that popped up over the past few months from New York to Missouri to California.
You may not understand why Deesh would help dump a sealed oil drum, knowing full well what the drum likely contains, but you can feel his horizons widen as he and his crew encounter some good luck and you can feel his options close down quickly when events turn horrendously ugly.
Deesh’s encounter with Gabe, a reclusive fishing guide, form a major chunk of the fast-moving chapters in the middle of the book. Gabe instantly recognizes Deesh as the subject of a massive manhunt and, at gun point as they head upriver, Gabe willingly absolves Deesh of any wrongdoing. Even from his reclusive spot in the world, Gabe is rock sure that Deesh encountered a racist cop in the incident that led to Deesh’s need to run for his life. It’s Gabe who announces that the country “is one big old melting pot of hatred" but somehow has the ability, it seems, to peer deep down in Deesh’s soul and discern that Deesh is no hater. Gabe talks a “blue streak" about a variety of topics including survival in the wild, love and fishing. Gabe’s (spoiler alert) demise further puts the squeeze on Deesh’s multi-layered predicament but seemed expedient and perhaps a touch too easy on behalf of the plot. (These are only mild complaints about the "Gabe" sections, given the hefty goals of the novel.)
The “Jan” chapters give us a portrait of a young woman understanding the world of thoroughbred horse racing and heavy gambling. We know from the opening chapter that Jan knows Deesh “is as innocent as a colt learning to walk” so the suspense factor to the whole arc of Watch Me Go is slightly deflated. Wisniewski's vivid portrait of this young woman puts you deep inside her thoughts and skin. Both Deesh and Jan are sharply drawn--and interesting characters, particularly as they think about the people they would like to be closer to.
My hunch is Wisniewski didn’t write this to get your heart pounding or to get you to turn the pages quickly (even though the snappy pace will keep you doing so). I think he wrote this as companion portraits of desperation, betrayal and reactions to fear.
“Sometimes,” thinks Jan, “there came the kind of fear animals felt, the necessary kind, the kind that’s akin to survival, the kind that makes bees sting and hummingbirds quite humming to zip off into the woods, that kind that makes fish, of any size, know when not to bite and instead dart and zigzag toward depth.”
To me, "Watch Me Go" is an interesting study in honest fear and how two very different people—two very different people whose lives cross—manage the moment. Skip the hype and take "Watch Me Go" less as a thriller (though it certainly has plenty of those elements) and more of a smart novel about desperate people.
Douglas "Deesh" Sharp's situation is palpable and relevant, especially given the controversies that are sweeping the country regarding the racial tensions between city police forces and minorities, particularly young black men (or black men of any age). Wisniewki’s tale is positively prescient within the context of massive protests that popped up over the past few months from New York to Missouri to California.
You may not understand why Deesh would help dump a sealed oil drum, knowing full well what the drum likely contains, but you can feel his horizons widen as he and his crew encounter some good luck and you can feel his options close down quickly when events turn horrendously ugly.
Deesh’s encounter with Gabe, a reclusive fishing guide, form a major chunk of the fast-moving chapters in the middle of the book. Gabe instantly recognizes Deesh as the subject of a massive manhunt and, at gun point as they head upriver, Gabe willingly absolves Deesh of any wrongdoing. Even from his reclusive spot in the world, Gabe is rock sure that Deesh encountered a racist cop in the incident that led to Deesh’s need to run for his life. It’s Gabe who announces that the country “is one big old melting pot of hatred" but somehow has the ability, it seems, to peer deep down in Deesh’s soul and discern that Deesh is no hater. Gabe talks a “blue streak" about a variety of topics including survival in the wild, love and fishing. Gabe’s (spoiler alert) demise further puts the squeeze on Deesh’s multi-layered predicament but seemed expedient and perhaps a touch too easy on behalf of the plot. (These are only mild complaints about the "Gabe" sections, given the hefty goals of the novel.)
The “Jan” chapters give us a portrait of a young woman understanding the world of thoroughbred horse racing and heavy gambling. We know from the opening chapter that Jan knows Deesh “is as innocent as a colt learning to walk” so the suspense factor to the whole arc of Watch Me Go is slightly deflated. Wisniewski's vivid portrait of this young woman puts you deep inside her thoughts and skin. Both Deesh and Jan are sharply drawn--and interesting characters, particularly as they think about the people they would like to be closer to.
My hunch is Wisniewski didn’t write this to get your heart pounding or to get you to turn the pages quickly (even though the snappy pace will keep you doing so). I think he wrote this as companion portraits of desperation, betrayal and reactions to fear.
“Sometimes,” thinks Jan, “there came the kind of fear animals felt, the necessary kind, the kind that’s akin to survival, the kind that makes bees sting and hummingbirds quite humming to zip off into the woods, that kind that makes fish, of any size, know when not to bite and instead dart and zigzag toward depth.”
To me, "Watch Me Go" is an interesting study in honest fear and how two very different people—two very different people whose lives cross—manage the moment. Skip the hype and take "Watch Me Go" less as a thriller (though it certainly has plenty of those elements) and more of a smart novel about desperate people.
January 22, 2015
Watch Me Go is a book about sadness. When your last lent chips are on the table and your escape plan is only a delaying of consequences. Mark Wisniewski does an incredible job of crafting these characters around a false hope whether it be with Jan who thinks she has it all figured out but is kidding herself and forcing her perspective on the situation, or Deesh, the one who realizes he has no shot but tries anyway. The minor characters have the same delusions about life and what they can achieve but none of them want to put in the right work to get there. They are all lying to themselves. They deceive themselves as to the world around them, at times with a dark humor to their situations.
There are several crimes that are committed over the course of the book, but it is not a crime book. There is no pulpy detective and neither of the characters accept that trite mantle. Doing so would cheapen the characters and the complexity Mark Wisniewski has woven into them. This is a book about people trying to survive whether they know how or are grasping.
There are several crimes that are committed over the course of the book, but it is not a crime book. There is no pulpy detective and neither of the characters accept that trite mantle. Doing so would cheapen the characters and the complexity Mark Wisniewski has woven into them. This is a book about people trying to survive whether they know how or are grasping.
March 7, 2015
This novel seems easy to read because of its conversational narrative voices, but there's a lot going on here--and I mean that in the best possible way. Deesh's and Jan's exchange of stories is brilliant--grabs you from the start and then, right when you think you know what's going to happen, surprises the h out of you. And the end--don't want to spoil the end for anyone by being specific about it, but, wow, it's as good and powerful as any. This book is a must-read.
January 3, 2015
I received an ARC of this book through Penguin's First to Read program. The chapters bounce back and forth between the perspectives of two characters, and even though you have some foreshadowing in the first chapter, I was unprepared for the twist at the end. I recommend this book to anyone interested in fiction, race relations, and horse racing.
January 13, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. The story was so gripping, and I was also really wrapped up in the characters' willingness to open up to each other. There are several twists that I did not see coming at all, won't mention here! no spoilers! You have to read this book. I guarantee you will be caught off guard in the best possible way.
March 11, 2015
Mark Wisniewski's has written a suspenseful book with a noir plot that engages you immediately. On top of that the writing is quite good, aa Wisniewski has a real talent for dialog, and getting inside his character's heads.
February 27, 2015
Very well told story! You are introduced to two characters at the beginning and then in alternating chapters hear their stories for the rest of the book. And the entire time I found myself trying to figure out when/how their stories would intersect. Really enjoyed it.
October 18, 2014
Great novel. Like no other. A page-turner that makes you think about justice and love and kills you with surprise at the end.
January 17, 2015
One of the best novels I've read in a long time. If you like fiction that's both suspenseful and surprising (especially at the end!!) as well as very well-written, this book is for you.
January 14, 2015
Watch Me Go by Mark Wisniewski is a highly recommended novel that intertwines the hard facts of a crime novel with literary character studies.
Jan Price, comes to visit Douglas "Deesh" Sharp in prison. Deesh is an African-American who has been charged with the murders of three men. Jan says she can provide proof that will exonerate him of the murder of jockey Tom Corcoran, but first she needs to know that he didn't kill the other two men. At this point Wisniewski alternates chapters between the perspective of the two main characters as they look at their past and the choices they have made that resulted in their meeting.
The first chapter is Deesh's story about riding along with two old basketball buddies, Bark and James, hoping to earn a little cash. When the three are paid a grand to dispose of a sealed barrel that, though it is never said, everyone knew contained a body. The three dumped the barrel in a wooded area and then hit the race track taking a gamble that they can win even more betting on the horses and then they can make a break for it. Things quickly begin to spiral out of control for Deesh.
Jan's chapters recount her dealings with the Corcoran family. Jan and her mother moved from Arkansas to stay with friends Tom and Colleen Corcoran, on their son Tug's horse farm, As Jan hopes to become a jockey like her father, she also starts to realize she has feelings for Tug. There is a lot of information about horse racing and gambling included in Watch Me Go.
Wisniewski skillfully handles the nuances in developing the personalities of each of his characters. Although both characters make bad choices, I think you will come to understand why they made the choices they did and how they were both reacting to the actions of others around them. They were both desperate and afraid. Good people can have bad things happen to them, and tragically it can leave them lost and searching.
I thought the writing was brilliant, especially in how the characters were developed and in the clarity of their separate, distinct voices. I care very little for gambling or horse racing, which are very prevalent, but the information you need can easily be assimilated enough to allow you to appreciate the larger story without trying to bog yourself down in remembering detailed racing facts. Wisniewski also does an admirable job describing the setting.
There were a few minor glitches in Watch Me Go, but, as a whole this is a fine literary suspense novel in contrast to a boiler plate crime novel.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Penguin Group for review purposes.
Jan Price, comes to visit Douglas "Deesh" Sharp in prison. Deesh is an African-American who has been charged with the murders of three men. Jan says she can provide proof that will exonerate him of the murder of jockey Tom Corcoran, but first she needs to know that he didn't kill the other two men. At this point Wisniewski alternates chapters between the perspective of the two main characters as they look at their past and the choices they have made that resulted in their meeting.
The first chapter is Deesh's story about riding along with two old basketball buddies, Bark and James, hoping to earn a little cash. When the three are paid a grand to dispose of a sealed barrel that, though it is never said, everyone knew contained a body. The three dumped the barrel in a wooded area and then hit the race track taking a gamble that they can win even more betting on the horses and then they can make a break for it. Things quickly begin to spiral out of control for Deesh.
Jan's chapters recount her dealings with the Corcoran family. Jan and her mother moved from Arkansas to stay with friends Tom and Colleen Corcoran, on their son Tug's horse farm, As Jan hopes to become a jockey like her father, she also starts to realize she has feelings for Tug. There is a lot of information about horse racing and gambling included in Watch Me Go.
Wisniewski skillfully handles the nuances in developing the personalities of each of his characters. Although both characters make bad choices, I think you will come to understand why they made the choices they did and how they were both reacting to the actions of others around them. They were both desperate and afraid. Good people can have bad things happen to them, and tragically it can leave them lost and searching.
I thought the writing was brilliant, especially in how the characters were developed and in the clarity of their separate, distinct voices. I care very little for gambling or horse racing, which are very prevalent, but the information you need can easily be assimilated enough to allow you to appreciate the larger story without trying to bog yourself down in remembering detailed racing facts. Wisniewski also does an admirable job describing the setting.
There were a few minor glitches in Watch Me Go, but, as a whole this is a fine literary suspense novel in contrast to a boiler plate crime novel.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Penguin Group for review purposes.
December 30, 2014
Accused of murdering three people, Deesh is in jail. A surprise,
unknown visitor, Jan arrives to talk with Deesh at the jail. Jan
claims she knows Deesh is “not guilty.”
And thus the story begins.
The chapters in the book are very short alternating between the
characters. The author gets inside the heads of his characters
presenting them to the reader allowing you to understand the
inner workings of each character. These chapters weave
together the past and present building up to shocking surprise
twists.
I did not know much about the horseracing so this was a
eyeopener to the “back room” gambling, organized crime,
winning and losing not just the bet but the emotions involved.
The book also addressed social issues such as loss of love,
fatherhood, injustice, justice, redemption, love, winning, losing,
loss and grieving.
Thanks to Penguin's First to Read program for this eBook. My
opinion is my own.
unknown visitor, Jan arrives to talk with Deesh at the jail. Jan
claims she knows Deesh is “not guilty.”
And thus the story begins.
The chapters in the book are very short alternating between the
characters. The author gets inside the heads of his characters
presenting them to the reader allowing you to understand the
inner workings of each character. These chapters weave
together the past and present building up to shocking surprise
twists.
I did not know much about the horseracing so this was a
eyeopener to the “back room” gambling, organized crime,
winning and losing not just the bet but the emotions involved.
The book also addressed social issues such as loss of love,
fatherhood, injustice, justice, redemption, love, winning, losing,
loss and grieving.
Thanks to Penguin's First to Read program for this eBook. My
opinion is my own.
March 8, 2015
Watch Me Go is a riveting, page-turning Noir-thriller. With every crisply written chapter Wisniewski's two narrator's, Deesh and Jan, reveal layers of their complex and disturbing conflicts that drive the story with the steady, haunting rhythm of a Johnny Cash tune. Wisniewski's carefully paced storytelling takes us deeper into the psychology of damaged and desperate characters. Both Deesh and Jan have good, if not misdirected intentions. Through their eyes Wisniewski honestly examines the world of horse-racing, gambling addiction and raises the question of whether we can ever truly escape the influences of our past, or are we destined to be enslaved by the world's that shaped us. A compelling read by a masterful craftsman.
April 25, 2015
This novel started out very strong for me, then started to feel a bit uneven. It is a decent crime story, told by two narrators. The first, a man in prison waiting for a trial on potentially three murder chargers. He claims he is innocent and that he has been betrayed/double crossed by his closest friends. The second narrator is a young woman who asks to meet with the prisoner. She has a connection to one of the murder victims and believes she can shed some light as to what actually happened. Sounds intriguing right? I can't quite pinpoint where this went south for me, but some of the story lines did not seem to be as fleshed out as I wanted. Maybe I just did not find all of the character actions believable. Still, all in all an enjoyable and quick read. 3 stars.
January 29, 2015
Two loosely related stories told from the perspective of two different characters. One involves three brothers who who are asked to get rid of a barrel which they feel certain has a body in it or something illegal. As their story progresses they get involved in other crimes and their relationship breaks down. The other protagonist is a young lady who was raised in the horse racing industry and has aspirations to be a jockey but is blown off course by a relationship with a young man whose dad is heavy into race betting. This is an interesting story for enthusiasts of horse racing and mysteries.
September 29, 2015
The Black Stallion, Born to Trot, National Velvet, and dozens of other horse books I read as a child told stories that mentioned the seedy side of horse-racing-—in order to provide a villain or two-—but mostly focused on the beauty of a fast horse and the grit of a jockey.
Watch Me Go by Mark Wisniewski is not that kind of horse book. It is a complex, gripping mystery unfolding in separate narratives that gradually bend toward each other and weave a murderous tale of the dark side—-really dark—-of horse-racing and people who make and lose fortunes on and off the track. This is a suspenseful, vivid, and ultimately compassionate tale.
Watch Me Go by Mark Wisniewski is not that kind of horse book. It is a complex, gripping mystery unfolding in separate narratives that gradually bend toward each other and weave a murderous tale of the dark side—-really dark—-of horse-racing and people who make and lose fortunes on and off the track. This is a suspenseful, vivid, and ultimately compassionate tale.
November 28, 2014
For me there was a big disconnect with this story.After the prologue, the chapters switch between Jan and Deesh continuously through the end. The time frame for the action was not apparent until chapter 41 and the reference to 9/11. The stories themselves were very interesting. I would much have preferred two separate stories whether or not in the same book. The last chapter seemed to leave me wanting to know more. It seemed a bit unfinished. Is it possible a sequel will continue later?
January 1, 2016
Again with the alternating narrators! And in this case, there seemed to be nothing - and I mean nothing - past the prologue to connect them. At 25% I couldn't connect with either, nor with their stories. DNF.
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.
February 15, 2016
Wisniewski has given us a well-crafted plot with vividly painted characters we feel connected to. Watch Me Go offers the page-turning excitement of a thriller with the heartfelt sentiment and depth of a literary novel.
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