The Building

by Gail Matelson

This dark, psychological mystery reveals the deeply disturbed mind of a reclusive young man, named Jessup Pinch. Confused and living on the street at seventeen, Jessup's life takes a turn when he's hired to work as a janitor in a large downtown building, and secretly offered a home in a small room in the dark basement of the same building. Hidden from society, he forms an attachment to the Building, believing it will protect him. He incorporates the Building into his dreams of a successful life, a wealthy life, one which will allow him to forget the people who have hurt him in the past. However, his emotional state is strained when he encounters a woman who works in the Building and who reminds him of the cruel mother he's trying to forget. Thoughts of revenge and retaliation begin to invade his inner-most thoughts. Homicide Detectives Ted and Shelly McKinney encounter the strangely-pitiful Jessup Pinch while investigating a rash of murders. They both wonder why this seemingly-harmless young man seems to be entangled in each step of their investigation. Will they discover the truth? Will Jessup ever be free of his demons?

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 14, 2014

About the author

It wasn't until I returned from a year-long, solo driving trip around the United States that I wrote my first book, a personal memoir that I haven't as yet published. Thoroughly enjoying the experience of writing, I spontaneously wrote my first mystery novel. The experience was so 'novel', the characters so willing to tell their own story, that I never stopped writing. Twenty-one books and seventeen years later, my unique stories cover a wide spectrum, from humorous metaphysical fantasy in "Last 90 Days, Archie Trilogy Book 1," and magical realism in "Between the Trees," to a psychological thriller in "The Building." Blending multiple genres, my stories have inspiring stories of transformation, as well as humorous and romantic threads woven into the plots.

Reviews

[Michael Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captivating Original Story

I was given, The Building, as a gift in exchange for my review.

Ms. Matelson brings a fresh and exciting writing talent to mysteries and thrillers. The storyline was well thought out and kept my attention. I didn't want to put the book down. The characters were well developed and Ms. Matelson brought each one to life. Just when I thought the story was going one way, the author took it another way I didn't see coming, including the ending. I strongly recommend this book and look forward to reading Ms. Matelson's other books.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an e-book from the author in exchange for a honest review. I wasn't disappointed in reading it. I liked it a lot ,so much that I read it in one sitting. I liked the variety of characters in it. It was a well written book. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

[J. Lennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery-crime-thriller enthusiasts would love Gail Matelson's The Building.
Everything about it was so fluid. It was so easy to read.
At the same time, I couldn't help but think of it as a concrete whole. Everything about it was well-developed. Every element contributed to the intensity and thrill of the story.
It's easy to fall in love with.
This book is rich in interesting characters.
The plot is intriguing.
The twists were nerve-wracking.
I can't wait to read more of Matelson's work!

[Wil Dershimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to receive a copy of 'Hidden Deep Within' from Gail Matelson as a gift. I really enjoyed reading the eBook version of the book. I recommend that you treat yourself to some mystery, as well as 'psychological murders.'

[Marie B. Armstrong · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a thriller

The plot was absurd, dialog tortured, words wrongly used. Mt favorit sentence was, "...he curled up on his bed, parallellized." Was the author kidding?

[James Faro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone has at least one person they'd like to take revenge on, but just how easy is it? At the beginning of this book Jessup Pinch is living in the basement of Stanton Building where he works as a janitor. Mary Munson works in the same building. She arranges fund raising parties for her charity, Assistfund, and is constantly on the look out for hosts with suitable houses. Jessup and Mary's paths cross with far reaching consequences for both of them.
The author has created an intriguing character in Jessup. Haunted by his difficult childhood and obsessively plotting against those who have wronged him, Jessup follows a strict routine avoiding all human contact. No matter how long it takes to achieve his goals, his single-mindedness leads him down a path from which he cannot deviate. Mary Munson is another interesting character. She's abrupt, bad tempered, impatient and selfish. Neither Jessup nor Mary are sympathetic characters but they are totally believable and pull you into the story. Other intriguing characters include Finery Revere, who, bored with her life, is searching for a way out. Edward Seethe, having no curiosity and questioning nothing, is the perfect employee.
The plot is gripping and unpredictable with an unexpected but perfect ending: A difficult book to put down.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman agrees to host a funding raising party, but a terrible crime leads to a police investigation.

I found the storyline really gripping / unpredictable and the characters were believable (in particular the emotionally tortured central character’s single minded desire for revenge). The writing was generally good, but in a couple of places I found the jumping between scenes / people / time periods broke up the narrative, there was some telling rather than showing and some of the relationships (for example between the police officers) didn't ring true, hence my 4 star rating (rather than 5 star).

If you enjoy psychological murder mysteries this is probably worth a look.

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book I think from this author. Evident that a lot of work had went into book. Quite a good story but I felt it lacked characters that I cared about. I will read another book by this author to see how her writing develops.