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Henry Parker #1
The Mark
Right as I'm about to die, I realize all the myths are fake. There's no white light at the end of a tunnel. My life isn't flashing before my eyes.
All I can think about is how much I want to live.
I moved to New York City a month ago to become the best journalist the world had ever seen. To find the greatest stories never told. And now here I am Henry Parker, twenty-four years old and weary beyond rational thought, a bullet one trigger pull from ending my life.
I can't run. Running is all Amanda and I have done for the past seventy-two hours. And I'm tired. Tired of knowing the truth and not being able to tell it.
Five minutes ago I thought I had the story all figured out.
I knew that both of these men one an FBI agent, the other an assassin wanted me dead, but for very different reasons.
If I die tonight more people will die tomorrow.
All I can think about is how much I want to live.
I moved to New York City a month ago to become the best journalist the world had ever seen. To find the greatest stories never told. And now here I am Henry Parker, twenty-four years old and weary beyond rational thought, a bullet one trigger pull from ending my life.
I can't run. Running is all Amanda and I have done for the past seventy-two hours. And I'm tired. Tired of knowing the truth and not being able to tell it.
Five minutes ago I thought I had the story all figured out.
I knew that both of these men one an FBI agent, the other an assassin wanted me dead, but for very different reasons.
If I die tonight more people will die tomorrow.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
1680 people are currently reading
1918 people want to read
About the author
Jason Pinter
28 books614 followersJason Pinter is the bestselling author of HIDE AWAY and A STRANGER AT THE DOOR in his Rachel Marin series, as well as six other novels: the acclaimed Henry Parker series (The Mark, The Guilty, The Stolen, The Fury, and The Darkness), the stand-alone thriller The Castle, as well as the middle-grade adventure novel Zeke Bartholomew: SuperSpy, and the children’s book Miracle. His books have over one million copies in print worldwide and have been optioned for film. He has been nominated for numerous awards, including the Thriller Award, Strand Critics Award, Barry Award, and Shamus Award, and more
He is the Founder and Publisher of the independent publisher Polis Books, as well as Agora, an imprint launched in 2019 dedicated to diverse and underrepresented voices in crime fiction. He was honored by Publishers Weekly’s Star Watch, which “recognizes young publishing professionals who have distinguished themselves as future leaders of the industry.” He has written for the New Republic, Entrepreneur, the Daily Beast, Esquire, and more. He lives in New Jersey, with his wife and their two daughters. Visit him at www.JasonPinter.com, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @JasonPinter.
He is the Founder and Publisher of the independent publisher Polis Books, as well as Agora, an imprint launched in 2019 dedicated to diverse and underrepresented voices in crime fiction. He was honored by Publishers Weekly’s Star Watch, which “recognizes young publishing professionals who have distinguished themselves as future leaders of the industry.” He has written for the New Republic, Entrepreneur, the Daily Beast, Esquire, and more. He lives in New Jersey, with his wife and their two daughters. Visit him at www.JasonPinter.com, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @JasonPinter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews
March 19, 2018
Fast paced story.
Good thrilling read, but needs a good editors. Henry Parker started his dream job, even his father told him repeatedly "you're no good." Interview he was sent to put him in the middle of mobsters, crooked police officers.
Good thrilling read, but needs a good editors. Henry Parker started his dream job, even his father told him repeatedly "you're no good." Interview he was sent to put him in the middle of mobsters, crooked police officers.
October 25, 2018
Right as I'm about to die, I realize all the myths are fake. There's no white light at the end of a
tunnel. My life isn't flashing before my eyes
All I can think about is how much I want to live !
I moved to New York City a month ago to become the best journalist the world had ever seen. To find the greatest stories never told. And now here I am—Henry Parker, twenty-four years old and weary beyond rational thought, a bullet one trigger pull from ending my life. I can't run. Running is all Amanda and I have done for the past seventy-two hours. And I'm tired. Tired of knowing the truth and not being able to tell it.
I knew that both of these men—one an FBI agent, the other an assassin—wanted me dead, but for very different reasons!
Wow, my first book by this author and this is his debut author with a great character in Henry Parker, and a terrific story, no wonder this book has been optioned as a feature film.
I find this to be a great paced action thriller that's keeps you guessing all the way, a great page turner, gripping and realistic. Not quite the life Henry Parker wanted to start his reporter job at the
New York Gazette.
His only ally an unsuspecting NYU coed Amanda a woman he was just hitching a ride from but she seems to believe his story and wants to help. So now they are both on the run from a policeman who wants revenge and a hitman who wants the package that Henry doesn't have, while trying to figure out how he became wanted by the NYPD, the FBI and the mob.
So nearly a five star book, gripping, fast paced, action packed, great twists an explosive last few chapters, will make a great film.
Ready for number 2 !
tunnel. My life isn't flashing before my eyes
All I can think about is how much I want to live !
I moved to New York City a month ago to become the best journalist the world had ever seen. To find the greatest stories never told. And now here I am—Henry Parker, twenty-four years old and weary beyond rational thought, a bullet one trigger pull from ending my life. I can't run. Running is all Amanda and I have done for the past seventy-two hours. And I'm tired. Tired of knowing the truth and not being able to tell it.
I knew that both of these men—one an FBI agent, the other an assassin—wanted me dead, but for very different reasons!
Wow, my first book by this author and this is his debut author with a great character in Henry Parker, and a terrific story, no wonder this book has been optioned as a feature film.
I find this to be a great paced action thriller that's keeps you guessing all the way, a great page turner, gripping and realistic. Not quite the life Henry Parker wanted to start his reporter job at the
New York Gazette.
His only ally an unsuspecting NYU coed Amanda a woman he was just hitching a ride from but she seems to believe his story and wants to help. So now they are both on the run from a policeman who wants revenge and a hitman who wants the package that Henry doesn't have, while trying to figure out how he became wanted by the NYPD, the FBI and the mob.
So nearly a five star book, gripping, fast paced, action packed, great twists an explosive last few chapters, will make a great film.
Ready for number 2 !
September 6, 2020
Buying a book just because it is cheap due to some offer was a huge gamble for me but the good news is I won!
It was a huge surprise when the book turned out to be a smooth crime thriller as promised in its catchy premise - "Right as I'm about to die, I realize all the myths are fake. There's no white light at the end of a tunnel. My life isn't flashing before my eyes"!
Henry Parker is a newbie journalist waiting for a snoop to catch. One night he tries to help a man form being physically abused and -poof- he becomes a snoop with the Police and killers on his heels with zero idea of what is happening.
Mentioning anything more than that might spoil parts of the story. SO all I am gonna squeak is that this is no historical or mythical or sci-fi or fantasy thriller. It is a plain hardcore good guys-bad guys thriller set in urban city with us, the people. Without any all-knowing or action-crazy hero Jason Pinter has written a gripping book.
You may not be toppled down or marked forever(pun intended) with The Mark but it is a sweet thriller which will keep you guessing!
It was a huge surprise when the book turned out to be a smooth crime thriller as promised in its catchy premise - "Right as I'm about to die, I realize all the myths are fake. There's no white light at the end of a tunnel. My life isn't flashing before my eyes"!
Henry Parker is a newbie journalist waiting for a snoop to catch. One night he tries to help a man form being physically abused and -poof- he becomes a snoop with the Police and killers on his heels with zero idea of what is happening.
Mentioning anything more than that might spoil parts of the story. SO all I am gonna squeak is that this is no historical or mythical or sci-fi or fantasy thriller. It is a plain hardcore good guys-bad guys thriller set in urban city with us, the people. Without any all-knowing or action-crazy hero Jason Pinter has written a gripping book.
You may not be toppled down or marked forever(pun intended) with The Mark but it is a sweet thriller which will keep you guessing!
May 27, 2008
Excellent debut novel!
I saw The Guilty on the shelf at Coles when it came out and read the synopsis. It sounded intriguing. Plus, the quotes from authors I’ve read helped as well, so I picked it up. I hadn’t realized it was the second book, so I picked up the first, The Mark. Am I ever glad I did!
And I had to agree with the reviews. The book is a gripping page-turner and I had a hard time putting it down. I felt bad for Henry, being stuck in the position he was in. While most of us would turn away and run for help, he jumped in with both feet - then had to run for his life. Henry is a good-guy through and through, with a mind that works quickly, making decisions I don’t think I’d ever be able to make. He goes through a lot in seventy-two hours.
The characters involved really put the pedal to the metal, and there’s no letting up. Plenty of action to keep a reader on their toes and their brains thinking. While the already know the who and how, it’s the ‘package’ that keeps a reader guessing.
An excellent debut novel. I immediately picked up The Guilty … I’m already on chapter 7, LOL!
I saw The Guilty on the shelf at Coles when it came out and read the synopsis. It sounded intriguing. Plus, the quotes from authors I’ve read helped as well, so I picked it up. I hadn’t realized it was the second book, so I picked up the first, The Mark. Am I ever glad I did!
And I had to agree with the reviews. The book is a gripping page-turner and I had a hard time putting it down. I felt bad for Henry, being stuck in the position he was in. While most of us would turn away and run for help, he jumped in with both feet - then had to run for his life. Henry is a good-guy through and through, with a mind that works quickly, making decisions I don’t think I’d ever be able to make. He goes through a lot in seventy-two hours.
The characters involved really put the pedal to the metal, and there’s no letting up. Plenty of action to keep a reader on their toes and their brains thinking. While the already know the who and how, it’s the ‘package’ that keeps a reader guessing.
An excellent debut novel. I immediately picked up The Guilty … I’m already on chapter 7, LOL!
January 16, 2018
good reading material except
it could use another editing. too many misplaced words that caused you to stop reading and try to figure out what was suppose to be there.
it could use another editing. too many misplaced words that caused you to stop reading and try to figure out what was suppose to be there.
March 17, 2018
I really liked the main character Henry Parker and his plight in this story. I look forward to reading more in the series.
February 19, 2018
First of the series. Started off a little slow, but picked up just before I was going to let it go.
March 8, 2018
The Mark / A page Turner .
Jason Pinter has captured the suspense required to
Hold a reader's interest from first page to last.
An original plot full of action .
Jason Pinter has captured the suspense required to
Hold a reader's interest from first page to last.
An original plot full of action .
April 1, 2011
Mata menghujam malam.
Hitam.
Pekat.
Tak berbatas.
Angin berlalu tanpa suara.
Membawa cerita dari buku yang baru kuselesaikan.
Henry Parker, seorang jurnalis muda, baru mulai meniti karirnya di sebuah surat kabar bernama Gazette. Tentu saja bukan misteri terjebaknya sang tokoh utama dalam pembunuhan terhadap polisi New York yang membuatku tertarik menyelesaikan membaca buku ini. Karena baru seperlima buku, aku sudah bisa menebak teka-teki atau suspend yang ditawarkan Jason Pinter, yang gak pinter-pinter amat menyembunyikan "rahasia". Melainkan seluk beluk perjalanan cintanya dari Mya yang kemudian beralih kepada seorang mahasiswa bernama Amanda.
Kuhela nafas.
Pelan.
Pelan sekali.
Takut terdengar Sang Angin.
Angin yang tadi berlalu tanpa pesan.
Aku yang sengaja berdiri di depan jendela kamar. Menatap langit luar. Masih terheran-heran dengan sikapnya Parker. Kenapa dia meninggalkan Mya dengan begitu mudahnya? Kenapa Parker tidak bisa menduga, bahwa Mya diawasi polisi dan bukan berkhianat terhadapnya?
Memang benar, hubungan asmara yang sudah dilewati selama 3 tahun bisa saja mulai mendingin. Bahkan bisa jadi seperti buih di lautan yang kemudian tanpa disadari hilang bersama ombak.
Tapi gak adakah keinginan dua belah pihak untuk mencari tahu penyebabnya?
Bukankah cinta itu perlu dijaga? Dipupuk? Disirami? Kalo memang tidak mau pudar oleh waktu dan pertengkaran?
Gak kutemukan adanya pertengkaran antara Mya dan Parker dalam buku ini. Jadi bukan karena alasan itu hubungan mereka kemudian menjadi renggang. Hummmmmm... karena sudah gak cinta. Ceunah. Titik.
Lalu dimanakah cinta Henry dan Mya? Tadinya ada menjadi tiada?
Melayang, agak menerawang.
Tak berhasil menembus awan ;)
Mencoba berdiri di sepatu Amanda.
Menjadi dirinya sesaat.
Jika aku adalah Amanda, aku tak akan percaya pada seorang buronan pembunuh.
Aku juga tak akan memilih ikut luntang lantung menghindar dari kejaran polisi.
Justru aku akan pergi mencari perlindungan polisi.
Jika aku adalah Amanda, aku tak akan mudah jatuh cinta sama Henry Parker.
Siapa dia? Sudah menikahkah? Sudah punya kekasihkah?
Bagaimana dia tega meninggalkan kekasihnya yang tengah di rawat di RS karena korban pemerkosaan.
Pemerkosaan yang mungkin bisa digagalkan jika Parker mau mengangakat dan mendengarkan Mya di telepon saat tengah malam?
Lelaki tega?
Tahukah Parker, bahwa ketika dia meninggalkan cinta yang sudah mendingin dengan Mya, dia juga akan menemukan masalah yang sama dengan Amanda. But just about the time. Try to solve it Parker!
Lalu darimanakah cinta Henry dan Amanda? Tadinya tiada menjadi ada?
Sudah cukup!
Jangan bicara cinta lagi malam ini.
Tutup jendela.
Tutup tirai.
Matikan lampu.
Tidur!
Hitam.
Pekat.
Tak berbatas.
Angin berlalu tanpa suara.
Membawa cerita dari buku yang baru kuselesaikan.
Henry Parker, seorang jurnalis muda, baru mulai meniti karirnya di sebuah surat kabar bernama Gazette. Tentu saja bukan misteri terjebaknya sang tokoh utama dalam pembunuhan terhadap polisi New York yang membuatku tertarik menyelesaikan membaca buku ini. Karena baru seperlima buku, aku sudah bisa menebak teka-teki atau suspend yang ditawarkan Jason Pinter, yang gak pinter-pinter amat menyembunyikan "rahasia". Melainkan seluk beluk perjalanan cintanya dari Mya yang kemudian beralih kepada seorang mahasiswa bernama Amanda.
Kuhela nafas.
Pelan.
Pelan sekali.
Takut terdengar Sang Angin.
Angin yang tadi berlalu tanpa pesan.
Aku yang sengaja berdiri di depan jendela kamar. Menatap langit luar. Masih terheran-heran dengan sikapnya Parker. Kenapa dia meninggalkan Mya dengan begitu mudahnya? Kenapa Parker tidak bisa menduga, bahwa Mya diawasi polisi dan bukan berkhianat terhadapnya?
Memang benar, hubungan asmara yang sudah dilewati selama 3 tahun bisa saja mulai mendingin. Bahkan bisa jadi seperti buih di lautan yang kemudian tanpa disadari hilang bersama ombak.
Tapi gak adakah keinginan dua belah pihak untuk mencari tahu penyebabnya?
Bukankah cinta itu perlu dijaga? Dipupuk? Disirami? Kalo memang tidak mau pudar oleh waktu dan pertengkaran?
Gak kutemukan adanya pertengkaran antara Mya dan Parker dalam buku ini. Jadi bukan karena alasan itu hubungan mereka kemudian menjadi renggang. Hummmmmm... karena sudah gak cinta. Ceunah. Titik.
Lalu dimanakah cinta Henry dan Mya? Tadinya ada menjadi tiada?
Melayang, agak menerawang.
Tak berhasil menembus awan ;)
Mencoba berdiri di sepatu Amanda.
Menjadi dirinya sesaat.
Jika aku adalah Amanda, aku tak akan percaya pada seorang buronan pembunuh.
Aku juga tak akan memilih ikut luntang lantung menghindar dari kejaran polisi.
Justru aku akan pergi mencari perlindungan polisi.
Jika aku adalah Amanda, aku tak akan mudah jatuh cinta sama Henry Parker.
Siapa dia? Sudah menikahkah? Sudah punya kekasihkah?
Bagaimana dia tega meninggalkan kekasihnya yang tengah di rawat di RS karena korban pemerkosaan.
Pemerkosaan yang mungkin bisa digagalkan jika Parker mau mengangakat dan mendengarkan Mya di telepon saat tengah malam?
Lelaki tega?
Tahukah Parker, bahwa ketika dia meninggalkan cinta yang sudah mendingin dengan Mya, dia juga akan menemukan masalah yang sama dengan Amanda. But just about the time. Try to solve it Parker!
Lalu darimanakah cinta Henry dan Amanda? Tadinya tiada menjadi ada?
Sudah cukup!
Jangan bicara cinta lagi malam ini.
Tutup jendela.
Tutup tirai.
Matikan lampu.
Tidur!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2013
The book for review is “The Mark” by Jason Pinter. The genre is action, adventure and a bit of drama.
Our main character, Henry Parker, is a journalist. He has just landed his dream job at the New York Gazette. Not only is it his place of employment but his idol works there, Jack O’Donnell. A man who was a legend in his own mind and others but it was well-earned. In a short time of working Henry gets a break, to work with Jack. All Henry has to do is get an interview from a source that Jack is working with. Simple, right?
Things go terribly wrong ending up in a man being killed and Henry being blamed for the murder. It does not help matters that the dead man is a cop. The whole city is looking for him. On the run Henry tries to piece together where it all went wrong and how to vindicate himself. With the help of a stranger the two embark on a wild ride.
On my shelf you will find King, Christie, Patterson and Little. I been looking for a “new” author to start reading. Coming across Pinter the back cover made me curious enough to get the book and read it from beginning to end. I am glad I did. Considering this is Mr. Pinter’s first novel is amazing in itself. The pace was great, it slowed down only enough for you to catch your breath and then it picked up again. A great read and I have already purchased the second book with high anticipation.
Our main character, Henry Parker, is a journalist. He has just landed his dream job at the New York Gazette. Not only is it his place of employment but his idol works there, Jack O’Donnell. A man who was a legend in his own mind and others but it was well-earned. In a short time of working Henry gets a break, to work with Jack. All Henry has to do is get an interview from a source that Jack is working with. Simple, right?
Things go terribly wrong ending up in a man being killed and Henry being blamed for the murder. It does not help matters that the dead man is a cop. The whole city is looking for him. On the run Henry tries to piece together where it all went wrong and how to vindicate himself. With the help of a stranger the two embark on a wild ride.
On my shelf you will find King, Christie, Patterson and Little. I been looking for a “new” author to start reading. Coming across Pinter the back cover made me curious enough to get the book and read it from beginning to end. I am glad I did. Considering this is Mr. Pinter’s first novel is amazing in itself. The pace was great, it slowed down only enough for you to catch your breath and then it picked up again. A great read and I have already purchased the second book with high anticipation.
Read
June 12, 2020This is Pinter's first novel and it's a fair first attempt. The main character is a young, idealistic reporter who ends up running for his freedom and his life after shooting a cop. I won't give too much away but this is a reasonably good story with some twists, turns and - of course - romance.
Two things made it difficult for me to rate this more highly. Firstly, the main character Henry didn't seem very likeable to me. A little too arrogant, a little too know-it-all, a little too whiny. Secondly, I found Pinter's style of writing a little monotonous. Sometimes the book seemed to plod along, not generating excited page-turning but more a vague curiousity to see how things turned out.
Some of Pinter's characters were a little one-dimensional and not very realistic or believable. When you're looking at a book filled with criminals and psychopaths, that's possibly reassuring. But some of the same artists that have raved about Pinter on the cover sleeve (such as Tess Gerritsen) seem to manage this much more successfully, so it can be done.
Nonetheless, as a first novel, it shows a certain promise for the genre and I'd be interested to read his future offerings - I think further practice will make Pinter a real contender in this area.
Two things made it difficult for me to rate this more highly. Firstly, the main character Henry didn't seem very likeable to me. A little too arrogant, a little too know-it-all, a little too whiny. Secondly, I found Pinter's style of writing a little monotonous. Sometimes the book seemed to plod along, not generating excited page-turning but more a vague curiousity to see how things turned out.
Some of Pinter's characters were a little one-dimensional and not very realistic or believable. When you're looking at a book filled with criminals and psychopaths, that's possibly reassuring. But some of the same artists that have raved about Pinter on the cover sleeve (such as Tess Gerritsen) seem to manage this much more successfully, so it can be done.
Nonetheless, as a first novel, it shows a certain promise for the genre and I'd be interested to read his future offerings - I think further practice will make Pinter a real contender in this area.
January 28, 2018
I started reading this book and was about to give up. The reason is there are so many typos and grammatical errors, like nobody proofed this before publishing. I am not one to give up on a book so I kept reading, trying to ignore the errors. By Chapter 6, I was hooked and couldn't stop reading it. It has a lot of twists and turns and really kept my interest. If you can overlook the errors, this is a good read.
May 4, 2014
A thriller written by a young author, that happens to be his debut novel. Jason Pinter wrote a page-turner from the get go. A blend of a crime novel, with corruption and journalism thrown in. The reader is really rooting for Henry Parker....then you're hoping he makes it out alive. A great start to the series, which I will definitely be continuing.
January 23, 2018
An interesting cat and mouse game turned thriller where the whole city of New York wants to hunt down a young journalist who’s pinned into a murder. It has a great start but failed to maintain the thrill element as it progressed. A decent climax followed by some edgy last chapters sums up this one as a one time decent read.
August 23, 2022
A pure waste of time. Very cheesy, unnatural situations, lackluster characters, implausible dynamics and completely half-baked.
May 30, 2020
Hang on to your seat and get ready for a rollercoaster of a ride! The Mark tells the story of a 24-year-old man on the brink of his chosen career at The New York Gazette, thrust into a nightmare where he becomes wanted by the NYPD, the FBI, and the mob. (Living in Bend, Oregon, I loved that Henry was from Bend and had worked at The Bulletin!) Some of the book felt a bit contrived but did it ruin the book at all? NO WAY! I was inspired by Henry's courage and resourcefulness.
The only thing that prevented this from being a five-star read was all of the editing errors, which I found to be jarring. The biggie was when Henry broke into Grady's apartment, and then the book mentioned Henry escaping from Manuel's apartment in the nick of time. I sat there thinking "Wait. Who the heck is Manuel???"😄 There were quite a few others like peak, when peek should have been used, and words missing letters. All in all, though, I really enjoyed the book and definitely plan on reading the next one in the series.
The only thing that prevented this from being a five-star read was all of the editing errors, which I found to be jarring. The biggie was when Henry broke into Grady's apartment, and then the book mentioned Henry escaping from Manuel's apartment in the nick of time. I sat there thinking "Wait. Who the heck is Manuel???"😄 There were quite a few others like peak, when peek should have been used, and words missing letters. All in all, though, I really enjoyed the book and definitely plan on reading the next one in the series.
June 8, 2020
I loved Hide Away so I wanted to read more by this author. While this story was relatively interesting, it didn’t capture me in the same way. I couldn’t decide if I liked the main character or if I thought he just took unnecessary risks and put those he cared about in danger. Some of the material also felt far fetched. I bought this series, so I guess I will read more.
March 12, 2018
Intense
Very interesting story about a journalist wrongly accused of murder and being hunted down by the police and a hit man working for a crime family. Well written and kept me guessing as to how they all came together.
Very interesting story about a journalist wrongly accused of murder and being hunted down by the police and a hit man working for a crime family. Well written and kept me guessing as to how they all came together.
March 13, 2018
Not Bad
Would have been much better if the Author had not had his characters so foul mouth. Otherwise I recommend this book to all who enjoy a good mystery. E
Would have been much better if the Author had not had his characters so foul mouth. Otherwise I recommend this book to all who enjoy a good mystery. E
March 3, 2018
Definitely an Attention Grabber
This was a first book authored by Mr. Pinter and it won't be my last. Fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. What you think you have figured out will not be how the book ends.
This was a first book authored by Mr. Pinter and it won't be my last. Fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. What you think you have figured out will not be how the book ends.
September 17, 2021
You know, the older I get the harder it is for me to be honestly objective about books that are...new and suspect. The Mark is just such a book. As a story, it's just so-so, fledgling newspaper reporter involved in a murder of a policeman that he did not commit. Add a cast of characters who want nothing more than to kill him...no, wait, not just kill him but grind his bones into dust, and you have a premise. Add to that, an innocent woman who assists said murderer to escape the rapidly tightening noose to his arrest and you have the entire novel. But wait, there's more. There's also the cliche of the woman being insanely beautiful. (as if only beautiful women exist on the planet to assist possible murderers) As an extra added attraction, we add the bad guys here...police, FBI, and mafia hitmen, who all want the demise of our hero, and you have a plot worthy of a '50s western. I'll not go into great detail about how it all ensues, suffice it to say it had me yawning and speed-reading to get to the end. Good story?...Meh. Recommended read...Meh. Worthy of an episode of NCIS (add your favorite city here)
October 22, 2008
This slow-starter turned out to be really interesting towards the middle. Though not really my cup of tea, it held my interest for the duration of the pages, though it petered out near the end.
Henry Parker lands his dream job as a reporter for one of New York's finest newspapers. Sent on assignment by his idol reporter to the seemingly benign apartment of an ex-convict, Henry's life is turned upside down when he intercepts a deal gone bad.
Running for his life, he meets a girl willing to run with him, though he's no more than a stranger to her.
One step ahead of the authorities--and the thugs--out to get him, Henry is trying to piece together exactly what it is they all want.
Full of suspense and close calls, this one kept me on my toes, though there were some obvious bad plays in the book. No one could get away that easily if there were actually happening. Warning: The language is a bit rough.
Henry Parker lands his dream job as a reporter for one of New York's finest newspapers. Sent on assignment by his idol reporter to the seemingly benign apartment of an ex-convict, Henry's life is turned upside down when he intercepts a deal gone bad.
Running for his life, he meets a girl willing to run with him, though he's no more than a stranger to her.
One step ahead of the authorities--and the thugs--out to get him, Henry is trying to piece together exactly what it is they all want.
Full of suspense and close calls, this one kept me on my toes, though there were some obvious bad plays in the book. No one could get away that easily if there were actually happening. Warning: The language is a bit rough.
August 29, 2010
Great book. Breakneck pace.
Henry Parker is the kind of guy you root for and Pinter has done an excellent job putting his rookie reporter in pot after pot of boiling water. The methodic layout of the novel pulls you in and keeps you moving forward, with barely time to catch your breath. I actually gasped out loud several times as characters surprised me... always a good sign.
The story itself is ratcheted up a notch with the introduction of Amanda. I particularly enjoyed the way her own history was unwrapped for the reader and I look forward to learning more about her in the coming books.
This is a great read. Action. Suspense. Colorful, well-developed characters. For my YA friends, this novel is definitely geared for an adult audience. So, read with caution. :)
Henry Parker is the kind of guy you root for and Pinter has done an excellent job putting his rookie reporter in pot after pot of boiling water. The methodic layout of the novel pulls you in and keeps you moving forward, with barely time to catch your breath. I actually gasped out loud several times as characters surprised me... always a good sign.
The story itself is ratcheted up a notch with the introduction of Amanda. I particularly enjoyed the way her own history was unwrapped for the reader and I look forward to learning more about her in the coming books.
This is a great read. Action. Suspense. Colorful, well-developed characters. For my YA friends, this novel is definitely geared for an adult audience. So, read with caution. :)
March 23, 2013
The Mark started off a little bit slowly, but once it took off it didn't let up! The story itself is cliche--mobsters, dirty cops, innocent guy in the wrong place at the wrong time, pretty girl who sees him for who he truly is and aids and abets him... We've all seen this story a billion times in theaters or on TV. But I don't care that this story is cliche! The Mark was exciting, blood-pounding, adrenaline-rush reading! The main characters were all sympathetic. I had a really hard time putting The Mark down, and I couldn't wait for my afternoon bus ride home so I could lose myself in the story again! This was fun reading!
May 5, 2017
I was happy to find out this was the first in a series as I really liked the character of Henry Parker.
Finally getting his dream job as a reporter on a New York newspaper, Henry thinks life is perfect, but when a simple interview with what seems to be a sweet old couple goes horribly wrong he has to run for his life and try to clear his name. Clever writing, fast paced and page turning.
Finally getting his dream job as a reporter on a New York newspaper, Henry thinks life is perfect, but when a simple interview with what seems to be a sweet old couple goes horribly wrong he has to run for his life and try to clear his name. Clever writing, fast paced and page turning.
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July 26, 2007The author is my best friend's husband...so don't just read the book, GO OUT AND BUY A COPY!!I read the book in two days...I could not put it down I just wanted to know what was going to happen next. It was great!!
July 8, 2012
This book was amazing a fugitve story for sure! I would highly recommend it if you have been reading some slow dribble of a novel and want to spice things up.
Great young new author who I will definetly add to my list : < )
Great young new author who I will definetly add to my list : < )
July 24, 2017
"Right as I'm about to die, I realize all the myths are fake. There's no white light at the end of a tunnel. My life isn't flashing before my eyes."
Do you need a better first sentence? It's a great escape read.
September 18, 2017
Friend gave it to me to read.. we had our own "book club". I jumped into it and did! Would be a great read for the beach.. The story was great, kept me excited.. twists and turns.. I'm wanting to read the next book!
January 8, 2018
In the line of fire
Action and suspense from the beginning chapter to end of story. This book is a page turner for sure. I can see why he won so many awards. I will be following his work!!!! Two thumbs up! This book was movie material.
Action and suspense from the beginning chapter to end of story. This book is a page turner for sure. I can see why he won so many awards. I will be following his work!!!! Two thumbs up! This book was movie material.
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