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Jackson Donne #1
When One Man Dies
A hit and run. Simple as that. And suddenly harmless old Gerry Figuroa is lying dead on the asphalt. New Jersey cop turned private investigator Jackson Donne sure as hell doesn’t want to investigate his drinking buddy’s death, but he’s made a promise that leaves him no choice.
And before long, he’s drawing uncomfortably close to a murderer.
Meanwhile, an apparently routine divorce case takes a dangerous turn, and sinister connections to Gerry’s death start to emerge. Just when it seems things can’t get any worse, Donne learns that a bitter old enemy is mixed up in the whole mess. Bill Martin, his ex–Narcotics Department partner, has secrets to expose that could reopen the still-aching wounds of Donne’s past. Permanently.
Donne would like nothing better than to crawl back into a bottle and forget he ever heard Gerry Figuroa’s name, but it’s too late for that. Now he’s in way too deep, tangled up in a plot whose tendrils reach far into his town’s past—and his own.
And before long, he’s drawing uncomfortably close to a murderer.
Meanwhile, an apparently routine divorce case takes a dangerous turn, and sinister connections to Gerry’s death start to emerge. Just when it seems things can’t get any worse, Donne learns that a bitter old enemy is mixed up in the whole mess. Bill Martin, his ex–Narcotics Department partner, has secrets to expose that could reopen the still-aching wounds of Donne’s past. Permanently.
Donne would like nothing better than to crawl back into a bottle and forget he ever heard Gerry Figuroa’s name, but it’s too late for that. Now he’s in way too deep, tangled up in a plot whose tendrils reach far into his town’s past—and his own.
273 pages, Paperback
First published September 25, 2007
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240 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 26, 2017
The outside covers and first page of my copy of When One Man Dies is littered with snippets of gushing praise, mostly from other authors. That I was aware of these but did not really take note of it is somewhat significant. I always read all of the front cover and generally most of the back cover, ready to break off immediately if the novel’s synopsis begins to invoke what may seem to be too many plot points. And then I start the book. Fairly well into this book, though, I felt the need to go back and read all of the blurbs. I was not even put off by two of the praise-slinging writers being mentioned in the author’s acknowledgements. I needed the reassurance.
When One Man Dies begins with promise. A private detective named Jackson Doone is desperately trying to pump life back into a drinking buddy, the victim of a hit-and-run so loud it brought Doone running from his neighborhood bar. After a vivid opening like that, the cool down scenes that follow are necessary. It’s with the third chapter that things begin to veer. Without warning the story switches from the first person narrative of Donne to a third person view of Donne’s ex-partner, a disgraced but still-employed police detective named Bill Martin. I initially read this thinking Donne was observing Martin work the scene of the “accident.” Only when I registered interior thoughts no mere observer could relay did I flip ahead, looking for the word “I” in any of the text that followed. I soon realized that I had to go back and reread the chapter with the proper mindset. It was a portent of things to come.
Few matters of interest happened from that point. It reminded me of traveling through the heart of Texas on Interstate 20: a rest stop here and a small town there are all that break up a bland monochromatic journey. The Bill Martin scenes were dull and only served to remind us that there was an arch-enemy at work, his actions so clichéd that I was surprised he didn’t rub his hands together in glee like a silent movie villain. Meanwhile Donne spent his time bouncing aimlessly around the New Brunswick area of New Jersey like a ball in a pinball machine. Is it any wonder I sought reassurance.
Ultimately I decided that, friends or not, colleagues or not, all these writers wouldn’t stake a piece of their reputation on When One Man Dies if there wasn’t something here. I continued on, and my faith was rewarded at a little past the halfway mark. By now it didn’t even matter that an irrational, plot-necessitated action got us there. Finally there was raw emotion. There were genuine stakes. And consequences. And loss. And as they played out one after the other, Bill Martin’s viewpoint became essential. In what was basically a straightforward private eye tale, Martin was needed to verify and reaffirm all of the above. Without his presence, without an opposing perspective of the same events from the past, the reader would on some level question the validity of the drama as it unfolded. It could never have achieved its full impact.
The novel had turned on itself. Now there was interest as we watch a man struggle to find his emotion consonance. Now we traveled a road rich with poignancy, where occasional pockets of disinterest were quickly bypassed. And once the author had the final stage set, with all actions planned and all wheels turning, I tore through the final pages of the book.
I closed the book asking myself if the highpoints reached were enough. The highs and lows did not have to be equal in terms of pages. I was weighing extreme highs against shallow lows. So I rephrased the question. Did I want to read the next installment? This answer was a qualified no. The most rewarding moments of When One Man Dies came from a vein that had to be capped in order to deliver a satisfying conclusion; it cannot be fully mined again. In the end I decided I was not prepared to walk beside a detective that had to have every discovery practically handed to him. Particularly since neither the character nor the storytelling style spoke to me. The qualification to my no was that if at some time in the future Dave White is nominated for a major award, I will be open to reading that work. At this point in time, however, turning pages quickly at the conclusion does not compensate for when I was merely turning pages because that’s what the act of reading entails.
When One Man Dies begins with promise. A private detective named Jackson Doone is desperately trying to pump life back into a drinking buddy, the victim of a hit-and-run so loud it brought Doone running from his neighborhood bar. After a vivid opening like that, the cool down scenes that follow are necessary. It’s with the third chapter that things begin to veer. Without warning the story switches from the first person narrative of Donne to a third person view of Donne’s ex-partner, a disgraced but still-employed police detective named Bill Martin. I initially read this thinking Donne was observing Martin work the scene of the “accident.” Only when I registered interior thoughts no mere observer could relay did I flip ahead, looking for the word “I” in any of the text that followed. I soon realized that I had to go back and reread the chapter with the proper mindset. It was a portent of things to come.
Few matters of interest happened from that point. It reminded me of traveling through the heart of Texas on Interstate 20: a rest stop here and a small town there are all that break up a bland monochromatic journey. The Bill Martin scenes were dull and only served to remind us that there was an arch-enemy at work, his actions so clichéd that I was surprised he didn’t rub his hands together in glee like a silent movie villain. Meanwhile Donne spent his time bouncing aimlessly around the New Brunswick area of New Jersey like a ball in a pinball machine. Is it any wonder I sought reassurance.
Ultimately I decided that, friends or not, colleagues or not, all these writers wouldn’t stake a piece of their reputation on When One Man Dies if there wasn’t something here. I continued on, and my faith was rewarded at a little past the halfway mark. By now it didn’t even matter that an irrational, plot-necessitated action got us there. Finally there was raw emotion. There were genuine stakes. And consequences. And loss. And as they played out one after the other, Bill Martin’s viewpoint became essential. In what was basically a straightforward private eye tale, Martin was needed to verify and reaffirm all of the above. Without his presence, without an opposing perspective of the same events from the past, the reader would on some level question the validity of the drama as it unfolded. It could never have achieved its full impact.
The novel had turned on itself. Now there was interest as we watch a man struggle to find his emotion consonance. Now we traveled a road rich with poignancy, where occasional pockets of disinterest were quickly bypassed. And once the author had the final stage set, with all actions planned and all wheels turning, I tore through the final pages of the book.
I closed the book asking myself if the highpoints reached were enough. The highs and lows did not have to be equal in terms of pages. I was weighing extreme highs against shallow lows. So I rephrased the question. Did I want to read the next installment? This answer was a qualified no. The most rewarding moments of When One Man Dies came from a vein that had to be capped in order to deliver a satisfying conclusion; it cannot be fully mined again. In the end I decided I was not prepared to walk beside a detective that had to have every discovery practically handed to him. Particularly since neither the character nor the storytelling style spoke to me. The qualification to my no was that if at some time in the future Dave White is nominated for a major award, I will be open to reading that work. At this point in time, however, turning pages quickly at the conclusion does not compensate for when I was merely turning pages because that’s what the act of reading entails.
January 12, 2014
When a bar regular is killed in a hit and run, private investigator Jackson Donne is asked by the bar’s owner to look into their friends death. Additionally, a wife suspecting her husband of cheating wants Donne’s services to provide proof of adultery. With two cases back to back, Donne finds himself suddenly busy, bruised, battered, bribed, and bloody – it’s a tough gig being a PI.
Jackson Donne is one of the best articulated and distinctly three dimensional private investigators I’ve read in crime fiction. Like many fictitious PI’s he conforms to the stereotype yet brings a little something more the table. His past is present and future. The drugs and people he used to converse with are paramount to his investigative work in the PI business.
A sickly blood splattered web of lies entraps Donne in the midst of multiple homicides, both of his own violation and vocation, as well unwanted and unwarranted heat from his former employ. Martin, Donne’s former partner whilst on the force is determined to bring Donne’s life crumbling around him. Venomous and vindictive, his snake-like coil poised to strike for the purpose of self satisfying a belated grudge, harboured in secretary, growing in resent.
For Donne, his respective investigations showcase a history and tarnished past best left in the rear view. Yet, as a the cases develop and Donne learns some hard and fast truths, the plot comes full circle proving coincidence is void when murder and power are on the table.
WHEN ONE MAN DIES is a fluid, easily consumable read in one or two sittings. I look forward to reading #2 THE EVIL THAT MEN DO.
This review is also on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
Jackson Donne is one of the best articulated and distinctly three dimensional private investigators I’ve read in crime fiction. Like many fictitious PI’s he conforms to the stereotype yet brings a little something more the table. His past is present and future. The drugs and people he used to converse with are paramount to his investigative work in the PI business.
A sickly blood splattered web of lies entraps Donne in the midst of multiple homicides, both of his own violation and vocation, as well unwanted and unwarranted heat from his former employ. Martin, Donne’s former partner whilst on the force is determined to bring Donne’s life crumbling around him. Venomous and vindictive, his snake-like coil poised to strike for the purpose of self satisfying a belated grudge, harboured in secretary, growing in resent.
For Donne, his respective investigations showcase a history and tarnished past best left in the rear view. Yet, as a the cases develop and Donne learns some hard and fast truths, the plot comes full circle proving coincidence is void when murder and power are on the table.
WHEN ONE MAN DIES is a fluid, easily consumable read in one or two sittings. I look forward to reading #2 THE EVIL THAT MEN DO.
This review is also on my blog: http://justaguythatlikes2read.blogspo...
January 12, 2020
Jackson Donne is a completely uninteresting human and a wannabe alcoholic who likes to tell us how many beers he had already and what time it is. He is also some sort of private investigator, failed as a cop because he blew the whistle on a crooked partner. This is hard to believe, as Jackson has the personality and moral depth of a hard-boiled egg. There seems to be a lot of this going around, as all of the supporting characters are unlikeable, lousy people. I appreciate flawed characters - usually they have some redeeming quality, are entertaining, or are at least compelling in their villainy - but not this lot.
Beyond the issue of the characters, I was not a fan of the writing style. The POV alternates between Donne and his nemesis, and both have such bland thoughts and ruminations, that it's sometimes difficult to tell them apart. The dialogue is just as pedestrian, made worse by the author's refusal to employ a standard dialogue format. Perhaps a highly skilled author, employing characters with distinct voices and personalities, would be able to pull this off, but to what advantage?
On the bright side of things, it was short. But, I think I’m all Donne with Jackson.
Beyond the issue of the characters, I was not a fan of the writing style. The POV alternates between Donne and his nemesis, and both have such bland thoughts and ruminations, that it's sometimes difficult to tell them apart. The dialogue is just as pedestrian, made worse by the author's refusal to employ a standard dialogue format. Perhaps a highly skilled author, employing characters with distinct voices and personalities, would be able to pull this off, but to what advantage?
On the bright side of things, it was short. But, I think I’m all Donne with Jackson.
November 28, 2018
Good storyline. Hated that the author doesn't follow rules for dialogue.
February 3, 2017
I know I'm late to the party. Good stuff, Dave!
March 12, 2008
When One Man Dies
Dave White
www.davewhitenovels.com
Mystery/PI/Police Procedural
Three Rivers Press, 2007, 272 pps.
ISBN No. 978-0-307-38278-8
When Gerry Figora walks out of Artie’s bar and is the victim of a hit and run Jackson Donne is suddenly plunged into a case that will reveal what a very small world we live in. As Jackson tries vainly to save Gerry Figora, his mind reverts to other deaths that he has had a part in.
Jackson is a PI, former police officer and former drug addict. At the young age of 28, he has worn many hats and is now seeking admission to Rutgers University with the goal of an education and a better life
.
Gerry has been a regular at Artie’s bar and Artie hires Jackson to find out who drove the car that sent Gerry to his death. Artie feels that he owes it to Gerry to bring his killer to justice.
Jackson is also involved in a new case involving a suspicious wife with a husband that she fears is cheating. Jackson begins to find clues that lead him to believe Gerry’s death and Rex Hanover, the husband in his new case may somehow be connected. Bill Masters, a detective and Jackson’s former partner, is assigned the case of Gerry Figora. Bill hates Jackson Donne and will do anything to see him suffer. Tracy, Gerry’s niece, also has connections to Jackson’s past. Gerry’s death brings Tracy back into Jackson’s life and he is reminded of his deceased fiancée and his time as a drug addict.
Dave White manages to pull all of these disconnected facts into a riveting story. I did wish that the book revealed more of the actual circumstances involved in the matter that put some police officers in jail and caused Bill Martin to hate Jackson so much. Had I thought to check White’s website I could have found some answers in his earlier published stories.
Dave White
www.davewhitenovels.com
Mystery/PI/Police Procedural
Three Rivers Press, 2007, 272 pps.
ISBN No. 978-0-307-38278-8
When Gerry Figora walks out of Artie’s bar and is the victim of a hit and run Jackson Donne is suddenly plunged into a case that will reveal what a very small world we live in. As Jackson tries vainly to save Gerry Figora, his mind reverts to other deaths that he has had a part in.
Jackson is a PI, former police officer and former drug addict. At the young age of 28, he has worn many hats and is now seeking admission to Rutgers University with the goal of an education and a better life
.
Gerry has been a regular at Artie’s bar and Artie hires Jackson to find out who drove the car that sent Gerry to his death. Artie feels that he owes it to Gerry to bring his killer to justice.
Jackson is also involved in a new case involving a suspicious wife with a husband that she fears is cheating. Jackson begins to find clues that lead him to believe Gerry’s death and Rex Hanover, the husband in his new case may somehow be connected. Bill Masters, a detective and Jackson’s former partner, is assigned the case of Gerry Figora. Bill hates Jackson Donne and will do anything to see him suffer. Tracy, Gerry’s niece, also has connections to Jackson’s past. Gerry’s death brings Tracy back into Jackson’s life and he is reminded of his deceased fiancée and his time as a drug addict.
Dave White manages to pull all of these disconnected facts into a riveting story. I did wish that the book revealed more of the actual circumstances involved in the matter that put some police officers in jail and caused Bill Martin to hate Jackson so much. Had I thought to check White’s website I could have found some answers in his earlier published stories.
December 29, 2015
WHEN ONE MAN DIES was my first introduction to Jackson Donne, and it proved to be a good one, as after finishing the book, I immediately wanted to move on to the second book.
In many ways, this is a standard P.I novel- In Donne we have a private eye who generally takes more beatings than the ones he hands out, and ends up making as many mistakes as the ones he rights. But a few things elevate it. The first is the story, which while starting a bit slow, begins to ramp up as two cases Donne takes on begin to intertwine together, to the point that the end is as climatic and full of revelations as an ending should be. Then we have the setting itself. Maybe it's because I'm a recent East Coast transplant, but I thought Jersey was a great backdrop, full of bars, bad people, and the shore.
There's a couple of small things which I hope get hashed out as the series continue. The first is the formatting, which as some have pointed out is a bit weird on the kindle. Occasionally a paragraph will include dialogue for multiple characters, and it did caused me to reread some passages over again. I will also admit that it occasionally felt as if I was jumping into the second book of a series, as a lot of characters seemed lived in, and there are mentions to important past events. I now realize there are multiple short stories, which I'll seek out to see if they paint a fuller picture of Donne's world.
In many ways, this is a standard P.I novel- In Donne we have a private eye who generally takes more beatings than the ones he hands out, and ends up making as many mistakes as the ones he rights. But a few things elevate it. The first is the story, which while starting a bit slow, begins to ramp up as two cases Donne takes on begin to intertwine together, to the point that the end is as climatic and full of revelations as an ending should be. Then we have the setting itself. Maybe it's because I'm a recent East Coast transplant, but I thought Jersey was a great backdrop, full of bars, bad people, and the shore.
There's a couple of small things which I hope get hashed out as the series continue. The first is the formatting, which as some have pointed out is a bit weird on the kindle. Occasionally a paragraph will include dialogue for multiple characters, and it did caused me to reread some passages over again. I will also admit that it occasionally felt as if I was jumping into the second book of a series, as a lot of characters seemed lived in, and there are mentions to important past events. I now realize there are multiple short stories, which I'll seek out to see if they paint a fuller picture of Donne's world.
June 12, 2008
When this book came out, it was being talked about on all of the mystery blogs and websites that I frequent. At the time, I wasn’t all that interested in reading about P.I.’s, but I was intrigued by all the talk.
But I still wasn’t sold.
Luckily, Dave White’s writing is easy to find on the internet.
I’d read Dave’s Derringer Award Winning Jackson Donne story “Closure” back in 2003 and remembered that I liked it. I tracked down more of his work online and loved it! Some the stories were about Jackson Donne and some of them weren’t, but they were all great.
I ran out and bought the novel.
It was terrific! Great characters, great plot. It renewed my faith in P.I.’s.
But I still wasn’t sold.
Luckily, Dave White’s writing is easy to find on the internet.
I’d read Dave’s Derringer Award Winning Jackson Donne story “Closure” back in 2003 and remembered that I liked it. I tracked down more of his work online and loved it! Some the stories were about Jackson Donne and some of them weren’t, but they were all great.
I ran out and bought the novel.
It was terrific! Great characters, great plot. It renewed my faith in P.I.’s.
March 21, 2015
Dave White honors the traditions of the private eye novel with this first book in the Jackson Donne series, while taking those traditions in new and fascinating directions. The book starts out as a pretty standard but entertaining PI story, with stock characters: the gumshoe with a troubled past, the client/wife who thinks her husband's up to something, the shady cop antagonist, etc. Then the book takes some dark and brutal turns that give the characters real depth and give the book a serious emotional impact. Highly recommended.
July 10, 2015
I'm pretty sure this was the first novel written by the author Dave White. Definitely a solid effort. There are certainly some plot holes and certain characters get away with things that seem a bit unreasonable at times but the plot overall is pretty interesting and there are some great characters in this book. The ending might have been my favorite part. Brought everything together nicely with a few surprises as well. I'll look into the sequels at some point down the line.
February 15, 2016
I read this one because it takes place in New Brunswick NJ, where I used to live. But it rose above the "hey I know that place!" feeling. I thought the first 75% of the book was very well-written. It sort of fell apart at the end though, with repetition (how many times can Pablo beat up Jackson, for god's sake) and unlikely coincidence marring the conclusion. Still, I'll give this series another shot soon.
May 15, 2008
A private eye with a drug and drinking problem, who is constantly being beaten up, is the hero of this first novel. Additionally he is an ex-cop who ratted out his squad whose members were selling drugs and as a result his ex-partner is out to get him. This book is a tight well-written story.
January 18, 2014
I am an avid reader and love mysteries and thrillers but there has got to be a good story with character development and this story fits the bill!
The pace of the story evoked James Patterson and his ilk but the actual writing and prose was better!
I would definitely read this author again.
The pace of the story evoked James Patterson and his ilk but the actual writing and prose was better!
I would definitely read this author again.
March 14, 2008
Dave White is awesome. Just ask him.
October 20, 2008
I really enjoyed this book..I had too many interuptions though..wish I had read it in a day or two..would have made for a smoother read. Thanks Dave..keep 'm coming.
August 15, 2023
Really good book!
January 15, 2014
This author was recommended by Jason Pinter on Facebook. I'm glad I discovered him. This is a good book. Another failed cop turned PI but a good plot and a believable ending. I will read the sequal.
October 2, 2025
“When One Man Dies” introduces ex-cop and current P.I. Jackson Donne.
He was a corrupt police officer, a drug addict, and a drunk.
But, after he spilled the beans on his police team, he was the one who did time.
Now he's clean, mostly, except for the drinking.
He's not driven, he's more a go with the flow person, one with a tendency to flee rather than fight.
He has two cases, one involves an elderly man who died in a hit and run outside the bar Jackson was imbibing in.
He doesn't really want to investigate but he's only got one barman who gets him, so when he's asked …
The second case seems far simpler - is a husband cheating?
The answer to that one is simple, he's completely faithful, but he's up to his armpits in violent crime.
And Jackson finds that, once he's in, there is no way he can find his way back out.
I'm all in favour of off the wall plot twists but there comes a time when it all seems to fold back into itself, leaving very little to actually solve.
Still, I made it to the somewhat unsatisfying and unsettling end.
3 Stars.
He was a corrupt police officer, a drug addict, and a drunk.
But, after he spilled the beans on his police team, he was the one who did time.
Now he's clean, mostly, except for the drinking.
He's not driven, he's more a go with the flow person, one with a tendency to flee rather than fight.
He has two cases, one involves an elderly man who died in a hit and run outside the bar Jackson was imbibing in.
He doesn't really want to investigate but he's only got one barman who gets him, so when he's asked …
The second case seems far simpler - is a husband cheating?
The answer to that one is simple, he's completely faithful, but he's up to his armpits in violent crime.
And Jackson finds that, once he's in, there is no way he can find his way back out.
I'm all in favour of off the wall plot twists but there comes a time when it all seems to fold back into itself, leaving very little to actually solve.
Still, I made it to the somewhat unsatisfying and unsettling end.
3 Stars.
June 28, 2023
Good enough but not great enough
“What hell do you want?” he grumbled. “No small talk?”
Dave White practices an annoying dialog style; it's unclear who is speaking without a double take because there is a quote and response from a different person in the same graph without attributions. Makes a glitch in the flow.
I have the fourth book in the series. Maybe I'll read it. I have a great many other books.
“What hell do you want?” he grumbled. “No small talk?”
Dave White practices an annoying dialog style; it's unclear who is speaking without a double take because there is a quote and response from a different person in the same graph without attributions. Makes a glitch in the flow.
I have the fourth book in the series. Maybe I'll read it. I have a great many other books.
December 14, 2017
I’d read other books in this series and decided to read the first one to see if it helped make sense if the rest. It didn’t.
Donne is a drunk, a recovering drug addict, a former police officer, and a PI. The only thing he’s good at is drinking, and getting beaten up.
Not a series I am interested in continuing.
Donne is a drunk, a recovering drug addict, a former police officer, and a PI. The only thing he’s good at is drinking, and getting beaten up.
Not a series I am interested in continuing.
February 23, 2018
Book poorly written, just too much going on not well executed. The main character was a total mess crooked ex cop, reformed drug addict and currently a lousy PI. Started out good but it went downhill quickly as it got more convoluted as it went along. Free book and I certainly won’t read any more.
May 16, 2017
Good book
This book was an easy read. Really a Hail Mary purchase for a long flight because the other book I had was awful. Easy to follow story line. Suspenseful. Overall a quick enjoyable read that has some solid character development.
This book was an easy read. Really a Hail Mary purchase for a long flight because the other book I had was awful. Easy to follow story line. Suspenseful. Overall a quick enjoyable read that has some solid character development.
September 18, 2020
Third rate wanna be thriller. There wasn’t one character that caught my interest. Jackson getting beat up , smashed in the face day after day and seemingly fine the next day didn’t ring true.
Recognized that lay of the land in Jersey though.
Recognized that lay of the land in Jersey though.
August 12, 2024
I bought this book by mistake expecting a different Dave White who is nit at al similar. In the beginning, I thought it was going to be a generic crime noir but by the end I was engrossed and impressed by the story. All the characters seem flawed which only added to the plot.
August 22, 2017
Quick read, well written.
May 29, 2018
Pretty good
I liked it. Will read his next one. Interested in how his character Jackson will evolve. Looking forward to it
I liked it. Will read his next one. Interested in how his character Jackson will evolve. Looking forward to it
August 30, 2018
Okay read with not particularly nice characters.
January 1, 2019
Did not finish.
May 24, 2019
Interesting story with interesting ending and relationships
Looking forward to reading the next book in the series
Looking forward to reading the next book in the series
May 26, 2024
so the real bad guy won in the end…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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