Customer Reviews

The Deadline: A Mystery

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Once in a while, a book comes along to break the usual mold. The Deadline is one of those books to me. This story is very touching, the characters are three-dimensional and real, the mystery is almost ordinary but the reader invests a lot of emotion in it. I can see why Poisoned Pen gave this book such high honors as one of the best of 1999. It simply tells a good story that made me cry when it ended, and I don't do that much.

I have read Ron Franscell's first novel, Angel Fire, too. It is quite different since it is not a mystery, but it conveys some of the same themes: the "deceptive simplicity" of a small town, how sadness is sometimes necessary on the way to happiness, and the beauty of vivid characters. I have no difficulty recommending these books to true readers who want more than formula stories. I eagerly await Mr. Franscell's next book.

Jefferson Morgan, a crime reporter at the Chicago Tribune, decides to fulfill a lifelong dream by buying his hometown weekly newspaper, The Bullet of Winchester, Wyoming.

So he takes out a huge loan, and he and his wife pack their bags and head west.

After he assumes control of the paper, there are the usual problems that any fledgling publisher has to face – apathetic young reporters, missed deadlines, a grouchy production manager and picky, controlling advertisers.

On top of that, there’s a cash flow problem. There isn’t much of it, and he has a [six thousand dollar] monthly payment coming due at the local bank.

And then things get really complicated.

An elderly, dying man shows up at The Bullet’s office, and asks Jefferson Morgan to write his story.

Fifty years ago, the man pleaded guilty to the brutal murder of a seven-year-old girl. Now, just released from prison, he claims he didn’t do it. And he wants the new editor/publisher to prove that he didn’t do it.

At first, Morgan is more than a little skeptical. But he feels obligated to check it out. And there isn’t much time because the cancer-ridden old man may only have a few days to live.

What Morgan uncovers creates tremors in the community that threaten the existence of his newspaper.

Does he risk all by digging through a small town’s dark closets and exposing a killer who has been undetected for over 50 years? Or does he keep the information to himself to save his newspaper?

"THE DEADLINE " is what you would expect from the prose of the talented Ron Franscell, who is among the finest fiction writers to evolve from the newsroom of a community newspaper in this decade.

Franscell has switched genres on us, but he’s done it in style, more specifically his unique style of painting-in-words a depth of emotion that morphs with the setting and characters. And no writer has done or does a better job of depicting the aura of working at a hometown newspaper.

But, back to the about-face in genres. Franscell’s first book "Angel Fire," released in 1998, is a rich, marvelous work of literary fiction that was named #74 of the San Francisco Chronicle’s Top 100 Western Fiction Books of the 20th Century. The story of two brothers from a small town in Wyoming who are raised by a widowed newspaper publisher is close to a masterpiece.

"THE DEADLINE" is no "Angel Fire." Franscell decided to follow a different muse.

His premise and structure is typical for a suspense novel – get a man up a tree, throw rocks at him, get him back down. Franscell throws a quarry of rocks at his protagonist, Morgan, as the man struggles with his conscience and convictions. And there are the usual plot twists, turns and surprises that keep the reader flipping pages.

What separates Franscell from the rest of a very large pack of mystery writers is the sheer quality of his writing. There are many mystery writers who get the man up the tree and keep us turning pages to see if he’ll ever get back down.

But when you add writing that flows smooth and runs deep, like a proud old river, you have something different, a mystery novel that transcends and separates itself from all the others.

From the very beginning of Ron Franscell's, THE DEADLINE, you are catapulted into a vivid tale of one man's desperate attempt to clear his name, from an unspeakable crime, and another's search for the truth.

To do this, Neeley Gilmartin inlists the help of Jefferson Morgan, newspaper owner in a rural town of the Wyoming countryside. Setting in motion the biggest challenge of Morgan's career. Ron Franscell's skillfully crafts an array of colorful characters to carry you along on this fascinating hunt for answers that must come before a crucial deadline.

I highly recommend THE DEALINE for the experience it brings to the lover of a well-plotted mystery.

I'm not much of a mystery fan these days, but I decided to read Ron Franscell's "The Deadline" on the strength of my admiration for his beautiful literary novel, "Angel Fire." And I'm sure glad I did!

"The Deadline" is a cunning and capable who-done-it, full of intriguing plot-twists and hidden peril for the hero, small town newspaper editor Jefferson Davis. Confronted with a decades-old murder and little more than an dying ex-convict's word that justice has not been served, Davis struggles with his own cynicism and a host of menacing adversaries who would rather leave the past dead and buried. His investigation into the long-forgotten crime stirs the town's passions and Davis soon finds himself under attack from all sides (including a right-wing survivalist cult leader, local bankers and business owners, and even his former school friend, now the town's ambitious sheriff). As he races to uncover the truth the attacks turn personal; soon he is fighting not only for principle but for his livelihood, his family, and his own life.

I recommend this page-turner to all mystery fans seeking the thrills and chills of a fast-paced and intricately crafted puzzle. More than that, however, I commend Mr. Franscell's beautiful writing, his delightfully colorful characters, and his rich portrayal of small town life to the attention of all who appreciate the finest literature of any genre.

Neely Gilmartin has little time to clear his name as he suffers from a fast spreading cancer. He wants the new owner-publisher of the weekly paper "The Bullet" to find out who killed Aimee Little Spotted Horse over five decades ago. Although there was little evidence connecting him to the crime, tempers were hot and the Judge was biased against Neely.

Instead of frying in the chair, Neely pleaded guilty to a crime he did not commit. He wants to die knowing that his name is clean. Morgan does not believe Neely's story, but does a bit of checking. He soon wonders why some of the townsfolk force the bank to try and foreclose on his paper and why some people are trying to get advertisers to boycott the paper. While Morgan digs deeper, one person's soul cries out for redemption while another screams for the truth to be revealed.

When a mystery novel leaves the reader weeping, the tale has to have destroyed genre boundaries and that is the essence behind THE DEADLINE. Ron Franscell reveals a corrupt and ugly underside to the image of idyllic small town living. Justice in the late 1940's operates more on a prejudicial concept than based on a blind legal system. Lives are taken because someone is labeled as undesirable in a culture that loathes diversity. Only the courageous can make reparations and in many cases they must feel like Quixote. Though a fabulous mystery, THE DEADLINE is also a condemnation of those who thrive on the kind of hate that erodes a nation's soul.

Harriet Klausner

In August of 1948, a drunken fisherman named Pic Sandefur found the body of a 9-year-old girl in the Black Thunder River. The little girl had been missing for ten days. Her name was Aimee. A mean drunk named Neely Gilmartin was arrested and convicted, but he did not do it.

In late July of 1996, Neely Gilmartin is released because he has only weeks to live. Before he dies he wants to clear his name. This is where the action begins. Gilmartin goes to the newspaper office, "The Bullet," to talk to the new owner and editor Jeff Morgan. Morgan doesn't know what he'll do to help the dying man, he's not even sure he believes Gilmartin. Trey Kerrigan who is an old school friend of Morgan's is also the sheriff. Morgan consults with him. Kerrigan is positive that the killer was caught 50 years ago and for Morgan to leave things alone. Morgan also gets threats from the bank officers who gave him the loan for the paper and the advertisers of the paper to leave the case alone. Morgan must struggle with himself and try to do the right thing even no one wants him to.

Mr. Franscell's second novel is a solid hit as far as I'm concerned. I felt as if I was actually there, watching it all come to life. Having lived in small towns, I could identify with what was happening as the story progressed. I really enjoyed reading it and being taken to the edge. THE DEADLINE is a well-plotted mystery, packed with twists, turns and a lot of surprises.

Pam Stone

Jefferson Morgan thinks that he has seen it all, having been a crime reporter in the Windy City for most of his career. The lure of the countryside calls though, and he returns to his hometown of Winchester, Wyoming, with his wife, to settle down in the relative quiet of rural life in a small town. It's anything BUT quiet, he quickly finds out. He purchases the towns only newspaper, The Bullet, and is quickly and unwittingly submersed in the politicking and squabbles that his once- peaceful town dumps in his lap. But the most disturbing is a 50-year-old murder case that rears its spectral head...bringing nothing but grief and headaches for Morgan and his wife, both of whom are still dealing with the untimely death of their only son. When Morgan is approached by a recently released convict, the man who had confessed to the murder in question 50 years prior, Morgan is suddenly caught up in a tangled web of deceit and deception. Franscell deftly portrays life in a small town, and the quirky nature that life there can take...especially when murder and cover-up are involved. His descriptive narrative and strong characters make the story jump from the page, impressing itself indelibly on the brain. It has been a long time since I have found a page-turner such as this with people so vividly imagined and given life. I heartily recommend this to everyone who likes a good read on a dark night!

Mystery lovers have become accustomed to cardboard characters blasted through 300 pages by rapid-fire plots, but "The Deadline" is a rare piece of work. I was really surprised by the quality of the writing, which really shouldn't be surprising because the author's first book was literary. But here were complex, whole characters involved in real life, the way I recognize it ... except for the desperate moments caused by murder. I've read a lot of mysteries, but this is the first one that made me cry. What sets it apart from the rest is the writer's sensitivity. "The Deadline" is a classical mystery in a whole new key. I hope the author has many more in him.

I have read many of Ron Franscell's works. This, by far, is my favorite. I love the feel of the book. The writing brings back many memories of living life in a small town during a more simple time. Franscell brings the characters to life and the story line is intriguing. A definite page turner.

This book was just OK. I like the author's scene descriptions and character development. If I had to do over again, I'd probably pass on this book for one more entertaining. Sorry, but this book just didn't do it for me. On the other hand, it wasn't a complete waste of time either.