Customer Reviews

Intent to Kill: A Novel of Suspense (Jack Swyteck)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A mark of a book that has captured my full attention is that I was so engrossed in reading it that I missed my stop while riding the bus which is exactly what happened when I started reading this novel.

Intent to Kill seems like such a simple story on the surface. A young wife is killed in a hit and run accident. The perpetrator was never found. Those left behind continue to struggle with the fallout.

But what happened on the night that Chelsea James was killed was a lot more complicated than her still-grieving husband or family knows.

The strength of this story is that Grippando starts it out simple. We meet Ryan and Chelsea James. We get a glimpse of their happiness (and some of their frustrations) before it is taken away.

As the plot reveals the intricacies of what happened, why it happened and why there is a danger in finding out who did it, Grippando continues to present the story in a straightforward fashion so the reader doesn't get lost in fancy imagery or overdone emotions.

Because of that simplicity, the reader gets to know Ryan, Babes, Emma, Rachel, Paul, and Chelsea in a way that is easy to relate to. I understood them and their motivations behind what they do. Even though there is a compelling mystery that needs to be solved, the mystery didn't overtake the characters which can sometimes happen in these types of novels. The characters and the plot worked hand in hand.

Besides good characterizations, the mystery and its unraveling is well done. I honestly did not know who the culprit was until it was revealed and when it was revealed, the pieces all came together.

If there is a flaw in the novel, I would say that it is in some of the popculture references used for description. At one point, a female character's hair is described as "Debra Messing hair". That was distracting because I had to stop and think of who Debra Messing was. Not having been a fan of "Will&Grace", it took me a few moments to put a fix on her. So again, that quirk of Grippando's was distracting.

But that's a minor thing because overall, the novel was a very enjoyable read and I can recommend it to anyone who wants a decent mystery/thriller populated with characters that are likable and real.

With "Intent to Kill," James Grippando delivers a stand alone thriller.

Star minor league baseball player, Ryan James, gets the word that his wife, Chelsea, and daughter, Ainsley, have been in an auto accident. He rushes to the hospital only to be crushed by the news that Chelsea has died on the operating table.

The story's setting in Pawtuket, Rhode Island and Boston. With the story, the reader is given a glimse life in minor league baseball and the ball player's dream of reaching the big leagues.

Three years pass. Ryan's depression and insomnia have led to his release from baseball. He is raising Ainsley on his own and works as a morning radio show host on a sports show. We see Ryan's early days of hope and happiness dashed to sorrow and guilt, since Chelsea was on her way to see his game when the accident occurred.

Emma Carlyle is a prosecuting attorney in Providence and had worked on Chelsea's case. On the third anniversary of the accident Emma finds a note on her car. There is a newspaper article about the accident and with it, the sender states, "I know who did it."

The case moves forward and we learn more of Chelsea's younger brother, Babes, a childlike person suffering from Aspergers Disorder. He has trouble relating to people due to his affliction.

Complications occur when Babes goes missing and Emma believes that he may be the source of the message on her car and a later email.

The author is very talented and the pacing of the story is done to perfection. Just when the reader has a feeling of knowing where the story is headed, things change into an entirely new and interesting direction.

The characters of Emma, Babes and Ryan are enoyable and the reader is drawn to their story. What will become of them? Will Ryan find happiness again?

I think that readers will enjoy this story and learn of the dreams that people have, how those dreams can fall apart but more importantly, being strong and with continued hope, dreams can again come true.

In my opinion, most popular mystery/thriller books tend to be just average. Few writers in this genre are particularly gifted in writing or characterization, but tend to excel in plotting. In other words, the writer compels the reader's attention with the facts of the story rather than the characters and writing.

Typical of this genre, Intent to Kill won't win any writing awards. The characters are flat, and the dialogue is tired and filled with cliches. The plot gives the book its entertainment value, and I have to admit that I wanted to find out what was going to happen. Unfortunately, Intent to Kill contains some distracting inaccuracies and fairly big plot holes.

As another reviewer noted, Grippando doesn't explain why this one-car accident is considered a crime until about halfway through the book. I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out why a prosecutor spent so much time agonizing over an unsolved accident, and how anyone had determined it was a homicide. The information that made this fact obvious was withheld from the family of the victim, so why was that family so obsessed with finding a "killer" when there was no smoking gun to their knowledge?

Ultimately, the resolution of the novel is unsatisfying. The author really has to stretch the fabric of the tale to make the red herring he throws out work with the truth that is finally revealed. Another red herring is so obviously ridiculous that it's laughable to see the police take it seriously for most of the novel.

My greatest issue with the novel is the portrayal of Babes, the younger brother of the woman who died in the car crash. He is portrayed as having Asperger's Syndrome, but his dialogue and behavior don't fit with the behavior of someone with Asperger's. The major symptom of Asperger's is social awkwardness - an inability to make normal eye contact, to participate in the normal give-and-take of a conversation, and to respond appropriately to social cues.

Some of the things that are SAID about Babes show that Grippando did his research. For example, the characters talk about how Babes laughed at his sister's funeral, and his doctor notes that his writing contains overly formal words. In fact, people with Asperger's speak and write with very formal language rather than slang and colloquialisms. The problem with Babes is that he doesn't behave or speak like someone with Aspergers. Babes's dialogue makes him look either like someone with a more severe form of autism or someone who is mildly retarded. If Grippando actually spent time speaking with or spending time with someone with Asperger's, he could have done a much better job with Babes. For that matter, if he had read John Elder Robison's excellent memoir, Look Me in the Eye, he would have learned quite a bit about the way someone with Asperger's syndrome thinks and behaves in the world.

The other annoying thing is all the textbook diagnostic exposition Babes's mother spouts about Asperger's Syndrome. This was a lazy way for a writer to get the information across. Why not have Babes act like someone with Asperger's so you don't have to tell the reader what it is? And nobody I know (and I have more than one friend with an Asperger's child) refers to it as "A.S." as Mrs. Townsend does in the book.

Grippando does some other lazy writer tricks too, like having a character look in the mirror so you know what she looks like. I don't really expect much skill in a genre writer, since they tend to write the same kind of book over and over, but I would expect more accuracy on a topic that is so intrinsic to the plot of the book).

While baseball is the sport of choice of the main character and his brother-in-law in this intriguing read, it is not its core theme.

A minor league baseball player has a chance to make it into the big leagues with the owner of the BoSox coming to watch this, the final game of the season. The team manager receives a phone call during the first inning that changes everything for Ryan when he learns that his wife and young daughter had just been in a terrible accident. Ryan rushes to the hospital where he discovers that while his daughter is okay, his wife didn't make it.

Three years later and clues are being left for the lawyer from the Attorney General's office who had been investigating the case. Though she'd probably like to, she can't disregard whom the latest tip is pointing to.

Murder or Accident - Someone admits on-air to killing Chelsea. Evidence goes missing.

Hiding - A crypt in a boneyard. A no-longer-used boxcar.

I guessed wrong more than once.

Likable characters. Some not so likable. Some downright not-likable.

When up and coming minor league baseball player Ryan James's wife Chelsea is killed in a seemingly random hit and run accident, his life is shattered as is that of Chelsea's autistic brother Babe. Following the horrific event Ryan is more focused on drowning his sorrows than on furthering his pursuit of a major league contract and three years later we find him co-hosting a sports talk show on a local Boston radio station. When an anonymous caller to the show announces that Chelsea's death was not an accident and that the caller knows the identity of the murderer, Ryan thinks that an irate radio fan may be playing some sort of sick joke. A second similar message concerning Chelsea's death is communicated to Emma Carlisle a lawyer in the Attorney Generals criminal division. Other messages follow pointing to Emma's former boss and current U.S. Senate candidate as the culprit.

As Ryan and Chelsea pursue the evidence the situation begins to spiral out of control placing both of them as well as the autistic (and resourceful) Babe in harms way. INTENT TO KILL leads the reader on a whirl-wind chase, complete with a Russian hit-man, some unforeseen twists and turns and a red herring or two, before dropping us into the center of a double climax. If it was author James Grippando's INTENT TO THRILL his readers, he was successful in his attempt.

I just recently discovered this author's books and this is the 4th one I've read. I did enjoy the Jack Swyteck novels so thought I would venture into his stand alone one. I thought the author did a good job of developing his characters even with with the mystery the center of things.

One of the characters "Babe" has Asperger's Syndrome and I don't believe I had ever read a storyline that dealt with this. I know a little about this and felt the author dealt with it in a knowledgable way. One Reviewer was pretty critical of his method but I personally felt it was handled well.

The book moves at a steady pace and has enough twists and tuns and I might say a couple surprises to keep you engrossed to the end.

I enjoyed all the characters and the end leaves you satisfied as the author ties things up nicely.

I read a lot of mystery/suspense and like the fact this author does not overuse profanity. In this genre of books a lot of authors feel they can't have a good suspense without an enormous amount of profanity and that really tires me by the end of the book. When JG does use it, it's is done where it makes some sense-not used to just use it.

All in all I think James Grippando is a fine author and writes enjoyable books that take you away for awhile.

I think it interesting that he uses a real persons name as one of his characters. I'm not positive how he picks them. He indicated the one in this book "lent his name to the character" and seemed to be involved with a charity auction. I think he does that is all of his books. It's interesting to look for that character in his books.

So far I have enjoyed all of JG's books and hope to have time to go back and read some of his older ones.

INTENT TO KILL is a bit of a departure for James Grippando. Taking a breather from his successful Jack Swyteck novels, this is a welcome and fast-paced addition to his already impressive list of stand-alone works. The book also offers an interesting change of settings from his Florida locale to the Providence, Rhode Island area, giving Grippando an opportunity to stretch his talents, as well as to display his geographical and topographical knowledge of a different location.

The primary focus of INTENT TO KILL is Ryan James, a promising player for the Pawtucket Red Sox, the minor league farm team for the Boston Red Sox. James has it all --- Chelsea, his adoring wife; Ainsley, his beautiful young daughter; and Babes, his brother-in-law and Number One Fan. But disaster strikes on the night that is supposed to be his shot at the Major Leagues when his wife is killed in a hit-and-run accident. Reeling from this devastating loss, James abandons the game and finds himself working as a morning "shock jock" on an all-sports talk radio station.

Three years later, someone starts leaving James notes, telling him that Chelsea's death was not an accident, but was in fact deliberate. The mysterious informant also indicates that he or she knows the identity of the murderer. James is shocked, as is Emma Carlisle, a trial attorney in the Criminal Division of the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General. Carlisle, assigned to investigate Chelsea's death, had basically run into a dead end in the case. When she receives an anonymous message similar to Ryan's, it breathes new life into her investigation. But when a follow-up anonymous message points her in the direction of an old family friend --- and her former boss --- who is now running for the United States Senate, she slowly comes to realize that there is far more to Chelsea's death than either she or James had suspected.

There is an additional complication. Babes, who is autistic, may know more about Chelsea's fate than anyone can reasonably imagine. The messages that are being communicated to James and Carlisle have the additional effect of putting Babes in terrible danger. On the run, emotionally fragile and with only a set of uncanny abilities to help him navigate through a potential minefield, it is Babes who may hold the key that reveals the true cause of his sister's demise and the person responsible. Racing against time and a mysterious and extremely competent hit man, Ryan and Carlisle find themselves working together to bring a much needed closer to a mystery gone unsolved for too long.

While fans of Grippando's Swyteck thrillers may be disappointed by that character's absence, they should be won over by the elements of the mystery that ultimately make his latest work a winner in every sense of the word. His focus on the who-and-why-dunnits of the murder shows that he is at his best when he sticks to the basics of the genre, and the strong graveyard climax is both suspenseful and exciting. And while there does not seem to be any reason for Grippando to bring back the principals of INTENT TO KILL for another go-round, the ending should leave readers satisfied.

"Intent to Kill", by James Grippando, is as interesting, murder mystery thriller. Set in Rhode Island with a baseball background, the plot has twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end. Asperser's syndrome, Russian hit man, MIT, Boston "blue-bloods", minor and major league baseball, all were interwoven in this fun and fast-paced story.

On the night of Ryan James's big break in minor league, his wife Chelsea and daughter Ainsley were on the way to a the game when a drunk driver hit them. Chelsea died and so did Ryan's baseball dreams. Since then he is a shock-jock sports radio announcer and still trying to come to grips with his wife's death. Emma Carlisle, assistant DA, on the 3rd year anniversary of Chelsea's death got a note telling about Chelsea's death. It wasn't an accident. So begins the mystery.

This was a good read; it held my attention until the end. I'm not a fan of baseball but really liked how Grippando set up one Ryan. Also as the book progressed, the one who you thought was the killer wasn't. Any more would really reveal the plot. "Intent to Kill" is not an intense read, but a good murder mystery set with an interesting background.

The protagonist is twenty-four-year-old Ryan James a third baseman for the minor league Pawtucket Rhode Island Red Sox. A former member of the University of Texas National Championship team he lives with his wife Chelsea and his two-year-old daughter Ainsley in Pawtucket amidst dreams of one day making it to the big leagues with the Boston Red Sox. The last game of the season for the "Paw-Sox" becomes anything but ordinary when the owner of the minor league team tells Ryan that John Henry the owner of the Boston Red Sox is going to attend the game in person to decide if Ryan and his best friend... "Paw-Sox" pitcher Ivan Lopez should be promoted to the big league club next year. Ryan is rightfully "psyched" beyond description... and wants to make sure that Chelsea who teaches at a very upscale school... and goes to law school at night... along with his young daughter... attend the game that can change his life forever. He provides her with two tickets in a great location and makes her promise to get out of whatever school obligations she may have. Chelsea agrees... but there is one big problem... how come there isn't a third ticket for Chelsea's brother Daniel... known to everyone as "Babes"? Babes is "twenty-one-years-old and still living with his parents, he suffered from Asperger's syndrome, an autism-related disorder." Babes who loves baseball like no other... and got his nickname from always yelling "LET'S GO, BAAABE"... from the stands to every player. But due to his disease... his behavior is totally unpredictable... and the slightest thing can set him off in to cycles of uncontrollable behavior... which would lead to him having to be removed from the stadium... so though Ryan loves Babes... he didn't want him to attend the game.

As the big game starts Ryan notices that the seats he got for his family are empty... and as the game proceeds... a timeout is called and Ryan is removed from the game... and he is shockingly told that his wife and daughter were in a car accident on the way to the game. Chelsea dies in surgery but Ainsley is okay as she was strapped into a baby seat in the back seat. The story fast forwards to the three-year anniversary of Chelsea's death... and Ryan is a mere shadow of the man he used to be... due to insomnia and a broken heart... and dissipated dreams. He is part of a sports radio talk show... while the rest of his life consists of sleepless nights... loving his daughter... and always thinking of his deceased wife. Then email messages along with old newspapers with words and clues circled mysteriously and numbered... begin to be sent to Emma Carlisle the prosecutor who handled Chelsea's death case... stating Chelsea's death wasn't an accident... and "I know who did it!" And this is where the reader hits a bump in the road as far as being given a clear picture of everything involved in the deadly accident. One of the scenarios presented is that a drunk driver drove Chelsea off the road when she was killed. The original unveiling of this important development is less than crystal clear.

From this point on... a smorgasbord of possible murderous culprits and scenarios are offered up to the reader... ranging from the Chief Of Staff of Mass General Hospital... who is a prospective future Surgeon General... and who also owns the "Paw-Sox"... a former Attorney General who is now running for the Senate... and even poor disjointed Babes... who seems to spend most of his lucid interactional spurts... by communicating in anagrams. Throw in a Russian hit man... the Irish Mafia collecting gambling debts... a virginal M.I.T. genius with a penchant for Hawaiian shirts who had a crush on Chelsea... and is now best pals with Babes... a few fresh murdered bodies... and you've got a rip-roaring finish.

This is the first novel I've read by James Grippando, and found it engaging and suspensful. The characters are well drawn, and I appreciate the way he describes them. He rounds them out when describing their everyday and professional lives, their hopes and dreams, etc. In this book, one of the characters, a young man named "Babes", has a condition called Aspergers Syndrome. I am familiar with this condition, although not first-hand. I liked that the condition is explained and that the young man is drawn into situations that his condition sometimes helps or hinders. I thought this was well done in the book. Also, I liked that the author described some of the locations his characters were in, such as Providence, RI and the Boston areas. I've never been to the restaurants or other places he describes in the book, so I looked them up and found they are all REAL places, some of which I plan to visit. I especially enjoyed the information on why the FIGAWI sailing race is named FAGAWI! (You'll have to read the book, sorry!) Also the "Emerald Necklace", the Swan Boat rides, the Public Garden, etc. I'm looking forward to visiting these places! Overall, I enjoyed the book very much, and have added Grippando to my "favorite Author" list.