Customer Reviews

Up Jumped the Devil (Deborah Knott Mysteries)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Darryl Billups, Baltimore Maryland Police Reporter, has to deal with office politics, personal relationships, and the evils of race hate and domestic terrorism. Walker has an excellent ear for conversations, and an excellent eye for real life situations. There is little need for suspension of disbelief, so well structured is the plot and the characterizations. A nice blend of public and private, suspense and romance.

I never know what to expect when I pick up a 'new' author for the first time, and quite often, my fears are justified. Not this time! Blair Walker has a terrific, one-of-a-kind style that holds your interest on every single page. (And the story is as terrific as his style!) Watch out, John Grisham; there's a new talent right over your shoulder....

I just loved this book. A fan of mysteries, but having trouble finding ones to my liking, I was so pleased when I read this book. Daryll Billups, kept me laughing and intrigued. I also like that his character was fully developed. I loved hearing about what was going on in his life outside of his detective work. I liked the set up for a series, because I will be looking out for future books. Make sure you pick this one up.

Up Jumped the Devil was a treat. Blair walker has created a character (Darryl Billups) that all African-American men can identify with. We watch Darryl deal with everyday problems (work, women and family)while trying to stop a horrific hate crime. This book is a must for any collection.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book and looked for more by the author. It is a fast moving story with well developed characters and keeps the readers interest to the end. I don't usually like reading dialects but this book manages to use it appropriately and not to irritate the reader.

The book gives a perspective on black/white relations in the US and, particularly, in the newspaper business. This focus on newspapers also gives a general appreciation about how stories are chosen and developed. Some of it is as expected but there are some surprises.

The book is a good read for men or women and shows signs of being the first of a series. If the next books are as good as this one, it will be a successful one.

Blair S. Walker can keep pace with his Chesapeake Bay area contemporaries Laura Lippman and George Pelecanos. Problem is, at least in Up Jumped the Devil, he doesn't do so consistently. And that's too bad, because writing from an African-American perspective about a predominantly black American city that alternately struggles with and tries to ignore racial issues, his voice could be an important one.

Which isn't to say that it can't be, or that Walker doesn't write a heck of a potboiler, either. The chapters spent with the criminals seemed to be better written that those spent with Darryl Billups. That may be because Walker takes fewer chances in those scenes, and because he takes great pains to make Billups human and less-than-heroic. The narrative chances don't always work out - examples would be some odd, one-off chapters that Walker writes third person about ancillary characters, or some chapters that switch from the third person perspective of a supporting character to Billups' first person narration.

At worst, these unconventional choices just make you scratch your head. They do help create a pace that adds to the suspense - it's not crystal clear that "we're in the third act, so the detective must be one step behind the criminal" or some such. Walker should be able to better integrate these quirks/innovations better into future outings. And I am interested in future outings, because as I said at the outset, it's clear that his is a voice that has something to say. In a nation where the majority of those incarcerated for and victimized by crime are African-American, crime fiction needs to include statements by artists whose experience allows them to comment on why the statistics read that way.

(A nit-picky aside: according to the copyright page, Up Jumped the Devil was originally published in the late 90s. The version I received had been "updated" to include references to Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, and other 21st century cultural figures. But when ubiquitous current technology like cell phones would substantially change plot details, these "updates" are nothing but distracting. To whatever editor or publishing exec thought this would be a good idea - it's not. There's nothing wrong with a story set in the late 90s.)

Darryl Billups is one of Baltimore's finest Police Reporters, a journalist with a unique personality, and the right man for the job. As he sets out on his mission, not to find out who done it, but who is making the calls, his life becomes more complicated as he attempts to gather all the pieces to fit into the mysterious puzzle. Blair S. Walker becomes a Master storyteller in this intriguing novel, packed with action, suspense, and drama. The main character is not the usual detective, but the intelligent Newspaper expert, anxious to go on a quest that could land the paper's Top headline story. I highly recommend this book to all mystery lovers, who enjoy drama and conspiracy, blended with humor. The author created a likeable hero, filling each page with interest and excitement as the reader craves for more. There is never a dull moment as we witness terrorism, race hate, politics, and personal relationships. Walker covers the pages with so much conflict, which gave me flashbacks of the sixties, while he keeps you guessing page-after-page on who will fit into the shoes of the anonymous caller. Does Darryl meet the deadlines, and will his story be printed on the front page, or the obituary? Will the dream of the Herald's Police Reporter come true, or will it end in tragedy?

Vivid descriptions, gritty and realistic dialogue, action to spare and a protagonist who's real, not Superman. There's a lot to like about this book and given that I'm not one who reads every author out there, it takes one who's extra-ordinary to keep me enthralled. For me, "Up Jumped the Devil" was cinematic. As one who worships at the church of Panavision, that's my highest complement. Highest recommendations and I'm looking forward to more from Blair Walker.

Unique touch that the story is told from the perspective of a journalist instead of a detective which is usually the case. Also unique and very clever is that, rather than wondering "who done it", the burning question throughout the novel is "who is the anonymous caller"?
Very engaging, a good read...HOWEVER, unless I missed something we never do find out the ultimate fate of the cop who gave Dillard a lift when he ran out of gas.
That aside, I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.

I had never heard of this author before, but am glad that I've discovered him. There are several aspects to this first book of his. There's the main situation of a Black reporter pestered by "crank" calls from an androgynous voice claiming that NAACP headquarters in Baltimore is being targetted by terrorists. We experience this through the protagonist's first person, present tense, narration. I've encountered present tense writing before through another author who, in my opinion, misuses the gimmick. However, Blair S. Walker masterfully uses the present tense narration to help create tension. We also visit the perp's consciousness in the usual third person, past tense chapters.

This first novel indicates a lot of promise for the author and the series although I presently am aware of only three books with no recent ones by him. There is some weakness, and I felt that the story sort of gets lost for a while in the later chapters while more emphasis is on our hero's romantic life than in the problem of a terrorist. However, this is offset by an honest portrayal of how a professional Black is treated in the predominantly White newspaper environment.

If, like me, you've discovered the first three in the series at the same time, do start with this first book. That will make the reading of the following ones more meaningful.