The End of Marking Time [Kindle Edition]

CJ West (Author)

Book Description

"1984 Meets Prison Break"

News flash: U.S. Supreme Court abolishes prison terms. Criminals can no longer be detained more than 48 hours.

Two million felons set free. Looters ransack major cities.

Police and local governments devise a system to reeducate felons. Critics call the new laws cruel and unfair, but citizens demand safety at any cost.

The End of Marking Time Puts You in the Jury Box! 

Gifted housebreaker Michael O'Connor awakens inside this new criminal justice system and can't understand how he can be controlled in a jail without walls. An army of counselors encourage him to follow rules he doesn't understand and a black box tries to teach him everything he failed to learn in school.

Michael is surrounded by actors who tempt him toward trouble and voyeurs who monitor his every move. He believes he's being tested by the black box, but realizes too late that everything he does is evaluated to determine whether he lives or dies.

Has Michael failed the ultimate test? He believes you are on his jury. Listen to his story and decide what should happen to him. Then solve the mystery. Who is really in the jury box? And what fate will they choose for Michael?

Editorial Reviews

Review

C.J. West is a powerful and original writer, and I look forward to reading him for a long time.
--Timothy Hallinan, author of the Edgar nominated novel, The Queen of Patpong

C.J. West is one of my favorite indie authors writing today and every time I read one of his novels I learn a little bit more about the craft.
--Vincent Zandri, author of The Innocent

From the Author

The moment you pick this book up, you should sense there is something different about it. When you turn over the paperback version, you'll see the text is landscape. Michael addresses you directly as if you already know him and there are two prominent buttons on the cover. Michael begs you to press the green one. The odd back cover design is meant to signal you that this is an experimental book that will challenge your thoughts about crime and criminals.

THE END OF MARKING TIME is the culmination of years of thought about families, crime, and how our society deals with its disruptive citizens. There are no easy answers in this book and none are attempted directly. Michael O'Connor has been placed in a reeducation system that addresses his issues in an outlandish way, but it highlights the need for our criminal justice system to protect us from those who would do us harm and at the same time help those offenders who can be helped. I have had many great discussions with readers about these issues and I hope you will be moved to discuss them as well.

For fun, hand this book to a man you know. Ask him to turn it over and watch where his fingers land. Many men (about 70%) end up pressing the green button when handling the book. Surprisingly, women press the green button only about 10% of the time. When asked after reading the book which button they would press, the numbers are reversed (more women than men would intentionally press the green button).

I hope you enjoy The End of Marking Time,

CJ

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 486 KB
• Print Length: 284 pages
• Publisher: 22 West Books (May 22, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B003P9XAXW
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,546 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 54 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Read June 1, 2010

By Cindy L. Samuel

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just now finished reading this book, and cannot recommend it strongly enough. The drama, the main character, Michael O'Connor, and the premise of the plot is outstanding. I was gripped from opening paragraph, till the very last sentence. CJ West has depicted a society far from what we live in today, but so real as to leave the reader believing, it could very easily change in that direction, if technology and criminology continue to merge, and evolve. It truly opens up a whole dialog on crime and punishment, unlike any I have ever considered. When is it OK to break the law? Is it EVER OK to break the law? Do circumstances lessen the severity of the offence? When does it become too expensive to house offenders, and how could the money be better spent? Can there be rehabilitation?
An exceptional read, with intrigue and extremely, thought provoking.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING!!!!! June 25, 2010

By B Gannon

Format:Paperback

It is very rare for me to be torn while reading a book - torn between savoring it - reading it slowly because its so good that I just don't want it to end and tearing through it because I can't wait to find out what happens next... THIS is one of those rare books!!! Beware - there will be sleepless nights because you can't put it down!!! CJ West has written such a compelling book - and main character that you will be gripped from the moment you open the book until the VERY LAST LINE... and then it will haunt you afterwards... This book is a DO NOT MISS IT!!!!!!

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful...until the very end March 30, 2011

By Kimberly L.

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The End of Marking Time was a wonderful, gripping thriller that brought up many social and moral questions. The premise was a bit shaky, but I was willing to go along with it for the sake of the story. Even though the main character was a criminal, you could see the evolution of his moral and intellectual self throughout the book. That said, the ending was abrupt and implausible. Too many coincidences were wound up into it and there was little resolution. One of the few times I was depressed after the ending of such a good book.

More About the Author

Amazon Bestselling Author C.J. West's first novel, Sin And Vengeance, was adapted for film by award-winning screenwriter Marla Cukor, and optioned into development by Beantown Productions, LLC.

Edgar nominated author, Tim Hallinan says, "C.J. West is a powerful and original writer, and I look forward to reading him for a long time."

Vincent Zandri, author of The Innocent, says, "C.J. West is one of my favorite indie authors writing today."

Avid fans insist that any mystery or suspense lover who reads Sin And Vengeance and The End of Marking Time will become a C.J. West fan.

C.J.'s Randy Black series features Sin And Vengeance, A Demon Awaits, and Gretchen Greene. The series is unusual because Randy Black undergoes a major transformation in the second book. Many readers are amazed at how strongly they root for a character they despised.

The End of Marking Time provides a touch of sci-fi as Michael O'Connor navigates a criminal justice system that substitutes counselors and monitoring technology for prisons and guards. This intense psychological novel challenges readers to consider all they know about crime and justice.

For traditional mystery readers, C.J. offers the Lorado Martin Mystery Series about a junk man who splits his time between the worlds of antiques and collectibles and his work providing housing and jobs for recovering addicts. The first book in the series, Dinner At Deadman's was released in 2012.

Find C.J. at www.22wb.com or on facebook at www.facebook.com/cjwestfans