Customer Reviews

Time Release

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

 

 

The title of Time Release gives a clue to its story. First, it concerns a killer who used pain relief capsules, as well as other techniques, to set off a series of poisonings. Second, it focuses on repressed memories and if, when and how they will come out. The author does a credible job with both themes, though I would have liked to have seen a little more interaction between Sonny and Christiansen in earlier therapy sessions, which would have provided a few more clues to the behavior of Sonny's family. Without this explanation, the climax came a little bit out of left field for me. The detective's confession to Christiansen came suddenly too, without much reason. These quibbles aside, the book was entertaining, with the major characters nicely drawn.

If you like the TV series "Homicide," you'll want to read this book. The complex, unorthodox plot is told from the perspectives of three men--a washed-up cop, a troubled pyschologist, and the stoic son of a serial-murder suspect--each of whom harbors his own terrible secret. The three are locked in a desperate psychological tug of war, and only two of them will survive it. The characters are unglamorous, at times awkwardly imperfect, and utterly believable. Perhaps the best thing about "Time Release" is the sense of place. In the author's hands, the hard-edged gloom of rustbelt Pittsburgh becomes an oddly beautiful setting, and an apt metaphor for the torturous inner landscape of the protagonists.

As good now as it was then...a timeless read, worth reading! A classic suspense yarn, the kind that keeps you stuck to the pages, aching to know "who done it?" Smith creates and handles his characters with such ease you are convinced they are real and in fact they stay with you, following you from room to room long after you've put the book down, pestering you to keep reading until you know the whole story. If you like suspense, you will love Time Release!

Smith develops a plausible, suspenseful tale, one that people remember every time they enter a grocery store. The main character, a psychologist, surpasses the character made famous by Jonathan Kellerman. The characters are sincere and realistic. Hurry up with the sequal, Martin Smith!

I stole moments wherever I could find them to finish reading this book. The characters are well drawn, imperfect (like life is imperfect), but you also get involved with them, and want to know what happens to them. I could heap more praise on this book like everybody else has and repeat the same old words to describe it, but suffice to say that this is an excellent thriller. One that will hold your interest to the end. I've already bought his second book because I have to see what else this man can do with words.

Marty, the book is awesome. The story grips you and keeps you on edge. The believability of the plot is what scares you. It is a white knuckle thriller that can make you paranoid in the grocery store. I found myself wondering just how fail-safe tamper-resistant products actually are. I enjoyed the accuracy of the neighborhood and backroad/alley descriptions, which could only come from a native of the South Side. Every character comes to life and jumps right out of the story, even down to the most insignificant of them. Thank's for the thrill, Marty! I am anxiously awaiting your next one.

Had trouble putting it down, was sad to learn it's a first and only book. Wish I could read another by Martin Smith right away

This is one of the best suspense/thriller/ mysteries I've read in a long while. Marty weaves compelling characters, like Sonny, the kid who represses his memories, into an intricate plot that delivers what it promises. I appreciate well-researched books, and this read is obviously carefully thought out and developed. I'm a fan of Marty's work as editor of Orange Coast magazine and his book didn't disappoint me. Looking forward to his next book