Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
Jonah's whale of a tale, January 19, 2008
This is a very promising introduction to the story of an unusual man named Jonah McGhee. Told in the first person, we learn that Jonah works on the wrong side of law and order, smuggling merchandise for a fee, anywhere from south of the Mason-Dixon and east of the Mississippi, and elsewhere if the client has extra money to pay. Jonah lives in a fortified compound deep in the heart of nowhere, and runs internet scams and dummy websites for extra pocket change.
The story opens with a drop off to a group of redneck goons, who have absolutely no idea who they're messing with, and the excerpt ends with Jonah back in his fortress, about to embark on a new adventure.
From the plot synopsis supplied by the author, this story appears to have a lot going for it, and looks like a best seller in the making. I, for one, can't find any fault with it on the strength of this excerpt.
Note: This review is based on the available 13 pages of this story, submitted for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, and awarded a place in the semi-finals.
Amanda Richards, January 19, 2008
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8 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
Livin' On The Edge, January 21, 2008
Wham! 'The Journeyman' brings you right into the center of action. A no holes barred thriller that introduces us to the man at the center of the story. We follow him as he goes on one of his 'jobs'. He is crafty, cunning, intelligent and no one will best him. He has thought through every action and reaction. He is prepared for every event and yet, there is a moment when you wonder is this all there is? We see how he wins and how he prepares. We follow him through two states, dumping one vehicle for another until we are at his home. His home so heavily fortified and secure that one mistake will send you to the others. He lives well, alone with his dog. His living is on the edge and he is always on alert. But, then, a small piece of his private life is foretold. Something in the past has come undone and he lives with this 24/7. He tries to forget, to store it away, but it is there, all the time. This man is human.
Eric Webb has created a character that I want to know. A mystery of his past life, a hint of what is to come, and what is now. The prose is superb, straight shooter, tell it like it is- flows from one scene to the other. This is a writer who knows his subject and has allowed his character to show his every side. I could picture the man, the scene and my attention did not waver for one instant.
'The Journeyman' is a winner.
Highly Recommended. prisrob 01-21-08
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6 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
A By-Your-Throat Beginning -- Exactly What a Thriller Needs, January 20, 2008
The protagonist/narrator of Eric Webb's Journeyman is a seasoned smuggler and a con artist, with a little bit of wounded child covered up by his tough guy image. The opening scene, with its taut prose, is as good as any published thriller: the narrator crushes the squirrelly intentions of white supremacists during a drop and emerges unscathed through clever anticipation of what will go down. The narrator's resourcefulness combined with his gritty attitude makes him incredibly likable despite the seedy side of his profession.
If this first chapter suffers from anything, it's the James Bond-like imagination of the author as he describes the narrator's elaborate security on his property. Although the description strains credulity, other thrillers -- bestsellers among them -- can also be accused of such elaborate fantasies. If the author is able to reign in this aspect of his imagination sufficiently to keep the plot free of unbelievable twists and holes, then Journeyman will succeed. In this case, even if it doesn't win the top ABNA prize, it will be sure to earn a contract.
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