Line of Sight

Line of Sight is full of classic noir-cop-detective elements, so I thought I was nestling into comfortable fiction territory as I settled into reading the book. But Jack Kelly has written a book that is simultaneously familiar yet new, nostalgic yet fresh. Kelly's characters are familiar with a twist, predictable yet surprising. His telegraphic style at first seemed choppy and awkward to me, yet by page three his concise words were painting vivid scenes of landscapes both psychic and physical. I thoroughly enjoyed the synthesis of familiar and new in this book. Its images and emotional mood will stay with you for a long time.

"Nobody's innocent," says Sheila, one of the key characters in Line of Sight. Ain't that the truth?! In fact, plain, ordinary, law-abiding folks can easily be drawn into a wicked web of lust, intrigue, greed, and power. The beauty of this book is in the way that Jack Kelly explores how any of us can be tempted to cross the line.

there were so many twists and turns in this book it was like riding a roller coaster at night. ray was a nice guy that you'd like to strangle for being so dumb. it was like watching a good friend make a whooper of a mistake, and not being able to stop him. and like a good friend you couldn't leave this book alone till the end.

Line of Sight is a fast-paced, plot-driven page-turner. Like a bowl of freshly-popped pop corn, you just can't put it down until you've reached the last kernal. Kelly is masterful at imitating the noir genre while giving it his own unique twist. Predictable and yet surprising. Perfect book to hunker down with on a cold night, take on vacation, escape with.

In Mansfield, New York everyone considers Ray Dolan to be a by the book police officer. Though he enjoys his job and his simple lifestyle, Ray remains a lonely person having no family, girlfriend, or close friend. That changes when the Travis family moves near Ray. He becomes obsessed with sexy but sad Sheila who acts like the victim of spousal abuse. Sheila senses Ray's infatuation and begins to take advantage of him. When her husband is murdered, Ray comes to Sheila's aid. Even as he knows who the killer is, Ray cannot stop interfering with the official investigation in order to keep Sheila safe, even at the cost of his own life. LINE OF SIGHT is an in your face Noir novel that never slows down for a moment. The story line is filled with twists and turns that continually fool the audience. Sheila is a great female character in the mode of Double Indemnity (or perhaps Jessica Rabbit). Readers will feel empathy towards Ray, but at the same time want to smack him awake because he seems a bit too ingenuous. Fans of non-stop action filled with double crossing twists will enjoy Jack Kelly's taut tale.Harriet Klausner