The End of Marking Time

What an incredibly clever and plausible world CJ West has created here. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Michael, a protagonist labeled a criminal yet so sympathetic as a victim of circumstances beyond his control. This book was the most original and inspired work of fiction I have read in years; very refreshing. I was entertained and engaged from cover to cover.

A man named Michael who's sentenced to prison gets shot and lapses into a four-year coma. While he's asleep, the world completely changes. Michael wakes up to find that all prisoners are free -- sorta. Instead of being held behind bars, prisoners (now called "relearners") are being rehabilitated. Unfortunately, this also involves being constantly watched and losing one's privacy completely. C.J. West creates a world the way it might be if we used surveillance systems and microchip implants to keep tabs on criminals. The result is a well-intended, but creepy dystopia, in which Michael tries desperately to learn the new rules. Not only is the story suspenseful (based in part on clever foreshadowing), but Michael is a truly sympathetic character who's caught in a private hell that's at least in part of his own making. Apart from being a really great read, the book provides a thoughtful exploration of matters like the nature of appropriate criminal punishment and its affect on society. It also shows how class distinctions and family circumstances can contribute to criminal behavior. I highly recommend it. Debbi Mack Identity Crisis Chesapeake Crimes: They Had It Comin' [...]

It is easy to recommend this book as a great read, but the scariest aspect of a future only four years from now where prisons are no longer needed and prisoners as re-learners are rehabilitated--or else, the scariest thing about it is that we now have the technology to take this story away from the syfy channel. I have also given some thought to creative uses for GPS devices and the eventualy devaluing of the dollar bill like the confederate bill after the civil war. C.J. West wrote a story that could become fact in a short decade or so. Want a heads up? You must read this book.

Michael is the kind of troubled hero you can take a journey with. Burglar and misfit, his crimes finally catch up with him, but his "punishment" is meted out by a different type of justice system. Well-thought-out and briskly paced, End of Marking Time will have you re-thinking crime and punishment. CJ West delivers thought-provoking entertainment in this near-future mystery thriller. Scott Nicholson The Skull Ring Drummer Boy

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.