Time Stand Still

I found this book through the 'Recommend an Item' feature and was hesitant about getting it. I'd never heard of John Misak before. I am happy I took a chance.Time Stand Still really interested me from the first page, something I find is hard to do these days. The writer seems to know what he is doing by pulling you in and toying with you throughout the novel. The story was excellent and the telling of it even better.I've read some of the negative views here, and I have to say I don't agree. I guess it all depends on what you are looking to get out of a book. This one is exciting, humorous, and ultimately enjoyable. I highly recommend this for anyone who takes reading seriously.

I bought this book thinking it was a simple mystery. Though it follows that format, I was surprised at how good it was, how it held my interest and kept me guessing constantly.This is one of those books you spend some time with and really enjoy the time spent. There are constant twists and turns and there are several subplots that really get you involved with the characters. I like books that make you feel like you know the characters. This is one of those books.The time travel element really just sets the tone for some spectacular things. Darrin Camponi, the main character, actually gets to investigate the death of his grandmother fifteen years ago. This made things so interesting and didn't take away from the suspenseful feel of this novel.Buy this book if you want to be pleasantly surprised by a new author who obviously knows how to write. I really can't say any more than that.

I've read plenty of books over the years. Most are entertaining, some thought-provoking, and, others, phenomenal. Time Stand Still is such a novel, mainly because of the way it weaves several different elements into the mystery novel. One dimensional this book is not!Think of your past, the days you've lost, the ones you can never have again. Time Stand Still tells the story of what could happen if you could get some of those days back. What would you do? Who would you see?The main character, Darren Camponi, gets a chance to relive his past after being hired to find someone he went to high school with. That someone is working on a time travel machine, and things end up that Darren volunteers to test it. He's sent back in time, a time he thinks is safe. What he doesn't remember is that the time he's gone back to is just days before his grandmother's suspicious death. Now, Darren is caught between the past and the present, and his future is looking pretty grim.This story weaves in some philosophical points of view, some sci-fi elements, and all the trappings you expect from a mystery. I found myself racing toward the end, only to be upset because the book ended. The plot's tight and the characters are fantastic.For those of you smart enough to pick this one up, I noticed that the author is continuning the story online at his web site, johnmisak.net. It seems there is another book in the works, and he is posting the story between the two. So far, it's pretty good.If you like to read, you'll love this book, period.

Ohio private investigator Mike Holmes offers his New York City friend and colleague Darren Camponi some easy work. A university hired Mike who subcontracted to Darren to locate a former employee Jason Caufield who the school claims stole intellectual property. Darren knows the mark as he went to Merrick High School with him.Though wary of cases that seem too easy like this one in which he only has to report the locale of Caufield, Darren begins his investigation only to quickly learn that the college is not the only bureaucracy interested in the missing Jason. The FBI wants to find him too and they pressure Darren to drop his search. However being a native Long Islander, Camponi refuses to quit at any costs. Still when he finds Jason, he learns the intellectual property is a time machine that needs testing, but will the beleaguered Darren be willing to serve as guinea pig?John Misak provides fans with an amusing exhilarating hard-boiled private investigative tale that is fun to read because of the hard case mentality of the lead protagonist. Darren fills the plot with zest as he struggles with the Feds, the university, and even NYPD to complete his mission. Though the minor dab of science fiction seems out of place within this wild ride, Mr. Misak somehow effortlessly switches the genre so that the audience like Darren half believe that Jason has invented what he claims. Perhaps the only error in TIME STAND STILL is that Manhattan has no 43rd Avenue. This is a terrific detective tale worth reading.Harriet Klausner

Over the 320 pages of Time Stand Still, this author kept me in a constant state of wonderment. At every turn, there was something new, something puzzling, and something exciting. This is true mystery fiction, updated for the 21st century. If you like your mysteries thrilling yet realistic, this is the one for you.What amazed me most was the perfect design of the plot. It moved when it needed to move, and slowed down when the characters needed to show themselves. The balance of characterization and plot is spot on. I felt I got to know the characters, understand their motivations, and sympathize with them when I needed to. I found out about John Misak's first book through a web site message board, and thought it was excellent. With Time Stand Still, Misak shows that he can take a genre and mold it to his desires. He is in full control from beginning to end. And the ending, well, that was just plain amazing.If you like mysteries, or, if you like authors like Lawrence Block, Clive Cussler, or Nelson DeMille, do yourself a favor and give John Misak a try. I rarely read new authors, but this one has certainly paid off for me. Now, why is this book not a bestseller? I predict it will be soon.