Borderline: A Jack McMorrow Mystery

By: Gerry Boyle

Narrated by: Michael A. Smith, Josh A

On a travel story about Benedict Arnold, freelance reporter Jack McMorrow traces the route of the infamous historical figure up the Kennebec River into Quebec, Canada. When a man fails to rejoin his bus tour in the Northern Maine town of Scanesett, Jack makes a pit stop there to help authorities find him and soon finds himself entangled with a bunch of lethal small-town hoods who make bad sport of the weak and defenseless. Threatened, beaten up, and forced into a terrifying game of redneck hide-and-seek, McMorrow faces his most ruthless criminals yet.

This, the fifth installment of Islandport’s updated and revised editions of the internationally best-selling Jack McMorrow series, takes its listeners across state lines into the tangled world of mistaken identities, traitorous dealings, and a dangerous hunt for a man no one seems to know much about.

Originally published in 1998, the Islandport edition includes a new introduction by author.

©1998 Gerry Boyle (P)2019 Anaba Publishing

Great Mystery !

“Smart, fast-paced, personal and, dare I say, thrilling. It's the kind of "this could happen to me" thrill that really chills me to the bone if I think about it too much. I could not put this book down until I found out if everything was going to turn out okay. Does it? Well you'll have to read it and see!”

Not the best in the series

This book was one of those start it/stop it/repeat type of books. I finally buckled down and listened to it all.

I’ve liked this series and its characters. The auxiliary characters, Roxanne and Clare, are physically not present with Jack. That leaves some holes. Sure, they’re both reachable by phone but it’s not the same.

The story itself was pretty bland except for the Benedict Arnold history. I live in western Maine and I could ride along with Jack as he swings through Somerset, Franklin, and Hancock Counties. I’ve made the drive to Quebec, too. That was interesting.

I started this book in paperback and I should have continued with that. Instead I switched to the audiobook and remembered why I bought the paperback. The narrator murders women’s voices. Not my favorite.

Jack McMorrow Goes Rogue

With his partner, Roxanne, away in Florida caring for her mother, and his neighbor and friend Clair—a Vietnam Marine vet and simpatico sidekick in rural Maine— visiting his daughter down South, Jack McMorrow is alone and doing what he does best: tracking down all the details that make up a story and solve a crime.
On freelance assignment to follow Benedict Arnold's march to Quebec, McMorrow arrives in a small Maine town just as a mystery begins: A tour bus enroute from Boston to Quebec discovers that one passenger, P. Ray Mantiss, got off the bus and never got back on. Who is this "Mr. Mantiss"? It has to be a fake name, righ? What's he running from? And why is Robie, the odd character on the bike, so interested in McMorrow's questions about the missing man? And why does everyone think McMorrow is with the CIA? And why do they want to shoot him?
Boyle's characters are engaging, and his writing is crisp, with a sense of humor and deep knowledge of small-town Maine life. He is gifted in his ability to create atmosphere, build tension, and introduce you to three-dimensional characters in a real and baffling world—a master of the mystery.
Audio reader Michael Smith is the perfect voice actor for this series, bringing McMorrow to life through your earbuds/speakers. But Boyle has brought him to life on the page. I am an addict and await futher of Boyle's McMorrow books read by Michael Smith.

Journalist or Agent

Freelance journalist, Jack McMorrow, is busy researching for a historical piece he is writing about Benedict Arnold when he encounters a tour bus delayed by missing passenger, P. Ray Mantis. His curiosity piqued, and in spite of everyone one including the town sheriff saying there is no story and no case, Jack begins investigating the disappearance and so begins his next adventure. Although the author develops many local interesting and varied characters including a female police officer with a husband and family, a know it all sheriff who tries to convince there is no disappearance and to get out of town, and an extended family of characters who seemed to be deeply involved in the disappearance, I found this story a little slow moving, unlike the others in this series. Or perhaps I was simply tiring of the proliferation of Jack's expressed trivial thoughts and observations that had zero contribution to the plot. In any case, Jack, mistaken for a CIA agent, is shot at, beaten, and left for drowned by redneck local villains as he tries to get to the bottom of the disappearance. With a no surprise ending I would rate this book at a 3 out of 5 on all counts. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Awesome character development and mystery!

This is the third Jack McMorrow I've listened to. I'm impressed by the way the Gerry Boyle crafts these stories - allowing them to unfold and more layers to be revealed up until the very end. I love Jack as a character - a sarcastic, world-weary reporter whose intelligence and curiosity are complimented by his caring heart and loyalty.

In this story Jack finds himself following a hunch about a missing man. Then he finds himself embroiled when the secrets of a small town bubble over.

In my opinion, this book runs a bit long with descriptions of McMorrow's historical research about the Kennebec River region.

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."