Predictably, reality sets in and Henry is assigned obituary after obituary until he begins to wonder how many creative ways can he describe a person’s life in a few short paragraphs. His next step up is an article on an artist who has constructed two giant metal sculptures of spiders which have recently taken up residence in Rockefeller Plaza. Henry can’t conceal his disappointment only to be saved by his idol, Jack O’Donnell.

O’Donnell has been working on a series of articles about the two big mob organizations in New York. In particular he is profiling infamous ex-convicts who have some mob connections that have recently been released from prison. O’Donnell wants Henry to interview Luis Guzman about the programs that were available to him in prison prior to his release.

Henry phones Guzman to set up a time for an interview and is puzzled by Guzman’s reluctance to have Henry visit his apartment. When Henry arrives Luis greets him at the door, dressed much more neatly and formally than he would have expected for the interview until he remembers that Guzman had an important appointment with his doctor scheduled after his interview. The interview proceeds and Guzman hurriedly ushers Henry out the door. Henry decides to have a quick dinner at a small restaurant where he listens to the recording he has made during his interview. He cannot get over the feeling that something is bothering the young Hispanic couple so he decides to pay a return visit to their apartment, slipping in the door following another tenant.

Suddenly Henry hears screams emanating from the Guzmans’apartment. He is tempted to just leave but he remembers the inadvertent lack of help he was to his girlfriend some months earlier when she was assaulted and needed his help. He knocks on the door and, after some scuffling sounds the door opens and he is confronted by a man with a gun pointed directly at him. The Hispanic couple has obviously been roughed up by the armed man who wants “a package” that they are to deliver to him. A fight ensues and the armed man is killed though it is not certain whether the man or Henry actually pulled the trigger. The Guzmans are adamant that Henry should leave and should NOT call the police.

Exhausted and not knowing what to do next, Henry collapses next to the occupant of a cardboard box in a homeless settlement. The next day he notices people looking at him strangely, but puts it down to his disreputable appearance until he glances at a tabloid newspaper. The headlines scream Cop Killer and Henry’s driver’s license photo appears directly beneath. In the space of a day, Henry has gone from fair haired boy journalist to the most wanted man in New York City.

The Mark, a first novel by Jason Pinter is memorable for its quirky story line and its attention grabbing descriptions of the seamy side of the New York Police department. Mr. Pinter demands the reader’s attention from the first page when it appears the main protagonist is going to be killed. Significantly, there has been a marketing error in that the title is billed as the first in a series and it is unlikely that the hero will die at the beginning of the book. The tension that develops is a result of how he will manage to survive not will he manage.

While the author appears to be striving for a unique method of penning descriptive passages, the result was a bit heavy handed. Several times he describes the aroma of a man’s cologne or aftershave as “like a bottle of [cologne] threw up all over him.” Such a vivid description seems overdone. In other places his descriptions are entirely too stereotypical as the receptionist that smiles broadly displaying a wad of gum that she is chewing. Occasionally, he mixes his metaphors as well as the killer who is described as a thoroughbred unstoppable with his blinkers on, but strays off the tracks. Presumably the thoroughbred is a horse that runs straight with blinkers on, but tracks refer to trains not horses.

There are also a few technical errors that crop up. Henry’s leg is injured in his struggle with the cop who is killed making walking and running difficult. But there are times which are not appreciably adrenaline fueled when his stride is unimpaired. It is to his advantage to get away from the bad guys, but he either has a sore leg or he doesn’t, or it gets better with time. There is also a passage where Henry is considering fleeing to Canada to escape pursuit by the police. It is my understanding that most of the border checkpoints are pretty carefully monitored these days and, in most cases, require a passport.

Mr. Pinter does make some legitimate points. In speaking about journalism, he mentions that the sensationalism of the stories of plagiarism by writers who had been highly respected has overshadowed the truly good work done by a much greater number of reputable men and women. In addition, he has some interesting comments with respect to people caught in abusive situations. He suggests that if abuses come about gradually, a person will learn to live with it without realizing the problem whereas a sudden escalation would promote a outraged response.

The title is significant in that it has several meanings. In a journalistic setting, a mark is a new reporter who has as yet not proven his worth. Yet in the criminal world the mark can refer to an individual singled out for destruction.

With his first effort Mr. Pinter has produced a likeable protagonist and a terrifying though not improbable situation for a seemingly ordinary young man.

--Andy Plonka