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One-Way Ticket to Midnight
A down-and-out bluesman
A rough-and-tumble-biker
A series of supernatural murders
Roy Porter lives on the streets of Tulsa, his music all but forgotten. When his friends start dying in horrible ways, Roy realizes he's seen the pattern of death before. The cops are searching for a regular killer, but Roy knows there's more going on and if he doesn't act, he might be next of the death list.
He teams up with Jim Hartford, a tough biker with a haunted past, to hunt down the killer. But how can this unlikely pair hope to face up to a killer with powers born from the depths of evil? They're on a train bound for hell and it's a one-way trip.
A rough-and-tumble-biker
A series of supernatural murders
Roy Porter lives on the streets of Tulsa, his music all but forgotten. When his friends start dying in horrible ways, Roy realizes he's seen the pattern of death before. The cops are searching for a regular killer, but Roy knows there's more going on and if he doesn't act, he might be next of the death list.
He teams up with Jim Hartford, a tough biker with a haunted past, to hunt down the killer. But how can this unlikely pair hope to face up to a killer with powers born from the depths of evil? They're on a train bound for hell and it's a one-way trip.
- GenresMystery
244 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2011
6 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 11, 2018
This is a thrilling story that has unlikely heroes. Roy was a talented musician that gave up on life and became homeless, and Jim is a loner biker with a multitude of secrets, magical talent and a scary brother. A mix of urban fantasy and murder/mystery this story will have you on the edge of your seat, it has complex, interesting characters and a plot that will keep you turning the pages.
February 3, 2023
I loved the author's Jonathan Shade series and thought I would give his standalone book ago. While I did enjoy it, it was nothing like the Shade series, it is more darker and with non of the banter and humour that I have come to enjoy. It was not what I was expecting but I was still hooked until the end. I don't know what genre I would say this book comes under, maybe supernatural/ mystery/ apocalyptic/ super hero? To be honest there was a lot going on, so just sit back and be prepared to be taken for a ride in a genre all on its own. I liked the characters, especially Roy who despite not knowing what he was doing or how to help, was still willing to try. The homeless angle was a nice touch and worked well for the story, giving it another unusual aspect. Definitely not your normal run of the mill story.
When his homeless friends start dying in strange and mysterious ways, Roy knows he has seen this before and there is only one person who can help, the man who stopped it the last time Jim. But after what went down last time Jim is a changed man and Roy isn't even sure if the aging biker will help. With Roy the only connection between the death's he knows his only hope is convincing Jim to come out of hiding and put a stop to it once and for all or die trying.
The narrator wouldn't have been my choice, great sounding for a tough as nails biker and homeless man but to deep and gruff for my liking. I had to really concentrate sometimes to understand what he said.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
When his homeless friends start dying in strange and mysterious ways, Roy knows he has seen this before and there is only one person who can help, the man who stopped it the last time Jim. But after what went down last time Jim is a changed man and Roy isn't even sure if the aging biker will help. With Roy the only connection between the death's he knows his only hope is convincing Jim to come out of hiding and put a stop to it once and for all or die trying.
The narrator wouldn't have been my choice, great sounding for a tough as nails biker and homeless man but to deep and gruff for my liking. I had to really concentrate sometimes to understand what he said.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
June 14, 2016
One-Way Ticket to Midnight by Gary Jonas Roy Porter has to go with the cops to the Tulsa morgue to identify another body. This time it is Willy, another homeless man that Roy knew. The cops have their ideas about who is killing the homeless but Roy has seen this pattern before. He knows that there’s something supernatural to it. With trepidation, he goes to Jim Hartford’s to ask for his help. But Jim isn’t interested, having his own demons to fight off with a bottle of booze.
This story has a noir feel to it. It’s part mystery, part urban fantasy. It was interesting and engaging. Loner biker Jim has a lot of secrets and we never learn what they all are. However, we do know he defeated whatever this is in the past and there’s hints from the beginning that it cost him dearly. Roy is the true hero of the tale mostly because he has to step up and own his power and become that hero instead of holding himself back. There were plenty of references to blues music icons that I didn’t get, but that’s OK. Roy used to be a musician himself and I can appreciate the music icons through him.
There’s this mysterious place called Safe Haven that’s introduced early on and then revisited later. The folks that live there have the ability to fight this evil, but they would have to give up their hard won sanctuary to do so. Obviously, they are very hesitant to do so. I liked this aspect to the story because it lent weight to Jim’s instance that his previous win against this evil cost him too much. But I can also see that Roy doesn’t get why these folks, Jim included, are not initially willing to assist.
The evil itself comes in the form of a man. It’s complex and the killings are pretty gruesome. The bodies look like they have been stung or bitten or gnawed upon, each body being a little bit different. As Roy and eventually Jim dig into this mystery, Roy learns exactly why the bodies end up the way they do. It’s eerie and spooky. Let me just say that I now have a minor scorpion phobia due to this book!
Sadly, all of the ladies are secondary or tertiary characters. Trent, the Tulsa detective, is the most interesting.The Reverend who tries to help the homeless has several lines, but she’s not an important minor character like Trent. There’s references to Jim’s old girlfriend Trisha and then there’s Susan in Safe Haven. Out of all of them, I would have liked to see more of Trent and her detective skills.
All told, the story kept me engaged throughout. I would have liked more about Jim and of course I hope for a sequel to find out what Roy does after this. I wouldn’t mind a prequel showing Jim’s first encounter with this particular evil.
The Narration: J. Rodney Turner had a great voice for Roy and a good one for Jim. They started off distinct but then sometimes blended into one another later in the story. The female character voices are OK. Sometimes I had trouble figuring out if it was a teenage boy character or a woman. Still, I really liked the ruff gravelly voices for the 2 main characters.
This story has a noir feel to it. It’s part mystery, part urban fantasy. It was interesting and engaging. Loner biker Jim has a lot of secrets and we never learn what they all are. However, we do know he defeated whatever this is in the past and there’s hints from the beginning that it cost him dearly. Roy is the true hero of the tale mostly because he has to step up and own his power and become that hero instead of holding himself back. There were plenty of references to blues music icons that I didn’t get, but that’s OK. Roy used to be a musician himself and I can appreciate the music icons through him.
There’s this mysterious place called Safe Haven that’s introduced early on and then revisited later. The folks that live there have the ability to fight this evil, but they would have to give up their hard won sanctuary to do so. Obviously, they are very hesitant to do so. I liked this aspect to the story because it lent weight to Jim’s instance that his previous win against this evil cost him too much. But I can also see that Roy doesn’t get why these folks, Jim included, are not initially willing to assist.
The evil itself comes in the form of a man. It’s complex and the killings are pretty gruesome. The bodies look like they have been stung or bitten or gnawed upon, each body being a little bit different. As Roy and eventually Jim dig into this mystery, Roy learns exactly why the bodies end up the way they do. It’s eerie and spooky. Let me just say that I now have a minor scorpion phobia due to this book!
Sadly, all of the ladies are secondary or tertiary characters. Trent, the Tulsa detective, is the most interesting.The Reverend who tries to help the homeless has several lines, but she’s not an important minor character like Trent. There’s references to Jim’s old girlfriend Trisha and then there’s Susan in Safe Haven. Out of all of them, I would have liked to see more of Trent and her detective skills.
All told, the story kept me engaged throughout. I would have liked more about Jim and of course I hope for a sequel to find out what Roy does after this. I wouldn’t mind a prequel showing Jim’s first encounter with this particular evil.
The Narration: J. Rodney Turner had a great voice for Roy and a good one for Jim. They started off distinct but then sometimes blended into one another later in the story. The female character voices are OK. Sometimes I had trouble figuring out if it was a teenage boy character or a woman. Still, I really liked the ruff gravelly voices for the 2 main characters.
June 14, 2016
Roy Porter has to go with the cops to the Tulsa morgue to identify another body. This time it is Willy, another homeless man that Roy knew. The cops have their ideas about who is killing the homeless but Roy has seen this pattern before. He knows that there’s something supernatural to it. With trepidation, he goes to Jim Hartford’s to ask for his help. But Jim isn’t interested, having his own demons to fight off with a bottle of booze.
This story has a noir feel to it. It’s part mystery, part urban fantasy. It was interesting and engaging. Loner biker Jim has a lot of secrets and we never learn what they all are. However, we do know he defeated whatever this is in the past and there’s hints from the beginning that it cost him dearly. Roy is the true hero of the tale mostly because he has to step up and own his power and become that hero instead of holding himself back. There were plenty of references to blues music icons that I didn’t get, but that’s OK. Roy used to be a musician himself and I can appreciate the music icons through him.
There’s this mysterious place called Safe Haven that’s introduced early on and then revisited later. The folks that live there have the ability to fight this evil, but they would have to give up their hard won sanctuary to do so. Obviously, they are very hesitant to do so. I liked this aspect to the story because it lent weight to Jim’s instance that his previous win against this evil cost him too much. But I can also see that Roy doesn’t get why these folks, Jim included, are not initially willing to assist.
The evil itself comes in the form of a man. It’s complex and the killings are pretty gruesome. The bodies look like they have been stung or bitten or gnawed upon, each body being a little bit different. As Roy and eventually Jim dig into this mystery, Roy learns exactly why the bodies end up the way they do. It’s eerie and spooky. Let me just say that I now have a minor scorpion phobia due to this book!
Sadly, all of the ladies are secondary or tertiary characters. Trent, the Tulsa detective, is the most interesting.The Reverend who tries to help the homeless has several lines, but she’s not an important minor character like Trent. There’s references to Jim’s old girlfriend Trisha and then there’s Susan in Safe Haven. Out of all of them, I would have liked to see more of Trent and her detective skills.
All told, the story kept me engaged throughout. I would have liked more about Jim and of course I hope for a sequel to find out what Roy does after this. I wouldn’t mind a prequel showing Jim’s first encounter with this particular evil.
The Narration: J. Rodney Turner had a great voice for Roy and a good one for Jim. They started off distinct but then sometimes blended into one another later in the story. The female character voices are OK. Sometimes I had trouble figuring out if it was a teenage boy character or a woman. Still, I really liked the ruff gravelly voices for the 2 main characters.
This story has a noir feel to it. It’s part mystery, part urban fantasy. It was interesting and engaging. Loner biker Jim has a lot of secrets and we never learn what they all are. However, we do know he defeated whatever this is in the past and there’s hints from the beginning that it cost him dearly. Roy is the true hero of the tale mostly because he has to step up and own his power and become that hero instead of holding himself back. There were plenty of references to blues music icons that I didn’t get, but that’s OK. Roy used to be a musician himself and I can appreciate the music icons through him.
There’s this mysterious place called Safe Haven that’s introduced early on and then revisited later. The folks that live there have the ability to fight this evil, but they would have to give up their hard won sanctuary to do so. Obviously, they are very hesitant to do so. I liked this aspect to the story because it lent weight to Jim’s instance that his previous win against this evil cost him too much. But I can also see that Roy doesn’t get why these folks, Jim included, are not initially willing to assist.
The evil itself comes in the form of a man. It’s complex and the killings are pretty gruesome. The bodies look like they have been stung or bitten or gnawed upon, each body being a little bit different. As Roy and eventually Jim dig into this mystery, Roy learns exactly why the bodies end up the way they do. It’s eerie and spooky. Let me just say that I now have a minor scorpion phobia due to this book!
Sadly, all of the ladies are secondary or tertiary characters. Trent, the Tulsa detective, is the most interesting.The Reverend who tries to help the homeless has several lines, but she’s not an important minor character like Trent. There’s references to Jim’s old girlfriend Trisha and then there’s Susan in Safe Haven. Out of all of them, I would have liked to see more of Trent and her detective skills.
All told, the story kept me engaged throughout. I would have liked more about Jim and of course I hope for a sequel to find out what Roy does after this. I wouldn’t mind a prequel showing Jim’s first encounter with this particular evil.
The Narration: J. Rodney Turner had a great voice for Roy and a good one for Jim. They started off distinct but then sometimes blended into one another later in the story. The female character voices are OK. Sometimes I had trouble figuring out if it was a teenage boy character or a woman. Still, I really liked the ruff gravelly voices for the 2 main characters.
June 15, 2011
Good Book Alert Review
When I began to read this story, the main character Roy Porter captured my interest. He’s not the typical main character. At some point he gave up on life and became homeless. This doesn’t sound like a hero. His life gets even worse when he becomes a suspect in a string of unusual murders because he knew all of the victims. Of course, he didn’t do it and he tries to get help from his friend Jim who is a psychic, into the mystical and uses his power for good. As the story progressed, I wanted to know how Roy got to the point where he gave up on life. These details are dished out in a way that kept me wanting to turn the pages to find out more. Jim also made me curious. There is comic relief between these two, and they make for an entertaining pair as they try to stop the real killer who, of course, uses his magic for evil.
Roy has many obstacles to face if he’s going to clear his name and the problems become bigger than that as the real killer grows in power. He is up against both dark external forces and his own internal conflict. Roy has to solve both if he’s going to survive, and I found the way the author weaved these two elements together masterfully done. This is what makes "One Way Ticket to Midnight" a 5 star read.
Visit Good Book Alert for more reviews: http://goodbookalert.blogspot.com/
When I began to read this story, the main character Roy Porter captured my interest. He’s not the typical main character. At some point he gave up on life and became homeless. This doesn’t sound like a hero. His life gets even worse when he becomes a suspect in a string of unusual murders because he knew all of the victims. Of course, he didn’t do it and he tries to get help from his friend Jim who is a psychic, into the mystical and uses his power for good. As the story progressed, I wanted to know how Roy got to the point where he gave up on life. These details are dished out in a way that kept me wanting to turn the pages to find out more. Jim also made me curious. There is comic relief between these two, and they make for an entertaining pair as they try to stop the real killer who, of course, uses his magic for evil.
Roy has many obstacles to face if he’s going to clear his name and the problems become bigger than that as the real killer grows in power. He is up against both dark external forces and his own internal conflict. Roy has to solve both if he’s going to survive, and I found the way the author weaved these two elements together masterfully done. This is what makes "One Way Ticket to Midnight" a 5 star read.
Visit Good Book Alert for more reviews: http://goodbookalert.blogspot.com/
November 16, 2008
A really great book that I would recommend to anyone. This author needs to be discovered in a big way!
May 4, 2015
A fantastic read with an unlikely hero. This one will leave you thinking about the people at the edge of society that are otherwise forgotten or ignored.
August 26, 2011
The ending totally made this book for me. Enjoyable story through out
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews