Borderline

Jack McMorrow Mystery #5

by Gerry Boyle

While Jack McMorrow is in Scanesett, Maine, to research a travel article on Benedict Arnold's 1775 march to Quebec, another passenger from the tour bus disappears into the woods and Jack stays behind to find out what happened to the unfortunate man. Reprint.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1998

Reviews

[James Thane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freelance reporter Jack McMorrow is minding his own business, doing an article for a travel magazine about Benedict Arnold's ill-fated expedition against Quebec in 1775, when he stumbles onto a minor mystery in the small town of Scanesett, Maine. A man on a bus tour headed for Quebec has failed to return to the bus which has stopped briefly in the small town. The bus driver waits as long as he can before heading off down the road, leaving the missing man, P. Ray Mantis, behind.

The local police chief, a small-minded man who hates reporters, seems totally unconcerned about the fact that a man has gone missing in his community. But Jack sees a potential story that he might be able to sell, perhaps to the Boston Globe, and so in and around his research about Benedict Arnold's expedition, he begins a search for the missing Mantis.

Jack's investigation gets him tangled up with a mentally-challenged brother and sister who may have briefly hidden Mantis in their ramshackle home. The two seem to think that both Mantis and Jack McMorrow are somehow connected to the CIA, and this mistaken impression leads a trio of violent low-lifes to take after McMorrow.

Jack's life is already complicated at the moment because his girlfriend, Roxanne, is down in Florida, attending to her ailing mother and is having a bad time of it. Jack's normally reliable neighbor, Claire Varney is also down south with his wife, recovering from surgery, and so Jack is left entirely alone.

As the book progresses, Jack alternates between doing the research for his article on Benedict Arnold and his hunt for the missing Mantis. As usually happens when Jack relentlessly pursues an investigation like this, he's ultimately going to find himself in big trouble and will need all of his skills if he's going to escape it. Another good addition to an excellent regional mystery series.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freelance reporter Jack Morrow is on assignment to do a travel article on Benedict Arnold's campaign against Quebec when a fellow bus passenger goes missing in a small town in Maine. Smelling the makings of a salable story, Morrow combines the known assignment with the hope of another and stumbles into a real mess. Lots of suspense, great characters, and a good mystery. Terrific series!
Narrator Michael A. Smith really is excellent at portraying Jack in all his attitudes.

[Mainer207 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun beach read recommended by my mom. McMorrow is a former city reporter with the NY Times who is now living in rural Maine and freelancing journalism work. This novel is about him investigating a missing persons case in a small town along the Kennebec River and also writing a travel journalism piece on Benedict Arnold's march to Quebec. The Maine atmosphere of this was fun and I liked the small town characters and characterization. The relationship stuff between McMorrow and his love interest in this was not great (she was in Florida for this whole book) - I'll have to read another book in the series. There was enough here for me to read another at some point soon though!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this Jack McMorrow. I think what appealed to me was Jack researching the Benedict Arnold story, now I need to read more about him. I spend time in Western Maine and have traveled thru the towns along the Kennebec and across to Canada and Quebec via Jackman, so it was familiar territory. The other thing I thought... this was written before Sept 11th and travel across the border is quite changed. It's also before Lac Megantic was destroyed by the train, so that has changed too I would imagine. The actual mystery took second place to the setting and back story for me.

[Jen Davis Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy reading Maine fiction, then I highly suggest you pick up the Jack McMorrow series by Gerry Boyle. I've found each book to be more suspenseful than the last! In this, the 5th book in the series, Jack finds his curiosity once again getting the better of him when he discovers a tourist has disappeared off a bus while on a Benedict Arnold tour through Maine. Because he is, after all, an investigative reporter, he finds himself in strange places, asking probative questions of suspicious people. And as you would expect, he makes a few enemies on his way to discovering the truth. Great protagonist, awesome series.

[Jim Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely not the best in the series. Jack's on his own here. Roxanne is in Florida, Clair is in North Carolina. A bit of a drawn story, but great as a travelogue along the Benedict Arnold route from Maine to Quebec.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

The curiosity of a reporter never ends with Jack , a man disappears in a small town, and even sheriff is not concerned. Good plot and narration. Given audio for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

[Sandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Journalist Jack McMorrow is working on a travel story and while researching Benedict Arnold's trek to Quebec City he stumbles across a missing person case in small town Maine. I usually really like this series but the actual mystery part fell a bit flat though the Arnold research was interesting.

[NuNu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this particular book in the Jack McMorrow series to be rather slow moving.

[Tony Sannicandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book! Jack Morrow kind of toned down, more like a real adult. I enjoyed this book very much!

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best regional series, with crisp and often witty dialogue. Great series ...

[Pam Porell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second book by Boyle. This one had much more tension and thriller tendencies but Mcmorrow’s research for his article his dealings with his girl friend Roxanne and other things just didn’t ring true.

[Richard Frantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, Boyle gets better with each read ! CB cc

[Zara Lei Norman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This crime was probably the least compelling so far, but had me sold by the end. I liked the parallel narratives, they kept me going through despite — like Roxanne caring for her mother with Alzheimer’s in Florida, and the Historic Touring magazine bit.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this lively page turner starring Jack McMorrow, a big-time-turned-small-time reporter in Maine who reminds me of Jim Garner in the Rockford files. Smelling a story when a man goes missing in a small town on a bus trip to Canada, McMorrow must try to persuade the sleepy, sometimes downright hostile local police department that the game is afoot. I liked Boyle's description of the minor characters, particularly Robie (whom I see as a victim of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome), his equally dysfunctional sister Robann, and their low-life relatives. Boyle contrasts McMorrow's journey with Benedict Arnold's fateful journey north; the contrast doesn't work quite as well as I hoped, but I did find it interesting to follow McMorrow's story on Arnold as well as his current investigation and his temporarily long distance relationship with the woman he loves. Good rousing ending too.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

"In the backwoods of Maine, a man goes missing" the cover proclaims. Only it's not exactly the backwoods, as the picturesque little town and its police department play heavily in this Jack McMorrow mystery, with the writer digging into the mystery it seems only he cares about.

You'll learn a little about the history of both Maine and Quebec as Jack, halfheartedly researching an article for a historical travel magazine piece, retraces the trek to Montreal made by Benedict Arnold as he also looks into the interrupted journey of a bus passenger who disappeared mid-trip.

A mystery to me until the last page, this was one of the few books that not only keep me guessing but also keep the specter of lurking menace alive cover to cover.

[Susan Emmet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack McMorrow has graduated to doing freelance work, this time for a travel magazine. He's supposed to research and write about Benedict Arnold's horrific trek to Quebec where hundreds were lost to disease and starvation.
Again Boyle captures the real wilds of Maine well, this time focusing on western ME from Waterville north up 201 to Jackman and beyond to Quebec City. The imaginary town of Scannesett is.....? Could be several places, all wracked by poverty, drugs and crime.
The reader knows the guilty parties early and the ending is somehow flat, but the ride is worth it.
I got a little tired of all the telephone non/talk, but still like the characters of Jack, Clair and Roxanne. They read "real."

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3 1/2 stars, this is book 5 in the series. this story needed more of his regular friends in it because they help the storys a lot. Jack is doing a free lance story about Benedict Arnold and tracing his route to Canada when he stumbles onto a quirky happening in a small town, a man gets off a tour bus and doesn't get back on. Jack ask WHY, and gets all involved in finding the guy and gets off writing his Benedict Arnold story. Misunderstanding about who he is and who the missing guy is lead to a whole lot of trouble and a near death experience for Jack and the missing man.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and interesting. A former journalist, now working as a travel writer, stumbles across a mystery in rural Maine. Lots of history of Benedict Arnold, oddly.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Newspaper reporter Jack McMorrow investigates a disappearance while tracing Benedict Arnold's trail through northern Maine

[Cindy White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good book by Gerry Boyle. This one was a little different because you knew the perps early on in the book. No suprise ending.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Missing man turns up kidnapped.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite of the series so far.