Blood on the Tracks
About
In this short story, a young man of sound mind and body is killed by a train while standing on railroad tracks one evening. Witnesses verify it wasn’t suicide. In an investigation that pits an aging forensic pathologist against a young Amtrak investigator, this fictional short story tells what happened and why.
Cover design by Jonathan Spiliotopoulos. Photograph selected from morgueFile: http://morguefile.com/creative/pablogv2004.
Praise for this book
Mark certainly has a way with words. Fantastic character development for all the players and an unexpected plot twist kept me intrigued from start to finish in this well-written short story. I felt like I was sitting in the courtroom perplexed by the seemingly obvious story, in the beginning. The introduction of a twist in perspective left me in awe of the reality of the ending.
Clever romp with an entertaining cast of characters. A thoroughly enjoyable quick read but fair warning be sure to have your dictionary close by.
A captivating story told with Norman Rockwell-like character detail. The story reminds one that the facts are perhaps not as important as who is presenting them. An enjoyable and recommended read.
O'Brien certainly has a love for language. That was clear by the end of the first sentence. The story is as much about the characters in the courtroom as it is the plot. The characters seem to stand three dimensional on the page.
The story is set in a courtroom and as one witness after another testifies about the last moments of Mean Gene's life. With each testimony we meet someone new, interesting and fully flawed. At times the story reads like a tall tale the likes of Paul Bunyan, at others a commentary on ambition or what it means to reach the end of ones career and grow old in America. The hyperbole pokes fun both at the proceedings and at the vanity of the professionals in the courtroom.
I thought a lot about Mark Twain as I read this story, as the two authors share a sense of humor.
Mark is a remarkably talent writer across genres. His newest is reading like an episode of CSI or Law and Order, building with suspense and fervor. I urge everyone out there to check out Mark's complete works. Although this is a far cry from his children's book, Martin the Marlin, it just shows his ability to write aptly in any genre. He's done so much work helping to get kids reading and writing, tirelessly visiting schools and workshopping. Truly dedicated to the cause of literacy.
As one who loves the courtroom drama and "science" behind the crime, this one was right up my ally. Great character development coupled with a very clever storyline...