Time Release (novel)

Time Release is a crime novel by the American writer Martin J. Smith (1956-) set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.^[1]

Time Release

First edition
Author	Martin J. Smith
Language	English
Genre	Novel
Publisher	Berkeley Publishing Group
Publication date	1997
Publication place	USA
Media type	Print (Paperback)
Pages	344
ISBN	0-515-12028-6
Followed by	Shadow Image

It tells the story of a killer who used pain relief capsules, as well as other techniques, to set off a series of poisonings. It also focuses on repressed memories and if, when and how they will come out. The protagonist is psychologist and memory expert Jim Christensen who tries to solve the case.^[2]

Time Release was a finalist for the 1998 Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original.^[3]

Reception

Calling the book "a good creepy debut thriller", Publishers Weekly said "Downing makes a fine tortured character though the equally traumatized Christensen isn't as likable and is also plagued by Smith's many meanderings into his personal life."^[4] The Missoula Independent's Christopher Weir wrote that "Smith's prose reveals an increasingly rare commodity in popular fiction: finesse. The plot is intricate, but never confusing."^[5]

Sources

Contemporary Authors Online. The Gale Group, 2006. PEN (Permanent Entry Number): 0000132047.