The Journal by Ryan Shamblee
Category:	Mystery/Suspense					Type:
Pages:	104	Copyright:	May 23, 2012			Fiction

The Journal is a short story about Adam McAllister, a simple man with a simple obsession... Buy your copy! Download to your Kindle (eBook) Download to your Nook (eBook) Barnes & Noble.com Amazon Barnes & Noble Ryanburgh - The Journal   On July 8th, 2010, 26 year-old Sarah Withers went missing. No clues were found relating to her disappearance, and there were no credible witnesses. In December of that year, the remains of a body, believed to be that of Sarah Withers, were found in a shallow grave behind an abandoned home in a deserted strip of mostly condemned and dilapidated houses. DNA results were inconclusive and all that was found in the area was a journal inside of the abandoned house next door to the lot where the body was found. Little information is known of the man who wrote this journal, outside of his name... Excerpt You know, if I hadn’t gone to work, then she wouldn’t have had anybody to walk her home! I had to be there for her and it was getting late in the day. I got dressed as fast as I could and hopped on my bike. I had an hour’s ride ahead of me, which would put me at her office just as she was leaving, but only if I hurried. I pedaled so hard my legs were burning and I couldn’t breathe, but I kept pushing. I had to. I had to get there! I made it to her office at around 5:00. I could have gotten there a few minutes sooner, but I had to alter my route so I wouldn’t risk being spotted by my boss. How would I explain calling in sick, yet still feel well enough to go for a bike ride? Especially so far from home. I waited at the entrance to her office building for a while, but she never came out. I felt nervousness in my gut. Did I miss her? Did she leave early, or is she working late? Maybe I missed her when I took the detour to avoid getting caught. Curse me and my selfishness! It’s just a job at a coffee shop. I could have gotten another one. If anything were to happen to her because of my selfishness, I’d never forgive myself. I decided to follow her usual path home, figuring that I could catch up to her on my bike if indeed I did miss her and then double back to her office and catch her on her way home if it turned out to be just a matter of her leaving the office late. Either way, walking her home for only half of the distance was better than not walking her home at all. When I got to the park, my worst fears were realized.

Kindle Edition

Didn't put it down
Once I purchased this book I didn't put it down! It took a few entries to get really enthralled, but then *bam* it sucks you in. And once you are sucked in you don't even want to come up for air! Very entertaining read!!

Hair-raising read!
I was immediately drawn into this reading. The world of the writer was so clear, I could picture this happening in my town, to someone I know. I've got to be more careful when I read before bed. Because I was so enthralled with the story, I was extra freaked out by the time the story was done. This was a really compelling read, and I look forward to more from Shamblee!

Not your average thriller
For $1.00, you can hardly go wrong with any book. But Shamblee's first published effort is well worth it, and then some. The preface draws you in, but the pace immediately slows down, as you enter the mind of a suspected murderer. It is a refreshing twist to the thriller genre, as the author has stripped away the usual trappings of a murder mystery, leaving only the first-person writings of a seemingly normal man. This leaves the reader hunting for clues, furiously flipping through pages, as it accelerates toward the inevitable.

"The Journal" is paced well, and doesn't reveal too much too quickly. The descriptive, first-person writing style is reminiscent of "Catcher in the Rye" - easy to read without dumbing down the language. It's a good length for a casual read - you can easily read this by the pool or on your lunch break.