Watch the Hour

J.R. Lindermuth

Ben Yeager is a police officer, sworn to protect property of mine owners in the 1870s in Pennsylvania's anthracite coal region.  His job makes him an enemy of the Irish.  And that's the crux of his troubles.  For Ben is in love with an Irish girl.

My Take:

During and after my reading of a book, I have a little check list I do in my head.  I use this checklist as a guide for my reviews, so to change things up a bit, I thought I'd just show you my checklist for Watch the Hour: Pacing?  Perfect.  Characters?  Deep, real, interesting, engaging. Plot?  Interesting and believable.  Twists and Turns?  Perfect, not too many, and shocking.  Resonance?  Couldn't stop thinking about it all day, was sad that it was over.  Ending?  Awesome, tied up loose ends neatly, but didn't make it so perfect as to be unrealistic.  Page Turner Factor?  It was 316 pages-I finished it in a day and a half.  There was only one teensy little think I didn't love, and that was a few pages at the beginning, and one or two times throughout the book, got a little bit dry, because it had to explain the culture of that area.  However, this explanation was totally necessary, and I wouldn't change it.  You had to understand how oppressive, unfair, and just overall depressing the situation was to understand many of the layers to the story.  I was so surprised with Watch the Hour, because if I am being totally honest (and if you are a follower or frequent reader of my blog, you've probably noticed I am not shy about sharing my opinions, good or bad), I wasn't jazzed to read the book as the cover and description did not appear interesting to me in the least.  This goes to show, as always, you can't judge a book by it's cover because Watch the Hour was one of the best books I have read in a very VERY long time!  I am going to have to give this book a 1, Pay Full Price.

Do you agree with my review?  Do you think I'm totally off base?  Either way I'd love to hear from you, be sure to leave a comment and tell me how you feel!

If Watch the Hour were a movie, it would likely be rated R for strong language throughout, as well as sexual situations, and violence.

Now a few words with the author, J.R. Lindermuth:

The Book Buff: What inspired you to write your first book?

J.R. Lindermuth: An innate desire to emulate writers I admired and get down on paper my own ideas.

TBB: How much of the book is realistic?

JRL: The characters are fictional. The situation is based on historic events—the conflict between labor and mine owners in the coal region and the mistreatment of the Irish immigrants.

TBB: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

JRL: That we must take responsibility for our own fate.

TBB: How did you come up with the title?

JRL: A quote from Byron: Time at last sets all things even

                                                           If we do but watch the hour.

TBB: If you could mirror the career of any other author, who would it be and why?

JRL: I’m not interested in being someone else (a writer already does that in the characters he creates), though there are many writers I admire.

TBB: Do you have a muse? 

JRL: It would be nice to sit on a beach in Mexico or the Caribbean , but when inspiration strikes I tend to block out my surroundings and lose myself in the tale.

TBB: If you had to choose something besides writing, what career would you choose and why?

JRL: An archaeologist/artist. It combines history, mystery and beauty—three things I love.

TBB: If you had to choose one book to read the rest of your life, and nothing else, what book would it be and why?

JRL: Don Quixote. Every reading offers a new lesson for life.

If you are interested in learning more about J.R. Lindermuth, Watch the Hour, or his upcoming projects you can find him at http://jlind11.tripod.com/

***FTC Disclosure:  This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review, no other compensation was given, all opinions are my own***

If you are interested in purchasing Watch the Hour, check out it's page on Whiskey Creek Press's Book Store here