I’ve never actually read any Mosley even though everyone keeps telling me I’d like his work. They’re right. This was an entertaining novella about a man with extreme multiple-personality issues. Witty, exciting, sexy. I hope this the first of many. ( )

“I was some kind of abomination set loose upon the world for reasons unknown.”

Jack Strong was a very interesting story. With only a mere 52 pages, Walter Mosley created an original concept and manages to execute it wonderfully in that short amount.

I had never before read anything by Mosley, but now I really think I’m missing out. His writing style is really wonderful. It was captivating from the very beginning. You could actually feel how each “voice” inside Jack’s head has a distinctive personality.

Jack as a main character was an enigma. He was Jack, but he was also Lance, he was also Rod, he was also Johnetta. Jack would sometimes let some of his other “personalities” appear and “take over” and it was really interesting seeing how each life had different experiences and set of skills. It was interesting that Jack didn’t just see himself as Jack; he saw himself as a combination of all his other “previous” lives.

“It came to me that it wasn’t so different being man or woman. We all slept and woke up, felt heat and cold, got hungry and aged over time. Our senses approximated each other’s, and memory offered up images that had more meaning than anything real.”

As a short story, it is definitely well developed and wonderfully written. It even opens up a window to be continued later on if the author so desired. If you haven’t read a book by Walter Mosley before, this is definitely a good story to start with. ( )

http://formyselfandstrangers.blogspot.com/2015/02/review-jack-strong.html ( )

Jack Strong comes slowly to awareness in a Las Vegas hotel room. His vivid dreams are seemingly coming from different personalities at home within his mind. But when he awakens, becoming aware of his physical body, he sees that he is patched together...predominantly in appearance a white male, but when he examines his hand, he sees that one finger of his left hand seems to be that of a black man and one on the right is from a woman. The voices in his head remain, but he can control, with some effort, which personality will dominate at a given time.

Author Mosley has stepped away from the urban detective genre that he does so well, but his skills make him at home in any genre. This short story incorporates some sci-fi elements with enough of a criminal action element to keep it exciting.

We are not told how Jack came into being, but there is a hint that he has been "created" by some organization or out of this world power. All these personalities within Jack are beings who have previously died, but have some unresolved issues to deal with. This may be their opportunity for redemption. When they pool their capabilities some can help others by providing physical strength or specific knowledge to help right a wrong or gain an edge against the bad guys.

The great thing is that this open ended tale can go so many directions, depending on which personality steps up to the "podium" to take control for awhile. In this sequence a professional in the gambling world, Lance Richards, was killed by his partner after they were discovered skimming from the casino profits that their boss was skimming from the big boss. The partner had assumed that Lance's safety deposit key would be on him when he died, but the knowledge of it's whereabouts died with him. After Jack/Lance has creatively dealt with this situation, he decides to hitch hike out of town...Jack's not sure why until he realizes that the personality taking over is a hitch hiking serial killer...don't you want to know what happens next?!

Received an early digital copy courtesy of NetGalley, and hope that this intriguing story has a sequel in the works. ( )

Walter Mosley is a treasure (somewhat undiscovered) of American writing.

The novella Jack Strong: A Story of Life after Life stands just fine on its own, but I sure wouldn't mind if it were a chapter of a larger work of similar stories.

Mosley provides -- in the novels I've read so far -- something often missing in contemporary fiction: an underlying strength in form & content that gives his readers the confidence to go on, that no matter how unusual this story, its creator is in control & you can relax and read with confidence. This author will land you safely.

Jack Strong, a composite character, back from the dead, embodying the minds & memories of many others, somehow returns from somewhere to put things right, with a little help from his "friends." You read the plot summary and say,"Yeah, right" to yourself, and afterwards, sit, slightly stunned, e-reader in hand, wondering "How the hell did he do that? Meaning terrific plotting, authentic characters, unity of time & place -- in short, making the surreal real. Even a moral to the story, if you dig that sort of thing.

My book group had one of its best discussions around Mosley's The Man in My Basement. I recently read & reviewed his latest novel Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore. He intrigued me with the title & summary, I stayed with it and was rewarded with a moving & meaningful tale. Safe landing. Great read. Ditto for Jack Strong.

See his Wikipedia page to learn more about this interesting man. Then, make Walter Mosley part of your reading diet. You'll be glad you did.

{Pre-publication review copy via nook download from Open Road Media & NetGalley}. Available in ebook format only, I believe. Thank you. ( )