A Time to Kill...A Time to Die

I've covered Jack Pearl quite a bit here at PW, with a primer, podcast episode, and reviews. He authored movie and television novelizations like Garrison's Gorrillas and Ambush Bay, but really shone by penning his own novels in the crime-fiction and action-adventure genres. Interestingly enough, Pearl placed two of his books on Christmas Day. I read one of these in 2023, Victims, and it's easily one of my favorite Pearl novels. I wanted to read his second Christmas-themed novel, A Time to Kill...A Time to Die. It was first published in hardcover in 1971 by W.W. Norton & Company. It was published in paperback in 1972 by Manor. 

The novel begins on Christmas Eve in the isolated, winter resort of Snowmass-at-Aspen. An unknown assailant uses a high-powered rifle to shoot skiers from a luxury room on Mt. Baldy. He then turns to the chairlifts and begins a terrifying, maniacal “shooting gallery” as victims plunge hundreds of feet to their death from gunshots or sheer panic. Needless to say, A Time to Kill...A Time to Die kicks off with one of the most frightening opening chapters I've experienced.

Pearl's narrative comes alive as readers are plunged into the room where this sniper has barricaded himself. Inside the room are two bound women and an unconscious man. However, the identity of the sniper is the key mystery. Who is he, and how does he know these captives? 

Through flashback scenes, readers are thrust into a post-WW2 small town where a handful of lifelong friends experience love and loss. It's a portrait of everyday America as these characters interact with each other, talk about love and life, and grow older through the decades. These are men who have had combat experience and are adjusting to civilian life after the war. Through these scenes, the characters evolve and seek fortunes through various endeavors like startup firms, advertising, journalism, etc. But it's slowly revealed that one of these friends is the sniper. Only the author doesn't reveal the identity until the book's final act. It's clever, suspenseful, and kept me glued to every page. I was totally invested.

While these flashback scenes are interesting, they are short and to the point. The sniper's cozy bedroom doesn't offer much diversion, so the narrative enjoys a wonderful investigative angle as a police Captain named Dorn orchestrates a siege on the sniper's chalet while sending various lawmen into the files of residents staying at the resort. Slowly, the details are revealed that tie back to the handful of friends. The novel has a stirring, action-packed climax as lawmen use tunnels and a basement to penetrate the chalet and have the inevitable shootout with the sniper. 

A Time to Kill...A Time to Die shows Pearl's strengths as a suspenseful, action-packed storyteller. He's one of my favorite authors for a reason. Based on my experiences with Victims, The Cops, Ambush Bay, and Garrison's Gorillas, I'm not sure why I don't just drop everything and read all of Jack Pearl's books. I guess I just need to save the treasures. Do yourself a favor and track down this novel. You can get the book HERE.