The Dispatcher by Ryan David Jahn
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 9:18PM 
First published in Great Britain in 2011; published in US by Penguin on December 27, 2011
Maggie Hunt was kidnapped at the age of seven by a fellow named Henry Dean. At the age of fourteen she escapes and calls 911. The 911 dispatcher happens to be her father, Ian Hunt, who has recently organized and attended her funeral. Henry recaptures Maggie before she can do more than identify herself to her father, but her taste of freedom fuels Maggie's resolve to escape again. And, of course, hearing his daughter's voice sends Ian on a manhunt (or daughter-hunt) to find Maggie and her captor.
The Dispatcher has its problems but the pluses slightly outweigh the minuses. The story is a bit twisted (that's a plus) but far from original (a minus). It's more than a little difficult to believe a loser like Henry could commit the crimes he's committed over a period of years -- in a small town, no less -- and avoid suspicion (a minus). As befits a girl who has been held captive and physically abused for half her life, Maggie's mental stability is questionable; in that regard she isn't portrayed as a typical victim (a plus). On the other hand, she's emotionally stronger than a real kid would likely be under those circumstances (a credibility problem that counts as a small minus). Other than Maggie, the characters -- even Henry -- have well-constructed personalities; they have significantly greater depth than is commonly found in thrillers (a plus). Some of the characters have amusing flaws that give them a breath of reality while lightening a dark story with needed humor (a plus). Point of view frequently shifts from character to character, keeping the narrative lively and interesting (a plus). Straight through to the ending the story is simple and predictable (a big minus) but knowing what will transpire doesn't bleed the excitement from the novel's best moments (a big plus).
Although The Dispatcher suffers from an unremarkable plot, the novel's biggest plus is Ryan David Jahn's writing style. He tells a perfectly paced story; fast enough to maintain interest without feeling rushed. He doles out creepy details (like a dog running around with a human hand in its mouth) to whet the reader's appetite for whatever is coming next. He takes a story that's been done many times before and makes it seem fresh (at least until it ends, when the realization sets in that Jahn really did nothing new). His dialog is strong. He puts us inside the minds of his characters and shows us their scattered thoughts, making it easy to understand their (sometimes improbable) actions. Henry is the personification of evil yet he's a credible character. Even Henry's spectacularly dull-witted wife is credible. If Maggie had been more believable and the plot more original, I would give this novel an enthusiastic recommendation. As it stands, I recommend it without urging readers to move it to the top of their reading lists.
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