Jump Cut

Ellie Foreman is back in Libby Fisher Hellman's new suspense thriller, Jump Cut. Ellie is hired to do a simple corporate video project and is suddenly embroiled in murders, foreign double agents, encrypted flash drives, bombs, threatening drone attacks, corporate terrorism, and kidnapping. Hellman expertly crafts a provocative tale with Ellie and her friends and family thrust in a dangerously complex web in which no real heroes or easy solutions emerge. The climax is both nail-biting and exciting. I strongly recommend this book to those who have read previous Ellie Foreman books as well as those who are new to this brilliantly inventive writer.

Jump Cut by Libby Fischer Hellmann is the fifth Ellie Foreman book. Ellie Foreman is a video producer living in Chicago, Illinois. Ellie is divorced with a grown up daughter named Rachel (twenty-five). Ellie has been hired by Delcroft Aviation (they do commercial and military projects) to do some promotional videos (for posting on social media). While shooting at a trade show, Ellie meets Gregory Parks. Gregory hangs around the Delcroft booth during the shooting and ends up in the video. When the video is edited and shown to the bigwigs at Delcroft, Charlotte Hollander (Vice President of Engineering) objects to them. Ellie’s project is canceled and this upsets her (she does not want this to affect the reputation of her or her company). Ellie arranges to meet with Gregory to see if he can provide some insight. When Ellie shows up at the meeting spot (near subway), she sees a blur, hears brakes squealing, and then sees a body on the tracks. Gregory Parks is dead. Ellie finds Gregory’s cigarette package on the platform with a flash drive inside. The information is encrypted. Ellie is really curious now especially when she notices some strange people in her neighborhood. What is going on? Did Gregory commit suicide or was he pushed? Ellie is intent on getting answers, but will she be alive to enjoy them! Jump Cut is the fifth book in the series, but it can easily be read as a stand-alone book (I did not know it was the fifth book until after I read it). It has been ten years since the last book in the Ellie Foreman series. Jump Cut sounds like a great suspense/thriller book, but I was disappointed. Jump Cut is a slow paced book (wrong pace for a suspense novel). I did not get suspense or thriller from this novel. The chapters are very short and choppy. The beginning of the novel (like the first half) is more what Ellie does every day (shopping, Zumba, walking the neighborhood, drinking too much and telling info to wrong person). I found Jump Cut to be a very clichéd suspense novel (reminded me of the television show Hart to Hart). It is also very unbelievable (the novel took a strange turn with Chinese spies, etc.). There is a great deal of foul language and sex in Jump Cut. The ending makes the novel feel incomplete or unfinished (it was strange). I give Jump Cut 3 out of 5 stars (it was okay and I am being generous with the rating). Jump Cut was just not for me. As I have said before, not every book will appeal to every reader. I received a complimentary copy of Jump Cut from the author in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel!

Libby is like a Google map -- she drives the story down to the local personal level -- you can see the Chicago suburban streets where her character, Ellie, is walking and driving, hear her voice, feel her emotions ... Even know what she is cooking -- or picking up -- for dinner! Libby creates a story that builds suspense while it moves along swiftly, inevitably and memorably.