When I was on the 50 Authors For 50 States blog, talking about my Reyes books being set in the state of Illinois, I offered a free book to one of the readers who left a comment. The winner was John Klawitter, who is also an author, one I had not read before. He hadn't read any of my books either. So he offered me a trade: he'd read and review the book he won, if I'd read and review his book. Here's my review of his book.
Click for Amazon link. Quick review: If you like action and adventure, and shady characters that are mostly on the far side of morality and legality, then this is the book for you! And it's all tied up nicely by the end, with the bad guy getting his comeuppance, while everyone else gets a happy ending.
Church and Ruger Dickens are twins,, though the former is white and the latter is Black. He and his brother inherited some old money, since they're the last of their line, co-owning a plantation in Virginia. Ruger manages their finances and does acting jobs on the side for fun. Church was in the army, and has a bad back due to shrapnel, which landed him in a wheelchair, but now he only uses a back brace and a cane. His degree is in geology, but he got a law degree after his service. He works for what seemed to me to be a venture capital firm, one that buys everything up, bleeds it dry, then looks for the next prospect. Church thinks he's smarter than the addled old man who owns the Verhu company, but he begins to suspect that it's not coincidence that both of the boss's rich wives, along with the four original partners he had in the firm, all met with mysterious ends. Were they all killed in a power-play, or does the old man just like murder?
The plot involves two ski lodges in Taos, New Mexico, where apparently there is enough snow to ski in some area, during the winter. Verhu , owns the majority of stock in the Taos Pines Lodge, which abuts the Carter Cabins, owned for many years by a family of nice people who live on the premises. They all know the legends about an old gold mine on their side of the propertyline, but since the oldest living Carter spent years unsuccessfully looking for the gold, they figure it's just wishful thinking on everyone's part. Klawitter throws in a few subplots: one involves two very pregnant championship-show-dogs, aand the shady owner of the kennel they're boarded at--a young Navajo woman who works for the Carters, but believes in the old ways of her people--and Church's hapless co-workers at Verhu, all of whom realize too late their boss is an unhinged murderer
By the end of the book, the bad guy gets his comeuppance, and everyone else gets their own brand of a happily-ever-after. The first few chapters might appear confusing, as the point of view changes with each one. But keep reading. Once the characters are established, the story will grab hold of you and pull you along to the exciting conclusion.
Church and Ruger Dickens are twins,, though the former is white and the latter is Black. He and his brother inherited some old money, since they're the last of their line, co-owning a plantation in Virginia. Ruger manages their finances and does acting jobs on the side for fun. Church was in the army, and has a bad back due to shrapnel, which landed him in a wheelchair, but now he only uses a back brace and a cane. His degree is in geology, but he got a law degree after his service. He works for what seemed to me to be a venture capital firm, one that buys everything up, bleeds it dry, then looks for the next prospect. Church thinks he's smarter than the addled old man who owns the Verhu company, but he begins to suspect that it's not coincidence that both of the boss's rich wives, along with the four original partners he had in the firm, all met with mysterious ends. Were they all killed in a power-play, or does the old man just like murder?
The plot involves two ski lodges in Taos, New Mexico, where apparently there is enough snow to ski in some area, during the winter. Verhu , owns the majority of stock in the Taos Pines Lodge, which abuts the Carter Cabins, owned for many years by a family of nice people who live on the premises. They all know the legends about an old gold mine on their side of the propertyline, but since the oldest living Carter spent years unsuccessfully looking for the gold, they figure it's just wishful thinking on everyone's part. Klawitter throws in a few subplots: one involves two very pregnant championship-show-dogs, aand the shady owner of the kennel they're boarded at--a young Navajo woman who works for the Carters, but believes in the old ways of her people--and Church's hapless co-workers at Verhu, all of whom realize too late their boss is an unhinged murderer
By the end of the book, the bad guy gets his comeuppance, and everyone else gets their own brand of a happily-ever-after. The first few chapters might appear confusing, as the point of view changes with each one. But keep reading. Once the characters are established, the story will grab hold of you and pull you along to the exciting conclusion.
