Welcome back to the Thursday Post of ‘Writing in the Woods’
This week we’re going to take a breather from building the ‘ark’ or ‘walking the gorge’ and we’re going to do a book review. Oh, I know – book reviews can be dry and boring. Not this time! Not when it’s reviewing a fast paced, mystery that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat…’Trust‘ me.
The great thing about the paradigm that’s transforming the publishing industry is that new voices are rising and new talents are being heard. We’re going to look at the work of one of these new talents whom we’ll be hearing a lot more from as time goes by.
So, come along with me and lets look at:
.
The Trust
by Sean Keefer.
Book Description
“To attorney Noah Parks, the probate of a will should be a simple task. But the Last Will and Testament of Leonardo Xavier Cross is anything but simple. Though Parks has never heard of Cross, he learns that the Will directs that he provide the legal representation for the estate and as part of his fee he receive the contents of a safety deposit box – a safety deposit box no one knew existed. Intrigued, Parks undertakes the task but after the body count begins to rise the otherwise basic task of probating the will becomes more complicated as each day passes. Despite all of Parks’ skills, the answers he seeks remain elusive and force him to delve deeper into the shocking and deceptive Cross’ family history which sets the stage for an explosive finale that Parks can only hope to survive.”
What’s the recipe for a good summer read?
Well – what could be better than a good, ‘ol southern legal thriller?
Start with a nice quiet law practice in colorful, historic Charleston, South Carolina. Now, populate it with all-around good-guy lawyer (yes there really is such a thing), Noah Parks. He’s not making a million, but then he’s not trying to neither. Life is good for Noah. He’s had his problems, true, but then who hasn’t? Now, toss in his Aussie dog Austin and add a flirty legal assistant and you have the perfect quiescent setting just ripe for a bomb to drop in from out of the blue.
And author, Sean Keefer, unleashes a cluster-bomb in the form of a demanding, condescending, hotshot Chicago lawyer, an eccentric dead millionaire, a mysterious probate request, a group of dysfunctional heirs and the mystery of a safe deposit box – right square into Noah’s lap.
Mix it all up – pop it into the oven and you have the makings of a hot, page-turning, beach-chair, summer read.
Until the bodies start stacking up when you’ll need to hit the surf to cool off.
Here’s a preview:
Book Trailer for The Trust:
.
Author Sean Keefer, making his début entry into the literary world, has produced an engaging, dynamic tale of intrigue, mystery and suspense.
Set, as it is, in the dry legal quagmire of probate will, you’d think it’d be either bogged down in complex ‘legalize’ or steeped in explosive court room drama. Well, think again. While the legalities are at the core of the story they don’t overrun it but rather serve as the platform for Keefer to develop his characters and the interactions of this diverse group of people coming together over the eccentric Leonardo Xavier Cross’s mysterious will. What unfolds for the reader is a puzzle hunt more in line with the DaVinci Code than with a legal mystery.
Grab some more sunscreen – you’re gonna want to keep reading.
Keefer’s writing is smooth and paced just right as he develops the plot and takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of suspense and intrigue. What makes the story real is his ability to draw us into real life situations involving people and events we can identify with. Yes, there’s some violence and intimacy (what mystery is without it?), but they’re inserted in a natural way, used to enhance the characters, and not as titillating gimmicks or sideshows to make up for the lack of story or storytelling. Keefer has no need for such gimmicks as the story carries itself and the storytelling is superb.
At the center of the maelström is Noah of course. He’s a decent person who tries to see the good in people and gives them the benefit of the doubt. And therein lies his dilemma, (maybe his downfall) for someone is surely not being honest and upfront with him and is hiding secrets from him – deadly secrets.
But who? The title, ‘The Trust’ not only refers to the legal trust of inheritance the story revolves around but even more to whom does Noah put his ‘trust’ in, in unraveling the mystery. Make the wrong choice and he’ll likely end up like other’s around him have – at the bottom of a river.
Keefer does an excellent job of mixing it up to keep the reader in a constant state of second and triple guessing who’s the ‘bad’ guys are, as they follow Noah on his quest to uncover the mystery and the truth of the safe deposit box.
So, find a stretch of beach, grab a tall Pina Colada with one of those funny little straw umbrellas in it, and dive into “The Trust”.
Trust me – not only will you thoroughly enjoy the ride, but when you come up for a refill, you’ll find people stretched out all along the beach, just like you, reading Grisham and Patterson and Clark and Keefer.
Remember that name – something tells me we haven’t heard the end of Noah Parks or of Sean Keefer just yet.
.
Learn more about this author by visiting his website, blog, Facebook or GoodReads pages or by connecting with him onTwitter.
Tour Notes:
Please vote for my blog in the traffic-breaker poll for this tour. The blogger with the most votes wins a free promotional twitterview and a special winner’s badge. I want that to be me! You can vote in the poll by visiting The Trust’s official blog tour page and scrolling all the way to the bottom.
You can also enter to win a free paperback copy of this novel on The Trust’s official blog tour page. The winner of the give-away will be announced on Wednesday, August 10 – be sure to enter before then!
Just Released!
Potatoes
a short story by dk Levick
an old man returns to the site of an accident and reunites with his son
Available on Amazon and Smashwords
.
Until Next Time:
Embrace Life’s Bridges – For they Define Who You Are
dk Levick
A suspenseful review of a suspense novel. Love it, dk!
dk – thanks for an amazing review. I’m flattered and humbled.