Friday, March 5, 2010

The Heir by Paul Robertson


book cover


The Heir
by Paul Robertson


Trade Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
First Released: 2007


Source: Bought from Half.com.

Back Cover Description:
Wealth. Fame. Power. Murder. Jason Boyer just got an inheritance to die for.

The Boyer business empire was supposed to pass to different hands. Which suited Jason just fine. The money was crooked and the power corrupt. But then an accident claims his father's life, and when the will is read, Jason is named heir.

Now power-hungry politicians and shady business partners all are trying to force Jason's hand. He wants only to be a better man than his father was--but attempting to stand for what's right soon brings murderous consequences.

As those closest to him are endangered--and news emerges that his father's accident may be something more sinister--Jason finds himself fighting for his soul...and his life!


Review:
The Heir is a suspense novel involving politics, business ethics, and a murder mystery. Jason's sarcastic humor lightened the angst of the novel as he tried to find a purpose for living and to do the right thing--even though he wasn't always sure what made a thing right.

All of the characters were likable or fascinating, though our view of them (through Jason's eyes) was rather shallow because he had shallow relationships with everyone. Jason was a cynical, sarcastic, searching character who gradually added some maturity to his complexity as he was forced to grow up.

The novel was very fast-paced, and I had a hard time putting it down. Since Jason usually acted in a way that made any situation worse (due to his temper), it was like watching a train wreck in slow motion while hoping that everyone survived the wreck. The ending was a bit sad though Jason did find answers to his questions.

There were a few, brief, generalized references to God (though none to Jesus), and there wasn't any preaching at the reader. There was no sex and no bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this novel as well-written, clean reading.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt from Chapter One
I couldn't take my eyes off the casket. It was expensive, and it glowed, resting among the candles and the heaps of flowers. It so perfectly expressed the man inside.

The dignitaries droned, and I didn't hear them. We knew it all. We knew what he had done with his life. If a man knows his purpose, then everyone else will know it, too.

They'd been told what to say and to keep it short, and they obeyed. They'd all gotten where they were by doing what they were told.

It was tribute by catalog listing: achievements, philanthropy, and Senate career. The real man was never mentioned--the companies he inherited, the rivals he crushed, the cold-blood behind the politics--but everyone knew. Was anyone else listening? It's easy to eulogize a man who knew why he lived his life.

I just stared at that gleaming box and wondered why I was living mine.

We sang a hymn, and that brought me back--words obscure enough to drive any clear thoughts from a man's brain. A voice behind me sang off-key.

I watched the man's wife instead. He name was Angela, and she was sitting between my brother, Eric, and me. I might have given her a hug, but she had always objected to my familiarity. It was nothing personal; she objected to anyone. Her brother and sister were not at the service.

She was his second wife. The other one died young of cancer, which had been worth a lot of sympathy in his first election. If he had grieved for her, I wouldn't know.

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