ramed for murder after a harebrained publicity stunt backfires, fledgling author, Eddie Barrow, seeks the help from two unlikely friends—an alcoholic and a dominatrix—to expose a billion-dollar investment scam before the real killers hunt them down.
How do you know a publicity stunt has backfired? When someone dies.
Starving author Eddie Barrow, Jr, will do anything, to get a book deal with a NYC publisher. Even if it means getting caught by the media while engaging in S&M with a female celebrity as a publicity stunt. What Eddie gets instead are details of a billion dollar fraud scheme from a suicidal client who's fatally shot minutes later. Now on the run from the law and the killers, Eddie seeks help from two unlikely friends—an alcoholic and a dominatrix. With few resources, Eddie races to clear his name, unveil the fraud scheme, and expose the killers before he becomes their next victim.
Professional Reviews
When things go from bad to worst
If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong. - Murphy's Law
Eddie Barrow Jr. is an author who dreams of making it big but his books are not selling. his relationship with his parents and sister is strained. to make matters worse, not only does Eddie lose his job but also his girlfriend. together with the help of his two friends, Eddie stages a publicity stunt and gets the fame he craves for albeit in a very very bad way.
author Russell Brooks latest novel explores what drives a man in desperate times to undertake desperate measures and the consequences of those acts.
the first thing i noticed while reading was that the author's writing style here was a far cry from his previous two thrillers. there are still lots of action scenes and the requisite twists and turns which Russell Brooks' fans will recognize and enjoy. something was different though and i later realized that this difference was presented appropriately.
in Pandora's Succession and Unsavory Delicacies - Three Short Stories of Suspense. , most of the author's main characters are covert agents who are highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat and firearms.
in Chill Run, the main characters do not have those qualities or resources. they are ordinary citizens caught in a chain of events that spiral out of control. they only have each other and their wits to rely on to survive as they run from the law. what the author did in this book was that he allowed the characters to speak for themselves using language sans the technical jargon. this made sense and gave the whole story more credibility and a it-could-happen-in-real-life feel to it.
the main protagonist Eddie is an example of Murphy's Law in action. when something goes wrong in Eddie's life, it does not stop. it triggers more unfortunate events. it would have been ironic and comedic at best if Eddie's last name were Murphy instead of Barrow.
everything, however, is not all downhill for Eddie. how he and his friends managed to get out of the vicious cycle they were trapped in and what happened afterwards to each of them are some of the highlights of this book that readers should look forward to.
overall, i was impressed to see a different side of Russell Brook's writing skills and i loved the fact that he treated his readers and fans to something new.
A Very Wild Ride
It starts out on what you think will be a kinky journey but then things happen you don't expect. You believe the characters are so stupid and then you change your mind about that as well. The story abruptly takes you into a nightmare and the whole thing becomes plausible. Its Canada, cold, and the trio are heading into a life-ending dead end. Eddie, Jordyn and Corey have fallen and when it looks as though they might survive, hell opens the door and beckons them to enter. When you think you have it all figured out, you don't. You're not even close. Right from page one, you think one direction and off you go in the total opposite. You're not sure who the good guys are, and more important the bad guys confused you on a larger scale. In the middle is a very nice message for parents and how they quickly judge their children. I liked that. I gave the book 5-stars and enjoyed the read. Is it perfect? No. Is it a fun exciting read? Yes. Is it hard to put down? Yes. Hats off to Russell Brooks. This is a small example of what is in your creative tank and is ready to share with us in more detail. I'll look for your next book.
Russell Brooks Never Fails to Disappoint
Russell Brooks never fails to disappoint! While this book doesn't contain my favorite character, the fantastic Ridley Fox, it still doesn't fall short in the awesome department. Eddie is a hard-up writer, trying to become a best-selling author, but it just seems like nobody wants to give him a chance. So he and his besties cook up a hair-brained scheme which, of course, goes completely awry. Cue the news, the police, crying parents, chases, and all sorts of other dramatics, and you've got the receipt for yet another wonderful novel by this great author. You'll have to read it for yourself to see how everything turns out! =)
Yolanda Carter dreams of owning her own bakery. Employed at a cat shelter, she stumbles across a scheme that threatens to close it down. Will her delicious brownies save them?
