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Anaïs Quesson wrote: ↑22 Aug 2023, 12:27 [Following is a volunteer review of "Ophelia" by Norman Bacal.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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“If you look for meaning you will never find it, but if you create meaning you will never look for it.”

Ophelia by Norman Bacal is a modern retelling of Hamlet turned into a breathtaking thriller.

The story starts in Denmark in 1943. In the middle of the night, a Danish fisherman and his twelve-year-old son Gerhard sail out to sea with a family of Jewish people to get them safely to Sweden. Out of selflessness, Mr. Neilson doesn’t accept the family’s diamonds to pay for the trip. In return, the unnamed father vows to always protect the Neilson family.
Sixty years later, Geri Neilson has built a pharmaceutical empire in the United States, Danmark, all thanks to the loyalty and support of this family. One night, while away on a business trip, Geri dies of a heart attack. Friends, family, and all of Manhattan attend his funeral. In the crowd stands his son Tal, convinced his father was murdered.

At first, the intrigue settles slowly. Each character is carefully and skillfully introduced. It then quickly turns into a well-crafted search for truth and revenge. All the side plots hooked me and I loved this book until the end. I was even moved to tears multiple times by the last couple of chapters. The fast-paced writing makes this book a real page-turner.

Character-wise, Ophelia has everything you can look for in a significant thriller.
The black sheep of a son that has to confront multiple demons at once: the pills, the ups and downs of his relationships, the ghost of his father, the remaining members of Danmark's board of directors. The black widow, evicted from Danmark's direction ages ago, ready to do anything to regain her place at the top of the company. The deceased father who left codes and hidden mysteries for his son to unearth the truth. Two families bound by an inter-generational vow, intertwined with complex decisions about running large companies.
I loved the character development in this book, especially Talem's and Luncinda's. Each character has its flaws and importance to the general plotline.

The editing was almost perfect. I only noticed that the Neilson family name is written 'Nielson' four times. Otherwise, I don't have any typos to report.

The only negative critique I can make is the title choice. I don't understand why the book is called Ophelia. Ophelia is barely more than a secondary character here to help Tal on his journey. The book almost exclusively focuses on the Neilson family members each battling their way to the top of the company.
However, it is only a minor detail and does not impact the potential of this book.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
I have to take a star off for the recurrent patronym inconsistency. However, it is an excellent psychological thriller for me. I highly recommend it to anyone in search of a great thriller with a soft and happy ending.

******
Ophelia
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Anaïs Quesson wrote: ↑22 Aug 2023, 12:27 [Following is a volunteer review of "Ophelia" by Norman Bacal.]

---

4 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

“If you look for meaning you will never find it, but if you create meaning you will never look for it.”

Ophelia by Norman Bacal is a modern retelling of Hamlet turned into a breathtaking thriller.

The story starts in Denmark in 1943. In the middle of the night, a Danish fisherman and his twelve-year-old son Gerhard sail out to sea with a family of Jewish people to get them safely to Sweden. Out of selflessness, Mr. Neilson doesn’t accept the family’s diamonds to pay for the trip. In return, the unnamed father vows to always protect the Neilson family.
Sixty years later, Geri Neilson has built a pharmaceutical empire in the United States, Danmark, all thanks to the loyalty and support of this family. One night, while away on a business trip, Geri dies of a heart attack. Friends, family, and all of Manhattan attend his funeral. In the crowd stands his son Tal, convinced his father was murdered.

At first, the intrigue settles slowly. Each character is carefully and skillfully introduced. It then quickly turns into a well-crafted search for truth and revenge. All the side plots hooked me and I loved this book until the end. I was even moved to tears multiple times by the last couple of chapters. The fast-paced writing makes this book a real page-turner.

Character-wise, Ophelia has everything you can look for in a significant thriller.
The black sheep of a son that has to confront multiple demons at once: the pills, the ups and downs of his relationships, the ghost of his father, the remaining members of Danmark's board of directors. The black widow, evicted from Danmark's direction ages ago, ready to do anything to regain her place at the top of the company. The deceased father who left codes and hidden mysteries for his son to unearth the truth. Two families bound by an inter-generational vow, intertwined with complex decisions about running large companies.
I loved the character development in this book, especially Talem's and Luncinda's. Each character has its flaws and importance to the general plotline.

The editing was almost perfect. I only noticed that the Neilson family name is written 'Nielson' four times. Otherwise, I don't have any typos to report.

The only negative critique I can make is the title choice. I don't understand why the book is called Ophelia. Ophelia is barely more than a secondary character here to help Tal on his journey. The book almost exclusively focuses on the Neilson family members each battling their way to the top of the company.
However, it is only a minor detail and does not impact the potential of this book.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
I have to take a star off for the recurrent patronym inconsistency. However, it is an excellent psychological thriller for me. I highly recommend it to anyone in search of a great thriller with a soft and happy ending.

******
Ophelia
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon