Review by Alymparker -- Guardian of Deceit

[Alymparker]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Guardian of Deceit" by William H. Coles.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Guardian of Deceit By William H. Coles

What a fantastic story! Guardian of Deceit by William H. Coles was a very satisfying read from start to finish. There were many moments where I could not put it down. The story has many twists and turns that were not expected, which is engaging and congenial. It is a fictional story with multiple genres. Love, lust, fame, intrigue, mystery, friendship and life lessons from a young man with many challenges early on in life.

The beginning of the story sets out with Darwin, a junior in high school, from a well established family in Pittsburgh. Darwin’s family has died before the novel begins. He lives with his aunt who takes care of him, with money left to him in an inheritance. His journey begins when his aunt can no longer take care of him. He is sent to New York, where his cousin Luther lives and was appointed by the courts as his guardian. On Darwin’s first encounter with Luther, it is demanded that Darwin is to earn his inheritance. Luther is a professional football player, with a bad reputation for gambling, womanizing and an egotistical, deviant attitude. Albeit Luther is very rich, he refuses Darwin a proper education and wants him to find his own way. Darwin soon proves to be a hard worker and dedicated student.

On route to NY, Darwin meets a Dr. Adrian Melvarne. Dr. Melvarne and his family are coincidentally living in the same neighborhood as Luther. Dr. Melvarne becomes a significant role model and mentor for Darwin, as he to wants to become a doctor as well. The entire Melvarne family befriends Darwin and his journey with Dr. Melvarne’s daughters from friendship to complicated relationships through out high school, medical school and into adulthood. The interactions between these characters is very entertaining and realistic. I like how Coles describes their daily interaction and displays their dialogue.

As the story continues, Darwin establishes relationships with many people and forms an unbreakable friendship with Luthers girlfriend, Sweeney. Sweeney, a well known country music star, is surrounded with unrequited love for Luther and turmoil brought on by fame and wealth. Luthers “Granny” gets to know Darwin and takes him under her wing even though she seems very senile. She see’s that Darwin is a very wise young man and he see’s people for their true self, with out judging their life choices. Some of his encounters with Sweeney and his empathy for others is truly commendable and compelling. His relationship with Laszlo, the head of security at the Luther mansion, is much like a father-son bond.

All the characters in this book were very well written and introduced. Unfortunately, there seemed to be some time gaps. I was continually thinking I passed over something, going back to ascertain any missing information. For example, Darwin’s proposal, the final outcome of Dominique’s sexual harassment claim ( although it hinted in the direction it was going, what were the characters feelings on this? How did affect the outcome of Dominque’s education and career going forward?). Luther also had relations with someone that seemed fragmentary or incomplete. The book was very fast paced, while stimulating, can leave you a little confused if the plot is not amalgamated properly. It also seemed at times that the chapters ended rather suddenly, as if they did not flow properly. I did not like that I never really knew how much time had lapsed between chapters. During the investigation of Betsy’s perplexing disappearance, it was hard to follow a time line and had me wondering how much time had passed through-out Laszlo and Darwin’s feat to prove Luther’s innocence. It was very difficult to picture the characters, as their descriptions were very limited. The editing is excellent, no spelling errors and it is grammatically correct. I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I think it is a very captivating story with a great ending. I recommend it to young adults and people who enjoy a fast pace, exciting story with multiple plot twist.

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Guardian of Deceit
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Like Alymparker's review? Post a comment saying so!

[[Valerie Allen]]

I'm not certain, but it seems to be multiple spoiler alerts within this review.

[Alymparker]

Have you read the book? Just to follow up, I read some of the other reviews. They are all equally summarized and some even tell more of the plots conclusion than mine. I am very happy to have any positive feed back. Thank you.