Blog Archives
Red Deuce
Thomas Roehlk’s The Red Deuce thrusts protagonist Mandy Doucette into the treacherous waters of international espionage. Working as a compliance lawyer for LaSalle Enterprises, Mandy’s life spirals into chaos when her job intertwines with shadowy international plots, thanks in part to her twin sister Reggie, an FBI agent. As the narrative unfolds, the sisters find themselves ensnared in a conspiracy that not only endangers their lives but also threatens to destabilize global intelligence networks and international relations.
Roehlk deftly manages the novel’s complex web of events with strategic summaries that clarify the unfolding mystery. This narrative technique proves essential as the story diverges between the sisters’ perspectives—Reggie in the field and Mandy navigating the corporate world—introducing a broad cast of characters early on. The dynamic between Mandy and Reggie adds a lighter, often humorous dimension to the narrative.
The novel skillfully incorporates business jargon to enhance its themes of corporate espionage, providing an authentic experience. While the jargon adds to the realism, it also presents an opportunity for readers to expand their vocabulary, though it may initially seem challenging to some.
The story’s pacing is one of its strengths. Roehlk skillfully maintains tension and suspense throughout. The plot, grounded in a believable mystery, advances steadily, revealing just enough to keep the reader engaged and guessing without becoming predictable. Interestingly, the reader often knows slightly more than the characters, adding an engaging layer of anticipation.
The Red Deuce is a compelling political thriller of intrigue and familial bonds, weaving a thoughtful exploration of trust and deception across the backdrop of high-stakes espionage.
Pages: 294 | ASIN : B0CQDNBNC9
Heinous Events of the Crime
Louis Mie and the Trial of Hautefaye follows a lawyer in 1870 France who is tasked with defending an accused murderer in a high-profile political show trial. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
As with many extraordinary events in history, true life can be stranger than fiction. I
stumbled upon the story of the mob murder in Hautefaye as I was doing other research on the same area of France. As I delved further, I came across Louis Mie, the real-life lawyer who defended multiple accused, though I chose to focus on only one of his clients, Leonard Piarrouty. It was in researching Louis Mie and reading some of his own writings that the inspiration took hold to not only cover the tragic and drastic event itself but to focus the story on this intriguing real person. I wanted the trial to anchor the progression of the main plot, but I knew readers would need more to fill in the context of the characters and the events. After all, the Franco-Prussian war and Napoleon III aren’t frequent topics in historical fiction. As the readers deepened their knowledge about the heinous events of the crime, I wanted them to deepen their emotional understanding of Louis and his world in parallel. I, therefore, decided to intersperse flashbacks from multiple points of view to fill in the world and its colors around him.
Louis struggles with a rocky marriage and advancing his career while navigating a case where the truth could be deadly. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
What struck me initially about Louis was his idealism that he retained despite his many years of practicing law, the nearly two decades under Emperor Napoleon III’s government that he was opposed to, and his personal hardships. His writings were so passionately devoted to the principles of a republic, to equality and social justice, even when he could have become more tempered, complacent, or even cynical. I knew I needed to make sure his character retained that fire and commitment to his ideals, but I also spent a lot of time reflecting on how one can go through life so unbent and uncompromising in one’s views. Does it mean that he must have had blinders on in other areas? How difficult must it have been to live in a world of gray turmoil when he saw things so black and white? These qualities may have been both a strength and a flaw and I leaned into that as I put together the facts of what happened as well as what I conjectured he might have been like.
What kind of research did you do for this novel to ensure you captured the essence of the story’s theme?
I love the research part, so I could go on about this for a while. Once I understood the broad strokes of the event and time period, I tried to immerse myself in primary and secondary sources. My most important primary sources were the newspapers covering the trial at that time, as well as Louis Mie’s own writings and his family-related documents that the Departmental Archives in Dordogne were so helpful in providing for my research. Georges Marbeck is also a preeminent source on this event and put together a book of primary source examples from the event, in addition to his excellent book on the topic. I was even able to use a copy of the original crime scene map as my guide when I visited Hautefaye in person and traced the steps of the event. Visiting the locations was also key for me. I had many other secondary sources about the Third Republic, Napoleon III, and even the Périgord region under the Second Empire, but it would take up way too much space to talk about all of these great resources as well.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
The next book will pick up where Louis Mie and the Trial of Hautefaye leaves off, but this time with Vincent as the protagonist as he navigates the dangerous and devastating events of the Paris Commune, covering February to May 1871. Louis Mie will also be making appearances in this next book. In addition, I’ve started working on a book that will focus on Louis’ wife, Anne Mie, and her transition from her youth in India where she was orphaned, and eventual move to France and meeting Louis Mie. Chronologically, it would be more of a prequel, though I see all of these as interconnected standalones. As I’ve been working on both, I’m hoping to release one later in 2024 and the other fairly soon after that.
Author Links: Goodreads | Amazon
France, 1870. A frenzied mob brutally murders a man they believe to be a Prussian spy and a threat to the cult of Emperor Napoleon III. Louis Mie, a republican lawyer, finds himself entangled in a web of political intrigue and moral dilemmas when he is tasked with defending one of the murderers: a political show trial that could send his career to new heights.
But as Louis delves deeper into the high-profile case, he quickly realizes that defending the enigmatic Leonard Piarrouty is far more complex than he ever imagined. And now his entire life is about to fall apart as his obsession with his work takes his strained marriage to the brink of collapse.
In a gripping race against time, Louis must confront the blurred lines between justice, loyalty, and the pursuit of power, risking everything to unearth the truth: secrets that ruthless men will kill to protect.
Will Louis be able to save his client… or his own family?
This evocative historical novel, based on true events, holds the answers…
The Anti-Semite Next Door
In The Anti-Semite Next Door readers are introduced to Zachary Blake, a lawyer deeply committed to justice, especially in cases where victims have been overlooked. Despite his flawed personal history, Blake’s sense of morality propels him to confront a disturbing rise in antisemitism within contemporary America. His concern becomes palpable when he observes the vitriolic actions of Winger Wright, a white nationalist whose hateful ideology culminates in a devastating synagogue explosion during a bar mitzvah, leading to the disappearance of two individuals close to Blake. Thrust into a desperate search for truth and justice, Blake races against time to uncover the events that unfolded.
This topical legal thriller is remarkably timely, capturing the essence of current societal issues through dialogue-driven prose and a set of characters that resonate deeply with the reader. Alongside the determined Zachary Blake and the reprehensible Winger Wright, characters like Chip Ellis, one of the kidnapped individuals, add layers of complexity and urgency to the narrative.
At its heart, Bello’s novel is an exploration of antisemitism, presenting it as an undeniable and pressing concern in today’s political landscape. The motivations and actions of Winger Wright and his extremist cohort are presented with chilling clarity, making the book’s central conflicts seem all too real. The narrative effectively highlights the pervasive and irrational nature of such hatred, framing the experiences of Jewish characters in a universally human context that demands empathy and recognition from readers.
Zachary Blake stands as a beacon of morality in the story, his heroic efforts symbolizing a fight against bigotry. The novel’s conclusion, while providing a sense of resolution, prompts reflection on the simplicity of fictional solutions versus the intricate realities of combating deep-seated prejudice in society. The Anti-Semite Next Door offers a compelling and thought-provoking read, challenging its audience to consider the impact of hatred and the value of empathy and justice in a divided world.
Pages: 327 | ASIN : B0CRVYZXJZ
LITERARY TITAN 