Friendly Enemies
Victoria Taylor Murray
Publish America

Over a single weekend Nouri Sommers' life becomes a wild whirlwind of intrigue to include both a death threat and an actual attempt on her life causing her to need a keeper in the form of Boston Police detective Gabe Baldwin. A beautiful french police woman causes jealousy Nouri is loathe to admit. Otto Lambert of Lambert Island is attacked, and Nouri's long time friend Genna Matthews may have had something to do with the assault. Gabe and Nouri travel to France only to run headlong into Nouri's former love and her husband's attorney Clint Chamberlain. The Asian mob Red Devil figure prominently in Chamberlain's journey to France and his need for secrecy. Chamberlain who often proclaims his adoration for Nouri has taken up with a Nouri look alike for his mistress.

Steven Li and Genna Matthews do hatch a plot to rid themselves of Nouri and take charge of Ethan Sommer's vast fortune. When Nouri is grabbed at the hotel elevator Gabe knows he must take decisive action. The question as to why Li is so determined to do away with Nouri is answered by the end of the book.

Following on the heels of "Forbidden", the second in Writer Taylor's Lambert Series comes the third
"Friendly Enemies". Again Taylor's account is filled with robust and unwavering characters set against a framework of conspiracy, deceitfulness and torrid romance. Forceful colloquy between the players set the stage for intrigue. The chronicle travels from Lambert near Cape Cod to France and China. The Reader is presented a glimpse into a side of life few of us even imagine as the anecdote surrounding wealthy Ethan Sommers and his 'stop at nothing' cohorts evolves. That Ethan Sommers is a man who has presented himself into a dangerous and corrupt environment is exposed in categorical fashion.

"Friendly Enemies", as were the previous two works, is as much a tale of the decay often presented by intensification of power presented by amassing of immense affluence without integrity as it is a momentary view into the longings of a collection of reckless, desolate people. Each of the major characters appears to be seeking something and not knowing what it is they really desire. Each character seems to not be satisfied with what they have even though they have sought that item or position prior to the acquisition of the entity. Even when it comes to relationships the characters find themselves enmeshed in a tangle of loving and being loved by one who is loved and loving another.

Writer Murray has a sprightly, breezy writing style in which she presents a large array of very different well fleshed characters. Murray paints a keenly focused tale of intrigue, greed and lasciviousness. The reader is caught up in the tale from the opening paragraph as we follow Nouri down a Connecticut Police Station corridor. Interest is held tight right to the last lines when we see Clint Chamberlain plotting his strategy for getting away with theft, his life and his relationships with both Nouri and her look alike.

There continue to be some small areas where editing might be in order to tighten up the -ly endings. On the whole Friendly Enemies moves right along, the recital is supposable and the writing holds the interest of the reader. Some tongue in cheek type cliches included.

True to the Genre. Not for everyone, some graphic sex, some profanity.

Forbidden
Victoria Taylor Murray
AmErica House, 2001

Interesting Read Recommended

Nouri St. Charles Sommers is distressed that her husband Ethan has been gone for days and now suddenly his attorney Clint Chamberlain seems to have disappeared as well. Nouri and Clint have carried the torch for one another since before her marriage to Ethan. To top it all off Becka Chamberlain and another young woman have been murdered.

Clint is hunting for Ethan. The attorney is convinced Ethan is again taking drugs and must have murdered a young woman he does not know. Before long Clint must come to grips with the fact that Ethan is involved in much more than being hooked on drugs.

Nouri would like to divorce her billionaire husband hires a detective to find man, she receives a death threat and decides she wants nothing more to do with Clint. Gabe Baldwin the detective who is supposed to be guarding Nouri soon believes himself in love with her.

"Forbidden" is the second in Writer Taylor's Lambert Series. Taylor's narrative is filled with pithy dialogue along with lusty and determined characters set against a backdrop of machination, conniving and intrigue. The narrative travels from Boston to Lambert up in New England to Connecticut, then to France and China before returning to the Eastern Bay near Cape Cod. We are offered a peek into the seamier side of life as the story surrounding Ethan Sommers unfolds. That Ethan Sommers is a man who is little satisfied with his wealth, his wife, or anything else is revealed in explicit manner.

"Forbidden" is as much a tale of the dissolution wrought by wealth without principle as it is a glimpse into the yearnings of a group of desperate, lonely people who are not always certain what they want even when it is before them. Each of the major characters has a yen for someone who may not be well suited or available to them.

The reader is caught up in the tale from the outset as Nouri ponders where her husband may be.

I look forward to reviewing another in the series. There are some small areas where editing might be in order to tighten up the -ly endings, however on the whole "Forbidden" moves right along, the story is plausible and the writing does hold the interest of the
reader.

True to the Genre. Not for everyone, some graphic sex, some profanity.