Friendly Enemies
Victoria Murray Taylor
Publish
America
Entertaining
read … Recommended for those who enjoy the genre ….
5 stars
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.
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