Synopsis (from
the publisher):
Pat Nolan, an American man, is summoned to Paris to claim the body of
his estranged daughter Megan, who has committed suicide. The body,
however, is not Megan's and it becomes instantly clear to Pat that
Megan staged this, that she is in serious trouble, and that she is
calling to him for help.
This sends Pat on an odyssey that stretches across France and into the
Czech Republic and that makes him the target of both the French police
and a band of international terrorists. Joining Pat on his search is
Catherine Laurence, a beautiful but tormented Paris detective who sees
in Pat something she never thought she'd find--genuine passion and
desperate need. As they look for Megan, they come closer to each
other's souls and discover love when both had long given up on it.
Juxtaposed against this story is Megan's story. A freelance journalist,
Megan is in Morocco to do research when she meets Abdel Lahani, a Saudi
businessman. They begin a torrid affair, a game Megan has played often
and well in her adult life. But what she discovers about Lahani puts
her in the center of a different kind of game, one with rules she can
barely comprehend. Because of her relationship with Lahani, Megan has
made some considerable enemies. And she has put the lives of
many--maybe even millions--at risk.
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A World I Never Made
Non-series
James
LePore
The Story Plant (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-9816087-2-8 (0981608728)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9816087-2-3 (9780981608723)
Publication Date: April 2009
List Price: $24.95
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Review: James
LePore's debut novel, A World I
Never Made, is an interesting and well-developed character study
but ultimately disappoints as a novel of suspense.
Pat Nolan is summoned from the US to Paris to identify the remains of
his estranged daughter, Megan, a purported suicide. Though the body is
not of his daughter, he confirms it is. Suspicious he may be hiding
something, the detective assigned to the case, Catherine Laurence,
follows him. When Pat is attacked by two Arab men, she steps in,
killing one and seriously wounding another who gets away. She
subsequently learns the men are members of an Arab secret agency, and
possibly terrorists. Puzzled by their interest in Pat, but also
concerned for his safety, she takes him into unofficial custody.
Together they seek to find Pat's daughter and learn why she may be the
target of a terrorist organization.
Set at the start of 2004, the narrative alternates between activities
of Pat and Catherine in the present and episodes in Megan's life from
the previous year. The title, A
World I Never Made, is probably intended to reflect the
character's current situation but is somewhat misleading, possibly
intentionally ironic. The three main characters do live in a world of
their own making, by the choices they've made over a lifetime. Over the
course of the book, they, in particular Pat and Catherine, spend a
considerable amount of time reflecting, wondering how their lives might
be different today had they done something otherwise in the past.
Actions, or sometimes inactions, have consequences and the plot is
largely derived from the conflicts within the characters themselves.
The author cleverly frames their story within the context of the
terrorist bombings of Casablanca in 2003 and Madrid in 2004.
The secondary characters are equally interesting, even though they
receive far less attention. The gypsies, terrorists, and international
government agents are all multi-dimensional, well drawn, and intriguing
in their own way.
But there is little mystery or suspense here. The ending is foretold
well in advance, and the action scenes are surprisingly subdued, many
lasting barely a sentence or two, at most a paragraph or so. Finally,
and somewhat oddly, the author introduces a paranormal element that
almost seems to be an editing afterthought; it doesn't work at all.
Special thanks to FSB Associates for providing a copy of A World I Never Made for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read A World I Never Made? How would you rate it?
Novels by this author …
A World I Never Made
The Story Plant (Hardcover), April 2009
ISBN-10: 0-9816087-2-8 (0981608728)
ISBN-13: 978-0-9816087-2-3 (9780981608723)
Omnimystery keywords for A World I Never Made ...
Location(s) referenced: Paris, France, Morocco, Czech Republic.
