Purgatory Road by Samuel Parker, a Mysterious Review.

Review: Jack and Laura are a couple from Chicago who take a short vacation to Las Vegas to perhaps renew a spark in their lackluster marriage. As a side trip, Jack rented a Mustang convertible for a drive in the Mojave Desert. While on the road, the car stopped running. Everything appeared okay. There was gas in the tank, oil, water but the car would not restart. They were miles from Vegas but had no idea exactly where they were.

About the same time, Molly, a run-away seventeen year old girl from Columbus, arrived in Vegas heading for Los Angeles. She was picked up in a restaurant by a man who said he would take her to the bus stop. Of course, that did not happen. Molly is taken to a cave by her demented captor and chained in a hidden room.

While Jack and Laura are near death from dehydration, they were found by an old hermit named Boots who rode up on a horse. He first took Laura back to his trailer/cabin gave her water and some food and a bed to rest in. Then he went back for Jack. The two recuperated somewhat within a week. Meanwhile, Molly remained chained in the cave, although she, too, was given nourishment by Cole, her captor.

While it appeared at first that Boots was eventually going to help Jack and Laura find their way back to Vegas, it became obvious that Cole’s intention was to kill Molly as he had done others before.

Purgatory Road is a debut novel by Samuel Parker, one filled with a series of unexpected twists and turns in both the storyline and the characters’ interpersonal relationships. The depth of character development is incredible, drawing the reader in. How it all plays out remains a mystery until the very end. Highly recommended.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Purgatory Road.

Purgatory Road

A Novel of Suspense by Samuel Parker