The Telltale Tempest by Don McGraw

Since I became an indie author, I decided that I would support my new peers by reading fiction only from indie authors. The result of this decision is that I download a lot of sample chapters but usually do not buy the books. This is because either the subject doesn’t interest me or I do not feel a connection to the characters or in some cases the book is just plain badly written. So I was delighted when I started to read Don McGraw’s book The Telltale Tempest.

McGraw’s protagonist is former FBI agent Will Hogarth. He is asked by successful black businessman Carlton Fielding to exonerate his son Robert in the murder of rich, white, New Orleans Judge Michael Robinson. The cards are stacked against Will from the start: Robert Fielding was apprehended at the murder scene in possession of a .22, the same type of weapon that killed the judge. Then, to top it all, Robert Fielding confesses.

But, despite this, Will just can’t let go of the case. As he turns over stones, he uncovers corruption at the heart of post Katrina recovery efforts with nasty racial overtones, which threaten him and his family.

To me, this book is reminiscent of the best of James Patterson back when he wrote books all by himself. It is much better that the stuff that currently comes out bearing Patterson’s name. Like Alex Cross, Will Hogarth is immediately likable and the reader is drawn to Will’s extended family. All the characters are well crafted and I immediately formed strong mental pictures of each one. The story is well told and kept me turning pages late at night.

I always enjoy a story with a social or political subtext. The scam that underlies the corruption has a chilling ring of truth to it. I wonder how many millions might have been made from New Orleans’ misfortune in just this manner.

I recommend The Telltale Tempest to anyone who likes the genre. Warning: it will make you want to read McGraw’s Sins of a Nation to find out why Will left the FBI in the first place. But, hey, at $0.99 each book, you can’t go far wrong.

To buy The Telltale Tempest, click here.

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