Title: An Opportunity for Revenge

Author: Ned Lord

ISBN: 0-9774767-1-5

From the opening pages of Ned Lord’s second novel, An Opportunity for Revenge, readers can be certain that they will be in for quite a riveting ride when Andy Bowers, the narrator and central character escapes a killer’s bullet.

However, his officer administrator, Fran Wills was not as lucky in being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

It all happened as both were getting out of Andy’s car when someone first shot at Fran and then Andy. Andy believes that whoever killed Fran is very likely to once again come after him since he missed killing him the first time. In fact, this was not his first close encounter with an assassin’s attempt on his life.

Andy is an ex-Coast Guard and a recent graduate from a well known, private-detective school. While wounded and lying on a hospital bed, a character of questionable attributes, Stone Barrington, visits him and tells him that he likewise is determined to find why Fran was killed and who killed her. Andy is quite surprised to learn from his nurse that Stone has been watching over him since the day he wound up in the hospital.

We learn that Stone was romantically involved with Fran before her demise and this was the principal reason as to why he is determined to find out who murdered her.

We also discover that both Andy and Barrington were connected to a lawyer by the name of Sig Klein who passed away on a Mexican vacation trip about six months before Fran’s murder. Sig was Andy’s godfather, friend and mentor while Barrington did some odd jobs for him and as a result he had met Fran in Sig’s office. Andy believes the attempted murder on him has something to do with Sig who according to a masseuse in Santa Rosalia, Sig died in her arms. However, Sig’s ghost reappears and tells Andy that he was “did in” and was poisoned. What's more, “they cooked him before anyone could do an autopsy.” Sig’s ghost further tells Andy that he no longer cares what happened to Fran as what is done is done, and he only cares that it doesn’t happen to Andy.

According to Andy, lesson 12 in his correspondence course taught him that you should follow the money trail and that Sig was the start of this trail. It should be pointed out that when Sig died, Andy inherited a sizeable portion of his estate and he also took over his office. Fran, who had previously worked for Sig, agreed to stay on as his office administrator.

After Andy returns home from the hospital, Stone shows up and Andy tells him about an adventure left to him by his grandmother, the planning to go after a pound of diamonds, working with a crew that Sig found, and what happened. However, Andy does not divulge to Stone where the money was and he gets it. Andy takes a liking to Stone and hires him as an assistant and both agree to take revenge on whoever was behind Fran’s killing and possibly that of Sig including the attempted murder of Andy.

To complete his office staff, Andy also hires a very competent and attractive assistant, Candice Johnson who turns out to be more than a secretary.

Almost a third of the way through the novel the tension is ratchet up a level when

Andy visits Phyl Pandre who had inherited Zig’s beautiful Victorian style home. Andy notices that some of Zig’s furniture is missing and that Phyl is quite anxious in wanting to sell the house. Andy is at a loss as to why Phyl is so eager to sell, which incidentally requires his prior agreement. After all, the house was paid for and Zig did leave sufficient funds to maintain it.

It is here where we learn that Phyl’s first husband, Paul died while saving Andy’s life and she has remarried someone whom Andy never met. Sig felt an obligation to provide for Phyl and her son Paul Jr. and thus left her his home.  However, Andy smells something is not quite right and perhaps Phyl’s husband is somehow behind the killing of Fran.

Tightly structured with some very witty and quirky dialogue, Lord fully understands the essential ingredients of a good thriller with a plot that is primarily driven by suspense merged with intriguing characters that readers will care about.

No doubt, An Opportunity for Revenge could have been easily bloated and filled with clichés, however, due to Lord’s great storytelling abilities, he has crafted a novel that is lean and nifty in its tone and execution where scenes take on a film-like quality as he zooms in and out of each moment.

By the way, if you haven’t read Lord’s first novel All the Guys are Bad Guys, and although it is not absolutely essential, it may be helpful to get hold of a copy and read it before An Opportunity for Revenge.  

To read Norm's Interview With Ned Lord CLICK HERE 

The above review was contributed by: The Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com, Norm Goldman, B.A. LL.L, Retired Title Attorney: Norm is also a travel writer and together with his artist wife, Lily, the couple meld Norm's words with Lily's art. To check out their travel site click on Sketchandtravel.com   Click here to view Norm’s Reviews & Interviews.