Author: Jeffrey S. Stephens

Publisher: PostHill Press

ISBN: 978-1-64293-738-1

Jeffrey S. Stephens' latest novel, Fool's Errand, tells the story of a son's discovery of a letter from his father six years after his dad's death.

During his lifetime, his dad, known as Blackie was constantly boasting about the "Big Deal" or the huge score he was about to carry out to lead him to unimaginable riches.

Not exactly a pillar of society, Blackie was involved with the mob and regularly was found in the company of shady characters. This was a world foreign to his son, a straight shooter, and determined not to become embroiled with his father's business.

Blackie died in an automobile accident at age fifty under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind his wife, daughter, and son with many bad debts, one of which would have calamitous repercussions. To put it mildly, Blackie was considerably more of a spender than an earner.

Six years following his father's death, the son receives a phone call from his mother, who mentions she has something left to him from his late father.

The son hurries over to his mother's apartment and is handed a box, which he only opens upon returning home. His mother is unsure if she is doing the right thing by giving him the box.

As he rummages through the box, the son comes across photographs, ribbons, medals from World War ll, old letters, and discharge papers. But, there is one finding that stands out- a white letter-sized envelope containing the inscription, "For My Son." The son does not realize what the ramifications affecting his life will ensue with the letter's revelation.

In the letter Blackie refers to "money" he and his good friend Benny found in France. He states that he waited a long time to carry out his move. Benny had indicated to him that he was not interested in involving himself with it anymore. He further writes in the letter that he wants to be sure that his son will have it. The son is told that he is to contact Benny to find out more, and if he should not be around, he will have to figure out the puzzle for himself. 

Thus begins the son's adventure to discover what this dark secret described as "the money" is all about. A voyage will take him to Las Vegas and the South of France, where he will contact two of his father's wartime friends. He will also learn that his father was embroiled with something mysterious at the end of the war that would make them rich with a Frenchman's help whom he met during the war. 

It should be mentioned, during his journey, it never occurs to the son that nasty people are lurking in the shadows that are deeply interested in what he was doing. 

To add a little romance to the narrative, Stephens adds in a love story involving the son and a beautiful woman he meets on a return flight from Las Vegas to New York. 

Stephen's has come up with a novel that combines the suspense of a thriller with a captivating family drama. It is a work of fiction as it should be written, gripping, and deeply satisfying. And flowing around the narrative are chilling supporting characters as one excellently rendered scene follows another. I have to admit that once Stephens gets his hooks in you, he doesn't let go with a detective story that has a great deal of suspense and unexpected storyline twists.