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Bookwire Reviews
BookWire Reviews from R.R. Bowker, LLC (2/23/05),
BookWire.com The ISBN people
A Consequence
Of Greed - Got
To Make It! - Laceys
Day
Latent Image
- The Armstrong
Solution - "Gigolo"On
The Row - The
Charm from Delhi
- A
Consequence Of Greed
 Corporate
greed and ambition, juxtaposed with a supernatural element,
form the theme of Jack Eadon’s contemporary thriller
“A Consequence of Greed”, now in its third
edition. The author weaves a powerful story, bringing
the characters to life against the backdrop of central
Texas.
James Post, the president of Coyote Brand Products, is
a man of great vision, much
admired and respected for his contributions to the company,
as well as the town. He is
however worried about the billback trade deals that are
affecting the company’s bottom
line, and suspects that the sales manager Earl Hickman
is in cahoots with Dallas broker
Frank Benedict to get a kickback on the deals he’s
very keen on pushing. On finding
enough proof to substantiate Hickman’s malfeasance
and underhanded deeds, Post
decides to take action, but that very night, while driving
home from work, his brakes
supposedly fail and the accident cuts short his life.
The story fast-forwards eleven years, when the young and
idealistic Marcus Ramsay is
shunted from the Chicago office to the Coyote division
in Texas, where he not only meets
opposition to his innovative ideas from people living
in a time warp, but also
unintentionally unearths the fraud and murder committed
more than ten years ago.
Unbeknown to Ramsay, Post’s spirit possesses him,
making him a perfect vessel to seek
revenge and complete some unfinished business on Earth.
Who could have had motives for murdering Coyote’s
former president? Ramsay comes
up with several names, including Hickman, the corrupt
present president of the company;
his equally ambitious wife Sheila, who dreams of becoming
the first lady of Coyote
Brand; the pushy Benedict, aiming for the company’s
business in Houston; and the
ruffian cowboy Coy Duncan, greedy to make a fast buck.
Assisted by Post’s wife’s –
Margaret’s revelations, the cooperation of the typist
Daisy, and mainly divine
intervention, Ramsay helps Post’s soul to finally
rest in peace.
Eadon is a gifted writer, skilled at capturing the interest
of the reader. Deftly crafted
characters, gripping action and a focus on topical issues
of corporate politics and
corruption add up to a riveting read. Fans of this book
will definitely want to read its
sequel “Latent Image”.
Got
To Make It!
 Jack
Eadon’s “Got to Make It!” is a book
about growing up in the sixties. It tells about the sweet
and sour experiences of the author as a young teenager
as he discovers the problems one has to face and the sacrifices
to be made in order to achieve one’s dreams. Jack
yearns to be a famous musician: a wish he shares with
his close friends, Tom, Bob,and Bill. While Jack strums
on a guitar, Bill plays a clarinet, Tom a ukulele, and
Bob thedrums. The four form a band, hoping to make a name
for themselves in the music world. However, before that,
they have to come to terms with their families, and moreimportantly,
with themselves. A poignant coming-of-age tale, this book
succeeds in creating a feeling of nostalgia tinged with
sadness. The reader is reminded of his own childhood,
and the loves and friendships of that period. The characters
are depicted with an eye for detail, which results in
the reader inevitably empathizing with them. The dialogues
are well written and trendy. The narrative is fast-paced,
and the tone understated.
Jack also effectively recreates the atmosphere of the
sixties. The work is, in fact, an authentic chronicle
of the ‘beat’ age, which featured writers
like Jack Kerouac and Alan Ginsberg, and artists like
the Beatles and Elvis Presley. With this book, Jack does
what Salinger did for the forties with his “The
Catcher in the Rye”, and what F. Scott Fitzgerald
did for the twenties with “The Great Gatsby.”
Eadon immortalizes the sixties era in the pages of his
memoirs.“Got to Make It!” is a must read for
not only those who are interested in the making of modern-day
America, but also anyone who loves music, and in fact,
anyone who had ever dreamt, and then realized that dreams
have a strange manner of coming true.
Lacey's
Day
In his latest contemporary drama, Jack Eadon
– well-known author of several acclaimed books –
relates a heartwarming story of a cross-cultural Internet
relationship between two lonely souls looking for love
and understanding. Ted Hewitt is a forty-two year old
Phoenix-based copywriter, whose fiancée stands
him up at the altar, putting a damper on his lifetime
dreams of having a wife and a home filled with kids. Though
he reconciles himself to the fact that the marriage would
probably have been a terrible mistake becauseof their
mismatched interests, he is nonetheless heartbroken and
dejected.
One night, while seeking solace on the Web, he inadvertently
connects with the compassionate Lacey Chen, a budget
analyst in Chicago, who herself is desolate in a one-way
relationship with a cold and unromantic husband. An
instant bond develops between the two. With the anonymity
of the electronic medium allowing these complete strangers
to bare their souls to each other, after a few months
of exchanging e-mails, the relationship, based on trust
and honesty, advances to a more meaningful one, and
they plan for a face-to-face date. However, will their
rendezvous materialize? Can two people from widely diverse
cultures and with varying personalities —Ted a
Westerner and a right-brained artist and Lacey a Chinese
left-brained corporate type—overcome their differences
and find happiness? How will Lacey’s commitments
to her family, including a husband, daughter and parents,
affect their relationship? Will the surprise ending
truly be “Lacey’s Day”?
The highly plausible and compelling story deftly captures
the intense feelings between the two protagonists, bringing
alive the doubts, apprehensions, and anticipated joys
of an online relationship. Eadon’s realistic portrayal
of Lacey as a newcomer to the country, having difficulties
with the American dialect, is very successful. Die-hard
fans of romance will love this emotional roller coaster.
LATENT
IMAGE, 2ND EDITION EADON, Eloquence Press, Tustin, CA,
$13.95, paperback, (308p) ISBN: 0-9753300-4-7
A sequel to "A Consequence of Greed," this
novel continues what has become Jack Eadon's trademark
blend of compelling contemporary drama, highly imaginative
plotting and wonderfully realized characters. Encompassing
loss, love and recovery, it focuses on the healing powers
of Native American ceremonies, adding an intriguing
twist towards the end.
After going through a period marked by adversities,
including the loss of a Texas-based corporate job, and
a ten-year-old marriage ending in divorce, Marcus Ramsay
starts life anew by opening an ultra-modern photography
studio in Orange County. While experimenting with his
latest technique for lighting, he encounters several
obstacles from a group of photographers who feel threatened
by his professional qualification and high-tech methods.
Headed by Stan Devlin, who wants to hold onto his position
as the leader of Orange County photographers, they hatch
a conspiracy to undermine his operations. They hire
someone to infiltrate his studio and also incessantly
harass him with various acts of vandalism. Their blatant
maneuvering, reminding him of his corporate debacle
and firing, reopens old wounds, bringing in its wake
a fresh wave of despair.
During the course of his work, Ramsay strikes up a friendship
with the beautiful, quirky hand model Jessica, who offers
incredible insights into human problems, and is strongly
attracted to him. However, his unresolved past hampers
their relationship from proceeding further. Following
the advice of Jessica and Sylvia, with whom he shares
his studio space, he realizes the need to grieve his
old losses in order to move on with his life.
Jessica's twin sister Suzanne, a park ranger at the
Grand Canyon and a staunch believer in Native American
healing ceremonies, helps Ramsay to eventually conquer
the residual bitterness of his job loss, divorce and
opposition from the photo community. Later, when this
enchanting spiritual healer disappears, the life altering
experience they shared prepares him to deal with the
new loss.
Enhanced by a fascinating new cover, layout, paper and
font, the second edition of this gripping novel will
not only stimulate die-hard fans of Eadon, but with
its invaluable information on picture-taking, will also
be a treat for anyone interested in the art of photography.
--- BookWire Review April 28, 2005
THE
ARMSTRONG SOLUTION JACK EADON, Eloquence Press, Tustin,
California, $14.95, paperback, (313p) ISBN: 0-9753300-1-2
Jack Eadon's work, "The Armstrong Solution,"
is a fast-paced thriller about a scandal perpetuated
by a multinational conglomerate's top officials with
a vested interest in amassing wealth, even at the cost
of the lives of innocent customers. Kathy Armstrong,
a young woman who goes through several hardships in
order to succeed in the company's male-dominated world,
narrates the book.
Through her grit and determination and with the support
of marketing manager Joanne Johnson, Kathy rises to
the position of Vice President at Pepe's Cafe Inc. With
her entry into the executive world come the pressures
of having to deliver unrealistic profits, using any
means, pushing her and Joanne into mortal danger. Kathy
discovers a plot hatched by the company CEO and some
of his colleagues to increase profits by creating addictive
products that are compounded with carcinogenic substances.
When the products are released in the market, disaster
strikes and the tacos produced by Pepe's Cafe become
responsible for several deaths.
Kathy's attempts to discover the secret plot transport
her and Joanne from Pepe's Cafe's corporate boardroom
in Irvine, California, where shady deals are conducted
during high-powered executive meetings, to the company's
operations site located in a remote forest in Tijuana.
However, they are caught witnessing the company's immoral
deeds, and end up in deep trouble. The duo's escapade
forms the rest of the story.
This action-packed novel will keep readers engaged from
the word go. Eadon's trenchant style makes this an excellent
read. By giving rare insights into the nature of modern
corporate culture in an increasingly competitive environment,
the author lends this book authenticity. This novel
is bound to excite anyone who enjoys suspense, and it
is a special treat for those who want to understand
how competition in corporate culture can lead to corruption.
--- BookWire Review May 18, 2005
"GIGOLO"
ON THE ROW EADON, Eloquence Press, Tustin, CA, $13.95,
paperback, (235p) ISBN: 0-975-33000-4
Mark, the protagonist of Jack Eadon's ""Gigolo"
on the Row," is a novelist who is struggling to
improve his fledgling writing career, while his wife
Katrina runs a restaurant. They lead the regular life
of an American couple, until the evening that Katrina
becomes the victim of a hit-and-run accident. Her sudden
death throws Mark's life into complete disarray. Unable
to come to terms with the loss of his wife, he begins
to reflect on his life with Katrina. Matters get complicated
when Mark makes new revelations about Katrina's life.
Beginning with an appearance by Katrina after her death
and the coroner's disclosure that Katrina was pregnant
at the time of her death, Mark learns about various
hidden aspects of his dead wife's life, prompting him
to investigate his wife's past and, by extension, his
own. He discovers Katrina's part in a neighborhood drama,
and it is one of the first vital clues that leads him
to her secret life. The role the demure housewife and
restaurateur played in the episode shocks Mark and he
is forced to use all of his resources to unravel the
mystery surrounding his wife's death.
Eadon's skill in depicting his characters as real people
leads the reader to empathize with their situations.
The narrative is fast-paced, and the tone understated.
Sure to be a bestseller, the book is a highly engrossing
thriller that leaves the reader asking for more.
--- BookWire Review May 31, 2005
The
Charm from Delhi, Eloquence Press, Tustin, CA, $12,
softcover, (424p) ISBN: 0-975-33002-0
Jeremy Lucas had a way of always coming out on top.
Thirty-five years old and still good-looking as ever,
Jeremy was already a Vice President at Archer Toy Company.
What did it matter that his rapid rise up the corporate
ladder was advanced so quickly through underhanded measures?
The results, not the means, were what mattered to Jeremy
and he was a master at getting the results he wanted,
no matter what he had to do to get them.
Though married to his college sweetheart, Rachel, Jeremy
was a regular indulgent in extramarital bliss, easily
explaining his frequent absences to his submissive yet
loving wife with tales of business matters needing attention.
With his successful career boosting his lifestyle, a
devoted wife catering to his every whim, a string of
mistresses fulfilling his every sexual desire, and a
$6,000,000 inheritance just waiting to be his, Jeremy
felt like he was untouchable.
In the snowy mountains of Cascade, Wisconsin, Jeremy
wrecks his car. Looking for shelter until help arrives,
he huddles inside a tree trunk and there finds an ancient
amulet with an inscription in Sanskrit. Jeremy thinks
he may have found a good luck charm. Returning to work,
he is further convinced of the charm’s lucky powers
when Catherine Dunne, a sexy, young woman with close
ties to the family owning Archer Toys, enters his office
for a most stimulating and innuendo-filled job interview,
leaving Jeremy with the overwhelming feeling he has
just met his next mistress. He is one lucky guy! Or
is he?
If Jeremy could have read the inscription on the back
of his good luck charm, Our choices determine what will
become of us, he may have realized that his luck was
about to run out. As the powerful message of the charm
is revealed, Jeremy experiences the “great and
terrifying beauty of karma” as his life quickly
unravels and he is left to face the ultimate consequences
for his evil deeds and actions.
Fast-paced yet thought-provoking, The Charm from Delhi
is a morality tale with a worldly twist. Though the
action seems to move a little too quickly at times,
leaving little room for exploration of minor characters,
the plot is entertaining and the empowering message
it shares is one well worth listening to.
--- BookWire Review
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