The Printed Page

Title: A World I Never Made
Author/website: James LePore (author interview @ The Printed Page)
Pages: 262
Publisher: Story Plant
Publication date: April ’09
Genre: Suspense/thriller

Pat Nolan is summoned from his Connecticut home to Paris after he is informed his only child Megan, a 29 year-old writer, has committed suicide in this well-plotted and briskly paced post 9/11 thriller. Nolan and his daughter have been estranged, and he could not have known that Megan was selling herself to wealthy and powerful men in all of Europe’s capitals and in Morocco. Nolan, still grieving the death of his wife during Megan’s birth, is asked to identify his child’s remains. The body is not Megan’s, though for some inexplicable reason, he says it is. Subsequently he learns Megan has left clever clues, indicating that she wants her father to find her. Nolan is assisted by the inevitably beautiful widow, French Det. Catherine Laurence, whose despised husband was conveniently killed in terrorist bombings only months before. The action moves from Paris to exotic and rugged locales spanning two continents.

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This is a debut novel but it doesn’t read like it. Mr. LePore’s A World I Never Made is polished and sharply written. I suspect this is because Mr. LePore is a lawyer by trade and most lawyers are gifted story tellers, especially trial lawyers. He’s had years to perfect to his craft. Lawyers spend hours writing legal briefs, opening and closing statements. They spend countless hours getting a jury to believe their version of events, their story per se.

I’ll admit I wasn’t initially hooked. Up front there was too much personal Pat and Megan angst for me. I was worried that if it continued it would interfere with the story line. I always want to get right to action not muck around in the characters personal problems. Hook me first. Grab me, don’t let go and then you can tell me about their flaws. Once we moved on to finding Megan and unraveling the mystery behind her disappearance I was a goner.

How in the world did Megan, and Pat, end up in this mess – on the run with a rule-bending, widowed detective, living with gypsies who have revenge on their minds and hiding from terrorists? Well she slept with the wrong man. The lesson here – pick your bed partners wisely. Not only did she sleep with the enemy but now she has something he desperately wants and will kill for. There is plenty of suspense and intrigue. While I didn’t get the spine tingling, heart pounding feeling I definitely wanted to fit the puzzle pieces together. There are the requisite gun battles and climbing body counts. But more engaging was the mystery surrounding her faked suicide and cross country jaunt from sure death.

I enjoyed A World I Never Made and would recommend it to those readers who enjoy well-written suspense novels. Mr. LePore is currently writing his next novel and I look forward to reading more from this author.

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I’d like to thank Lisa at TLC Book Tours for arranging this tour stop.