Author Guest Post
A Day In My Writing Life
Jersey Girl wants to know about a day in my writing life: Weekdays I’m up in the morning about six. My first task is to take our new puppy out to the back yard to do her business. I then hit the button on the coffee maker and go out front to retrieve the morning paper. After a breakfast of Cheerios with fruit, I settle down with my coffee in front of my computer with the puppy at my feet. I read what I wrote the day before and make minor corrections and write for about two hours before I shower and make the drive to downtown Houston to my law firm where I still have a full time day job as a trial lawyer. In the evenings I spend time with my wife, talking and maybe watching a favorite television show. We often discuss my novel-in-progress and I bounce ideas off of her. Interestingly, she is not a fiction reader, except mine, of course, but she has great ideas about plot and character development. On weekends I usually write for four or five hours, which I consider to be about the limit to be creative.
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Dead Peasants by Larry D. Thompson ~ Virtual Book Tour Page: Partners In Crime Tours
Book Review
Dead Peasants by Larry D. Thompson
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books / St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: October 2, 2012
Format: Hardcover - 320 pages / Kindle - 465 KB / Nook - 761 KB
ISBN: 1250009499
ASIN: B008VA736K
Genre: Legal Thriller
BUY THE BOOK: Dead Peasants
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Tours.
Book Description:
Lawyer Jack Bryant retires early to Fort Worth to kick back, relax and watch his son play football at TCU. Bored with retirement he opens a pro bono office in his RV. When Jack finds an elderly widow at his doorstep, clutching a check for life insurance proceeds on her husband but payable to his former employer, Jack files a civil suit to collect the benefits rightfully due the widow. A seemingly accidental death of his client’s husband thrusts Jack into a vortex of serial killings. He and his new love interest find themselves targets in the same murder for hire scheme. To stop the killings Jack must unravel what in their past makes certain people worth more dead than alive.
Book Excerpt:
The knock at the door of the RV was so soft that at first Jack thought it must have been the wind. It came again. He rose from his chair and opened the door. An elderly black lady who he recognized as June Davis stood at the bottom of the steps.
“Mrs. Davis, I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you at first. Please come in. It’s chilly out there for early May.” Jack went down a step and extended his hand to assist his visitor, then offered her something to drink. June perched on the edge of the cushioned bench that circled the table. “Water would be nice,” she said in a soft voice.
Jack went to the refrigerator and returned with a bottle. He twisted the cap a half a turn and handed it to her. She twisted the cap the rest of the way, took a small sip, replaced the cap and set it on the table.
“How are you doing, Mrs. Davis? I mean since your husband died have you been managing okay?” “I’m fine, Mr. Bryant. My house is paid for and I get a little social security check. Besides, my kids look after me.” She reached into her purse and retrieved an envelope which she slid across the table to Jack. “This came in the mail, addressed to me. I, I wasn’t sure what to do with it; so, I called Miss Colby. She said I should take it to you.”
Jack picked up the envelope. The return address was the United States Postal Service. He opened it and found another envelope, this one torn and mangled with the addressee illegible. The letter from the postal service read, Dear Mrs. Davis: One of our sorting machines jammed and mangled this letter. We apologize for the problem. Your name was the only one we could make out on the letter, and we were able to get your address. Please handle as you see fit. Very truly yours.
Jack looked at the mangled letter. It was from Euro Life Insurance Company, based on the Isle of Gibraltar. It stated that Euro had determined that one William Davis was married to June Davis. Under the terms of the policy, since it paid double indemnity in the event of an accidental death, the benefit was $400,000, payable to Allison Southwest. Jack looked through the documents a second time before he looked up.
“Did you know that they had insured Willie for $400,000?” “Lawdy, no, Mr. Bryant. Willie only made $20,000 a year. Why would anyone insure him for that kind of money? Besides, he retired from Allison fifteen years ago.”
“Good question. Let me keep these papers and the check. I’ll get back to you in a couple of days.”
“Mrs. Davis, I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you at first. Please come in. It’s chilly out there for early May.” Jack went down a step and extended his hand to assist his visitor, then offered her something to drink. June perched on the edge of the cushioned bench that circled the table. “Water would be nice,” she said in a soft voice.
Jack went to the refrigerator and returned with a bottle. He twisted the cap a half a turn and handed it to her. She twisted the cap the rest of the way, took a small sip, replaced the cap and set it on the table.
“How are you doing, Mrs. Davis? I mean since your husband died have you been managing okay?” “I’m fine, Mr. Bryant. My house is paid for and I get a little social security check. Besides, my kids look after me.” She reached into her purse and retrieved an envelope which she slid across the table to Jack. “This came in the mail, addressed to me. I, I wasn’t sure what to do with it; so, I called Miss Colby. She said I should take it to you.”
Jack picked up the envelope. The return address was the United States Postal Service. He opened it and found another envelope, this one torn and mangled with the addressee illegible. The letter from the postal service read, Dear Mrs. Davis: One of our sorting machines jammed and mangled this letter. We apologize for the problem. Your name was the only one we could make out on the letter, and we were able to get your address. Please handle as you see fit. Very truly yours.
Jack looked at the mangled letter. It was from Euro Life Insurance Company, based on the Isle of Gibraltar. It stated that Euro had determined that one William Davis was married to June Davis. Under the terms of the policy, since it paid double indemnity in the event of an accidental death, the benefit was $400,000, payable to Allison Southwest. Jack looked through the documents a second time before he looked up.
“Did you know that they had insured Willie for $400,000?” “Lawdy, no, Mr. Bryant. Willie only made $20,000 a year. Why would anyone insure him for that kind of money? Besides, he retired from Allison fifteen years ago.”
“Good question. Let me keep these papers and the check. I’ll get back to you in a couple of days.”
My Book Review:
After a successful career as a trial attorney, Jack Bryant is ready to retire to his hometown of Fort Worth to kick back, relax, and watch his son play college football at TCU. But Jack has a hard time settling into retirement, so he opens up a pro bono practice out of a motorhome. He expects to be helping poor people with their legal issues, but nothing prepares him for what happens after an elderly woman shows up with an unexpected life insurance check that is the beneficiary payment from her husband's untimely death. Jack's ensuing investigation reveals a murder for hire scheme that involves unexplained deaths that puts Jack and his love interest in a great deal of danger.
Dead Peasants is a riveting legal thriller that captivates the reader from the start, and keeps them sitting on the edge of their seat until the surprising conclusion. Author Larry D. Thompson utilizes his extensive professional experience as a trial attorney to weave a gritty tale written in the third person narrative that follows attorney Jack Bryant as he investigates an illegal insurance scheme linked to several unexplained deaths of policy holders that opens up a huge can of worms and will ultimately put his own life in danger.
This fast paced, action filled story engages the reader with a mixture of murder plots, investigative twists and turns, suspense and riveting courtroom drama. The author enlightens the reader by describing what a dead peasant insurance policy is: it is a life insurance policy taken out by the employer on an employee's life without their knowledge. The policy is not terminated when the employee leaves the company, it continues until the person's death, with the premium being paid to the company as the primary beneficiary. In reading Dead Peasants, the reader is transported into the middle of this gripping tale where they will learn about chilling true-to-life illegal schemes that are simply mind-numbing and will give them goosebumps.
With an intriguing cast of characters; witty dialogue; dramatic interactions; and a complex storyline that has just enough courtroom drama to satisfy legal eagles, while providing plenty of murder and mystery that will keep the reader in suspense until the final piece of the puzzle clicks into place in a surprising ending; Dead Peasants is a thoroughly powerful, compelling, and chilling legal thriller that you won't be able to put down!
RATING: 5 STARS *****
Tour Participants Schedule
April 1, 2013 Showcase by Sapphyria @ Sapphyria's Book Reviews
April 1, 2013 Review by Tammy & Michelle @ The Nook Users Book Club
April 2, 2013 Guest Post by Cherie @ Cherie Reads
April 3, 2013 Showcase by Cheryl @ CMash Reads
April 4, 2013 Review by Ashley @ Dr. Pepper Diva
April 5, 2013 Guest Post & Review by Lori @ Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
April 8, 2013 Review by Steve @ True Media Solutions LLC
April 9, 2013 Review by Barbara @ Views from the Countryside
April 10, 2013 Review by JoyAnne @ Deco My Heart
April 11, 2013 Interview & Review by Janiera @ Books & Beauty
April 14, 2013 Review by Susan @ My Cozie Corner
April 15, 2013 Review by Victor @ Vic's Media Room
April 16, 2013 Interview & Review by Kristi @ Books and Needlepoint
April 17, 2013 Guest Post by Jo @ Writers and Authors
April 19, 2013 Review by Mason Canyon @ Thoughts in Progress
April 22, 2013 Review by Kayla @ I Read a Book Once
April 23, 2013 Review by Fenny @ Hotchpotch
April 24, 2013 Review by Athena @ TheStuff of Success
April 25, 2013 Review by Mary @ Mary's Cup of Tea
April 26, 2013 Guest Post by Laurie @ Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
April 29, 2013 Review by Carol Wong
April 30, 2013 Interview by Review Jodi @ Words by Webb
May 1, 2013 Showcase @ Omnimystery
May 6, 2013 Guest Post & Review by Kathleen @ Jersey Girl Book Reviews
May 7, 2013 Interview & Review by Vicky @ DealSharing Aunt
May 8, 2013 Review by Heather @ Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
May 9, 2013 Interview & Review by Jean @ JeanBookNerd
May 20, 2013 Showcase @ Hott Books
May 21, 2013 Review by Joy @ Thoughts of Joy
May 22nd, 2013 Review by Sandy @ Mama Knows Books
May 24, 2013 Review by Ashna @ WantedReaders
May 25, 2013 Review by Brittany @ Book Nook
May 27, 2013 Interview & Review by Kate @ Read2 Review
May 30, 2013 Review by Tammy @ The Self-Taught Cook
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WOW...that is some review!!! I have seen nothing but rave reviews for this book! Thank you for an extraordinary post!
ReplyDeleteHi Cheryl! Thank you for the kind the comment, you have to read this book, it is simply awesome. Thank you for the opportunity to host the virtual book tour event. I think this is one of the best books that I have recently read.
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