Gods and Fathers by James LePore (Book Review)

Title: Gods and Fathers
Author: James LePore
Publisher: The Story Plant


About the book: Matt DeMarco is an accomplished Manhattan attorney with more than his share of emotional baggage.  His marriage ended disastrously, his ex-wife has pulled their son away from him, and her remarriage to a hugely successful Arab businessman has created complications for Matt on multiple levels.  However, his life shifts from troubled to imperiled when two cops -- men he's known for a long time -- come into his home and arrest his son as the prime suspect in the murder of the boy's girlfriend.


Suddenly, the enmity between Matt and his only child is no longer relevant.  Matt must do everything he can to clear his son, who he fully believes is innocent.  Doing so will require him to quit his job and make enemies of former friends -- and it will throw him up against forces he barely knew exited and can only begin to comprehend how to battle. 

My thoughts:  Initial reaction on reading the first few pages - I couldn't wait to keep going!  It was one of those books that the minute you have any free time you want to pick it up because you have to know what is going on.  I liked that it was fast paced, meaning there was always some action going on, but that the passage of time seemed likely.  It didn't all happen in a week but was spread out from January to March.

I liked Matt right from the start, even though he had anger management issues that flared into some bad consequences.  I think it was because he didn't accept things that he felt were wrong, was loyal even when it wasn't deserved, and he wasn't afraid to take a hard stand against things that could even get him killed.

I think Mr. LePore did a great job of delineating the good guys from the bad guys without actually telling you who they were.  He let you come along for the ride as Matt started to figure out on which side everyone stood.

There were so many different ways that the story could have played out, just depending on what choice the players would make in each situation.  I will be surprised if anyone can predict the ending to this one!  If you have read it and did, or do read it and figure it out before the end - then my hat's off to you!  I loved the ending.

This was my second book that I have read by James LePore, the first being a short book called Anyone Can Die, that contained three short stories.  I enjoyed that one as well and am looking forward to what Mr. LePore will be writing in the future.

~I received a complimentary copy of this book from Partners in Crime and The Story Plant in exchange for my unbiased review.~

Gods and Fathers

Publisher/Publication Date: The Story Plant, Feb 7, 2012

ISBN: 978-161188029-8

300 pages