The Death of Me
By Carolyn M. Bowen
The protagonist has a family history of secrets and espionage from their part in taking down corrupt companies and individuals. He leaves their haven to keep his ventures from leading tracks to them. His passion was research and the funding of initiatives to combat climate change and nuclear war, two of the reasons the dooms day clock registered seconds to midnight.
The Italian family estate he inherited in Tuscany with its vineyards and plush olive groves was his new domicile. After the steward’s murder, he finds himself next in line to become boss of the Mandarino clan. The operation of the business left him no choice, but to watch his passion from a distance by investing with scientists having a similar mission.
He lives in two opposing worlds. One with his nurturing family distanced from the estate and the other with Italian mafia ties and the Italian Intelligence Agency targeting their secret societies. A romantic life was nearly impossible, especially with the Italian agent he’d befriended. But he still longed for a woman in his life and hoped for peace. Would the seams burst, and the blood-ties become the death of him?
Reviewed by Lexie Fox for Readers' Favorite
The Death of Me is the latest thriller by Carolyn M Bowen which serves as the spectacular first installment in her new Legacy series. The book follows David Jones, a man determined to spend his life devoted to making the world a better place despite his familial links to organized crime. David is a fascinating point of view character for a novel that explores the moral grey area; initially a man with an ambition to be a force for good, the story carefully and thoughtfully peels away his intentions to reveal what lengths he will go to in order to achieve his admirable goal.
Throughout the story, David meets various colorful characters, each three-dimensional in nature and each pushing forward hard for what they want. David’s dynamics with them, all set across the beautiful Italian backdrop, slowly build a web of relationships with David at the center. None of the characters, including the love interest, is above suspicion as David investigates the murder of a dear friend. A testament to Carolyn M Bowen’s craft is that each of these unique characters finds a way to walk a very delicate line between villainous and innocent, exploring the space in which self-preservation pushes people to do dangerous things. Throughout the entirety of The Death of Me, I found myself kept on the edge of my seat by the author as they constantly found new ways to intrigue and thrill me in equal measure. I recommend this book to anyone seeking their next big thriller, and I’m excited to see what future installments bring to the table.
