Fool's Errand
The latest from author Jeffrey S. Stephens
FOOL’S ERRAND
Years after the death of his gangster father, a young man discovers a letter that sends him reluctantly defying the mob as he races to locate a hidden treasure.
Blackie lived on the edges of organized crime—a charming rogue who never attained the wealth he coveted while endlessly pursuing “The Big Deal”—while his son did all he could to avoid the pitfalls of his father’s chosen path, pursuing a respectable career as an ad executive. Now, six years after Blackie’s death, his son discovers the enigmatic letter his father had written, telling of a cache of stolen money, propelling him on a search that leads from the mean streets of New York, to the Strip in Las Vegas, and ultimately to the south of France. Along the way he is forced to confront the dangers of the underworld and his father’s past, embarking on a life-altering journey that unravels the decades-long mystery his father left him to solve, while revealing other secrets as well.
FOOL’S ERRAND is poignant and entertaining, humorous and exciting, romantic and mysterious—an adventure that explores the relationship between a father and son, and the events that will ultimately lead that young man to discover both the treasure and himself.
REVIEWS
Told in the first person, this engaging mystery is both plot- and character-driven. Moving from past to present is deftly handled, and the mystery presented seems both plausible and intriguing. Love of family, albeit a flawed one, is key.
While Fool’s Errand brings elements of The Maltese Falcon (one of my all-time favorite films), Goodfellas, and even a dash of old-school detective thrillers and serial films, this tale is fully current. It’s a great read and a worthy weekend escape from real life. It doesn’t insult anyone’s beliefs or intelligence. It’s smart, it’s sharp, and it will make a strong movie in the right creative hands. I picked up Fool’s Errand and read it through, cover to cover, in a day. Stephens’ prose is brisk and clean, to the point, and entertaining as it keeps you turning the pages. Fool’s Errand is a fun, satisfying read full of heart and surprises.
The author did an exceptional job with the twists and turns throughout the story to keep you wondering about: is there really any treasure, who knows about the treasure and where could the treasure be? I definitely recommend this book for anyone who loves a fictional mob-inspired mystery!
In Fool’s Errand, the pages turn themselves. The plot twists in all the right places. Questions go unanswered until the very end. The story leaves the reader thinking about the character’s life beyond the last page – the sign of any good tale.
Fool’s Errand is poignant and entertaining, humorous and exciting, romantic and mysterious — an adventure that explores the relationship between a father and son, and the events that will ultimately lead that young man to discover both the treasure and himself.
Fool’s Errand is poignant and entertaining, humorous and exciting, romantic and mysterious — an adventure that convincingly explores the dynamic between a father and son, and the events that will eventually lead a young man to discover both the treasure and himself.
Fool’s Errand is primarily a cleverly-plotted mystery, but Stephens never loses sight of the personalities he’s creating. Stephens continues to mature as an author; and he keeps his plots intriguing and his characters involving.
Fool’s Errand contains all the required satisfying ingredients of a mob-inspired mystery – intrigue, mystery, romance, valuables and even some tough guys thrown in for good measure…. This is a pursuit that is not always what is seems, hang on for the ride!
Stephens deftly weaves poignant, entertaining, humorous, romantic, and mysterious elements into his narrative driven suspense thriller of a novel, Fool’s Errand.
The book was just pure pleasure, and as readers of this column know, I am typically NOT drawn to novels…but Fool’s Errand is definitely an exception.
Fool’s Errand is another of Stephens’ exceptional works, an intriguing tale in his captivating style, that draws readers in with depth of character, and the promise that time spent with this novel yields a satisfying reward.
Fool’s Errand is poignant and entertaining, humorous and exciting, romantic and mysterious — an adventure that explores the relationship between a father and son, and the events that will ultimately lead that young man to discover both the treasure and himself.