Item: Second Cousin Once Removed
Rating: 4
Author: Gina

Second Cousin Once Removed by Kenneth L Toppell | Review

Book Blog Tour sponsored by The Write Reads on Tour

Thank you to the author & Dave from The Write Reads for providing me the information for this tour. I received a copy of the book for the tour. The following review is my honest, unbiased opinion.

Second Cousin Once Removed by Kenneth L Toppell | Review

Second Cousin Once Removed by Kenneth L Toppell
Published by Brown Books Publishing Group on September 8, 2020
Genres: Crime, Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 157

Henry Attkinson's life as an attorney is slow, predictable, and lonely, given his divorce and his ex-wife's custody of the kids. He recently took up geneology as a hobby to fill the time, but it doesn't do much to spice up his mundane routine. Until the day he prods at a dead end of one of the branches of his family tree.

Who is this cousin Shelley, whom he's never met or even heard of in years? Ignoring a warning to leave well enough alone, Henry still doesn't find much in his deeper delve into the mystery--just a concerning criminal record for the man that finally convinces him to drop the matter. But Shelley is a man who doesn't want to be found or even looked for. And now he knows someone has been looking.

Faster than he knows what's hit him, Henry is propelled into sudden mayhem, receiving ominous threats, meeting mysterious strangers, and running for his life.

Second Cousin Once Removed is a fast-paced, sweaty-palm thriller that will keep you hooked until the last page.

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Source: The Write Reads Tours

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My thoughts on Second Cousin Once Removed by Kenneth L Toppell

Second Cousin Once Removed by Kenneth L Toppell | Review

Second Cousin Once Removed starts with a unique concept, a mostly retired patent attorney researching his family tree. In the blink of an eye, he’s on the run with a mystery woman. A murderous cousin is hot on their trail, and people they encounter are suddenly dying.

Subtle jumps in time are easy to miss. Several times I needed to reread a section when the time-frame seemed to be off-kilter. The relationship between Henry and Carolyn is one of those jumps. At first read, they seem to fall in love too quickly, but more time had passed than I realized.

The characters display multiple layers making them easy to love and hate. Sheldon is one of those unique personalities that seems a psychopath one minute and a regular guy the next. Isn’t that what they always say about serial killers?

Following a trend I have picked up on lately, the characters are all of a “certain age.” There are no trendy young people in the story. This isn’t a knock on the book. Being of that “certain age” myself, I rather enjoyed reading about contemporaries experiencing adventures, excitement, and love.

There are several plot twists that I did not see coming. The author kept me guessing just enough to keep those pages turning. The book isn’t for every reader. While I had a few moments of concern, overall, I recommend this book to readers of murder, mystery, and psychological thrillers.

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Second Cousin Once Removed by Kenneth L Toppell

About Kenneth L Toppell

Kenneth Toppell graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1963 with a degree in History and Political Science, the same year that the Los Angeles Dodgers swept the Yankees in four straight games to win the World Series. The next month, President Kennedy was assassinated and baseball faded from view.

Dr. Toppell graduated from Emory University School of Medicine in 1968 followed by a medical residency at Baylor College of Medicine. With fellowship training in the military. Dr. Toppell became Major Toppell, US Army, Medical Corps for the next five years.

He went on to practice Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine in Houston, Texas for forty years with some time out for lectures in American History.

He now lives in Plano, Tx. where he reads, writes, and enjoys life with his wife, Loretta, who ran away with him fifty-four years ago. In Atlanta, they still don't think that will last.

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