by David L. Simmons
The Last Matriarch: Bob White by David L. Simmons is a beautifully crafted, action-packed thriller. It takes you to the behind scenes of political rivalry and power struggle entangled in the darkest secrets of the criminal underworld.
Bob White, a Southern politician is implicated in the murder of Dr. Ray Williams. The evidence against him is mounting and the underworld vows revenge. With the detectives on his tail and the criminal underworld on his neck, he has to act sensibly to save his career and life. Meanwhile, the Matriarch of the south, Johnnie Mae Dixon is obliged to rescue Bob from this life and death situation.
With so many hidden hands, pulling strings for their selfish motives, who will win in this game of deceptions? This is undoubtedly a well-written story. The author perfectly captures the complexity of the criminal underworld and politics. Here, the business cannot be separated from personal lives. People take sides for profits.
They manipulate others for their own advantages. It is impossible to believe anyone. Under all this chaos, there exist some deep emotional connections. They are built with love as well as blood. This is the game-changer in the story. Johnnie Mae Dixon is a woman of strong character and authenticity. She has years of experience playing this ugly game. She reads people well and her calculations never fail. There is a well-made reason for everyone’s obedience.
One of the best features of this story is its storytelling. The plot revolves around so many different characters. The author creates suspicion and only reveals their backstories, one at a time. It is interesting to note that how well he connects all these characters. He built a closely knitted, one large family with Johnnie Mae at the center. If one knot is misplaced, it will eventually affect the overall strength of this group. The wise matriarch knows this and acts accordingly.
Every scene is scripted flawlessly. The author explains every minute detail with utmost clarity. Reading this tale is like watching a fast-paced action movie. The detailing was that much perfect here. The author presents every character with a little bit of caution. They all have an arc of suspicion hovering upon them. Even Bob White is not exempted from this. Hats off to the author brilliance.
Overall, this is an impressively penned story, which keeps you guessing on what will happen next and surprise you with unpredictable twists.
– The Moving Words Review
Official Entry: The Most Moving Book Award, Jan. 3, 2022
