Friday 22 November 2013

Forward to Camelot by Susan Sloate and Kevin Finn: JFK Assassination Novel




Yet again on Bookaholic we are taking a departure from the usual and stretching our reading muscles. You will be glad we did. I received this book some months ago and decided to leave it until the day of the Anniversary of JFK's death before writing and publishing my review.

This has to be the best book I have read all year. As you know I read a lot so this is high praise indeed. It is not often that a book comes along that truly blows you away and sucks you right into the storyline. This book has done just that. It is based on Time Travel but it is not a SciFi book and the time travel is handled extremely well. The story centres around Cady Cuyler a young actress who inexplicably loses her job. She is then offered another job on the same day. This is supposedly a part in a movie but turns out to be something totally different. She is asked to travel back to 1963 just after the assassination of JFK and bring back his bible, which would be considered a priceless artefact today. I can't say too much more about the plot without giving it away. However, trust me, the plot is superb and it kept me reading for hours. I actually finished this book in one go stopping only for food and drink. I couldn't wait to get back to it.

The authors paint the scene perfectly and I was transported back to 1963. This in itself was absorbing as it gave a real insight into what life was like in those days, particularly for women. It is also the story of JFK's assassination and the events surrounding this and this part is skilfully done. The historical detail is so interesting it makes me want to read more about this particular subject and era. That says a great deal about how engrossing the book is.

The characters, particularly Cady are beautifully written and I felt like I was a part of their lives. There are a a lot of different strands in this book but I found I could follow them easily. Each strand had me thinking I wanted to find out what happened next and this was what kept me reading. This is the hallmark of a great writer which Susan Sloate and Kevin Finn obviously are from my reading of this book. This is my first book by this author team but it certainly won't be my last.

It will come as no surprise that I highly recommend this book. It is particularly poignant as I write this review as 22 11 13 is the 50th Anniversary of JFK's death. This book is a fitting tribute. Download it now and read immediately you will not regret it. Once you have done so, like me, you will be recommending it to everyone you know. This is a definite must buy.

8 comments:

  1. Hi Wendy,

    Wow! Thanks so much for the kind words and of course, I'm delighted you enjoyed the read so much. It was a great challenge and a heck of a lot of fun for Susan and I to blend fact with fiction. Knowing you truly felt the flavor of those times and the tragedy of that day makes me smile from ear to ear. I'd love to know what your readers remember about that those times and that day. Here's a teaser for the novel.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ04vC5SmSA

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  2. Wendy - Thank you SO MUCH for the beautiful review, and for hosting us today! Kevin and I are delighted to be here, and happy that people are talking about JFK (especially today) and remembering him today. In FORWARD TO CAMELOT they get to see a more hopeful end to the story; I'm thrilled that you enjoyed it so much and we obviously hope many readers will!

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  3. it sounds very interesting. I recently read Stephen King "11.22.63" and really enjoyed that. It has a sort of similar story line involving time travel and JFK. I will put this book on my wish list I think I'd enjoy it.

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    1. Lynda - I'm a big fan of King's writing (though I find it hard reading horror), but his novel and ours are much, much different. For him, the enemy was Lee Harvey Oswald. We treat Oswald much differently in our novel, and the enemy of JFK is a domestic conspiracy, which I believe makes it much more exciting (not to mention true). Hope you enjoy it!

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  4. I think you would Lynda. It's a very absorbing book. Will have to look out for Stephen Kings book

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  5. Lynda, let me add that the original edition of Forward To Camelot was published in 2003 --EIGHT YEARS BEFORE Mr. King's book. So we did it first (and we did it better, I say, but I am a tad biased toward my own work ;) ) I welcome you to read Forward To Camelot and make your own comparisons as to which is more compelling.

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