Metamorphosis
by M. Kelly
Xlibris
Reviewed by Joe Kilgore
“I have to accept that she was a part of my life that was and is now gone forever before I can get on with a new part of it.”
Riccardo is a wealthy Greek industrialist chafing under the thumb of his father’s autocratic rule. To prove his prowess and increase his independence, he becomes involved in shady dealings with international businessmen who are both unethical and illegal. Aiding him in his machinations—and at the same time spying on him for a clandestine government organisation—are his security heads, Flynn and George. All three men are trying, to move their lives forward after the death of Riccardo’s wife, Marion, who was also Flynn’s lover. In fact, it is the recurring emergence of Marion, either in their minds as an illusion or in their eyes in spirit form that makes it difficult for them to concentrate on the future rather than their collective past. It becomes particularly vexing when Riccardo is juggling potential remarriage, and in different ways, all three men deal with intrigue involving gun running, terrorism, and some blackmail by the CIA.
This novel feels a bit like a patchwork quilt. In its entirety, it is all one piece, but it seems constructed of multiple parts. As the plot ricochets from one situation to the next, to lay out this character study, and adventure yarn. It occasionally proves a jolt to concentration and a speed bump to pace. The novel is, however, filled with exotic locales, conflicting emotions, mayhem, romance, and tragedy—just the things that some readers may well find intoxicating.
Pacific Book Review
Make sure to eat a stout and filling breakfast before starting on M. Kelly’s novel, Juncture. This story will definitely put your brain through some mental challenges as you try to figure out the interconnectedness of randomly seemingly unrelated events and characters.
The story opens with the main character of Marion, who is upset to be defending herself in a lawsuit for song lyrics. When Marion loses the case (not a spoiler, so settle back), she despairs at the financial burden to her family, but takes comfort in the fact they have such faith in her. A tragic accident on her way home leaves her a childless widow.
Marion wanders around in shock. She soon loses her money, her proof of identity and, apparently, her mind. Eventually, she simply walks away from her old life and people believe she also perished in the accident.
Now, get ready for some brainwork. The next part of the book introduces Katrina.
Katrina is a widow who is lost and afloat after the death of her husband. She struggles to put her life together and doesn’t quite understand the full circumstances of his death.
Certainly, it’s suspicious to say the least. Desperate, a friend recommends Katrina see a paranormal advisor in order to make peace, or make a connection to the husband. The paranormal? She’s new at this game. She’s not a charlatan, as you might expect, but has genuine powers to see things and know things that others just can’t.
Now, Ricardo. Quite frankly, he’s an unfortunate piece of work. He has few redeeming characteristics. A misogynistic tough guy, Ricardo is a really difficult character to like— at first. However, he starts to grow on the reader. He’s rich, but very lonely because his first wife, the love of his life, died unexpectedly. Are you confused yet? It’s several chapters in before the reader sees how each of these oddball characters knows one another. Reading the book is a bit like unraveling a tapestry. When you see a loose thread sticking out, it’s a true, “Ah, ha!” moment. All of these characters are intricately woven together and their stories intertwine, connect, and reconnect in ways the brain simply couldn’t guess at.
While Juncture isn’t exactly a mystery, it’s still great fun to figure out how the whole story fits together. You’ll switch sides (first, you’ll like Ricardo, then hate, then probably like him again) for the characters and their motivations. You’ll reread to see what you simply didn’t pick up on the first time. You’ll finally get closure when you see how it all fits into a pretty neatly arranged story. While there are some hiccups with grammar and punctuation, those are minor annoyances and won’t delay your pace to get to the bottom of things in Kelly’s Juncture. This book is a must-read. It has a uniqueness that makes it refreshingly different. I look forward to more novels by this author.
The U.S. Review of Books
Juncture
by M. Kelly
Xlibris
reviewed by Brittany Smith
“A final decision had to be made to escape the web that was pulling him ever closer to peril.”
Exploring attachments that exist both in this world and within the spirit realm, this novel tells the story of several different characters that are all attached to each other, even if they don’t yet know it. Riccardo serves as the centerpiece of the narrative that the other major players and relationships branch off from. Readers are introduced to Riccardo’s first and second wife, his family, and the loyal security guards who have been instructed to protect them. After a strange accident that brought to light more questions than it answered, two of the security guards lost their lives. This left their wives widowed at a young age, and thus they set out to find answers so they could attain peace and closure in the wake of their husbands’ deaths. In their quest for answers, they come across a spirit medium who could be helpful, although she herself comes from a troubled background and is still learning how to use her gift appropriately.
Kelly examines the juncture theme in a lot of different ways but makes sure that the interconnectedness of the characters is just beneath the surface at all times. In fact, as all of the participants push towards their own individual truths and changes, the author expertly reveals that they are actually strengthening the links between themselves and have unknowingly set out on a course that will lead them right to each other. This is the third book in the Pathways in the Mind set which acquaints followers of the series with Riccardo, his first wife Marion, and security guards, Flynn and George. Kelly shows her skills in character development in this installment by delving further into Riccardo’s personal struggles and then answers a very important question—will Riccardo be able to hold up under the pressure, or will he finally break?