Review by Michele Harris -- McDowell by William H. Coles
Posted: 24 Aug 2020, 13:15
[Following is a volunteer review of "McDowell" by William H. Coles.]
Hiram McDowell is a lot of things, but likable is not one of them. He is a renowned surgeon who holds a highly regarded position with the International College of Surgeons and has had a successful, lucrative career. He is also a skilled, fearless mountain climber willing to take on the highest mountains in the world. However, when it comes to relationships, he is a woman’s worst nightmare. He is arrogant, incapable of emotional attachment, even when it comes to his children, and he is selfish. In the book McDowell, by William H. Coles, the reader gets no further than the prologue and it is evident that Hiram is the kind of man that would leave a friend to die without the blink of an eye.
Part one sets the stage for all of Hiram’s accomplishments and details the life of a man who does what he wants without regard for others. His relationship with his third wife is about to implode, but he is indifferent about the situation. Although he speaks to his grown children regularly, he doesn’t connect with them. He helps them financially, but he is incapable of being a nurturing, supportive father figure. One day, Hiram McDowell’s life comes crashing down around him when he makes a life-altering decision that to him seems logical, to right a wrong. To Hiram, everything is black and white with no grey areas. But, unfortunately for him, his decision to right this wrong is not black or white and changes the course of his life forever.
Hiram’s new life is unveiled in part 2 and paints a picture of a world that could not be more opposite to his previous world. He begins to live an isolated, nomadic lifestyle which takes its toll on him. The isolation eventually gets the better of him when he meets a woman who infuriates him with her indifference. It is the encounter with this woman that leaves him with a yearning to tell his story. A story for which he takes no responsibility for what has happened to his life. But the woman pushes Hiram to see things in a much different light. As Hiram moves through his new life, he is forever changed by this new outlook. He suddenly cares about how he makes people feel and is interested in why people do things. It changes everything.
McDowell is complex and tackles many facets of one man’s life. The book is entertaining, engaging, and reads like a thriller movie. It is told from several different viewpoints and the narrative skips back and forth to provide varying perspectives of a man you love to hate. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I was going to get through the book while reading part one. Certainly not because it wasn’t interesting or lacked plot. It was simply because Hiram McDowell is the kind of man who leaves a bad taste in your mouth. I disliked this character in every way. But this is a fast-paced book with lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing and keep you entertained. I truly enjoyed this read, which was exceptionally edited, and give the book 4 out of 4 stars.
Part one was not my favorite part of the book, however, it is a necessary evil and sets the stage for the character’s role reversal in part two. I had no expectations about this book and wasn’t prepared for the plot twists that developed in the storyline and revealed at the end of the first part. I found part two to be enjoyable not only because Hiram finally gets what he deserves, but because it keeps you engaged as he meets new and different characters that begin to reshape his life. The new characters are from all walks of life and are all likable. At first glance, these new characters are a bit of a mystery, which also makes this fun to read. As the story moves on and the characters are revealed, they each have importance in shaping the main character and a hand in him turning over his new leaf. This author’s writing style appears to be effortless and is a quick easy read. I liked everything about this book and would recommend it to all adults. The book is written from an adult’s perspective about adult issues, so teens would likely not be interested, however, there is nothing in the book to exclude a teen audience. This book is also relevant because it does take on some complex issues that are very prevalent in today’s society. I would best describe this as a faced-paced, unpredictable read that is engaging and entertaining all while weaving in some important life lessons.
******
McDowell
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
Hiram McDowell is a lot of things, but likable is not one of them. He is a renowned surgeon who holds a highly regarded position with the International College of Surgeons and has had a successful, lucrative career. He is also a skilled, fearless mountain climber willing to take on the highest mountains in the world. However, when it comes to relationships, he is a woman’s worst nightmare. He is arrogant, incapable of emotional attachment, even when it comes to his children, and he is selfish. In the book McDowell, by William H. Coles, the reader gets no further than the prologue and it is evident that Hiram is the kind of man that would leave a friend to die without the blink of an eye.
Part one sets the stage for all of Hiram’s accomplishments and details the life of a man who does what he wants without regard for others. His relationship with his third wife is about to implode, but he is indifferent about the situation. Although he speaks to his grown children regularly, he doesn’t connect with them. He helps them financially, but he is incapable of being a nurturing, supportive father figure. One day, Hiram McDowell’s life comes crashing down around him when he makes a life-altering decision that to him seems logical, to right a wrong. To Hiram, everything is black and white with no grey areas. But, unfortunately for him, his decision to right this wrong is not black or white and changes the course of his life forever.
Hiram’s new life is unveiled in part 2 and paints a picture of a world that could not be more opposite to his previous world. He begins to live an isolated, nomadic lifestyle which takes its toll on him. The isolation eventually gets the better of him when he meets a woman who infuriates him with her indifference. It is the encounter with this woman that leaves him with a yearning to tell his story. A story for which he takes no responsibility for what has happened to his life. But the woman pushes Hiram to see things in a much different light. As Hiram moves through his new life, he is forever changed by this new outlook. He suddenly cares about how he makes people feel and is interested in why people do things. It changes everything.
McDowell is complex and tackles many facets of one man’s life. The book is entertaining, engaging, and reads like a thriller movie. It is told from several different viewpoints and the narrative skips back and forth to provide varying perspectives of a man you love to hate. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I was going to get through the book while reading part one. Certainly not because it wasn’t interesting or lacked plot. It was simply because Hiram McDowell is the kind of man who leaves a bad taste in your mouth. I disliked this character in every way. But this is a fast-paced book with lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing and keep you entertained. I truly enjoyed this read, which was exceptionally edited, and give the book 4 out of 4 stars.
Part one was not my favorite part of the book, however, it is a necessary evil and sets the stage for the character’s role reversal in part two. I had no expectations about this book and wasn’t prepared for the plot twists that developed in the storyline and revealed at the end of the first part. I found part two to be enjoyable not only because Hiram finally gets what he deserves, but because it keeps you engaged as he meets new and different characters that begin to reshape his life. The new characters are from all walks of life and are all likable. At first glance, these new characters are a bit of a mystery, which also makes this fun to read. As the story moves on and the characters are revealed, they each have importance in shaping the main character and a hand in him turning over his new leaf. This author’s writing style appears to be effortless and is a quick easy read. I liked everything about this book and would recommend it to all adults. The book is written from an adult’s perspective about adult issues, so teens would likely not be interested, however, there is nothing in the book to exclude a teen audience. This book is also relevant because it does take on some complex issues that are very prevalent in today’s society. I would best describe this as a faced-paced, unpredictable read that is engaging and entertaining all while weaving in some important life lessons.
******
McDowell
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords