Review by Sketches_by_Shell -- Guardian of Deceit

[Sketches_by_Shell]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Guardian of Deceit" by William H. Coles.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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I was on the edge of my seat for the duration of Guardian of Deceit by William H. Coles while following all the different adventurous avenues of the novel. This book is about Darwin’s life after moving to another guardian’s home when his parents had died. His new guardian was a cousin, a famous football player, who had a famous musical star for a girlfriend. Darwin was not able to realize much of the frivolity of his new life, at first, as his cousin Luther would not give him access to his inheritance left by his parents. Luther eventually enjoyed the cool head that Darwin showed and employed him as an assistant on his many misadventures. One can easily see that Darwin was meant to evolve into something big! Had he not been asked by another passenger to switch seats on the flight to New York he would not have met his lifelong friend and benefactor Dr. Malverne, a practicing physician, who liked Darwin immediately. Luther’s house manager, Mrs. Thomas, thought that Darwin would become just another chore for her to handle. Soon she saw that he was a smart young man who could take care of himself. He became the one who helped to balance the household and all within. Aside from being an expert assistant to Luther, he became great friends with Mrs. Thomas. He smoothed the way for Luther’s girlfriend, Sweeney, when she needed him. He also befriended the security guard and driver, who taught him how to drive in all different types of cars. Luther was a mess, he could not budget his money or much else in his personal life. Darwin and Sweeney, together as great friends, helped Luther manage his life.

I greatly enjoyed how all the characters wanted to follow Darwin’s example of living his life the way he did. When he shared his philosophy, he showed the others how to handle difficult situations. The character’s lives would have all gone in different directions had Darwin not come to stay with them. Each character evolves into a better person after befriending Darwin. This gives the reader a clue as to Darwin’s later work. This story reminds me of a Disney classic from 1960, Pollyanna, written by Eleanor H. Porter, which had a similar story line in that the main character moved in with her wealthy aunt, met her aunt’s misguided circle of friends, and shared with them how to see the best in a given situation. This is a basic model of how Guardian of Deceit unfolds.

There is a mixture of genre’s in this book. The many story lines would make it enjoyable to a comprehensive audience. The novel does touch on some mature content which I believe would not be appropriate for all ages.

There were minimal errors in this book. I found one or two places where an extra word was added or omitted.

I really enjoyed all the different story lines as they were well addressed. Mr. Coles does not always put closure to something that has happened in the book. That leaves the reader room for imagining their own outcomes. The one chapter touches on the medical field which was difficult to follow. Whenever medical terminology is used, I would prefer it to be explained better for those of us not familiar. Overall, the book was fast paced and full of interesting thoughts. I would easily give this book 4 out of 4 stars. It was perfect in that the stories were true to life and it was easy to relate to them. I enjoy a good story that shows people can learn to grow and where the ending is one in which the future looks bright for the characters.

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Guardian of Deceit
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