Official Review: Treachery by Robert O'Dowd

[Rebecca Henderson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Treachery" by Robert O'Dowd.]

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1 out of 4 stars

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Robert O’Dowd weaves together intrigue, military secrets, drugs, and the tale of a Marine Colonel in this extensive foray into James E. Sabow’s death in 1991. Although his cause of death was officially ruled a suicide, this novel proffers detailed and persuasive reports on what lies behind these statements, alleging that Sabow was instead murdered for government secrets he might have shared with the public.

Readers will be told in intense detail the facts of the matter in regards to Sabow’s death and the stance of the author is clear: Sabow did not in fact commit suicide, but rather steps were taken to ensure that his death—his murder—was staged and the true culprits got away free. O’Dowd presents his case as if to a jury, describing the events of the morning of Sabow’s death, the actions of his wife and neighbor, and the behaviors of those officials on scene who were instrumental in concluding Sabow’s death was a suicide. His words are infused with passion and the demand for justice on Sabow’s part.

I strongly advise those choosing to read this approach it with a bit of caution. As part of the evidence of the crime committed, O’Dowd has included photographs—some of them very graphic in nature—to illustrate his points. Flesh, blood, and a corpse (Sabow’s), are all included in such pictures. While a bit unsettling, these images did prove useful in understanding O’Dowd’s position on Sabow’s manner of death. There is also a strong anti-government stance emanating from this work, which may or may not prove palatable to some readers. As such, I caution readers to consider these aspects before reading this text.

I rate this book 1 out of 4 stars. I felt that much of the text was repeated, either in near-exact or similar words, and while some chapters introduced new information or drew significant conclusions from the evidence supplied, the entire text seemed to be jumbled. I found numerous errors, including one chapter (chapter 20), that I believe might not have been completed, as the text refers to a list, but only leaves the audience hanging by a colon. This text struck me as a draft, still waiting to be polished, for which the author had no real structure put into play. As I noted, some chapters gave more information in regards to what had already been presented, but in many cases the information was only phrased in a new way; there was no clear line of thought to follow.

In parting, I would like to add that my hopes for this case, if indeed the allegations are true, include a much more professional and polished manuscript which clearly denotes the evidence presented towards ruling Sabow’s death a homicide. If the author wishes to capture the ears of his audience with this tale, his arguments had better be succinct, persuasive, and error-free. Let readers see the time, passion, and effort you’ve put into this case, Mr. O’Dowd, and perhaps the world will begin to listen.

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Treachery
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Like Rebecca Henderson's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Jaime Lync]

Great review. I was considering to read this book. Thanks for the warning.

[kandscreeley]

It's too bad that this book didn't turn out better. I hope that the author can get more organized and rework the book a little to make it a little more understandable. Thanks for the review.

[Amagine]

This isn't a book I think I would want to read. Mostly because I don't want to see any graphic images of a dead body.

Great Review! ?

[Mrsbellaz]

Thanks for the warning. Too bad the author didn't put more into the book before releasing it. Oh my, a thought just crossed my mind. Maybe the people who killed Sabow are after him and he had to release it quickly before they got the evidence and destroyed it. Sorry, just conspiratorial over-active imagination. Great review.