Official Review: The Cause of Darkness by John W. Bebout

JKO · Post by **JKO** » 30 May 2020, 19:35

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Cause of Darkness" by John W. Bebout.]

4 out of 4 stars

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The Cause of Darkness, by John W. Bebout, is a piece of historical fiction that follows the story of consequences of Teddy Miller's actions during the American Civil War. Shortly after Teddy’s argument with Eli, his father, over Teddy’s ambition to fight in the war, Eli is captured by the Union soldiers and sentenced to death. However, before the day of his execution, Teddy, somehow, finds his captors and makes a deal with Senator Ferguson, whose son, Lieutenant Thomas, had been hung by a group in the Confederate.

The deal was Eli’s life in exchange for information on the perpetrators of Thomas' shameful death. Teddy now has to travel back home and betray his own people to save his father's life. In doing so, he teams up with an undercover detective, Kate, who poses to be his late uncle's widow. Together, they seek to infiltrate the group and get information on the details surrounding the death of Lieutenant Thomas. What is this group called? Will Teddy and Kate succeed? If they do succeed, will the senator keep his end of the deal? Is Teddy doing the right thing?

First of all, I must say that upon completion of this book, I was left in tears. I keep wondering, is it possible to love someone so much that you let them die when they could be saved? Love is very complicated, indeed. The influence this book has had on me is primarily as a result of its plot and characterization. I was pleased that while the author told a story with an interesting plot, the characters were developed very well, and their relevance was evident.

I enjoyed reading the opening statements that were made at the beginning of each chapter. I believe these statements are important to prepare the reader’s mind, giving them a hint of what to expect in that chapter. My favorite opening statement was located in chapter twenty-four, where the author wrote, “Flesh, even flesh steeled by resolve, is still flesh.” I also liked that the author didn’t try to force the story to have a “happily ever after” kind of ending. The story ended objectively. As a result, it made the story even more realistic.

There was nothing to dislike about this book. It also seems that the book was professionally edited, as I found only three minor grammatical errors throughout the text. I enjoyed every bit of the time I spent reading and finished the book in one sitting. As a result of how much I enjoyed this read as well as how well-written it was, I rate The Cause of Darkness 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend this book to people who are interested in history and fiction stories.

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The Cause of Darkness
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Nonso Samuelson · Post by **Nonso Samuelson** » 05 Jun 2020, 02:18

I would definitely not want to be put in Teddy Miller's situation — to have to betray your own people to save your father's life.

Chimdi_3 · Post by **Chimdi_3** » 05 Jun 2020, 02:51

Oh my! This book is very emotional and I know I will keep wiping tears off as I read.I can only imagine what Teddy went through to save his father's life.This is a really nice review.

derialist · Post by **derialist** » 05 Jun 2020, 04:53

I think, depending on the magnitude of the consequences of Teddy's betrayal, his betrayal can be tolerated because he's doing it to save his father's life.

Phelicia Gloria · Post by **Phelicia Gloria** » 06 Jun 2020, 12:54

This seems to be very emotional book, I would like to review it in future, thanks for the great review.

Samgum50 · Post by **Samgum50** » 07 Jun 2020, 09:52

Great review! This would be perfect for fans of historical fiction. I cannot even begin to imagine how hard and difficult Teddy's situation is. I can't wait to read and find out what happened.