Literary Titan
Tree of Redemption by Jim Davidson is a mystery set in the year 1995. Readers follow the book's main protagonist, Chris Hamilton, who travels to Texas to pay respects to his mentor and father figure, Armando Guerra, who died a few days ago. While staying with Armando's sisters, their head servant reveals to Chris that Armando didn't die of natural causes but that he was killed. Being the type of man who doesn't know when to leave a sleeping giant well alone, Chris resolves to get to the bottom of who murdered his dear friend and why. Following the clues slowly reveals a conspiracy and many people who are ready to kill to keep their secret.
The storytelling and the worldbuilding in this book are vivid and detailed. Readers who have never been to the locations in the book can imagine it in such great detail as if they'd just visited it last week. Not only does the author describe the setting visually, but he also mentions the feel of the place, the smells, and the atmosphere. As a result, readers will be able to immerse themselves in the story and feel like they are right there with Chris searching for answers.
The dialogue flows nicely, and most of the characters are remarkably believable. I would've liked the female cast, especially the minor side characters, to have a more important role rather than just to be looked at. I feel that most of the female characters appear to exist just for the protagonist to admire, having little depth or substance. However, the main characters are well-fleshed out and relatable to readers.
Tree of Redemption is a gripping action and adventure story with great writing and a mystery to solve. With a little romance added into the story, there is something for all fiction readers to enjoy in this captivating novel.
