The Perdition of Zephyr Hopkins

by Jesse S. Greever

Zephyr Hopkins is a liar.

A good one.

He lies with incredible ease to those whom he loves the most, and even more so to himself. As his convoluted web of deceit threatens to unravel, he is faced with one of the most difficult situations a husband and father would ever have to face; a situation that will force his hand and push him to a crossroads that will affect everyone he cares about.

Equal parts Greek tragedy and fable, The Perdition of Zephyr Hopkins will have you on the edge of your seat as you witness the spectacular implosion of his carefully crafted house of cards. Faced with a choice between redemption or condemnation, a single step will seal his fate.

86 pages, ebook

First published January 26, 2013

Reviews

[Darby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story drew me in from the first page. With each turn of the page, I found myself hoping to find some redeeming quality in Zephyr, something to justify my sympathy towards him. But, the poor guy is only human. Ideally, readers will learn from his mistakes. Fair warning, this story will leave you wanting more.

I wanted to hate Zephyr, I really did. I mean, how messed up do you have to be to allow your life to spin so far out of control?! Was it pride? Was it stupidity? Or, was it something else altogether? Either way, I found my heart just breaking for this man who could not get his act together.

I must confess, I was a little baffled by his dear wife. She was either trusting to a fault or completely oblivious to the fact that her husband was falling apart right before her eyes. Perhaps Zephyr was indeed a spectacularly good liar; perhaps his wife only saw what she chose to see.

By far, my favorite character was the minister, Max. His candor while counseling Zephyr was a breath of fresh air.

I can only speculate what comes next for Zephyr. I encourage you to read "The Perdition of Zephyr Hopkins" and form your own opinions, then comment here...

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zephyyr Hopkins is a man after ten years on the job is fired or laid off. He deceitfully allows his wife to believe he still has a job and goes about taking fake business trips while all the while he is staying at hotels. When he can no longer do that he sleeps in his car and visits various places so his wife will think he's hard at work. He goes so far as to get a post office box and have the mail forwarded there so his wife won't see all the bills with missed payments. He told his pastor the truth and the pastor told him to come clean twice yet he stayed silent. He went so far as to sneak in his house (which woke up and scared his wife and child) to steal the title to his wife's car to get a loan to continue his ruse. As gut wrenching as it was for him to continue telling lies (which he did so convincingly) he just couldnt/wouldnt stop. He only decides to tell the truth after a accident happens while he was hiding in a coffee shop. I would be surprised if his wife is still married to this man. He violated his vows and her trust over pride. He put all the pressure on himself when he could have let his wife share half of it. This what you do in a marriage. After their son recuperates I hope she made the smart decision for her. Personally I don't how she could stay with him after he lied for months about something that concerned her and will have consequences in the hereafter.

[Jim Morey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable story. It was easy to ride the rollercoaster that was the situation the protagonist created for himself. I was inclined to give the story 4 stars, but felt it would have benefitted with a bit more proofreading, a problem which for me disrupts the flow of and my immersion into a narrative.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

INTERSETING

[Christy Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this read about a man whose behavior is as odd as his name. I can't wait to read more and will be buying the continuation of this story from Jesse Greever in May!