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When the Sun Goes Down
“When the sun goes down on my life, you’ll all come apart like ripped balloons.”When stingy self-made millionaire and widower Leon Farrell dies, he leaves behind a legacy of family dysfunction—and a missing will. It’s soon clear that his three grown children, Edgar, Gunther, and Shirley, don’t handle loss well—the possible loss of a fortune, that is. And when Edgar hires a private investigator to track down the will, it’s just the beginning of a search that will lead the siblings to re-visit their childhoods, uncover buried secrets, and ultimately learn for themselves what it means to be a family…Praise for the Novels of Gwynne Forster“Wise and wonderful as it points out, once again, the importance of honesty and appreciating what you have while you have it.” —Publishers Weekly on A Different Kind of Blues
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
5 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Gwynne Forster
70 books125 followersGwynne Forster (1922-2015) was the pseudonym of American novelist, short fiction writer, demographer, and sociologist Gwendolyn Johnson-Acsadi. Forster was best known as an early innovator of the African American Romance fiction tradition. Forster was a prolific writer who authored more than 50 books, as well as multiple studies in the field of demography. Forster won a wide readership with her novels and garnered awards, including the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award and the Black Writers Alliance Gold Pen Award.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 17, 2014
This was a very interesting read. I was glad of the out come and Geynne Forster did not disappoint.
November 11, 2010
This story follows the lives of 3 siblings in the aftermath of the death of their father. The father leaves a will with the stipulation that it must be found or the properties/assets will be given to the state. Edgar, Gunther, and Shirley are the Farrell siblings, offspring of Leon Farrell.
Edgar, the eldest seems to have an addiction that interferes with his ability to obtain stability in his life. Gunther and Shirley have made themselves comfortable in life through education and hard work. Although the two younger siblings have a tumultuous relationship with their brother, they do care for him. This story introduces other characters that make the book extremely interesting and adds a twist that I feel any reader will welcome. The storyline was smooth. All of the characters were well developed and placed in the story appropriately. I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys reading about the trials and tribulations faced by families.
Zandra Barnes
AAMBC Reviewer
Edgar, the eldest seems to have an addiction that interferes with his ability to obtain stability in his life. Gunther and Shirley have made themselves comfortable in life through education and hard work. Although the two younger siblings have a tumultuous relationship with their brother, they do care for him. This story introduces other characters that make the book extremely interesting and adds a twist that I feel any reader will welcome. The storyline was smooth. All of the characters were well developed and placed in the story appropriately. I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys reading about the trials and tribulations faced by families.
Zandra Barnes
AAMBC Reviewer
January 22, 2011
This was an interesting book, and had me torn between two and three stars. The idea behind the book was a great one: a father dies and has hidden his will, and his three children must find it. That idea was intriguing enough that it held my interest; I wanted to know what happened or I might not have finished the book. As far as the negatives, one of the things that kept me from enjoying the book more than I did was that the dialogue seemed forced or unnatural. It just wasn't very well done as far as I was concerned. The other thing that was a negative to me were the pretty graphic, sensual scenes that occurred once in a while. They did not seem at all necessary for the storyline, and could have been toned down considerably and still gotten the same point across.
January 17, 2016
By: Gwynne Forester
Published By: Dafina
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Review:
"When the Sun Goes Down" by Gwynne Forester was a wonderful written novel about the Leon Farrell family. It was the death of Leon Farrell when it all came out about a family that looked good on the outside but when you are able to get inside this picture...my, my, my what will we find...a father whose life changed for his family in their treatment after his loss his 'beloved wife.' There were three children, Edgar, the oldest, next their was Gunther and then the baby sister Shirley. We find Edgar was the 'rebel' who lived his life by is own terms only leaving Gunther and Shirley more or less on their own due to the treatment of their father. What was so very important about this read is that from the opening of the story till the very end that there wasn't any love lost between the father and the children. Why was this?
Edgar was a guitarist, Gunther an entrepreneur software designer and Shirley was a PR specialist for a cruise line. The two younger Farrell children had worked their way through college and into successful careers while Edgar, well you will see from the read how he managed. Now, to really understand what all is going on with the Ferrell's you area going to have to pick up this amazing read to see what happens after their father dies and no one can find the will.
Who will be really concerned with this... the inheritance? Will they find this well hidden will? Be ready for some mystery, with deep secrets and lies with will be revealed in this drama of many twist and turns. Will the oldest sibling, Edgar finally grow up and stop depending on his brother and sister to help him out of his messed up life? One thing I will note about this novel is that their was love showed toward the brother, Edgar by his siblings. They truly had tried to help him out many, many times. "When The Sun Goes Down" will be a long novel but I feel the author did a good job at presenting it all to her readers the way she did and it was a easy smooth read.
The characters well developed and interesting maybe some I didn't like but that did not take away from the awesome story that was presented. I thought that the 'family dynamics' were very true to life in what could happen when someone loses a 'influential' family member especially when money is involved.
If you are looking for a good family story with a little bit of it all you have come to the right place for "When The Sun Goes Down" will give you some of it all. From death, secrets, lies, love, rape, deceit to romance....it's well covered between the book cover. Would I recommend? YES!
December 7, 2010
"When the sun goes down on my life, you'll all come apart like ripped balloons." The wealthy Leon Farrell spoke those words to his three children before he passed, but, as always, he underestimated them. While his oldest, Edgar, does seem to be falling apart at the seams, Shirley and Gunther are doing just fine.
Shunned by their father after the death of their mother while they were still children, the younger Farrell siblings worked their way through college and into successful careers. Shirley handles PR on board cruise ships and Gunther has built a computer software company that's growing by leaps and bounds. Their oldest brother, Edgar, is the only one that seems to be struggling in the wake of his father's death. It's not that he misses their father, he misses the inheritance that he's sure is coming to him.
In his final thumbing of the nose at his kids, Leon died without telling anyone where his will was, including his attorney of over 20 years. Pressed for money to pay off gambling debts, Edgar hires private investigator, Carson Montgomery, to locate the missing document.
What did you like about this book?
It was a quick and easy read.
What didn't you like about this book?
Some of the conversations seemed so unnatural. For example, at the beginning of the book instead of giving a narration about the siblings, the author has them speaking to each other and describing their jobs to the other as if they're strangers meeting for the first time and not brother and sister.
I was also troubled by the dialect in which the author had the maid and nurse speak. It was almost as if because they were the hired help, they weren't capable of speaking in grammatically correct sentences. Every time I read their words, I cringed just a little.
What could the author do to improve this book?
There were whole chapters that served no purpose and, because of that, the book dragged at some points. I also question the nice, neat ending of the book. It's okay to not have a fairytale ending all the time.
Shunned by their father after the death of their mother while they were still children, the younger Farrell siblings worked their way through college and into successful careers. Shirley handles PR on board cruise ships and Gunther has built a computer software company that's growing by leaps and bounds. Their oldest brother, Edgar, is the only one that seems to be struggling in the wake of his father's death. It's not that he misses their father, he misses the inheritance that he's sure is coming to him.
In his final thumbing of the nose at his kids, Leon died without telling anyone where his will was, including his attorney of over 20 years. Pressed for money to pay off gambling debts, Edgar hires private investigator, Carson Montgomery, to locate the missing document.
What did you like about this book?
It was a quick and easy read.
What didn't you like about this book?
Some of the conversations seemed so unnatural. For example, at the beginning of the book instead of giving a narration about the siblings, the author has them speaking to each other and describing their jobs to the other as if they're strangers meeting for the first time and not brother and sister.
I was also troubled by the dialect in which the author had the maid and nurse speak. It was almost as if because they were the hired help, they weren't capable of speaking in grammatically correct sentences. Every time I read their words, I cringed just a little.
What could the author do to improve this book?
There were whole chapters that served no purpose and, because of that, the book dragged at some points. I also question the nice, neat ending of the book. It's okay to not have a fairytale ending all the time.
December 23, 2010
This book was a decent read, but it was not very good. In this book, we are introduced to 3 siblings at their father's funeral. It becomes very apparent that there was no love lost between them and the deceased father. I don't remember any dialogue detailing any happy memories of time with their father.
We are introduced to Gunther, an entrepeneur software designer. His older brother Edgar, who is a guitarist/gambler/rebel, and a younger sister Shirley, who is a PR specialist for a cruise line.
What I liked about the book is that there seemed to be unwavering love for Edgar, who would make a nun want to strangle him. He is lazy, selfish and direction-less.
Shirley found love in the book (I don't want to give up the details), but that was encouraging.
They were blessed with another sibling, which was revealed through the father's will.
What I didn't like about the book;
1) The dialogue was unnatural and didn't flow. For that reason, I just never connected with the characters. They just seemed too robotic, especially Gunther's dealings with Lissa. I don't know any man who would answer or approach that situation with such clarity of thought and language. Also, this whole thing about "harrassment" was too contrived by the author.
2) I didn't feel that the siblings "enjoyed" life. I heard a lot of acceptance for their life as they were the captains of their own ship--they made their own way--but I didn't feel their enjoyment of their choices.
3) The author could have added more depth to the characters. I mean, it got kind of predictable.
4) This book was just not captivating or intriguing. I put the book down several times to tend to other things. I can read a book like this in 1-2 days. The writing was choppy and didn't flow. But the actual plot and storyline had a lot of potential.
This book was just okay for me.
We are introduced to Gunther, an entrepeneur software designer. His older brother Edgar, who is a guitarist/gambler/rebel, and a younger sister Shirley, who is a PR specialist for a cruise line.
What I liked about the book is that there seemed to be unwavering love for Edgar, who would make a nun want to strangle him. He is lazy, selfish and direction-less.
Shirley found love in the book (I don't want to give up the details), but that was encouraging.
They were blessed with another sibling, which was revealed through the father's will.
What I didn't like about the book;
1) The dialogue was unnatural and didn't flow. For that reason, I just never connected with the characters. They just seemed too robotic, especially Gunther's dealings with Lissa. I don't know any man who would answer or approach that situation with such clarity of thought and language. Also, this whole thing about "harrassment" was too contrived by the author.
2) I didn't feel that the siblings "enjoyed" life. I heard a lot of acceptance for their life as they were the captains of their own ship--they made their own way--but I didn't feel their enjoyment of their choices.
3) The author could have added more depth to the characters. I mean, it got kind of predictable.
4) This book was just not captivating or intriguing. I put the book down several times to tend to other things. I can read a book like this in 1-2 days. The writing was choppy and didn't flow. But the actual plot and storyline had a lot of potential.
This book was just okay for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2017
Edgar, Gunther, Shirley, Carson, and Frieda's Story
This book is all about what can happen when family secrets are left to fester and are not brought out into the open. I loved the strength and compassion for others that flowed through most of the characters veins. Their attitudes showed that a bad, cruel, and distant parent doesn't necessarily inflict the damage that excessive spoiling and overprotectiveness can. It seems that the characters that were pampered and spoiled fared worse than those who were ignored or abused. Those characters with the distant or abusive parents seemed to understand that they were not to blame for the homes they were raised in, but those who were given everything thought the world owed them everything. Other important characters were Mirna, Cory, Ogden, Marsha, and Caroline. I'd like to see a follow-up book on these secondary characters. They were so important to this book but we don't know what led them to this place. The author mentioned that there is a prequel with Frieda's story called "If you walked in my Shoes", but I don't think it's necessary to read it before this book. I loved Carson - he was my favorite character. I agree with Mirna that he is "all man and every man". He was so romantic, yet patient, respectful, and protective of those that he loved. I would like to know what motivated him to be this person, even though we are given some hints. As always, I love how Gwynne Forster's books expand my vocabulary!
This book is all about what can happen when family secrets are left to fester and are not brought out into the open. I loved the strength and compassion for others that flowed through most of the characters veins. Their attitudes showed that a bad, cruel, and distant parent doesn't necessarily inflict the damage that excessive spoiling and overprotectiveness can. It seems that the characters that were pampered and spoiled fared worse than those who were ignored or abused. Those characters with the distant or abusive parents seemed to understand that they were not to blame for the homes they were raised in, but those who were given everything thought the world owed them everything. Other important characters were Mirna, Cory, Ogden, Marsha, and Caroline. I'd like to see a follow-up book on these secondary characters. They were so important to this book but we don't know what led them to this place. The author mentioned that there is a prequel with Frieda's story called "If you walked in my Shoes", but I don't think it's necessary to read it before this book. I loved Carson - he was my favorite character. I agree with Mirna that he is "all man and every man". He was so romantic, yet patient, respectful, and protective of those that he loved. I would like to know what motivated him to be this person, even though we are given some hints. As always, I love how Gwynne Forster's books expand my vocabulary!
March 13, 2013
This story moved entirely too slow for my taste. I wanted the will to be found just so the story would end. It was written grammatically correct but I still couldn't connect with Gunther, Shirley, or Edgar no matter now hard I tried. The father who didn't show any emotion to his children dies and hides his will. The book centers around one brother in particular who appears to not have a moral compass while the other 2 are stiff, squared x squared. Can't recommend due to slow pace and lack of anything actually occuring. I didn't like the uber conservative dialog at all and the only 2 who spoke with any kind of enthusiasm were the "hired help" who stood out as being from "the other side of the tracks"...why I don't know. The fact that they kept harping on the nurse being a LPN as opposed to a full fledged RN was almost laughable but apparently it's a class distinction intentionally pointed out multiple times. This book is easily forgettable for me.
August 4, 2013
There was so much potential for this to be a great story, but it just didn't make it there. The three siblings as the main characters were un-relatable & one dimensional to the point of being robotic. The romantic relationships seemed more adversarial than anything, which made you wonder why the couples wanted to be together. The intimate scenes were sudden & more graphic than necessary. It kept me reading only because I wanted to know where the deceased father had hidden the will & what it said, which I had correctly half predicted anyway. The writing did not flow well. It was stilted & repetitious; overemphasizing small details & missing large ones. Will not be reading anything else by this author.
January 7, 2011
When the Sun Goes Down by Gwynne Forster turns out to be an interesting read for me. It started off slow but picked up and struck my interest. We do not get to decided who are family members are going to be, we just have to deal with what we got. Every family has at least one bad apple but the love of a family should hold it together. It is questionable in the Farrell family. Leon Farrell's game of hiding his will starts a series of events for his three children. The siblings hire a private investigator to help in finding this will so that they are able to get on with their lives. What the siblings find out is more distrubing than they could ever imagine.
December 15, 2010
Just received this book in the mail today and already I'm hooked! What an excellent explanation of family dynamics. Will update when I get further.
Okay, just finished this book and hated for it to end. It held my interest from page one and was a wonderful read. If you think you have a disfunctional family, read this book, you'll feel beter. All in all a wonderful family story with enough twists and turns to make it a mystery. Loved it! Will definitely look for other titles by this author!
Okay, just finished this book and hated for it to end. It held my interest from page one and was a wonderful read. If you think you have a disfunctional family, read this book, you'll feel beter. All in all a wonderful family story with enough twists and turns to make it a mystery. Loved it! Will definitely look for other titles by this author!
November 5, 2011
This book was awful. The writing was not smooth and grammatical errors were everywhere. Maybe the errors were not the author's fault but whomever edited the book. The storyline was predictable. The author paid too much attention to what clothing the characters were wearing rather than her story which led me to rolling my eyes multiple times while reading. There seemed to be little continuity to the plot. It was not an enjoyable read. Would not recommend.
March 2, 2011
This was an easy read. Very enjoyable! I had never read anything from this author and so I was a little hesitant but now I want to read more of her books! The character development was good and the story was a little predictable but it was still fun to read! I was excited because this was my first book won from Goodreads first reads! Thanks!
March 26, 2012
I thought the book had a good storyline overall, but the writing was not very good. It was almost like it was a draft released without editing. It seemed fragmented to me with not enough detail in some parts and unnecessary details in others. All in all because of the storyline, I think I would give this author another chance to see if the writing improves.
April 8, 2015
I actually bought When the Sun Goes Down at a local bookstore. My expectations were high.The book didn't live up to my expectations. The writing could have been much better and it could have used a better editor. Books with grammatical errors take away from the flow of the story. The characters also weren't as deep as I would have liked.
November 28, 2010
I enjoyed this storyline about two brothers and a sister as they try to find their father's will. Along the way, secrets are revealed and love is found.
The writing is solid and the characters are well-developed.
The writing is solid and the characters are well-developed.
February 6, 2011
really enjoyed this, review to come soon!
February 21, 2011
This book was just okay. The character development felt very forced, the writing sometimes choppy. I finally got into it for about the last 30 pages.
July 31, 2013
Characters' backgrounds are described succinctly. The author introduces characters with varied life experiences giving readers different stories to follow.
September 14, 2015
Papa was ratchet! Dang! But this book was very good! I was excited when Freda and her mom were woven into the story. I enjoyed this book.
December 14, 2017
GREAT Book.
Read
December 30, 2017Great read. I loved how the older son and younger sister embraced the sister they did not know about both before and after they learned her identity. How also learned how they tried to look after their wayward brother. Her three of the four siblings prevailed despite their father's behavior.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews