The Counselor

by Curtis Taylor

By a #1 New York Times best-selling writer. Travis Call, a financial counselor and a counselor in a bishopric, faces life in prison when his wife’s body is found in a shallow grave. He pleads his innocence, but many don’t believe him. With his best friend, Ross Keller, he begins the search for the real killer, only to find that true evil may be closer than he suspects.

408 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 10, 2016

Reviews

[LAWonder10 · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I began this mystery/crime drama, I was certain it was a quite "lame" story because, within the first few chapters, I knew who the "culprit" was... Or so I thought! The more I read the more unsure I became. This indecision continued throughout the tale until the last few chapters. The story was about a young man, active in the Church f Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, with a famous wife and an adorable set of adopted twins. When returning from a business trip he discovered his wife was missing. After months of worry, implications, and investigation, she is found. This only escalates the forthcoming events. Who is friend and who is foe?

The writing was superb, and the story-line was captivating. The characters were, mostly, endearing and the scenes were easily visualized. The action was continual as new events and questions unfolded. I literally had a very difficult time ptting the book down for even a short time!

I could relate to the main guy character in the book because I have dealt with similar health issues through the years, except, the healers are "stumped" and still are searching for a diagnosis. None of the symptoms fit the various scenarios of health issues. I can really appreciate many of his challenges and feel connected to his character..

In any case, the story is an amazing and inspiring one for anyone -a "believer" or not! This is a clean fiction, most individuals will surely enjoy. I look forward to reading more books by this very talented writer's books.

The Title and Image are both appealing and "fitting'.

*This book was gifted me with no pressure, whatsoever, to post a positive review. This is my honest review.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Counselor is a fast action, whodunit, murder mystery filled with intrigue and suspense. The pacing of the novel was just about right. The author draws you into the story and characters. I turned page after page wondering what would happen next. The characters were well-developed, however, the main character bothered me sometimes when he was a little demanding of those around him to make him dinner or he didn't really spend time with his kids. I felt like there were a lot of twists and turns in the story that kept me engaged as a reader. It was interesting to see the character dealing with Lyme disease. Overall, this was an interesting book to read and if you enjoy mysteries, I would encourage you to check it out.

Please note that I received a free copy to review, however, this is my honest opinion.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been awhile since I've read a mystery, and I welcomed the change in genre. This is my first book by Curtis Taylor (that I know of), and it was an enjoyable read. The length was a little daunting, but it didn't take long to get sucked into the story.

I really liked the main character. He was quite vulnerable, and not just because he was a suspect in his wife's murder. A single father trying to raise three-year-old twins definitely has his hands full (even with lots of help and support from the live in nanny). He also suffered from a debilitating illness that caused him many issues. But, with all his ups and downs the reader was shown over and over again that Travis Call had a good heart, and wanted to see justice done.

I was kept guessing for quite a bit of the story-I really do enjoy when a mystery keeps me guessing. I would gladly read the second book in this series.

[Rorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story doesn't gradually ease into the heavy stuff, it throws it at you right at the very beginning. There are still a ton of questions, most of which aren't answered until the climax at the end of the book, but the author definitely keeps you guessing throughout. I did actually figure out who did it probably about halfway through the story, but with every new revelation, I would doubt my choice for awhile.

I could have done without the very visual description given each time Travis puked though. That was a visual a really didn't need in my head.

This story is kind of long, coming in right at 400 pages, but because it was so captivating, I was able to finish it in just a few days. This is my first time reading something from this author, but it won't be my last.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Counselor" is one of the best suspense/murder mysteries I've read in a long time--especially in the LDS space.

Suspenseful from the first page to the last, this one doesn't waste anytime sucking you in, pulling you down the rabbit hole, and then finding out it wasn't who you thought.

This one is worthy of an all-night read, because once you start, you won't want to put it down.

I received a free copy of the book in exchange for my unbiased review.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riveting murder mystery

I was totally engrossed in this story and had to find out if I was right about my suspicions about the killer! There were some slow parts, too much talk about investments, and altogether too much vomiting, but otherwise it was a well-written murder mystery full of highs and lows and many suspects.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was okay. Realllllllly sllllloooowww parts.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read! It's clean, clever, and creates some great characters.

[Robyn Echols · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a Thriller

This one really did keep me guessing to the end. Good story, and having lived in Modesto, I recognized much of the setting. The characters were well-developed and interesting, the complexity of the main character dealing with chronic disease while trying to solve the mystery added to the complexity. Interesting personalities. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

[Valerie Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah!!! Such a good book!!! So suspenseful! And clean!!! I had a hard time putting it down and I had no idea who did it. One thing I thought was weird was that like 1/4 way into the book all of a sudden he has this chronic illness. It was just weird how it just showed up.

[RoAnn Rupp]

Captivating!

This book had me hooked from the first few pages. An easy read with a mystery I just wanted solve! This book is perfect for anyone that wants a good clean mystery.

[Cameo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, entertaining book. Nothing spectacular, but a captivating read.