Hubris Falls

by Matthew S. Hiley

A Most Fantastic Tragedy
The year was 1997. For Brian "Legs" Hamilton and his friends, it was the summer that followed graduation from college, the summer before life as an adult actually began back when they were still invincible. It became the summer when anything that might have remained innocent in their lives came to an abrupt end.
Legs and his friends embark upon one last road trip before they must face the real world. They set their sites on rafting amidst the canyons of the Rio Grande River along the Mexican border as their final chaotic drug-fueled exploit. A five-day adventure that was supposed to be the best time in these young men's lives ends as a nightmare that will haunt them forever. We all love our friends. We think we know them, and we think we know ourselves. Sometimes, though, circumstances spiral out of control, and life forces us to confront who we are and whom we've surrounded ourselves with.
Hubris Falls is a fast-paced, darkly comic tale of a group of men on their final, drug-fueled bender before adulthood who are trying to find their way but are finding only the harshness and tragedy of life instead.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Contemporary, Comedy

272 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 2010

About the author

Matthew S. Hiley was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. He attended Texas Christian University, and then Northwood University, where he met his wife. They have four children together, along with five dogs, six cats, and two lizards (he’s into the animal rescue thing).

After finding success for several years in the business world, Hiley decided to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a writer. In 2010 he published his first novel, Hubris Falls, which was met with much critical acclaim. Hubris Falls dealt, in very raw language, with the taboo realities in race, religion, and politics.

In 2011, tired of the sewer-cycle of politics and pop-culture the country had become submerged in, he published his second novel, The Candidates: Based on a True Country. This dark and absurd comedy took swipes at the hypocrisy and self-serving nature of those leading the country, as well as the fame-whores in reality television.

And now, in 2014, the twisted comic mind of Matthew S. Hiley strikes again. ‘Baseball Dads’ tells the story of Dwayne Devero, a man who just can’t take it anymore. Tired of poor decisions being made all around him, from the little league baseball field to his own bedroom, Dwayne decides that breaking is better than bending. What follows is a wild ride full of carnage and revenge, led by a man who will stop at nothing to bring honor back to his family… and baseball.

A terrible musician, a reprehensible fisherman, a less-than-mediocre golfer, and a talentless children’s baseball coach, Matthew S. Hiley has found his place in life as a writer whose voice is sharp, witty, and unafraid.

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was sent this book in exchange for a review.

Sometimes, what you think is a superb book, isn’t so superb until you real the genuine thing. I would put 'Hubris Falls' into that category of a genuinely superb book.

Initially, as I started reading the prologue, within a few short sentences, I found myself trying to decide if I wanted to get into this book. Alcoholism ruined my childhood, and I was not interested in reading the words of an alcoholic, even if sober, even as fiction, but fortunately, I got by that hurdle.

Secondly, I didn't like disrespectfulness being leverage against God. I don't hate opinion, but I find that when issued from a rabid foaming mouth, I am uncomfortable enough to want to put it away from me. Except for the fact that I did not attend camps, like Brian, my religious upbringing was the same as described. I too made multiple trips during the alter call, found myself wrestling with the beliefs of protestantism, catholism and charismaticism and met my share of loveless and self-absorb christians. I guess I am not different when it comes to hearing someone open their mouth to explain the story behind their source of misery, the cause of their descent. Let’s hear how badly you messed up. Unfortunately, for me it was to feel superior. Fortunately, for me it was the hook that kept me reading.

Five close friends, freshly graduated from college, going for that final hurrah before 'adulthood' was to be heeded. A week to be spent camping and white-water rafting the Rio Grande. A week of careless fun, discussions of subjects such as religion, racism and learning about each other. All five were young and felt invincible. All five drunk and stoned. All five bullies to some extent even among themselves. We tolerate the assholes among ourselves, maybe one day realizing that we need to leave that asshole behind as we get along with life. Yes, we have an asshole in the story, but all participating bodies, especially the narrator himself are not exempt from being one. Even the so-called 'good guy and christian' of the bunch at times participated in mindless banter (how about 'your momma' insult rituals) that prove he himself was not innocent of the label.

The journey along the Rio Grande was one of drunken hi-jinks, close calls and cruel jokes. To say that the act of adulting was absent from any consideration on this journey is an understatement. The prose is very comprehensive, the emotional came through time and time again. There was tension, wonder, anger, discuss and acts of tomfoolery that brought everything back to a somewhat even keel.

I don't want to reveal too much. Pick up this book, don’t be afraid to READ it. I will say that concerning the place of God as far as the narrator is concern is very insightful. At the end he explains a little better how he has approached the problem of God in his later life. Even as a non-christian, he comes close to the truth on God and our varying troubles and suffering in life. If this was a real person, seeking such answers, he is close, closer that some christians that I have met.

This review does not do the book justice. I am still mulling it over and over in my mind. Maybe a second read is in order.

[Pat · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a difficult book to read - I didn't find the characters sympathetic or likeable at all. They honestly were the type of young men I would loathe. Foul mouthed and irresponsible. I would have abandoned the book after the first couple of chapters, but I continued because of the description on goodreads - I kept thinking something was going to happen to redeem these young men. The story of the rafting trip down the river itself was interesting, but I can't say it was suspenseful, because it was obvious that this was where the "life changing" experience would happen. As was in keeping in the rest of the book, the loutish behavior, drinking and drug use continued unabated. The philosophical and religious discussions were somewhat tedious and to me, did not seem in keeping with the characters. Really did not see anything "darkly humorous" in this story at all.

The author is an excellent writer, and I would read some of his other books, if only to see what he can do with more likable characters. Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Patrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don’t bother with this self indulgent Gen X bullshit.

[Hiba · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher

I don't think that this is a story everyone would appreciate, some, like myself, would find it provoking in the heavy presence of drugs in the story. I personally did not find it funny in the least, it was rather very dark humor.
We have here five friends, newly graduated from college and going on what would be their last trip together before officially becoming adults who provide for themselves. The trip, sadly, ends in a very unfortunate way.
Funnily enough, I was expecting a tragedy out of all the drug and alcohol binge.
Though the story and the conversations were fairly realistic, I still couldn't empathize with the characters nor consider their behavior anything other than reckless and irresponsible.
The last 50 pages were the best part of the book, the post-tragedy feelings and atmosphere made the read worth it.
A fast-paced read, not one that I'd recommend for people easily provoked, though I am sure it would be considered as a great story by many.
The writing style is easy to go through, and telling it from one particular point of view was successful and well-executed.

[Elizabeth Ehlen · Rating 5 out of 5]

One last huzzah after cramming four years of college into five, Brian Hamilton and his friends ride off together on a rafting trip in an effort to thwart the real world for just a little while longer. The story evolves with a few flashbacks, a lot of stoner humor and man-child antics, but goes from darkly comedic to darkly life-altering just as fast as the rapids.

In general I have really enjoyed all the Matthew Hiley books I have read, and while this was no different it was a bit of a departure from his other books. Still a lot of drugs and swears, but definitely more thoughtful, attacking issues head on instead of through satire. While I don’t know Hiley’s history, this story seemed more introspective, more personal. It is a well-crafted story that has long term implications for the reader, and forces you to confront issues that you might not have been expecting to deal with on a post-college river trip. If you enjoy challenging yourself this is not only a fast read but a thinker.

[Grant Leishman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman

It’s the end of College and five friends have graduated, albeit only just but before they head out into the “real world” and their futures, there is time for one last “hurrah!”, one last road trip. They pack their gear and head for a five-day rafting trip down the Rio Grande, on the Mexican Border. In Hubris Falls by Matthew S. Hiley, we tag along with this unlikely bunch of friends who are linked mainly by one thing – their love of alcohol and weed. What was supposed to be a final salute to their youth quickly turns into a deep introspection of their lives, their beliefs and their prejudices. Brian and Jimmy have been close friends since High School. The two friends, unlikely as they are; Jimmy is black, a Democrat, and fervently believes in the redemptive power of faith despite the tragedy that has already struck his young life but he still holds strong beliefs on white dominance and suppression. Brian (Legs), on the other hand, is a child of white privilege, a Republican and simply cannot believe that any loving God would allow such tragedy as exists in the world today. Throw a redneck bigot into the conversation, in Williams’ and you have a ready-made mixture of dark humour, satire and ultimately tragedy. This will be one final hurrah that none of the participants will ever forget.

Hubris Falls is first and foremost a tragic comedy. The pathos and beauty that are exposed by author Matthew S. Hiley within the same narrative and often within the same sentence is a testament to this writer’s ability and talent, to be able to dig deep and mine into the heart of a reader’s emotions. I was entranced by the story and by the amazing relationships between the characters, especially Jimmy and Brian. Their friendship had been built over a number of years based on trust and understanding of each other’s situations and yet, there were still always questions over how much Brian truly understand of Jimmy’s life and difficulties and vice versa. No matter how hard it has been to deal with the tragedies in his life, Jimmy has kept his faith and his positive outlook on life and people, in general. The author uses the trip to confront many of the untold truths and fears of these five men (and many of us) as they embark on life after college. The humour, given the seriousness of the topics and events on the raft, is a wonderful panacea to the grim reality of their discussions. Good humour in fiction is very hard to produce and Hiley has done a superb job in lightening the topic with his sarcastic and farcical humour. I found myself laughing out loud as I read, a rare occurrence for me. For that alone, this book lifts itself out of the mire of “coming of age” stories. The characterisations of the fearless five were true to live and I’m sure will resound with many people. An excellent book, a fantastic read and one I can highly recommend.

[Proforma · Rating 5 out of 5]

About thirty pages in, a bell went off in my head and it sounded like 'Salinger'. Turns out Mr HILEY was indeed inspired by Salinger.

So if you enjoyed Mr Salinger, chances are excellent that you'll enjoy HUBRIS FALLS. The book explores and examines many themes such as politics, the naive immortality of youth, race and drug and alcohol use.

Which sounds a bit much but it's a five day rafting trip, so there is enough time to get through all of these issues, returning to them several times throughout.

To me, the point HILEY was trying to make (and I could be wrong) was that we generally have it fairly easy in life. We disagree with this strongly, pointing out the many difficulties we face each day - not enough time, not enough patience, people you have to suck up to... But actually, we do have it fairly easy.

Tragedy is always the worst thing that can happen, and it's supposed to be the sum of all we've endured, multiplied infinitely, because it's a tragedy. It's the worst imaginable thing that could happen. And (God forbid it does) when it does, we realise that we have no skills to cope with adversity because we don't really know what adversity is. Not in big love lumps of it, falling into our lives and destroying us from the inside.

Dealing with adversity cannot be taught, just like wisdom cannot be taught. It can be learned, and it is learned the hard way (the only way) but it cannot be taught.

Learning from tragedy and adversity is also not a foregone conclusion, many people go through a tragedy and proceed to destroy what is left of them from the outside, be it quickly or slowly. Many people learn nothing.

Which brings us to the lesson. What is the lesson? What are we supposed to learn?

I guess that's like a fingerprint, adversity and tragedy teaches each person something else, there's a different lesson for each of us. The only thing we all have in common is the ability to pick ourselves up from the ground at some stage and take a step forward.

Hopefully we eventually get to a point where we're going two steps forward and only one step back.

HILEY's writing style is modern and straight from the gut, although he can be eloquent in his descriptions and he does justice to the beautiful areas around and along the Rio Grande and is painfully realistic in his description of the accident.

This is definitely a stand alone book and one that I think readers (listeners) thirty years from now, will still be comparing to Catcher In The Rye and if they have any sense, they'll say it's Generation X's Catcher In The Rye.

I rate this a five star book and would like to thank Greenleaf Media for the copy.

[Daniel Cuthbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC of this upcoming publisher re-release of this title and appreciate the opportunity to review the title.

Many love to acknowledge that transitionary point between the loose-structured freedoms of college life with the sudden rigidity of adulthood with a last gasp of fun and frivolity. Such is the case with Jim, Williams, JB, Brian and Devero, who decide a five day trip down the the Rio Grande would be the perfect way to cap off graduation. And indeed, the drugs, beer, hijinks and language fly as they raft down the river. But what starts out as a typical guy’s trip will soon turn in ways that will change their lives forever.

“Hubris Falls” is an often funny and enlightening look at what separates and binds us, with passages that wouldn’t be out of place in the early work of such authors as Tucker Max, mixing with weightier philosophical and political musings. Matthew S. Riley nails the rapid-paced back and forth between all the guys, with realistically profane dialogue and a great mix of serious conversation with immature buffoonery. Each is given enough room to establish defined personalities while the story hums along in short chapters that seem to match the speed of the river they travel on. Many may find fault with the strong use of drugs throughout, but to me this only added a more realistic tone to the story, giving it an air of documentary more than made-up fable. And while the idea of a turn is stated early on, its arrival is still sudden and devastating. If anything brings down the story just a little is the closing chapters, which seem to go on a bit longer than I feel was necessary for the overall story.

This is certainly not the tale for everyone, especially for the under-17 crowd, but Matthew Riley has found a way to combine crass and profound in an easy to digest package worth the small amount of time it will take you to read it!

[Lex Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hubris Falls is a fast-paced, darkly comic tale of a group of men on their final, drug-fueled bender before adulthood who are trying to find their way but are finding only the harshness and tragedy of life instead. The gamut of dramatic emotions is fully displayed with comedic/sarcastic/ironic manner in this coming of age story by Matthew S. Hiley. Narrated by the character Brian "Legs" Hamilton, "Hubris Falls" is the story of a small group of young men on a white water rafting trip following graduation from college, and before they embark on their working lives. The characters figuratively represent the gamut of political and religious assumptions that are discussed in often-heated debates.

Born and raised in Texas, I was especially drawn deeply into the story as the narrator talks about parties at South Padre Island and other schoolboy activities, albeit three decades before this story takes place. Too often, stories like fall prey to monotony due to the first person point of view, but Hiley does an excellent job of avoiding this flaw by showing much of the action with dialog rather than the banal voice that pure narration (telling) tends to become. The variety of ancestry, familial environment and beliefs demonstrated by each of the characters creates a microcosm of the American way of life and becomes evident and vital to underlying message of the story. Yes, there is definitely a message to found among this highly interesting and exciting story, but I'll let you decide what that message will be for you. I don't often compare authors, but sometimes it simply needs to be said. Mr. Hiley's writing style and topics compare favorably to those of J.D. Salinger and his most famous work, "Catcher in the Rye."

[Edi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot going on in this book. Much discussion of politics, race and religion going on along with the characters ' frequent drug and alcohol use. Very much tongue in cheek as to the current state of affairs of our country, family dynamics and opinions of the why's and whats of the afore mentioned topics. I would have thought more the 60's setting instead of the 90's because of their choice and frequency of their drug and alcohol use/abuse. The story is a cathartic retelling of events that led to great tragedy and resolution of his inner conflict with religion. Very descriptive and great dialogue, however it was quite full of expletives, sex and bodily functions --some of which could have been glossed over or omitted altogether. Quite a bit more than I am accustomed to reading and if you can't tolerate expletives,crass behavior and over the top drug/alcohol use , don't read this book!
I received this book as a complimentary copy for an unbiased review.. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Terrie Case · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a coming of age story about a group of boys who are graduating college. As one last hurrah, they are going white water rafting before they have to grow up. Being incredibly immature, the boys have lived carefree, pulling pranks some of which are mean. They have bullied others and done things they are no longer proud of.

During the trip, there are many debates about politics and religion. The boys reveal feelings regarding racial beliefs. Tragedy brings the positive and negatives of their lives into crystal clear view.

This is a well written book. It contains dark humor, typical male bonding antics and serious contemporary topics. Some portions are difficult to read as the boys have no concern for the consequences of their behavior.

I recommend this book. Be aware going into it that some of the topics will be unpleasant and evoke strong emotions in the reader.


I received an ARC from Greenleaf Book Group through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Senior year in college is about to end so 5 young men decide on one last rafting trip to bond and enjoy before they have to become grownups in a business world they have no interest in joining. The amount of drugs & alcohol used is astounding. The raft trip without the booze, etc would be dangerous enough, but with minds totally fogged, it is beyond dangerous, beyond stupid.

"Legs" is the one we hear the most from and the story of his graduation alone is enough to make a parent cringe beyond words. He does have some regrets, mostly on how he let down his Black friend, the same friend who is being treated poorly by another of the 5 and subjected to racism. Should Legs intervene? Kind of hard to do when you are blotto.

A story I didn't think would be very good at first, turned into one I was glad I read. Though I can't relate to any of it, I'm glad to have read it. Thanks NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Cristina Trowbridge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Five young men go on a camping trip after college graduation – one last hurrah before setting down with full time jobs and their final transition to adulthood. But in the midst of all of the drinking, pot smoking, and shrooming (not to mention the endless debates on various socioeconomic topics—wordy, whew!), one of them dies, impacting each of them in ways they never could’ve imagined. I wanted to like this book, yet all of the sarcastic, over-the-top commentary, along with such an excess of drinking and drugs (even the worst of my friends were never anywhere near this bad), turned me off. Broken record: I don’t generally like books if I don’t like the main characters. This one was no different.
NOTE: Special thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cristina Trowbridge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Five young men go on a camping trip after college graduation – one last hurrah before setting down with full time jobs and their final transition to adulthood. But in the midst of all of the drinking, pot smoking, and shrooming (not to mention the endless debates on various socioeconomic topics—wordy, whew!), one of them dies, impacting each of them in ways they never could’ve imagined. I wanted to like this book, yet all of the sarcastic, over-the-top commentary, along with such an excess of drinking and drugs (even the worst of my friends were never anywhere near this bad), turned me off. Broken record: I don’t generally like books if I don’t like the main characters. This one was no different.
NOTE: Special thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Legs Hamilton and his four friends have just graduated from college and take a rafting trip in Texas as a last hurrah before settling into the real world.

When I first started this book, I was kinda bored by the frat boy drinking and drugs use. It was getting to the point of irritation. The guys talked about religion and racism and the conversations got quite intense. Throw in a few rafting adventures when they hit the rapids and that made it a bit more interesting.

Ir wasn't until tragedy strikes that the book got more interesting and held my attention.

I did enjoy how the author wrapped up the ending by showing how his life moved forward after that trip.

[Sharon S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Believable, conversational, goofy, shocking.

The cover is intriguing and matches the plot perfectly. I want to say there is some aspects of this story some people could find offensive. The story is blunt in many ways describing the relationship between a group of young boys. Difficult topics of racism, death, alcoholism, religion are discussed in detail.

The book is easy to read and covers deep emotional topics. I recommend it as to read, but with caution because of the emotionally blunt topics covered.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m grateful to have received an eARC from NetGalley. I enjoyed the storyline of this book immensely. It follows Brian “Legs” Hamilton and his closest friends through an adventure following their college graduation. I struggled to really love Brain. His crassness and indelicate manner of relating his story were difficult at times to read, though I do believe in this lies the true beauty of the book. I believe this accurately captures the personality of an early 20’s post-college male out with his buddies. I’d recommend this book, but warn that there is some crassness and graphic events.

[Mary Ann Kapacs · Rating 4 out of 5]

College is over and the last great trip among friends is about to take place. It is a strange gathering. Outcasts or losers ? Odd group. I can't believe they actually graduated. The drugs and alcohol abuse is astounding. Still the trip sounds like an interesting one. The route sounds so beautiful. I could picture the river from the description. Calm one minute. Scary another. The one person I felt who was actually a good person didn't make it. I was pulling for him. I liked this book. The writer gives a good description of things. Easy read.

[Thomas Lennek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drugs, beer, float trip, what could possibly go wrong? I won this book on Good Reads. When "Legs" Hamilton and his four fellow college graduate buddies embark on a last trip before entering the world of work, they are trying to recover from the rigors of college educational life, circa 1997. Starting with Hamilton's graduation adventure, things go downhill from there. The Rio Grande River provides the backdrop as the young men confront realities they hadn't experienced previously. Read this book if you want to experience a "different" coming of age story. Be sure to buckle up if you do.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew Hiley has given us a cast of characters that most of us would recognize as someone we know. These characters have followed their planned lives and will soon graduate college and move on to LIFE. At this point in their lives, they are considered adults, but their behavior during the story's events will leave readers questioning their maturity. The story line borrows from a few others I've read but the characters are unique while the consequences they will face are too often repeated. An outstanding book that will most definitely make a block buster movie!

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story felt a lot like reading a frat boy memoir.

One last hurrah before entering real life, the friends head out to a favorite spot. One bad decision after another leads to the irrevocable ending.

I finished the book but it took me a little bit longer than usual. I was having a hard time in my life at the time I read this, so I wasn’t as invested in the story as I would have liked or could have possibly been. I don’t know if that was why I kept getting aggravated with the characters or if they really were that bad.

I do recommend this book.

[Cori · Rating 5 out of 5]

#HubrisFalls #Netgalley #bookstagram #bookreview #matthewshiley this book was a phenomenal read. It's a group of four friends. The main character tells us the story thru his eyes. The friends talk of politics, race, friendship. After graduating college they decide to go on a rafting trip what happens during this trip is something no one could have predicted. It's definitely a must read. Even though it's set on 1997 I feel as if these issues could be set on present time.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my. I laughed, I cried. I understood the anguish.
This is a great coming of age story not to be missed.
A cadre of young men leave college and take a rafting trip that involves copious amounts of alcohol and drugs and yet that is not the big story...the big story is how they all gain insight into their lives, and unfortunately share in a tragedy as well.
I will read more from this author.
Highly recommend.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS BOOK! The slightly offbeat adventure/thriller had a slight twang of Fear and Loathing coupled with the a river adventure that culminates in a deadly finale. A fast paced ride with a bit of drug induced existentialism thrown in to boot this novel grabs you by the ‘figurative ‘balls’ and doesn’t let go till the very end. Do yourself a favour and read it.

[Ashley Reel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was awful. The only reason I finished it was to see if any of the characters had any redeemable qualities or growth. Nope. This book is about a bunch of pretentious frat boy assholes, nothing else. It’s marketed about bullying, ya... I’d bully these assholes too. Race is also center of this story but it’s only addresses the issue at a surface level ... the effort is not genuine.

[Ives Phillips · Rating 1 out of 5]

This read like something a fan of Eric Andre would've written as a parody of Beat generation literature: an attempt has been made to be humorously offensive and thought-provoking, but it wasn't achieved. It was so dull that I wished that someone in this story would be killed off, and after 29 chapters that could have been easily combined into 5, I gave up.

[Teresa Lavender · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this here on goodreads. I have to admit that I had a hard time relating and getting hooked by this novel. I am sure it is because I am not a college age male. Once we hit the part about the "incident" I couldn't put it down. Very well written. The characters were very well developed. So much of this novel seems timely in it's multiple themes - politics, racism to name a few.

[Fran · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Please tell me this guy isn’t about to start preaching.” This line from the book was the funniest because the entire book was one long lecture/sermon....with the occasional bit of action, coarse language and gross locker-room humor sprinkled in. Some may find this moving. I found it it pompous.

[Fran · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Please tell me this guy isn’t about to start preaching.” This line from the book was the funniest because the entire book was one long lecture/sermon....with the occasional bit of action, coarse language and gross locker-room humor sprinkled in. Some may find this moving. I found it it pompous.

[Aisha-Kimberly Hashmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story I did not at all expect! This book was written well, and I loved the storyline and characters. Very detailed and I really cannot recommend it enough! The twist and turns kept me engrossed, and I will be looking for more from this author.