Son of Simon

by Thomas Fincham

A woman from his past will lead a married man down a path of no return. What if everything you knew was a lie? Simon Harris has a perfect life. A beautiful wife, a successful business, and all the trappings that come with money. After a brutal attack that leaves him bloodied and bruised, Simon is approached by a woman he has not seen in twenty years. What she tells him will changes his life forever. Detective Helen Sloan is months away from retirement. She wants nothing more than to wrap up one last case before she hangs up her badge and gun. A simple investigation of a dead body found next to a bus shelter leaves Helen with more questions than answers. How can a single lie change the course of so many lives? And who is the mysterious man that connects Simon and Helen to a crime that happened years ago? SON OF SIMON is a jaw-dropping page-turner about revenge , loss , and redemption . Fans of James Patterson, Harlan Coben, and David Baldacci will love this book!
Praise for Thomas Fincham : ★★★★★ “ James Patterson look out.” ★★★★★ “Type faster Mr. Fincham !” ★★★★★ “I LOVE a good mystery and this is a good one. I TOTALLY ENJOYED the journey. I will definitely look for more books by Thomas Fincham .” ★★★★★ “Another good one by Mr. Fincham ! I recently "discovered" his work and love his books! This book certainly did not disappoint.” ★★★★★ “It's beyond 5 stars once you get into the book it's Unstoppable total page-turner thank you Thomas Fincham .” ★★★★★ “Was up until 6 AM finishing this book because I could not put it down. I will definitely be reading more books by Mr. Fincham .” ★★★★★ “Deff. Patterson style, kept me on the edge of my seat, going to read rest of series.” ★★★★★ “Thank you so much Mr Fincham. ” ★★★★★ “This is my first Fincham book, but certainly not the last!” ★★★★★ “I have read everything Thomas Fincham has written.”

Genres: Mystery

461 pages, Paperback

Published February 21, 2021

About the author

pen name for Mobashar Qureshi

THOMAS FINCHAM holds a graduate degree in Economics. His travels throughout the world have given him an appreciation for other cultures and beliefs. He has lived in Africa, Asia, and North America. An avid reader of mysteries and thrillers, he decided to give writing a try. Several novels later, he can honestly say he has found his calling. He is married with two kids, and he lives in a hundred-year-old house. He is the author of LEE CALLAWAY series, the HYDER ALI series, the MARTIN RHODES series, and the ECHO ROSE series.

Reviews

[Kathi Defranc]

This book...I believe this is the Best Book I have read in quite some time! It is a thriller, a crime story...But also the change of life for a young man...He is a very good man, working in his family's company, taking over losing companies and turning them around...Often selling them for a large amount of money...But he sees the sadness in former owners, those who started their company and grew it from hard work and giving it their all...Nothing takes away their pain...No amount of money...He has a wife he adores, all he could want...But it suddenly changes when he learns something his Mother and Brother kept from him years ago...This devastates the man, but the pain and hurt increase immensely when he learns his wonderful wife Also lied to him...About something he wanted so much...
Meanwhile a young man with a very ill Mom is fired from his construction job...What will he do now! His Mom needs her medication, which is very expensive...She raised him alone, working several jobs to keep them with food and a roof over their head...He will do Anything...A friend introduces him to Leo...A man with his own agenda, a man who is hard, street-smart, and can offer this boy lots of money...But he is cunning and cruel, taking a picture at a scene when the boy chickens out...A picture that looks like the boy killed a man...Now the boy is on a dangerous course he can Not get out of...Until he meets the company man...And life turns stranger than ever...
A fascinating story with characters you totally understand, scenes that come alive, as you feel a part of all going on! I received an ARC from the author and offer You my honest thoughts and feelings in this review. A story everyone should read!!!

[Ida White]

Long tedious book

No reader needs that much descriptive narrative. It could have been a much better book without that, instead it is just another book trying for another twisted ending.

[Kate Philbin]

Plot had potential. The writing was repetitive to the point of not fully developing the characters or even a setting. The author wrote in a very simplistic manner and gave silly, unnecessary details that made it a quick, yet boring read. Needed editing….my copy had typos and a missing period. I did not care for the formatting (some pages had one paragraph or a few sentences then went to the next page within the same chapter). The publishing and writing style took away from the story. Distracting. 1.5 stars.

[Judi Haley]

Wow, what a great book. I didn't put it down until I finished it!!

This one had it all. Detective Helen Sloan is getting ready to retire after years on the force. She has one last case and then she is done. She is assigned a case of a man found dead on a park bench. On this case, her boss wants her to take on a partner, Michael. Then you have Simon Harris, who is a partner with his brother in an investment firm. He is not happy about the way things are going and they way things are handled.

Cole is a young man, trying to make a living to give his mother the money to have a life saving brain surgery. But, will he do anything to get money, even put his life in danger?

So how do they all fit together? Well they will in a way that will be surprising. Don't miss this one, suspense, mystery and I did not figure this one out!!!!

[Bella]

This book was a very enjoyable way to spend a few hours.

I didn't care for the very short chapters and the plain writing style, but that was to be expected since my favorite author is Faulkner. I didn't feel let down, and I didn't deduct one star simply because the author's writing style was not my favorite.

I deducted one star because I felt the book needed some filling out. The characterization, in my opinion, was shallow (I really didn't feel I knew anyone), and it took me quite some time to figure out where the story was taking place. For a while, I didn't even know if it was the US, Canada, or the UK. (It's the US, by the way.)

Where the author really excelled was in the plot. Even though I didn't feel I got to know any of the characters well, the need to know what happened next kept me turning pages. And, along with many other reviewers, I never would have guessed that very surprising twist at the end. A little sad, but still, believable.

This isn't a great book, but it's a good one. It won't live on in your memory for years to come, but it won't disappoint, either. It's a great beach or plane read because it's very fast moving and once the story gets started, it is engrossing. I wouldn't call it a mystery, though. It belongs more to the crime genre, maybe suspense. But not mystery, even though the book does center around a "who dun it."

If I have the time, I might read more of this author's work, especially during my long, long airline flights across the Atlantic or the Pacific. If you see this book in an airport bookshop, I highly recommend picking it up.

[The Humble Jess]

No no no no no 🙈🙈🙈🙈

FIRST of all, I figured out the whole book by 38% through. Didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Geesh. This was too easy. too easy like a 5th frader could read this book and figure it out. Lol, I'm not kidding.

Second, the writing wasn't for me. Everyone has their writing techniques but most Authors kind of stick to one thing. James Patterson, Mary Burton, JD Barker...Grisham...etc. The author Thomas made it different. I hated it. It was annoying. So for his chapters he named them, which would be fine except he wrote it in second person. For example: Cole. And then under the name the author put..
He went into the jewelry store..... not I. I went into the jewelry store and saw the saleswoman. Or I talked to the sales woman. The author put HE not I.
It made me really confused. Like who is HE...oh wait, he as in Cole, gotcha. It was weird.

Third, there was too much noise. For example,the characters were always talking to themselves for what seems like forever. 💤 😴 . What about keeping it simple next time ehh? Short and sweet like most crime dramas. Having a short convo to yourself is one thing but then dragging it on.....noooooo.

Last note: this may be a classic who done it but to me, it wasn't written well. It wasn't a thriller. No suspense. I figured it out easy. The writing wasn't for me, it was weird. So I'm going to leave a 1 star. How this has 4 stars, I am lost 😕. Y'all don't know a good crime drama when you see one haha.
The author tried. I will give him credit for that and maybe his next book will be better. Kudos ✌

[S McK]

Out of sight, out of mind!

This seemed to be a story with 3 distinct elements. Helen and Michael's police investigations; Leo and Cole's test of loyalty, driven by his mum's poor health; Gabe and Simon's business dealings.
How wrong could I be?

The characters were great, fit their roles well and left me rooting for some and swearing at others. The twists and turns, the deceit and revenge, with family lies exposed, I couldn't put it down! Best book so far this year!

I had some kerching moments as the penny dropped during the book and the plot unfolded. Tying up loose ends, is an understatement in this book

A real kick in the teeth at the end, which I didn't see coming at all, wow! Thomas really knows how to end a book.

[karin whitehead]

Son of Simon

An excellent mystery of crime and suspense! Great characters, great plot, and lots of clues! But, I never saw the end coming! Well done, Thomas Fincham You have hooked me!!

[Rebecca Cochran]

Twisted mystery with multiple characters, a family betrayal, a so found and a police officer involved with perpetrator.
Recommend to read but keep chapter and characters straight!

[Judy]

WOW!!!!!! A lot of characters..... had a little trouble keeping track. BUT...... after saying that. It was a GREAT BOOK. A surprising finish!!!!

[Madeline Margraves]

A real page turner

Don’t expect to read this at bedtime.....yo will stay up all night. I couldn’t put it down! Never could solve the mystery myself. Great book!

[Marlene]

Detective Helen Sloan has one last case and then she can retire after years on the force. She is assigned the case of a man found dead on a park bench with a beer bottle in his hand. Helen likes working solo but her boss wants her to work with Michael, a young detective, and show him the ropes. When another man goes missing after a fishing trip with three other friends, Helen and Michael have a serious investigation on their hands.

Simon Harris and his brother are partners in a profitable family investment firm that turns around failing companies but he is troubled by the end results. Simon comes to a crossroad when he learns that years ago, his mother and brother kept a secret from him and his wife has lied to him.

Cole, a young man, with a very ill mother needs to work in order to purchase her expensive medication. When Cole is fired from his construction job he is devastated and in his desperation becomes entangled with Leo, a hard, street smart man who manipulates Cole with ready cash. Cole soon finds himself in a no win situation with no way out. When Simon, a stranger to Cole, intervenes on his behalf and shares shocking information, Cole’s life is turned upside down.

This uniquely written thriller, crime story is fast moving and engrossing once the story gets started. It’s a tightly written mystery with well defined characters and a compelling plot with plenty of twists and turns where deceit, revenge and family lies are exposed. I highly recommend this fascinating book with separate story lines that masterfully merge into an unexpected and surprising conclusion that I did not figure out.

[R.E. E. Derouin]

Son of Simon by Thomas Fincham 5/20/2023 Kindle

Detective Helen Sloan, approaching retirement, becomes involved in a murder investigation when a body is discovered in a bus waiting area. This is only one of several plots that take time to blend together. There is an earlier happening that has a major impact on current times, and a fired employee, trying to support his ill parent. While parts of this book were interesting, I had trouble with the way it jumped around. It seemed in need of some editing as well.

Yes, I finished reading it, but don’t feel I could recommend it to others.

[Alex Howard]

A Seriously Excellent Who-Done-It!

Back to minimalism ...

This was a completely compelling and fascinating book. I count it as one of the best detective stories I've read in a whle. Maybe ever!

No gimmicks, no glitz, no special effects, so to speak; just a tightly written novel, with well defined characters, a plot with plenty of twists and turns, and a satisfying ending.

As the old commercial used to say, "Try it; you'll like it."

[Maureen McDermott]

Twist Ending or Convenient Wrap Up?

I didn't predict the ending. It was a surprise, but it didn't change this from being a hokey tale. Few characters don't break down crying. I'm an empath, but this isn't realistic. Neither is someone having a large growing tumor for months being ok bc of surgery. Otherwise people I know wouldn't be dead or living on borrowed time. But it tied the story in a ribbon I guess.

[Abbie]

Shocking mystery

Thomas Fincham continues to impress me and I'm sure glad. This novel was pure entertainment at it's grittiest.

The world of crime we live in in our society is scary but what if the people sworn to defend and protect you are the ones doing the crimes? It is only fair to say that everyone has their breaking point.

[DebMc]

Fantastic Story

At times I was unsure how all the characters would finally mesh together...but I was rewarded in the end. And what an end it was!! I am so thankful the author wrote a longer, stand-alone novel this time. It was certainly worth the extra hour or two to reach the conclusion! Thanks for a great read.

[Allison]

Lots of Twists and Turns

This was an entertaining mystery with a number of surprises. I would have given it 5 stars if the writing had been better. Unfortunately, much of it was rather awkward with lots of unnecessary repetition. Oh well, you can’t have it all. If you read fast, the bad writing won’t keep you from an enjoyable time.

[Mary Rowe]

Another gut-wrencher of a different variety

The tales is told through the eyes of several characters. Each one has a unique mindset and set of circumstances leading to the startling beginning of the book.

At the moment, the emotional impact of this story was overwhelming and for that reason I didn’t care for it.

[Donna]

This is a great book, full of twists and turns, but I certainly didn’t see the last one coming til it sprung up on me. An excellent read and I certainly couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended, just a shame it’s a one-off.

[Barbara Williams]

Left field ending

Another good read from Mr. Fincham. This was different, with a different type of writing style and most especially a different type of ending. Not one you would expect .

[Linda Clemons]

What an enthralling story

This is the first book I’ve read by Thomas Fincham but it surely won’t be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed the interweaving of the characters and the plot twists. If you rea$ it you won’t be dissatisfied.

[Julie R]

Another great novel from Thomas Fincham

Murder, revenge and secrets. Corporate fraud, lies and hate make for thrilling reading. This one had several plot twists that I never saw coming! Loved it

[Rebecca C Friedman]

totally engrossing

I would have read it in one sitting if my eyes were better! Fincham’s characters are always wonderful, loveable and despised. The story is fast paced and weaves beautifully, with a great surprise at the end!

[Caroline Malanga]

This book was way too long and the writing style felt awkward and unnatural - like it needed to be more descriptive. That said, the story itself had all the right elements of a mystery, was easy to follow & wrapped up nicely at the end. 3.5 stars rounded down.

[Barbara]

Son of Simon

I have to say, I haven’t read mystery’s in several years. This was one that reminded me that I like this genre of books. And what a twist at the end! Didn’t see that coming… Good read!

[Tammy Lorcher]

Holy twists and turns

Well I cant say I saw that ending. Ever. Such a great read. Mr. Fincham is on my favorites list. There are only 5.

[Catherine Baird]

100% Brilliant

What a book. Totally gripped from start to finish. What an ending, did not expect it even guess!! Totally, highly recommended. Will not disappoint

[Carolyn]

A real page turner! Kept me up late to finish.

[Amy L Vail]

Wonderful read

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys unexpected endings. The writer kept my interest throughout the entire book. Never a dull moment for sure.