JoeyPinkney.com Book Review
Scattered Lies 3
by Madison
5 of 5 Stars
Scattered Lies 3, by Madison, ties up the twists and turns that left readers panting for more after reading Scattered Lies and Scattered Lies 2. Although this installment in the Scattered Lies series functions as the grand finale, this book does so by continuing that give-you-more-than-you-can-take intensity that Madison exhibited in the first two books. There is more to learn about Greg, Gabrielle, Denise, Tony and Morgan. And what you learn will make you shake your head in astonishment.
From thug to corporate thug to real estate mogul/devoted wife/loving mother, Denise Johnson, nee Taylor, has been through enough experiences, both good and bad, for a dozen lives. Now she s a wife and mother of two children. The last thing she needs is a reason to clean the guns and go back to working “off the clock”. Easier said than done… Will her husband Derrick ever figure out the stone-cold killer he started a family with?
Greg Brightman is finally free from prison and settling into his legitimate lifestyle now devoid of the criminal elements that he is respected for. Cool, calm and collected is a cliche that doesn’t do his demeanor justice. He knows the game of street like the knows the game of business, and he proceeds through both meticulously. Will Greg be able to connect all the dots that lead to his release from prison? Will there more lives on the line if and when he finds out?
Greg’s wife Gabrielle is nothing short of the perfect wife for Greg – in more ways than even he knows. While she maintains her thriving law practice, her motherhood and being a faithful wife, she struggles with her parents’ separation after 39 years of marriage and the secrets that will tumble their house of cards. Is there more to her parents’ marriage than she thought she already realized?
Tony Flowers plans on winding down his multi-million dollar entertainment career and settling down with the woman and children he loves. Problem: He married to Morgan, the woman that he raped when she was 14, who is also Denise’s niece. Although he has matured as a family man, he has what can only be surmised as unresolved mental health issues. Second problem: He’s also married to his multi-million dollar media darling Christina Carrington. Will he get served his share of bad karma? Or will he dodge the bullet, literally?
Morgan Flowers, nee Marciano, has been raped and abused. Instead of going to the Ivy League schools that vied for her attention right after high school, she instead opts to attend NYU and take care of her two children. Her feeling for her husband Tony changes from pure terror to an undying love as he becomes loving father to their children. From the houses to the cars to the private islands and trips around the world, Morgan can only enjoy Tony in secrecy. Will Morgan wise up and leave her abuser? Or will Morgan and Tony live happily ever after?
What makes Scattered Lies such a great series is the superb use of suspense. Sometimes characters were so close to the truth of a situation you read to see if they will see it. Lies that were scattered throughout the first two books in the series make the explosive content of Scattered Lies 3 inevitable. Unlike the first two books, Scattered Lies 3 is not best read as a standalone book. The Scattered Lies series is like a great gangster soap opera, and you have to know the beginnings to really get the full impact of the endings.
The characters that are so intricate that a movie made from the Scattered Lies Series couldn’t possibly do the books justice. Excuse me for hating beforehand, but this is a story that require all of the dialogue, character development and scenery that can only be created within the mind of a reader that is visualizing the constant connections that Madison reveals in this tangled web of ruthless living by characters who can’t be bland to save their lives.
When people criticize Urban Lit as not having any redeeming qualities, someone needs to point them to Greg Brightman. Throughout Scattered Lies 3, Greg spread an over-arching wisdom to younger characters enamored to street life. Instead of being flashy with his money and power, he warns of the violence and jealousy being a spectacle brings. He further explained that he keeps a low-profile not to be a loner, but to have better control of his environment. In another situation, a rapper offers Greg the opportunity to have sex with some of his beautiful groupies in a nightclub that Greg owns. Instead of jumping at the opportunity, he explains the merit in avoiding the headaches and hassles of sex for sex’s sake. He points out the fact that he didn’t spend his time getting out of prison to be with the wife he loves to throw it away for a young woman who wasn’t going to stand the test of time. These lessons and more infuses a literary element that disproves the poor writing with which Urban Lit has been stereotyped.
Scattered Lies 3 is full of anti-heroes. Denise is always two steps away from needing to go get the band back together, meaning getting her guns. Greg is very conscious of how his past of building his empire from street money may require him to go back to basics to handle unfinished business. Gabrielle has done some stuff behind Greg’s back that will definitely change their relationship if known by Greg. The way Madison interweaves the lies and lives of all the characters keeps the story moving at a frenetic pace.
If a single character had to be pointed out as a true villain, it would be Tony. And he cuts no slack in this installment of Scattered Lies. The train wreck known as the relationships Tony Flowers has with Christina and Morgan chugs along in this story with the unstoppable force of a mile-long locomotive. The mental and physical torture that Tony separately puts Christina and Morgan through is so vile, they overshadow his insecurities and shortcomings are equally vivid. He is the character you love to hate.
After reading Scattered Lies 3, Madison’s fan of this series may finally be able to breathe a breath of relief. There were a few minor editing errors, but those errors did not slow down the action. If you love escapism into a world that is full of power struggles, back stabbing, secret relationships, exotic locations and abandoned warehouses, the Scattered Lies series is perfect getaway. And Scattered Lies 3 is the perfect end cap to the whirlwind of lies, deceit, forbidden love, suspense and violence.
JoeyPinkey.com Book Review of Scattered Lies
JoeyPinkey.com Book Review of Scattered Lies II
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