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[(The Root of All Evil)] [By (author) Mrs Sonya C Dodd] published on
Lily seemed to have it a beautiful house, good job and loving boyfriend, Daniel. However, her life is turned upside down when she discovers Daniel in bed with another woman. Hurt and humiliated, Lily struggles to find a purpose to her life without Daniel by her side and when he tries to show her how remorseful he feels, she finds her former resolve to remain strong crumbling away.With her feelings for Daniel still in turmoil, Lily receives a visit from the police informing her of the death of her parents. Needing Daniel’s support now more than ever, Lily attempts to come to terms with her sudden loss and hopes that the imminent return of her estranged brother, Simon, will go some way towards helping her to rebuild her life.Unfortunately for Lily, Simon is not quite what she was expecting and she soon becomes suspicious of his strange behaviour. Undeterred by his denials and even the proof of a DNA test, Lily fights to discover the truth about Simon’s existence in Mexico and soon finds herself embroiled in a world filled with blackmail and drugs.When Simon returns to Mexico, he quickly learns that his life is in danger and with the help of the American authorities escapes his persecutors only to discover that he is expected to testify in a court of law against one of Mexico’s most notorious drug barons.Supposedly dead, and under FBI protection, Simon questions his resolve and has to discover a braver side to his nature than he ever knew existed if he is to survive and be reunited with his sister.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
10 people want to read
About the author
Sonya C. Dodd
24 books46 followersSonya C. Dodd was born in Norfolk, England and still lives there today with her two sons: Hugo and Branwell.
Although Sonya has been writing for a number of years, she only recently began to publish her writing.
Sonya writes in a number of genres including: romance, supernatural and thriller. Sonya has also written a number of short stories.
Although Sonya has been writing for a number of years, she only recently began to publish her writing.
Sonya writes in a number of genres including: romance, supernatural and thriller. Sonya has also written a number of short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 21, 2013
An original and fascinating thriller which easily flits from murder and mayhem to scenes of domestic normality where ordinary people suddenly have to confront extraordinary events and threats. The story is told from different perspectives and by different characters, but holds together through the author’s narrative skill. The story is centred on a brother and sister, Simon and Lily, as they learn to deal with the consequences of Simon’s slide into a Mexican morass of drugs cartels and vicious thugs. Lily learns to confront her suspicions head-on and face issues of assumed identity and physical menace, while Simon is let loose into a world of shoot-outs, drug dealers and witness protection. The author expertly ratchets up the tension and keeps us on the edge of our seats. One not to be missed.
September 16, 2013
What I really like about Sonya Dodd’s books are her unique plots, the unexpected twists and turns, and complexity of characters – all of that makes them engaging, realistic and lets them stand out from many formulaic books out there (including formulaic books written by some famous writers). If you just look at the sample pages, you will be drawn into this story by the very first scene in the prologue. As I read it, I wondered what happened to Marie and if there was foul play involved.
As the story continues, we meet Lily who seems to be an ordinary young woman going about her life, concerned with easy-to-relate-to issues: relationship problems, her friendship with Trish, and dealing with a boss who turns out not to be as gentlemanly as she imagined him to be. This setup helps draw the readers in and makes Lily’s character very appealing. But beyond this façade of normalcy, there is a darker problem that worries her. She has lost touch with her brother Simon and feels a mixture of sadness and guilt about that lost family connection.
And then, things really get exciting. A tragedy in the family leads to a complicated inheritance problem, doubts about a family member’s identity, a frightening blackmail scheme, and dangerous involvement with Mexican drug lords that Lily has no control over.
The book is beautifully written, with just the right balance of dialogue, actions, descriptions, and reflections. Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed is that it presents the story from two different perspectives: Lily’s and Simon’s, and that’s engaging and thought-provoking, making the readers delve deeper into the underlying psychological issues. A great read. Definitely recommended.
As the story continues, we meet Lily who seems to be an ordinary young woman going about her life, concerned with easy-to-relate-to issues: relationship problems, her friendship with Trish, and dealing with a boss who turns out not to be as gentlemanly as she imagined him to be. This setup helps draw the readers in and makes Lily’s character very appealing. But beyond this façade of normalcy, there is a darker problem that worries her. She has lost touch with her brother Simon and feels a mixture of sadness and guilt about that lost family connection.
And then, things really get exciting. A tragedy in the family leads to a complicated inheritance problem, doubts about a family member’s identity, a frightening blackmail scheme, and dangerous involvement with Mexican drug lords that Lily has no control over.
The book is beautifully written, with just the right balance of dialogue, actions, descriptions, and reflections. Another aspect of the book that I enjoyed is that it presents the story from two different perspectives: Lily’s and Simon’s, and that’s engaging and thought-provoking, making the readers delve deeper into the underlying psychological issues. A great read. Definitely recommended.
April 27, 2014
This book employs an unusual technique; it has two first person narratives. As it turns out, this results in something like two books. Lily narrates (about forty percent of the book) a story of domestic arrangements, betrayal, flirtations, etc. Then her very wealthy parents die in an "accident" and her brother Simon appears to claim his inheritance.The next forty percent is Simon's story, his estrangement from the family, his fall through bad company and illegal activities into a desperate situation.
I found Lily's narrative mildly interesting though somewhat cliched: rich girl, artistic boyfriend working on his masterpiece while living with her on her salary and in the house her father bought for her, etc. There were some touching moments when boyfriend is contrite and works on being forgiven.
Simon's story is more related to the title. The author picks up the pace so that elements of a thriller appear. But Simon's indignation over aspects of his rescue and arguments with his rescuers seem to me to over-reach. It is a strain above all to the writer's otherwise smooth writing. It is a relief to turn to the final twenty percent of the book in which Simon declares to Lily his intention to do something worthwhile with his life.
I found Lily's narrative mildly interesting though somewhat cliched: rich girl, artistic boyfriend working on his masterpiece while living with her on her salary and in the house her father bought for her, etc. There were some touching moments when boyfriend is contrite and works on being forgiven.
Simon's story is more related to the title. The author picks up the pace so that elements of a thriller appear. But Simon's indignation over aspects of his rescue and arguments with his rescuers seem to me to over-reach. It is a strain above all to the writer's otherwise smooth writing. It is a relief to turn to the final twenty percent of the book in which Simon declares to Lily his intention to do something worthwhile with his life.
November 10, 2013
"The Root of All Evil" by Sonya Dodd is a surprisingly solid thriller with psychological depth and strong plotting.
What seems like the story of a fortunate rich girl in love with a boyfriend who is taking a little advantage is unhinged by the prologue that seems to foretell a murder and I was waiting for it to cross the story line.
Then her parents die, her brother will come back into her life and things take unexpected turns from there, with darker tones and themes. The main characters are very well written and are fascinating through an excellent portrayal of underlying psychological issues and the well chosen pov. A great read.
What seems like the story of a fortunate rich girl in love with a boyfriend who is taking a little advantage is unhinged by the prologue that seems to foretell a murder and I was waiting for it to cross the story line.
Then her parents die, her brother will come back into her life and things take unexpected turns from there, with darker tones and themes. The main characters are very well written and are fascinating through an excellent portrayal of underlying psychological issues and the well chosen pov. A great read.
March 19, 2014
The Root of All Evil by Sonya C. Dodd is a romantic thriller about a twenty-something woman, Lily Sutherland, the relationship troubles with her artist boyfriend Daniel, and her efforts to reunite with her estranged brother Simon.
The first half of the story covers Lily’s tribulations with her live-in boyfriend and the typical family stresses of disapproving parents. A shocking plane crash kills her folks and forces a bereft Lily to cope with estate matters. Her long-lost older brother must fly in from Mexico to sign papers, and Lily hopes this is a chance to reconnect with him. But something does not sit right when she finally meets Simon. It may have been ten years since they last saw each other, but something is fishy. In fact, Lily is convinced this doppelgänger is not her brother at all.
The Root of All Evil has several satisfying elements; the best is my annoyance at Lily’s reactions to her cheating boyfriend. Love makes people do puzzling things, and the lack of Lily’s outrage at Daniel made for a fascinating contrast with an otherwise strong and outspoken woman. Not to give a spoiler here, but the resolution to the relationship conflicts had me guessing, and surprised me at the end.
The second half of the story told Simon’s side and explained much about his separation from the family. His slide into the seedy life, the tangle with a drug lord to get Simon’s considerable inheritance, and his fight to get his life back is admirable.
The story was an enjoyable diversion, although at times filled with too much narrative backstory and could do with more dialogue and action. The Root of All Evil is a recommended read for romantic thriller fans.
The first half of the story covers Lily’s tribulations with her live-in boyfriend and the typical family stresses of disapproving parents. A shocking plane crash kills her folks and forces a bereft Lily to cope with estate matters. Her long-lost older brother must fly in from Mexico to sign papers, and Lily hopes this is a chance to reconnect with him. But something does not sit right when she finally meets Simon. It may have been ten years since they last saw each other, but something is fishy. In fact, Lily is convinced this doppelgänger is not her brother at all.
The Root of All Evil has several satisfying elements; the best is my annoyance at Lily’s reactions to her cheating boyfriend. Love makes people do puzzling things, and the lack of Lily’s outrage at Daniel made for a fascinating contrast with an otherwise strong and outspoken woman. Not to give a spoiler here, but the resolution to the relationship conflicts had me guessing, and surprised me at the end.
The second half of the story told Simon’s side and explained much about his separation from the family. His slide into the seedy life, the tangle with a drug lord to get Simon’s considerable inheritance, and his fight to get his life back is admirable.
The story was an enjoyable diversion, although at times filled with too much narrative backstory and could do with more dialogue and action. The Root of All Evil is a recommended read for romantic thriller fans.
November 11, 2013
The Root of All Evil has a really dark cover and title, but to be honest it isn’t that much of a dark story. Well, it’s starts off very dark and then in chapter one we are introduced to Lily. She’s a normal woman living in London with a deadbeat artist boyfriend named Daniel. Her boyfriend transforms a lot throughout the story, doing some good and bad.
We also get to meet her friends and a man named Andrew aka the rich, cocky dude who’s in love with her. I thought his character would play a bigger role in a romantic way but surprisingly the author had other plans for him.
After a grave event, Lily’s brother Simon returns to her life after ten years. He brings all the mystery and drama into the story and eventually becomes the main focus. His plot takes over the story up until the ending. The author does a good job of reconnecting Simon and Lily’s plot, overall giving us a clear and logical ending.
I wasn’t a big fan of how the story was broken up into three Parts but I guess it was done to smoothly transition from one main character to another. This is another book I’ve read that dives into many genres. Some authors butcher the attempt but this author did a really good job stepping in and out of multiple genres. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.
We also get to meet her friends and a man named Andrew aka the rich, cocky dude who’s in love with her. I thought his character would play a bigger role in a romantic way but surprisingly the author had other plans for him.
After a grave event, Lily’s brother Simon returns to her life after ten years. He brings all the mystery and drama into the story and eventually becomes the main focus. His plot takes over the story up until the ending. The author does a good job of reconnecting Simon and Lily’s plot, overall giving us a clear and logical ending.
I wasn’t a big fan of how the story was broken up into three Parts but I guess it was done to smoothly transition from one main character to another. This is another book I’ve read that dives into many genres. Some authors butcher the attempt but this author did a really good job stepping in and out of multiple genres. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.
November 12, 2013
I have to say that right from the prologue, I was intrigued by this story. It captured my attention immediately.
This story captures family relationships, a bit of romance, but mostly action and suspense.
The Root of All Evil kept my attention. Although I wasn't too impressed with Lily, I definitely enjoyed reading Simon's story. He was no doubt the more interesting sibling.
Speaking of interesting, I'd love to read more about Andrew James. Personally, I think Lily picked the wrong guy, as her boyfriend, Daniel does nothing for me. I would love for the author to write a separate story with Andrew as the main hero.
I enjoyed how the book was written with Lily 's point of view at first, then Simon's. This book kept my attention enough that I read it in one weekend.
So if you're looking for a book with lots of action and suspense, I recommend this story.
This story captures family relationships, a bit of romance, but mostly action and suspense.
The Root of All Evil kept my attention. Although I wasn't too impressed with Lily, I definitely enjoyed reading Simon's story. He was no doubt the more interesting sibling.
Speaking of interesting, I'd love to read more about Andrew James. Personally, I think Lily picked the wrong guy, as her boyfriend, Daniel does nothing for me. I would love for the author to write a separate story with Andrew as the main hero.
I enjoyed how the book was written with Lily 's point of view at first, then Simon's. This book kept my attention enough that I read it in one weekend.
So if you're looking for a book with lots of action and suspense, I recommend this story.
December 1, 2013
I enjoy reading Dodd's work, so I picked this one up as soon as I saw it. I thought it was a romance, but I'd say it's more of a suspense thriller, as the romance is barely touched on in this book, compared to her other works.
The first half is slow going, especially as I didn't like Daniel much - I agree with Lily's nearest and dearest that she deserves better than a man who'll cheat on her.
From the moment Simon enters the picture, though...the suspense really gets started, which is when I was captivated by the plot. I hardly expected where it ended, but this is an unusual story, travelling from the UK to Mexico and beyond.
A well-deserved four stars.
The first half is slow going, especially as I didn't like Daniel much - I agree with Lily's nearest and dearest that she deserves better than a man who'll cheat on her.
From the moment Simon enters the picture, though...the suspense really gets started, which is when I was captivated by the plot. I hardly expected where it ended, but this is an unusual story, travelling from the UK to Mexico and beyond.
A well-deserved four stars.
February 9, 2014
A Real Page Turner
This is a well written suspense thriller with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing from the beginning to the end. It was a fast, fun read. The characters are three dimensional and believable. I quickly became attached to Lily and, by the end of the story, I cared deeply about the outcome. The author did an excellent job of carrying me along while building the back story and the suspense. I will definitely be reading more of her work.
This is a well written suspense thriller with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing from the beginning to the end. It was a fast, fun read. The characters are three dimensional and believable. I quickly became attached to Lily and, by the end of the story, I cared deeply about the outcome. The author did an excellent job of carrying me along while building the back story and the suspense. I will definitely be reading more of her work.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews