The Final Act: From Woodstock to Broadway. From Death to Eternity.

by F.R. Merrill

Bright lights. Curtain calls. A cruel and unsuspected murderWhat is the price of success, and are you willing to pay that price? These are questions F.R. Merrill poses in her debut novel, The Final Act, a thrilling work of suspense set in Broadway.F.R. Merrill takes us into the life of an assistant producer, Faith Straton who is just one step from bringing her Native American production to Broadway. As she inches closer to her dream, however, things start falling apart. A friend is lost forever, and Faith Straton discovers she is a target for murder.A professional storyteller and short story writer of more than 15 years, F.R. Merrill’s first novel promises to be a gripping page-turner that’ll not only entertain and thrill readers, but also enthrall them with fascinating insights into Native American culture. The author’s mastery and understanding of human nature and motivations arms the book with all the necessary elements to be a memorable and touching read with valuable life lessons that we can apply to our own lives.The Final Act will have you confronting many of the most difficult questions that plague our times – from the value of financial success and popularity to the importance of other people in our lives. It’s certain to earn a spot as one of the most meaningful and most enriching books to be published this year.

262 pages, Paperback

First published March 26, 2012

About the author

F. R. Merrill, author of the Straton Trilogy) The Final Act, Crossroads, and Murder in Mosaic, and storyteller since 1993 bases her stories on adventures from cycling across the U.S. in several directions, cycling the Almafi Coast, cycling from Vienna to Budapest, cycling the Himalayas in Bhutan, and more. She hiked the Camino Del Norte in Spain in 2006, and since childhood has always painted and sculpted. She’s devoted to studies relating to her Native American heritage, and spiritual understanding.

Merrill is married, lives in Melbourne, Fl., assists The Special Spotlight Theater, (helping the challenged build pride through dance), and is a member of the Florida Historical Society, Brevard Cultural Alliance, and Zonta International (fighting against human trafficking).

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Final Act (F.R. Merrill)

Faith has the opportunity of a life time, to bring her Native American production to New York City. She packs her bags and brings her(teen) daughter Amanda with her for the three month stay. Faith is juggling the play, dealing with her emotionally disturbed ex-husband, and her rebellious daughter. She is reacquainted with her best friend Jackie and Tom, a boyfriend from her youth.

Things seem to be coming together smoothly with the play, but not so well with her daughter, she just can't seem to get through to her. Then a murder occurs and Faith and Amanda may be the next victims.

Fast paced, edge-of-your-seat page-turner. I could not put it down. Just when I thought I had the killer figured out, a new suspect came to mind. I was left guess until the end. I also enjoyed the Native American stories through out the book. I would definitely read more by F.R. Merrill.

[Drennan Spitzer · Rating 1 out of 5]

In The Final Act: From Woodstock to Broadway. From Death to Eternity, author F.R. Merrill tells the story of Faith Straton. Faith is a dancer and Native American storyteller who has merged both of these crafts into a single performance piece, Blackbird Hear my Words, scheduled to open soon on Broadway. As she works towards the New York City opening of her show, Faith deals with her troubled teenage daughter, a man from her past, and the terrifying spree of a serial killer. This is quite a lot of drama, in more ways that one.

While Merrill has what may be the strong bones of a story here, The Final Act just does not deliver. I think that this novel is meant to be a suspense thriller as we watch Faith attempt to go about her life, initially unaware of "Harry Smith," the serial killer who pursues her. And yet, the narrative too often loses this focus. We are given detail about the performers involved in Faith's production, yet these details contribute little to the pursuit-by-serial-killer plot. The same could be said about Faith's reminiscing about her experiences at Woodstock some 20 years before. It just doesn't add much to the story. I finished the novel unsure of how these plot threads--serial killer, Broadway performance in production, background at Woodstock--are meant to come together in a meaningful way. Merrill would be better off focusing on just one element of this story and elaborating that single element much more fully or fully elaborating on this variety of plot threads and bringing them together in a more satisfying way. It is as though these pieces don't quite connect.

And to be honest, Merrill needs to hire a good editor or at least a better proofreader--I am a bit shocked by the odd grammatical, usage, and punctuation errors. Normally, I try not to focus on these sorts of things, but when the errors are so egregious, the author's credibility is called into question.

I wanted to like this novel. I really wanted to. But there's little positive I can say, aside from this: Merrill wanted to write and publish a book; props to her for making that happen. Certainly, few enough of us can lay claim to that accomplishment.

NOTE: This review was originally published a Speaking of Books, a site devoted to thoughtful book reviews and discussions of literature and culture. Visit us at www.drennanspitzer.com

NOTE: A review copy was provided by the author. No other compensation was received.

[Annette · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible. Included spelling and grammatical errors....seriously??