Deeds

by Joseph Amiel

DEEDS is the incomparable story of a man and a woman whose destinies are fated to unite as secrets spawned by passion and greed and the dark mystery in their families' pasts compel a dangerously unholy union. There was nothing in their lives—not love, compatibility, or the force of circumstance—that should have made them marry, or so it first seemed. Ralph Behr was a charismatic, extravagantly wealthy real-estate developer at the center of New York society. His brash manner and lavish lifestyle had made him an exciting and glamorous figure on newspaper front pages, and he was now about to undertake the most daring building project ever constructed—three 150-story towers. Gail Benedict was a fiercely moral and independent-minded woman, a convict’s daughter whose life had been a crusade against everything Ralph represented or aspired to. His passion was to make money and immortalize his family’s name; hers was to remake the world. But secrets buried deep in their pasts force Ralph and Gail together. Strangers and estranged, the first time they set eyes on each other since childhood is at the wedding neither wants—a wedding that will make her $100 million richer. But DEEDS is more that than the story of Ralph and Gail’s unlikely union. Their lives entangle and clash with a wide assortment of unforgettable characters—Lorna Garrison, Ralph’s embittered former mistress; Simon Kramer, Lorna’s new lover and Ralph’s unscrupulous business competitor, a man consumed by his determination to steal or halt Ralph’s new project; Charles Brookhouse, Ralph’s aristocratic banker; Brookhouse’s daughter, Amanda, the beautiful, self-assured socialite with whom Ralph falls in love; and Amanda’s grandmother, Nina, whose own past deeds threaten to disturb an already fragile equilibrium. There is also Milo, Gail’s ex-husband, whom she continues to love, and, finally, there is Ralph’s father, Henry. The truth behind his own deeds of ambition pushes Ralph to confront the meaning of his past and the purpose of his future. For all of them, deeds comes in many deception and passion, betrayal and true love, and Joseph Amiel’s novel encompasses them all, as well as riveting suspense when the blame for a deadly catastrophe at the project falls on Ralph. A gripping story that spans three generations, rich in ideas, complex in feeling and rivetingly told, DEEDS will hold the reader enthralled from the very first page.

Genres: Fiction

554 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Joseph Amiel is an internationally best-selling novelist, screenwriter, web series creator, and lawyer. His most recent fiction is a small collection of short stories entitled Death Can Delight: A Trio of Mysteries. He is the author of the novels Stalking the Sky, Birthright, Deeds, Star Time, and A Question of Proof. His books have been translated into over a dozen languages. He wrote the cult horror-film classic Daughters of Darkness. His comedy screenplay "Games" has been honored at film festivals, as has his comedy-mystery web series "Ain't That Life." A graduate of the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Amherst College and Yale Law School, he is married and lives in New York City.

Reviews

[R.l. · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this captivating and compelling story, author Joseph Amiel sets up an intriguing plot right from the start. The wealthy, larger than life real-estate developer Ralph Behr is all set to build his larger than life real-estate project - three 150 story towers in New York City. There's just one snag - his money and his project are threatened when he is suddenly forced into a marriage with Gail Benedict, a woman whose values and morals are the exact opposite of his. And that's only the beginning! What follows is a riveting unfolding that will keep you turning those pages.

With both of the main characters' generational stories masterfully and organically weaved throughout, Deeds is a significant and extraordinary read, one that hooked me at the start and left me satisfied at the end. Time richly spent on this story.

You can find more information on the author and Deeds here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...


*Please note that I received this book free through GoodReads FirstReads and the opinions in this review are my own.

[Pamela Sims]

This book was a lovely read. The book covers three generations of two main families as they interact with each other and their own family. Without disclosing any of the plot of the book I feel that the book was a nice insight to the rich world of New York Real Estate. The characters are presented in a human, enticing way that makes the reader like them no matter what there flaws seem to be. I would recommend this book to others who want to read a book with good writing, entertainment and memorable characters. I received a copy of Deeds by Joseph Amiel through Goodreads. However, the opinions in my review are my own and not influenced by the gift of the book.

[Dale Workman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through Goodreads' First Reads Giveaway.

I am rating this book three stars simply because I liked the book but can not say that I REALLY liked the book. The book, while interesting, did drag on a bit and my interest in it waned. At times I had to force myself to go back to reading it and not pick up another novel. I am glad that I did however. For the length of the book, I would have preferred it to be a little less predictable. The characters were well written and I enjoyed them enough to maybe read a sequel.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I confess I gave up halfway through this book which I was lucky enough to win a while ago-I found the start very interesting but then it seemed quite predictable-it did not hold my interest enough for me to read to the end but it is over 500 pages. All I can really say is I have read better and worse.

[Jennifer-Eve Workman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Working on review... will update!