The Whisper Legacy: A Pappa Legacy Novel

by Tj O'Connor

Curran’s enemies thought he was dead.
They were wrong.
He thought his past was left on the Voula Beach Road.
He was wrong.
Now, that nightmare is drawing his enemies out.
The halls of power are being targeted—but by who?
Is the secret of the Voula Beach Road behind the chaos?
Curran knows the answer.
It’s all in The Whisper Legacy . . .

Marlowe “Lowe” Curran was once a freelance intelligence operative swashbuckling around the world—until Greece—until the Voula Beach Road. There, he lost everything and nearly his life. Now, he’s a luckless, aging PI living on guilt and nightmares—barely paying his rent if not for Tommy Astor, a well-connected Washington powerbroker. Curran becomes a suspect in the murder of a philandering husband. He has an alibi—but that alibi will get him arrested. Is committing crimes trying to resolve other crimes still a crime? For Curran it is, especially after he’s a suspect in two murders. Chasing the real killer, Curran is haunted by his demons from the Voula Beach Road, and something called Whisper. On his trail is an angry, vengeful US Deputy Marshal, gun-happy assassins, and a shadowy figure thwarting Curran’s every success. For each step forward, there’s another threat, another roadblock, another piece of evidence stacking up against him. Whisper is at the center of his nightmares—whatever Whisper is. Is Whisper why Charlie Cantrell had to die? Why bodies are dropping across Washington? Why the President’s short list for running mates is getting shorter? Faced with old foes and aided by his last surviving Voula Beach friend, Curran must stay ahead of the assassins, rescue a kidnapped little girl, and find the deadly secrets hidden within The Whisper Legacy.

Genres: Mystery

426 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 25, 2025

About the author

Tj O’Connor is an award-winning author of mysteries and thrillers. He’s an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. In his spare time, he’s a Harley Davidson pilot, a man-about-dogs (and now cats), and a lover of adventure, cooking, and good spirits (both kinds). He was raised in New York’s Hudson Valley and now lives with his wife, Labs, and Maine Coon companions in Virginia where they raised five children who are supplying a growing tribe of grands.

Tj’s work has been recognized with: The American Legacy Award for Political Thrillers; the American Fiction Awards for Political Thrillers & Mystery/Suspense; Gold Medal from the Independent Publishers Book Awards (IPPY) for mysteries; Gold Medal Winner—Military Writer’s Society of America; Gold Medal Winner—Readers Favorite Book Awards; Bronze Medal Winner from the Reader’s Favorite Book Awards; and a finalist for The Silver Falchion Award Finalist for Mysteries and Thrillers; Foreword Reviews’ INDIEFAB Mystery Book of the Year; and the Deadly Ink’s David Award Finalist for Best Mystery/Thriller.

Learn about Tj’s world at:
Web Site: www.tjoconnor.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tjoconnor.author
Blog: https://tjoconnor.com/theplotthickens/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/tjoconnor
Twitter: https://x.com/Tjoconnorauthor
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tjoconnoraut...

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mix of a military style thriller and a political thriller this book kept me entertained. I feel there is a background with Curran that hopefully the author will explore in upcoming books. Curran is the main character and he’s telling the story in first person and adding little tidbits along the way. His witty and sarcastic voice is highly entertaining. The author even throws his name in the book when someone says, “This isn’t some Tj O’Connor thriller.”

The multiple POV allows the reader to see other parts of the book through others eyes. Curran is definitely the star of the book and I would definitely read more about him.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marlowe (a.k.a. PAPPA) is a PI, former military guy that always seems to get himself into bad situations. This story is all about a lot of politicians, a hacker, FBI agents, a federal marshall and a long run conspiracy. Whisper is the code name and it takes quite a while before you realize what it really is.

Marlowe is very busy trying to piece the puzzle together while keeping himself out of jail. Most of the politicians in the story find themselves being blackmailed by the ring leader (not directly - use UC to do it). Who is the actual ring leader (that is a big surprise)? The story moves quickly and Marlowe is an interesting charater to follow -try to guess what he will do next.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Darren Bourn · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I sat there waiting for the last few days of my medical leave to expire, with the intent to whittle my TBR list down, I received an email from the fine folks at Booksirens.com advising me of a pending review that was due for T.J. O'Connor's latest political thriller, "The Whisper Legacy." I would like to thank the author, his publisher (Level Best Books), and the fine folks at Booksirens.com for the opportunity to read this political thriller.

What happens when a former PMC operative, Marlowe S. Curran, now working as a (struggling) (un) licensed private investigator in northern Virginia, is asked by his benefactor (Tommy Astor) to retrieve some computer files from a computer hacker and is thrust into a world with some serious political ramifications?

In O'Connor's first book in "The Pappa Legacy" series, we are introduced to our protagonist, Marlowe S. Curran (also known as Lowe Curran to his friends), who is trying to come to grips with the demons that continue to haunt him fifteen years after his team of PMCs (operating under the Dark Wind moniker) met their demise from the results of a failed mission on the Voula Beach Road in Voula, Greece, and the aches and pains that come along with old age (and being one of two operatives that survived Voula Beach Road). Years later, he’s a struggling security consultant and private investigator—the only work he can get after being disgraced.

In addition to the storyline following Curran, the author also weaves a secondary narrative featuring the ongoing search for the US vice president, as the present vice president is suffering from some health issues.

The author takes the reader on a white-knuckle, page-turning ride as the story starts with two murders occurring at the residence that our protagonist currently rents a loft in the barn (which his landlady has hired him to investigate), and then continues with the recovery of some computer files that were stolen from an unknown organization by a computer hacker, and finishes as a political thriller featuring high stakes, suspense, and espionage set against the backdrop of political power struggles.

On my self-determined five-star scale, I would give this venture into a new series (this reader can only hope) a solid four stars, as I believe that this book would be a must-read for aficionados of fast-paced espionage and conspiracy thrillers blended with political intrigue, high-stakes drama, crime, thrills, action, and humor. Sure to be a favourite for readers who enjoy authors such as Lee Child, John Grisham, and Simon Gervais.

As with all my literary ramblings, this is just my five cents' worth.

[James McCrone · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Curran’s enemies thought he was dead. They were wrong.
He thought his past was left on the Voula Beach Road. He was wrong.
Now, that nightmare is drawing his enemies out..."

Whisper Legacy is a brilliant, powerful and well written cyber warfare "take" on the familiar noir tale of criminals needing to keep their stolen records hidden. But with some intriguing twists. Beset by PTSD, lingering injuries and creeping old age, (Mar)Lowe Curran makes a living "on both sides of the ethics line" as what's left of the former black ops spy he once was. Now a security expert, an unregistered PI and a fixer for the powerful, enigmatic TAE--"Tommy" to his friends--Curran inadvertently stumbles into a much more sinister plot involving the highest levels of government.

When Curran steals back the records and files that the hacker "Piper" stole from TAE's company, he inadvertently downloads the records of a shadowy influence-peddling group's blackmail operations, known as Whisper. Worse, for Curran, the Whisper group has already tried to kill him. Twice.

Whisper Legacy takes us through slimy operators, to the rich and powerful, right up to the highest levels of politics, where everything is personal. Not least, for Curran. He lives not only with the aches, pains and nightmares of his past work, but also with deep regret. This is about to get ugly. And dangerous. Powerful people with shady friends need the duffel bag to remain hidden. To stay alive and expose Whisper will take all of Curran's experience, guile and grit. The police are the least of our hero's problems.

Lowe Curran is an engaging narrator and guide. The story moves along confidently and quickly, spinning its seemingly disparate strands in a way that feels fresh, all while leading us, and Curran, inexorably on. I liked that our hero was human, hobbled by old wounds in very real ways. He's forced to use his wiles more than his fists or a gun (though he certainly knows how to use them when called upon). The scene that opens the book is a wonderfully chaotic masterclass in improvised spy craft. Levels of madness misdirect from the darker purpose and set an assured tone for the story to come.

Highly recommended

[Nessa’s Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know a book’s going to grip you when the opening pages feel like a shot of whiskey to the system and The Whisper Legacy does not disappoint.

T.J. O’Connor delivers a tightly wound thriller where the shadows of international espionage stretch from a sun-bleached road in Greece to the marble corridors of Washington D.C., and nothing (not even death) is ever truly behind you.

Marlowe “Lowe” Curran isn’t your average PI. He’s a former covert operative haunted by his past, the kind of man who’s more comfortable dodging bullets than balancing a check book. Curran is all grit, guilt, and gallows humour, the kind of guy who has nightmares in technicolor and flashbacks that bleed into the present. Especially about one place: Voula Beach Road.

And when people tied to that bloody past start dying in D.C., Curran knows it’s not just coincidence. It’s a whisper from the grave and it’s calling in debts.

What Makes This Thriller interesting:

* Conspiracy webbed in politics and espionage, where powerbrokers die suspiciously and the president’s shortlist is getting shorter (and deader).
* Old-school noir charm meets Jason Bourne-level chaos.
* The Voula Beach mystery, which unravels in slow, pulse-pounding flashbacks.
* Whisper, the ominous code name at the centre of the chaos, may be more than a secret, more like a reckoning.
* Supporting cast of rogues and operators, from a deadly U.S. Marshal with a personal vendetta to a child in danger and the last surviving ghost of Curran’s war-torn past.

Curran’s caught between the sins of his former life and the violence of his current one. Every clue he uncovers leads to more dead ends and more actual dead. It’s like peeling an onion made of grenades.

If you like your thrillers with a touch of old-school spy noir, political intrigue that feels unnervingly plausible, and a protagonist who’s equal parts broken and brilliant, The Whisper Legacy is your next adrenaline fix.

[T.G. Wolff · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Whisper Legacy is a political thriller. Private detective Lowe Curran (pronounced Ker-in) is doing a data recovery job for his best client when he inadvertently gets a little extra…and that extra is the proverbial Pandora’s box. With national security on the line, Curran’s new job is to protect the data and the hacker who stole it. Yeah…good luck with that.

Bottom line: The Whisper Legacy is for you if you like private detectives up to their eyeballs in intrigue and trickery.

Pacing is the star of this novel. The Whisper Legacy pulled me in and kept me turning pages until there were no more left. I read The Whisper Legacy in one sitting, which happily made for a sleep-deprived night. O’Connor expertly revealed a complex plot the same way you eat an elephant – one bite at a time. He doesn’t give you so much that you choke but also doesn’t hold back, leaving you starved.

The Whisper Legacy is a genre crossing political thriller and private eye mystery with enough action thriller to keep you guessing. It’s not unusual for me to struggle with the subterfuge of the politics but O’Connor revealed the dirty deeds in a manner where everyone’s actions were backed by their motivations.

I love a good PI. Curran is a little more technology savvy than most are but has that same gritty drive of the classic PIs. He’s loyal, reliable guy with his own moral code that drives him to do what needs to be done.

Standing at the end and looking back to the beginning, I only had one question, which is really good for me. Funny enough, it was one Curran asked but never found the answer to.

The entertainment factor on The Whisper Legacy is high for both thriller lovers and PI fans. Curran, his supporting cast, and the bad guys keep batting the ball forward even as they are trying to pick it up. It’s always moving forward, always just out of reach.

[Sapphyria · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Whisper Legacy is a mind-bending political thriller. Prepare to white-knuckle this book as the author takes you down a twisted road filled with deception, threats, kidnappings, and murder. Marlowe "Lowe" Curran is a washed up former intelligence operative who barely survived a failed mission in Greece. Now, he's an unlicensed PI (more like a bounty hunter) surviving only by taking jobs he can scrape up. One such job is retrieving some hacked files. Upon retrieval of said files, Curran also downloads another set of files that open him up to danger. Whisper is bad news and the bad guys operating it are hella mad. Curran has to continue to avoid murder plots against him for the inadvertent hack of Whisper and when murder happens close to home, he becomes a suspect. It's all downhill from there, as Curran gets wrapped up in a game of cat-and-mouse that takes him all the way up through the rich, powerful, and political realms.

Tj O'Connor has penned a wonderfully thrilling political novel. I was on the edge my seat from the moment Curran was wandering around looking for Rufus at the beginning of the book. The reader is taken on a journey with many parts and the author does a superb job keeping everything understandable, organized, cohesive, and easy to follow along. The author does a great job keeping everything in check.

The world building is descriptive, providing the reader the ability to play the scenes in their mind while following the political adventure of our protagonist. The development of each scene in The Whisper Legacy was done with precision and care. The author's writing style flows along nicely, is conversational, and is understandable.

[Karen Siddall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Political intrigue, plot twists galore, and a PI who could certainly use a break.

The Whisper Legacy is the first book in author Tj O’Connor’s new political thriller Pappa Legacy series and features the aging but still canny and cunning private investigator and security consultant Marlowe S. Curran. With its non-stop action and intricate plot full of surprising twists and turns, I was compelled to keep reading page after page without stopping to find out what would happen next! No regrets!

Marlowe Curran, Lowe to his friends, is a complex character with a tough backstory, a humorous inner voice, and a soft spot for dogs. A smart, deadly operator, Lowe is best by a seemingly never-ending run of bad luck as he tries to fulfill his responsibilities to his confidential and well-heeled clients, including his landlady, Janey-Lynn Cantrell, whose cheating husband and his latest clandestine amour have just been found murdered in their love nest.

Multiple storylines unfold through Lowe’s viewpoint and that of a political mover and shaker as the President of the United States narrows down his search for a replacement VP. While they appear unrelated, as the story fights its way to its exciting conclusion, the disparate storylines cleverly converge into one riveting whole.

I recommend THE WHISPER LEGACY to readers of political thrillers and mysteries featuring private eyes.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

[Country Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Whisper Legacy by TJ O'Connor is a book involving our MMC named Marlowe Curran, also known as Lowe to his friends. Lowe had a tragedy happen to him in Greece where he lost everything. Now he is a PI who is just barely making ends meet as a PI. Lowe is involved in a murder investigation for a power broker in Washington, and we as the readers find out Lowe is a suspect! He has alibis for the murder but he is left trying to figure out who murdered the victim.
The story is fast paced and easy to read and the character of Lowe is relatable to any reader whether male or female. I love the author's style of writing fast paced and easy to read thrillers and who done it mysteries! I really enjoyed the first chapter which introduces us to Lowe and his PI skills as he is trying to get something from someone. That made me laugh with the scene that Lowe set for the kid. Lowe is a tough black ops type from another life and he is now a bit jaded but still keeps his humor and himself to a degree. I like that there were so many different people trying to take Lowe out and this book really kept my attention the entire time!

This author is one of my fav new authors on the scene and if you read his books you will see why!

[Paul Vecchiet · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author cleverly applied film noir style in first person narrative as a homage to those films. Reading the words uttered by the protagonist, an aging private investigator with a background employed by a security contractor based on Blackwater, you could hear the voice of Marlowe, Bogart’s character in those black and white classics.
And guess what? that main character’s name is Lowe. His rescued mutt is Bogart. Upon starting the novel, not being familiar with the writer’s work, and not accustomed to the humor in any book I read, I first thought it felt forced. Then, as the plot began to unfold, I recognized the somewhat satirical touch, looking forward to more of the wit combined with an engrossing intricate plot evolving from a simple raid on a hacker, to a double murder, to a kidnapping, and finally climaxing with the revelation of ‘whisper’.
Whisper Legacy, what appears to be the first novel in a new series, deserves high exposure. Tj is a talented, creative, detail-oriented writer. I was thoroughly entertained and held captive in thinking about the complexity of the plot with its rich characters.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mystery has a dual narrative. One features Curren, a previous black ops kind of fellow, greatly wounded, mostly recovered, now a private investigator for an influential man. The other features the search for a U.S. vice president as the current one is physically failing. It is not until we get to the last part of the book we see how the two intersect.

Curren is an interesting hero. He has quite a sense of humor and he produces some entertaining thoughts and comments. He gets into many suspenseful situations as his troubles go deeper and deeper. The plot is not repetitive, however. There are always new situations and new guys trying to take him out, producing a new crisis. And, there are so many twists and turns in the plot I almost got whiplash!

This is an entertaining and suspenseful novel with a hero I am sure will be back for more adventures.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The story begins with Lowe, Pappa, attempting to retrieve a file and codes to release ransom ware from a hacker. Lowe arrives at Pipper's, the hacker, abode. Once he entered and confronted him, Pipper agreed to Lowe's request. After Lowe made it home and when he awoke the next day, he learned that his landlord had been killed and Lowe was identified as a suspect. Lowe returned the drive with the recovered files to Tommy and then things really started to change. As a result, he now had to prove that he didn't kill his landlord as well as trying to locate Pipper and protect him.

Read along and learn as Lowe's task ran into danger and discover why a U, S. Marshall had it in for him. Learn what Lowe's latest assignment was and as a result he discovered information that was quite important to him. Read the exciting conclusion and you will then have answers to any questions you might have had. Definitely a book worth reading.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curran is a former military that was badly wounded in a nightmare job in Greece where almost all of his unit died. He's now works as a PI and gets involved in finding a hacker and obtaining the information that was illegally taken. But the information is much more explosive than it seemed to be and soon Curran will be required to find and protect the hacker with his own life if needed. The story has a lot of action, is written with some acid streak regarding life, government, choices made, it involves espionage and counter espionage, politics, corruption, crime and much more. Curran, also known as Pappa, will discover what was lacking in his life, and reasons why family is so important. The story ending is totally unexpected and worthwhile. I'll be looking forward to reading a new story in this series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Westley Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

With The Whisper Legacy’s heart-pounding pace, well-written characters, plot twists, action, and intrigue, TJ O’Conner once again proves why he is a master of the political thriller.

This book was hard to put down, and I read it in a few days. I love stories that burn hot and fast, and this book does both. Curran is a fantastic lead character—resourceful, intelligent, and often funny. I couldn't help but root for him to save the day, especially since he was surrounded by characters you cannot fully trust. The plot is nothing short of masterful story-telling that will leave your jaw on the floor with its shocking conclusion.

I highly recommend this book!!!

[Carl Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may not be the "best" book I've read to date but it's certainly WAY up there. Wow! Talk about a PLOT! It was a non-stop plot change from start to finish. Great characters and lots of drama and intrigue. It definitely kept me guessing from start to finish. SEVERAL surprises that I didn't see coming, all the way to the end.

I received an advance reader copy of this for review and received no compensation for reading or reviewing this. This is my unbiased opinion.

This is my first book by this author but I'll definitely be looking for more. I highly recommend it.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Whisper Legacy: A Pappa Legacy Novel
Another page turning winner by Tj O’Connor. Well written with a great description of characters
The main character, Marlow Curran(Lowe), an ex-intelligence operative now an aging private eye, who throughout all his problems has a great sense of humor. I love how we can hear Lowe’s inner voice. Lot of twists and turns. This is a great political thriller mystery that will keep you guessing right to the end. I cannot wait till his next book. Pick up the book you won’t be disappointed.

[Carol Stefanik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of action. Always something happening. The main character is exhausting. The sort that says one thing, then immediately changes it and immediately changes it again so you know he probably never actually tells you the truth. But we like him anyway.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dennis LaRaja · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Whisper Legacy - A very compelling read, with a main character, Marlowe Curran, who very quickly becomes a friend you would like to hang out with. Some incredible twists and surprise betrayals that forces you to read more to see how Curran works around them. Very much recommended.

[Texas · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE WHISPER LEGACY - I laughed when the author added his name to the story. Good humor. Good action. Good characters. Good story lines that keep things twisting like a rodeo bull. It seemed like everyone was using the same references, which is the only thing I can fuss about with this story. I am interested in reading more by this author. Source: BookSirens. 4*