The Fruit of the Tree

by Quent Cordair

Journalist Paige Keller returns to Aurum Valley to begin uncovering the secrets of the valley’s history, to the displeasure of those determined to keep those secrets hidden. She discovers the story of Aurelia’s founder, an ambitious young man who returned to the valley to make his home and fortune there, and of a fearless native girl who left her tribe to follow a stranger to a new and unknown life. She discovers the history of a disillusioned immigrant who fled his family’s faith to establish a new religion in the valley, despite suffering a broken moral compass.

In the present, a talented young actress is lured into the lair of a predacious Hollywood producer; the leader of the local church is drawn into a secretive organization with influence deep in the halls of power; a weary environmentalist is inspired to greater sacrifice by an impassioned teenager; a jaded professor is challenged by a precocious new student; an aging sculptress strives to finish her magnum opus while still alive and able; the heir of the valley’s founding family begins building where neither the Church nor the environmentalists want anyone to build—on a hill they all hold sacred.

The Fruit of the Tree is Part III of the acclaimed Idolatry saga, the story of a wealthy young heir and a devout Christian girl who find themselves at the heart of the struggle for the soul of Western Civilization.

515 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2025

About the author

Quent Cordair was born in 1964 in southern Illinois. Raised in an insular fundamentalist religion, the local library became a treasured gateway to the outside world. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, he taught himself how to paint and soon began taking portrait commissions to support his writing. His first short story, “A Prelude to Pleasure,” was published by The Atlantean Press Review in 1991. In 1996, Quent Cordair Fine Art opened in Burlingame, California. Now located in Jackson, Wyoming, the gallery represents the work of thirty Romantic Realist painters and sculptors. The author’s acclaimed novels, short stories, poetry, and screenplays are drawn from a lifetime of experience and interest in adventure, romance, history, philosophy, and art. Quent lives and works in Jackson with his wife, Linda, who manages the gallery when the couple aren’t hiking or fishing with their labradoodle, Sophie, or traveling to dote on their granddaughters, Ella, Everly, Emerson, and Harlow.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fruit of the Tree is Part III of the acclaimed Idolatry saga, the story of a wealthy young heir and a devout Christian girl who find themselves at the heart of the struggle for the soul of Western Civilization.

Reading parts 1 and 2 first is highly recommended.

From the author: “Some commandments should be broken and often, and by someone who knows how.”

[Smutty Professor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brought me straight back into Aurum Valley with its history, mystery, and slow-building tension that this series does so well. Please know that reading the earlier books in the Idolatry series is needed to fully appreciate The Fruit of the Tree. The writing is gorgeous and super descriptive. The way each storyline unfolds makes the whole valley feel alive in a way that’s almost eerie.

Paige’s character arc really stood out to me this time. Her drive to dig up the truth, even when it puts her in danger, gives the book a steady heartbeat to follow. I also loved how the valley’s history slowly shows up through the story itself. The way those pieces surface adds intrigue to everything happening now, especially with the Church, the founding family, and all the behind-the-scenes power plays. Every character has something going on, and even the smaller side stories end up factoring in a huge way.

By the end, the mystery is thicker than ever now that I've got some answers to questions from the previous book (A New Eden) and even more new questions. It’s one of those books where I finished a chapter and just sat there like… okay, now I need the next part immediately. I'm invested in this series and can't wait for the next one!

[jodi watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has been a long time since book 1 and 2 -- I realize I have forgotten much of the characters back stories -- may be useful to re-read the previous 2? that being said, this book was interesting - I liked where it was leading - characters coming full circle etc... BUT it then ended suddenly - leaving more questions than answers - which per the information at the back of the book will be revealed in books 4 and 5 - that are being self published by author and may be slow to roll out as funding for publishing may be an issue (they are asking for donations to help speed the process). this disappoints me in the fact that by the time books 4 and 5 come out, I will more than likely have forgotten all the details of boks 1,2,3 -- ugh...otherwise i enjoyed this read - kept my attention albeit I found myself a bit lost at times as i had no notion of the back story due to lack of remembering

[Willard Brickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third volume of a series that continues to be involving and exciting.

[Michael Fusco · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Miss Keller, there are those who seek truth, and there are those who hunt the truth down as though their very life depended on it.” Paige Keller affirms the latter, and she begins to make her work personal by investigating the malignant forces in Aurum Valley that threaten her freedom. In this part of the Idolatry series, we learn more about the history of the valley and the basic philosophical conflicts that continue to haunt the characters to present. In the experience of entering this fictional world, the reader gains a better bearing on our own world, because the conflicts are real: reason vs. faith, self-affirmation vs. self-denial, love vs. duty.

The novel opens with the poem “A Call to Stand,” which has the exciting effect of re-starting this sweeping epic in medias res, reminding us that something important is at stake in this suspenseful drama. “To turn from the gods of their own creation,” the heroes need to cast their worship to the ideal in man and to those who embody that ideal—and to develop it within themselves. Who is making the call to stand within the novel? You will have to find the answer, but regardless, Quent Cordair has made his call with this beautiful novel, and it is up to us the readers to live up to it in our own lives.