A Parallel Trust

by James Stoddah

What begins as an exciting challenge turns into a countdown to save a young girl's life... As seventeen-year old Aril Ousby, the son of a renowned astrophysicist, embarks on a geocache treasure hunt in Britain, a series of kidnappings takes place in the United States. How are these events connected? Is Aril right to trust the enigmatic architect of the treasure hunt - or is he being led into an elaborate trap? Is the puzzle master motivated by altruism - or greed? And why has he chosen to involve Aril in his scheme? Aril and his friend Unity are drawn into a mystery that leads them to look at the Earth from a new perspective and to address a fundamental question: can future generations avoid the mistakes their parents made?

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 22, 2015

About the author

James Stoddah grew up in Kent and was educated in Cumbria before settling in Lancashire with his three sons. He resisted higher education in favour of following a passion for music writing. For a number of years he worked in the music industry as a writer-performer – successful enough to earn a living without being burned by the media spotlight.

James has always been fascinated by mystery. Much of the creative inspiration for his books stems from games he created to entertain his children as they were growing up. Treasure hunts with clues to treats in the house expanded to physical clues he would leave over hundreds of square miles for daytrip adventures.

Reviews

[C.S. Woolley · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many giants in the mystery thriller genre that have often narrowly defined what makes a good book. With A Parallel Trust there is a slash of creativity that sets it apart from other novels in the genre that try to emulate and follow and tried and tested format.
Free of the tropes and stereotypes that litter and hamper young adult fiction, this book is something of a revelation in mystery thrillers, the characters providing the momentum that drives the plot forward, rather than simply being two dimensional names on a page that the plot passes by in a haze.
Because the narrative of this particular story is driven by the well-crafted characters, there are interesting subplots that keep your interest and bring an added depth to the story, that are sadly missing from other books in the genre.
Like any good mystery thriller, the reader is presented with clues and puzzles to solve, trying to unravel the mystery before the solution is revealed at the end of the book, and with more twists and turns than a rollercoaster running through the brain of Terry Gilliam, you will find yourself constantly guessing until the final curtain falls.
With kidnapping, private investigators and the FBI thrown into the mix, this story is one that can be enjoyed by young adults and more mature readers in equal measure, though the older generations may doubt the abilities of a 17 year old student from the UK (Aril) by the end of the book, all preconceptions will be forgotten and more than few tears could be shed.
There are moments where the more jaded and practical minded fans of the mystery thriller genre may find it hard to suspend disbelief, but on the whole, this is an excellent novel from a talented author who I certainly look forward to reading more from in the future.

[Matt Eaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing puzzle that holds its secrets to the end

For a story that starts so small, A Parallel Trust is remarkably large in its vision.

For the reader, as for Aril, the clever, optimistic young dreamer at the heart of this tale, the stakes grow exponentially along this journey through the byways of England and Scotland.

It was a trip I enjoyed immensely, even though it took several chapters for Mr Stoddah to hit his straps. Stick with this story, because it's a rewarding and gripping plot that defies second-guessing.

Not sure if this was written specifically for a YA audience, but the naive innocence of all the main characters makes it prime teen material while likewise most satisfying to those of us who are older (and more jaded).

Best of all, this book celebrates intelligence. It is a fun world in which to spend time and one I didn't want to leave.

[Anna Orr · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has been a long time since I have been so glad to finally be finished with a book. Although the story is centered around an interesting idea, and is certainly the first book I've ever read with geocaching as a primary plot point, the novelty of it cannot make up for the gaping lack of overall quality. The writing is choppy and disjointed, the characters have no depth, and the dialogue is awkward and, at points, boring. For example, any reaction any character has to a shocking or exciting event is, "Oh wow." None of the characters have a unique or individual personality. Certain plot points are patently unbelievable. Overall, a very underwhelming read.

**Received for free through a Goodreads Giveaway

[Sarah Loftus · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS.

I had the highest of hopes before reading this book, especially after reading his previous 'Ring Of Conscience' and I was delighted when it did not disappoint! In fact, I think I favour this book. Again, it is very cleverly written. I found it a little confusing at first but certainly worth the effort when the author switches from first person to third in some chapters. Its worth sticking to as it does not take long to get your head around and it all makes sense throughout the book. An intriguing read, lots of plot twists, and you really get a feel for Aril and Unity throughout their geocache adventure!! A clever story.

[Wendi Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. The plot was unpredictable and I was kept guessing until the end. I had to work hard to decipher some of the British terminology, and sometimes I had no clue what the characters were talking about (particularly when the author used initials for agencies), but I was able to get the gist of what he meant. Because of this, it took me a long time to finish this book. I'm glad I stuck with it, though. It ended up being a very touching message. I recommend if you like mysteries!

[Kyle Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I start?
This book from start to finish is a journey, to say the least. You join lead protagonist Aril as he embarks on an exciting adventure across the UK. Fueled by his intrigue, Aril uncovered numerous, brilliantly crafted clues that ultimately change the way he sees the world.

This book is kinda tricky for the first couple of chapters as it jumps from US to UK. But, once you get used to it and the story unfolds, your guaranteed to find yourself hooked on this thrilling journey.

5/5 stars from me! Reading it yourself is a 'no brainer'.

So.. what are you waiting for?

[Christine Keleny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story takes a bit to get going with two separate story lines to start, but once they come together, you want to find out how it ends. It's a bit of a socially responseable sort of tale in the end, but James doesn't hit you over the head with the idea, which is nice.