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Tony Harrington #5
The Sophocles Rule
The simple toss of a coin presents young journalist Tony Harrington with a fascinating puzzle. And puzzles, he knows, can lead to good stories. As he begins a search for the origins of a particularly unique quarter, he finds himself immersed in a sixty-year-old mystery—an unsolved bank robbery ending in the brutal murder of its president.
As his suspicions of a connection to the past grow, Tony digs deeper, sparking a reaction from evil people determined to keep their secrets buried in the past. The result is two new murders and the disappearance of a teenage boy. The people of Orney, Iowa react in fear and outrage, increasing the pressure on Tony and his colleagues to find the missing boy and solve the latest crimes. With the help of state investigator Rich Davis and Hollywood actress Darcy Gillson, Tony charges ahead in the search for answers. The suspense escalates further when Tony's boss, Ben Smalley, offers refuge to an ex-girlfriend fleeing a violent, abusive husband. As these intertwined stories unfold, the danger grows, violence erupts, and fear for the missing boy intensifies. Throughout it all, the huge amount of stolen money still is missing…
Join Tony, his loyal friends, and his dedicated fellow journalists as they race to find the missing boy, stop a murderer from killing again, find a fortune in stolen cash, and once again prove the “Sophocles Rule” that dark secrets cannot remain hidden forever.
As his suspicions of a connection to the past grow, Tony digs deeper, sparking a reaction from evil people determined to keep their secrets buried in the past. The result is two new murders and the disappearance of a teenage boy. The people of Orney, Iowa react in fear and outrage, increasing the pressure on Tony and his colleagues to find the missing boy and solve the latest crimes. With the help of state investigator Rich Davis and Hollywood actress Darcy Gillson, Tony charges ahead in the search for answers. The suspense escalates further when Tony's boss, Ben Smalley, offers refuge to an ex-girlfriend fleeing a violent, abusive husband. As these intertwined stories unfold, the danger grows, violence erupts, and fear for the missing boy intensifies. Throughout it all, the huge amount of stolen money still is missing…
Join Tony, his loyal friends, and his dedicated fellow journalists as they race to find the missing boy, stop a murderer from killing again, find a fortune in stolen cash, and once again prove the “Sophocles Rule” that dark secrets cannot remain hidden forever.
- GenresFiction
335 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2023
2 people are currently reading
1659 people want to read
About the author
Joseph LeValley
8 books93 followersJoseph "Joe" LeValley credits his love of writing for every success in his life. He was a reporter-photographer for daily newspapers for seven years, covering crime/ criminal justice as his primary beat. Subsequently, he served for more than 30 years as a healthcare executive. During that time, he and his team won four national awards for communications excellence.
He began his latest career, as an author and public speaker, in 2018. He has published six mystery/thriller novels, and has written two more that are waiting on agents and editors.
As a musician, Joe plays drums and guitar. He has performed with a number of groups and has written more than 40 songs. In 2016, he was inducted with the Mourning Glory Rock Band into the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.
A lifelong Iowan, Joe has a degree in journalism from Drake University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Iowa. He and his wife Jane have six children and live in Dallas County, Iowa.
He began his latest career, as an author and public speaker, in 2018. He has published six mystery/thriller novels, and has written two more that are waiting on agents and editors.
As a musician, Joe plays drums and guitar. He has performed with a number of groups and has written more than 40 songs. In 2016, he was inducted with the Mourning Glory Rock Band into the Iowa Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.
A lifelong Iowan, Joe has a degree in journalism from Drake University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Iowa. He and his wife Jane have six children and live in Dallas County, Iowa.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 12, 2022
This was my first encounter with Tony Harrington, a fictional journalist from Orney, Iowa created by Joseph LeValley, and I have to say that it was an experience that I would be very keen to repeat.
“The Sophocles Rule” is book five in a series, something of which I was unaware when I began my reading of it, but this did not matter: my lack of knowledge of this book’s precursors did nothing to hinder my enjoyment of this one. The action of the novel follows Harrington as he pursues his investigative line of inquiry, in this instance, an attempt to discover the truth behind the mysterious appearance of some very old currency, most notably silver quarters. Harrington does this with the aid of his friends in law enforcement, DCI Special Agent Rich Davis, and FBI Agent Tabors, along with his film star girlfriend, Darcy Gillson, who I was excited to read was far from the stereotype of a Hollywood starlet and was a perceptive, intuitive woman first, beautiful, successful actress second. Harrington himself is a likeable hero, brave but vulnerable, with a strong idea of loyalty to friends as well as a keenness to pursue a story and provides an engaging lead throughout the whole book.
The narrative is peppered with other people who inhabit Orney and LeValley is good at showing the comic and conflicting element to folks in terms of how they interact with others, their concerns and their familial relationships. His depictions are very human and accessible and this is one of the strengths of his fiction – bringing people to life in a convincing way that allows the reader to become absorbed in the story. Also, for those who like their murder mysteries on the clean side of gory, LeValley’s book provides enough threat and action for it to be thrilling, but there is nothing gratuitous in the depiction of violence within the story; it is involved but in a way that is necessary to the development of plot.
For me, I found that this book was very well written from start to finish, with a convincing plot and characters who sprang from the page through witty dialogue and well-realized relationships. “The Sophocles Rule” by Joseph LeValley was a very fluid read, and I found myself racing through it with ease and finished it keen to meet Harrington again.
“The Sophocles Rule” is book five in a series, something of which I was unaware when I began my reading of it, but this did not matter: my lack of knowledge of this book’s precursors did nothing to hinder my enjoyment of this one. The action of the novel follows Harrington as he pursues his investigative line of inquiry, in this instance, an attempt to discover the truth behind the mysterious appearance of some very old currency, most notably silver quarters. Harrington does this with the aid of his friends in law enforcement, DCI Special Agent Rich Davis, and FBI Agent Tabors, along with his film star girlfriend, Darcy Gillson, who I was excited to read was far from the stereotype of a Hollywood starlet and was a perceptive, intuitive woman first, beautiful, successful actress second. Harrington himself is a likeable hero, brave but vulnerable, with a strong idea of loyalty to friends as well as a keenness to pursue a story and provides an engaging lead throughout the whole book.
The narrative is peppered with other people who inhabit Orney and LeValley is good at showing the comic and conflicting element to folks in terms of how they interact with others, their concerns and their familial relationships. His depictions are very human and accessible and this is one of the strengths of his fiction – bringing people to life in a convincing way that allows the reader to become absorbed in the story. Also, for those who like their murder mysteries on the clean side of gory, LeValley’s book provides enough threat and action for it to be thrilling, but there is nothing gratuitous in the depiction of violence within the story; it is involved but in a way that is necessary to the development of plot.
For me, I found that this book was very well written from start to finish, with a convincing plot and characters who sprang from the page through witty dialogue and well-realized relationships. “The Sophocles Rule” by Joseph LeValley was a very fluid read, and I found myself racing through it with ease and finished it keen to meet Harrington again.
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February 11, 2023"It began with the simple toss of coin, which led to a mystery, which led to the unthinkable."
I always thought it would be fun to write a mystery/thriller novel that began with the simple toss of a coin. "The Sophocles Rule" does just that. Many other aspects of the story also were enjoyable to create. I loved the fact Darcy, Tony's love interest, plays a key role at multiple points in the plot. And it was fun to insert some elderly characters who resembled people from my own past, growing up in a small rural community.
The story involves multiple crimes separated by decades. This resulted in some special challenges and required extra diligence to ensure continuity and accuracy in depicting the two very different time periods. I tried to infuse all of these elements with some suspense, action, romance, and humor and, in the end, pull them together into an exciting and satisfying conclusion. I hope you'll find I succeeded. In any case, thank you for supporting all authors, books, and online communities such as this. Happy reading!
I always thought it would be fun to write a mystery/thriller novel that began with the simple toss of a coin. "The Sophocles Rule" does just that. Many other aspects of the story also were enjoyable to create. I loved the fact Darcy, Tony's love interest, plays a key role at multiple points in the plot. And it was fun to insert some elderly characters who resembled people from my own past, growing up in a small rural community.
The story involves multiple crimes separated by decades. This resulted in some special challenges and required extra diligence to ensure continuity and accuracy in depicting the two very different time periods. I tried to infuse all of these elements with some suspense, action, romance, and humor and, in the end, pull them together into an exciting and satisfying conclusion. I hope you'll find I succeeded. In any case, thank you for supporting all authors, books, and online communities such as this. Happy reading!
June 24, 2024
I really enjoyed this book because it takes place just outside Des Moines, Iowa. It was filled with several twists and turns. It was a real page turner, especially toward the end. I plan on reading a few more of the “Tony Harrington” series.
January 24, 2023
Another installment in the Tony Harrington series. Set in the small Iowa town of Orney. Lots of fun elements in this one, lots of suspense and the interaction between the characters is realistic. Check out the series, you'll be glad you did.
March 11, 2023
I have read all 5 books in the series. I am amazed how the author can grab you with the first few lines, and never let you go. I don't know how he can think of so many twists and turns. He makes the characters seem very real. Each book is very different. You can enjoyably read this book as a stand-alone, but to see the real character development, you need to read the other books in the series. So, get all five!
February 19, 2023
Fifth in the Tony Harrington series was just as enjoyable as the first. Great characters, suspense and a quick read. I’m already looking forward to the sixth.
March 10, 2023
Suspenseful mystery! Very well written…a must read!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews