What do you think?
Rate this book
Shadow Life
In one minute, delivering a not guilty verdict at the end of the trial for a disturbing murder of a child, Matthew Rice’s life begins to unravel. The very structures his life is built upon start to collapse.
Matthew retreats to Quarry Island in Georgian Bay, where he loses his wallet in a boating mishap. Among the pieces of identification he needs to replace is his birth certificate, but he’s informed it’s not on file.
His birth certificate was a forgery. Not only have the foundations of his life given way, his very identity is shattered.
Matthew learns that the woman who raised him was his father’s second wife, and that his real mother died when he was a baby. What began as a search for a replacement for his birth certificate becomes a search for a woman who was a trailblazing journalist. His search takes him on a journey to Sydney, Australia, Boston, and Dublin; it results in the possession of the journals his mother kept up to her dying days in 1952. These entries are a window into a fascinating woman and a distant time not so different from our own.
Still unsure of his place in a world that has changed in ways he has difficulty completely understanding, he returns to Quarry Island in Georgian Bay, where he stocks up on books and a case of good Scotch to sit out the end of his world as he knew it.
But fate has more in store for Matthew than he can understand.
Matthew retreats to Quarry Island in Georgian Bay, where he loses his wallet in a boating mishap. Among the pieces of identification he needs to replace is his birth certificate, but he’s informed it’s not on file.
His birth certificate was a forgery. Not only have the foundations of his life given way, his very identity is shattered.
Matthew learns that the woman who raised him was his father’s second wife, and that his real mother died when he was a baby. What began as a search for a replacement for his birth certificate becomes a search for a woman who was a trailblazing journalist. His search takes him on a journey to Sydney, Australia, Boston, and Dublin; it results in the possession of the journals his mother kept up to her dying days in 1952. These entries are a window into a fascinating woman and a distant time not so different from our own.
Still unsure of his place in a world that has changed in ways he has difficulty completely understanding, he returns to Quarry Island in Georgian Bay, where he stocks up on books and a case of good Scotch to sit out the end of his world as he knew it.
But fate has more in store for Matthew than he can understand.
Kindle Edition
Published October 2, 2022
3 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Michael Decter
9 books22 followersMichael's new novel, THE FULCRUM, published June 10, 2025 with GFB.
"By equal measure inspiring and eye-opening, this riveting tale of the climate realities headed our way had me on the edge of my seat. Beautifully interwoven with rich Irish and Irish-American stories of pain and redemption, The Fulcrum is also, at its centre, a moving and modern love story. Decter has written a novel – soundly backed by both science and heart – that reminds readers that our collective willingness and actions can solve the climate crisis." – Dheepa R. Maturi, author of 108: An Eco-Thriller.
"In the romantic thriller The Fulcrum, lucky lovers work to bring awareness to the dangers of climate change." – Foreword
“The Fulcrum Michael Decter’s second work of fiction and ninth book overall, follows a budding climate scientist and his long-distance beau, she also a scientist, who encounter a woman on the run from the IRA in Cambridge, Mass. that derails their plans. Meanwhile, the hurricane to end all hurricanes is bearing down on Miami. Can anyone be saved” – Winnipeg Free Press
***
Michael Decter never had a chance of escaping his fate to become a storyteller. His Irish mother, Una, was an excellent storyteller. His Russian-Jewish father, Percy, was also a wonderful teller of tales.
In the preface to his storytelling destiny, Michael has managed three careers – one in Government, one in Consulting, and one in Finance. He has also served on many governance boards in the health and cultural sectors. Along the way, he has written and published eight non-fiction books, several including storytelling within a factual narrative.
Michael has enjoyed his forty-year career in the public and private sectors. Starting in the Manitoba public service in the early 1970s, he rose to Cabinet Secretary (1981-1985). A career in consulting with KPMG followed, and then a return to public service in 1991 as Deputy Minister of Health in Ontario. His continuing interest in health has led him to accept the Chair role in several national health organizations, including the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the Health Council of Canada, Saint Elizabeth Health Care, and most recently Medavie Blue Cross. During his healthcare years, Michael wrote two books and co-authored a third:
Healing Medicare: Managing Health System Change – The Canadian Way (1994)
Four Strong Winds – Understanding the Growing Challenges to Health Care (2000)
Navigating Canada’s Health Care, with co-author Francesca Grosso (2006)
Since 1998, Michael has led the investment firm LDIC Inc. as its President, and CEO. He has continued to serve on many health and public policy boards, remained active as a speaker and lecturer on health policy, and written of three books on investing:
Michael Decter’s Million Dollar Strategy (1998)
Building Your Wealth One Share at a Time with Dividend Reinvestment Plans (2001)
Ten Good Reasons to Invest in Canada (2008)
Michael is also a Trustee of the Auto Sector Healthcare Trust, which manages the healthcare benefits for auto workers of GM Canada and Chrysler Canada.
In 2004, Michael was awarded The Order of Canada for his contributions to health care.
In 2013, Michael was named Chancellor of Brandon University.
In 2018 Michael was appointed to the Premiers Council on Improving Medicare and Ending Hallway Medicine.
Tales From the Backroom (2012) and Percy: A Memoir (2002) marked the beginning of Michael’s journey from governance, health, and investing to storyteller. Tales From the Backroom allowed Michael to tell the stories from his time in government and around politics. Percy was a memoir of Michael’s father and the stories of their shared time together.
In October 2022, Cormorant Books published Michael’s debut novel, Shadow Life, thus beginning a new storytelling chapter in Michael’s life.
His second novel, The Fulcrum, published June 2025 by Girl Friday Productions.
"By equal measure inspiring and eye-opening, this riveting tale of the climate realities headed our way had me on the edge of my seat. Beautifully interwoven with rich Irish and Irish-American stories of pain and redemption, The Fulcrum is also, at its centre, a moving and modern love story. Decter has written a novel – soundly backed by both science and heart – that reminds readers that our collective willingness and actions can solve the climate crisis." – Dheepa R. Maturi, author of 108: An Eco-Thriller.
"In the romantic thriller The Fulcrum, lucky lovers work to bring awareness to the dangers of climate change." – Foreword
“The Fulcrum Michael Decter’s second work of fiction and ninth book overall, follows a budding climate scientist and his long-distance beau, she also a scientist, who encounter a woman on the run from the IRA in Cambridge, Mass. that derails their plans. Meanwhile, the hurricane to end all hurricanes is bearing down on Miami. Can anyone be saved” – Winnipeg Free Press
***
Michael Decter never had a chance of escaping his fate to become a storyteller. His Irish mother, Una, was an excellent storyteller. His Russian-Jewish father, Percy, was also a wonderful teller of tales.
In the preface to his storytelling destiny, Michael has managed three careers – one in Government, one in Consulting, and one in Finance. He has also served on many governance boards in the health and cultural sectors. Along the way, he has written and published eight non-fiction books, several including storytelling within a factual narrative.
Michael has enjoyed his forty-year career in the public and private sectors. Starting in the Manitoba public service in the early 1970s, he rose to Cabinet Secretary (1981-1985). A career in consulting with KPMG followed, and then a return to public service in 1991 as Deputy Minister of Health in Ontario. His continuing interest in health has led him to accept the Chair role in several national health organizations, including the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the Health Council of Canada, Saint Elizabeth Health Care, and most recently Medavie Blue Cross. During his healthcare years, Michael wrote two books and co-authored a third:
Healing Medicare: Managing Health System Change – The Canadian Way (1994)
Four Strong Winds – Understanding the Growing Challenges to Health Care (2000)
Navigating Canada’s Health Care, with co-author Francesca Grosso (2006)
Since 1998, Michael has led the investment firm LDIC Inc. as its President, and CEO. He has continued to serve on many health and public policy boards, remained active as a speaker and lecturer on health policy, and written of three books on investing:
Michael Decter’s Million Dollar Strategy (1998)
Building Your Wealth One Share at a Time with Dividend Reinvestment Plans (2001)
Ten Good Reasons to Invest in Canada (2008)
Michael is also a Trustee of the Auto Sector Healthcare Trust, which manages the healthcare benefits for auto workers of GM Canada and Chrysler Canada.
In 2004, Michael was awarded The Order of Canada for his contributions to health care.
In 2013, Michael was named Chancellor of Brandon University.
In 2018 Michael was appointed to the Premiers Council on Improving Medicare and Ending Hallway Medicine.
Tales From the Backroom (2012) and Percy: A Memoir (2002) marked the beginning of Michael’s journey from governance, health, and investing to storyteller. Tales From the Backroom allowed Michael to tell the stories from his time in government and around politics. Percy was a memoir of Michael’s father and the stories of their shared time together.
In October 2022, Cormorant Books published Michael’s debut novel, Shadow Life, thus beginning a new storytelling chapter in Michael’s life.
His second novel, The Fulcrum, published June 2025 by Girl Friday Productions.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 5, 2023
This was an interesting read. A new author for me.
January 28, 2023
Is there something in the air of our present times that conjures an almost existential invitation to explore our identity or, at least, to firm up our understanding of where we come from, who we are, and what we could be? The daughter of an acquaintance was heard to advise her mother "to work on her pedigree". Ancestry.com and other services provide tools for tracking genealogy; there are popular TV shows based on the tracing of roots. I have not been immune from this cultural blooming, having spent many hours writing a fictionalized account of the lives of my parents, delving into their decisions, their emotions and their reflection on their own choices, very likely as a way of understanding my own life better.
The quest for identity and meaning is the foundation for Shadow Life. Mathew Rice is a 60 year old senior civil servant who has been shaken from his moorings through the experience of acting as a jury foreman in a grisly murder trial. The trauma of the trial sends him on a journey of self exploration, consulting with a psychiatrist, isolating at his cottage on the shores of Georgian Bay and interrogating his past and his family history. In the course of his journey, he discovers he is not who he thought he was and step by step puts together a new understanding of himself and a revitalized sense of purpose.
This is Michael Decter's first work of fiction. There are few passages and some visible seams in the writing that are a bit awkward but, overall, I was carried along with the story. The book is especially interesting for me because I know the author, not well, but well enough to see the close correspondence between the main character and the author's own personal story. "Write what you know" is advice often given to authors; Michael Decter has taken this fully on board. Based on what I know about Michael, I was a bit surprised that one of the book's main themes is the search for identity. If there was anyone who I would believe confidently knows who he is and where he is going, it would be Michael. But, in the spirit of the idea that there is a high calling in seeking to understand and master yourself, I can see value in going deeper. And it feels, at some points in the book, that the process of creating the fiction has in fact been a form of real therapy. The story creates a strong sense of place: Georgian Bay, West Hawk Lake, Harvard University, Dublin. And Mathew Rice gains new strength from connecting to those places. If one measure of a good book is triggering, on the part of the reader, a desire to know what happens next, Shadow Life was successful for me. There is, apparently, an idea for a series of books based on the story of Matthew Rice. I will be interested in following along.
The quest for identity and meaning is the foundation for Shadow Life. Mathew Rice is a 60 year old senior civil servant who has been shaken from his moorings through the experience of acting as a jury foreman in a grisly murder trial. The trauma of the trial sends him on a journey of self exploration, consulting with a psychiatrist, isolating at his cottage on the shores of Georgian Bay and interrogating his past and his family history. In the course of his journey, he discovers he is not who he thought he was and step by step puts together a new understanding of himself and a revitalized sense of purpose.
This is Michael Decter's first work of fiction. There are few passages and some visible seams in the writing that are a bit awkward but, overall, I was carried along with the story. The book is especially interesting for me because I know the author, not well, but well enough to see the close correspondence between the main character and the author's own personal story. "Write what you know" is advice often given to authors; Michael Decter has taken this fully on board. Based on what I know about Michael, I was a bit surprised that one of the book's main themes is the search for identity. If there was anyone who I would believe confidently knows who he is and where he is going, it would be Michael. But, in the spirit of the idea that there is a high calling in seeking to understand and master yourself, I can see value in going deeper. And it feels, at some points in the book, that the process of creating the fiction has in fact been a form of real therapy. The story creates a strong sense of place: Georgian Bay, West Hawk Lake, Harvard University, Dublin. And Mathew Rice gains new strength from connecting to those places. If one measure of a good book is triggering, on the part of the reader, a desire to know what happens next, Shadow Life was successful for me. There is, apparently, an idea for a series of books based on the story of Matthew Rice. I will be interested in following along.
December 7, 2022
Just as many pieces of classical music start slowly, then speed up in their second movement, so too does this complex book. It begins with a somber pace, when the jury in a murder trial is unable to reach a unanimous verdict, so an alleged killer is set free. In a PTSD sorrow, the protagonist retreats to a cottage on Georgian Bay, familiar to anyone who's spent time in such settings, surrounded by firewood, propane, and a welcome supply of Scotch. After healing waters and reflections with neighbours and a therapist, we are ready for Act 2, which shouts loudly and somewhat chaotically, increasing in tempo and intensity. The hunt for Who? Why? takes us on a kaleidoscope ride through decades and continents, before the final act again slows us down. I can glimpse the openings where the next book will pick up, and look forward to the next leg of the series.
Many of his readers know, or know of, Michael Decter. A fierce passion for social justice, the priority of government- supported health care, and an anger at tobacco companies' willingness to ignore the harm they cause are reflected in these pages. These are real and important struggles, and I am happy to see we do not forget them in our reading of fiction.
Shadow Life was named in early December by the CBC, to their 2022 Best Canadian Fiction List. Well deserved. Gretchen Roedde
Many of his readers know, or know of, Michael Decter. A fierce passion for social justice, the priority of government- supported health care, and an anger at tobacco companies' willingness to ignore the harm they cause are reflected in these pages. These are real and important struggles, and I am happy to see we do not forget them in our reading of fiction.
Shadow Life was named in early December by the CBC, to their 2022 Best Canadian Fiction List. Well deserved. Gretchen Roedde
May 4, 2023
I read this author’s debut novel in the course of a few hours and it is a journey worth reading.
There were several parts that made this book interesting to me. The main character, Matt, is sixty plus years old and finds himself at a crossroads he never anticipated.
His first crossroad is that he is foreman on a hung jury. He suffers from post traumatic stress after the trial and is given a 6 month leave of absence from his job as the city planner of Toronto. He quietly becomes a survivalist as he sequesters himself into his cabin on the lake and plans to live through the harsh winter there.
The second crossroad is that he finds out he has a birth mother that is different than the woman who raised him. Since there are very few people still alive to tell the story, Matt travels to Australia, Boston, and Ireland to find out about his maternal roots.
All of this, along with a woman he meets in Ireland, make Matt take stock in who he is at this moment in time.
The book is told with lots of information about Irish heritage and politics. There are descriptions about the Canadian landscape and that government and healthcare system.
It all merges together to make a really good read.
There were several parts that made this book interesting to me. The main character, Matt, is sixty plus years old and finds himself at a crossroads he never anticipated.
His first crossroad is that he is foreman on a hung jury. He suffers from post traumatic stress after the trial and is given a 6 month leave of absence from his job as the city planner of Toronto. He quietly becomes a survivalist as he sequesters himself into his cabin on the lake and plans to live through the harsh winter there.
The second crossroad is that he finds out he has a birth mother that is different than the woman who raised him. Since there are very few people still alive to tell the story, Matt travels to Australia, Boston, and Ireland to find out about his maternal roots.
All of this, along with a woman he meets in Ireland, make Matt take stock in who he is at this moment in time.
The book is told with lots of information about Irish heritage and politics. There are descriptions about the Canadian landscape and that government and healthcare system.
It all merges together to make a really good read.
December 29, 2022
Michael Decter is known as an economist, a political advisor and an author of nonfiction works from political memoirs to books on finance and healthcare policy. Shadow Life is his first novel. Decter stretches his storytelling muscles with this tale of a man delivering a verdict of not guilty on a child killing case, and how his life subsequently falls apart.
What starts as a legal thriller undergoes a strange metamorphosis, after another child is murdered weeks after the trial and the protagonist, Matthew, seeks sanctuary in Georgian Bay. Before long, Matthew, learns that his past is not what he thought, and that his present, his identity, his not the certainty he thought. This begins another journey, one of self-discovery. The narrative itself seems to transform as the protagonist transforms, morphing from one thing to another and leaving the reader with a sense of uncertainty, as though the ground is shifting beneath their feet. Shadow Life is the first in a planned trilogy. It will be interesting to see where Matthew’s life takes him next and also to see if Decter can continue his unconventional method of structuring his novels.
What starts as a legal thriller undergoes a strange metamorphosis, after another child is murdered weeks after the trial and the protagonist, Matthew, seeks sanctuary in Georgian Bay. Before long, Matthew, learns that his past is not what he thought, and that his present, his identity, his not the certainty he thought. This begins another journey, one of self-discovery. The narrative itself seems to transform as the protagonist transforms, morphing from one thing to another and leaving the reader with a sense of uncertainty, as though the ground is shifting beneath their feet. Shadow Life is the first in a planned trilogy. It will be interesting to see where Matthew’s life takes him next and also to see if Decter can continue his unconventional method of structuring his novels.
May 3, 2023
A man's search for his birth certificate begins a journey of self discovery and a history he never even knew about.
Matthew Rice feels like a failure for not being able to bring the jury he's the foreman of to a unanimous guilty verdict. When the freed defendant goes on to kill again, Matthew becomes unmoored and is diagnosed with PTSD. In an effort to start healing Matthew goes to the remote Quarry Island in Georgian Bay where he loses his wallet in a boating mishap. While replacing the contents of his wallet, Matthew learns the birth certificate he had was a forgery. What he finds in his search for answers will change everything he thought he knew about himself.
I found this to be a nicely written and well crafted story. Told in three books, each one representing events in Matthew's life, the story builds in intensity right up to its satisfying conclusion. I really enjoyed Matthew's journey and found it oddly relatable and at times even thrilling. This is the author's first novel and I look forward to more from him.
Thank you to the author, Cormorant Books and Suzy Approved Book Tours for the gifted copy and including me on this tour.
Matthew Rice feels like a failure for not being able to bring the jury he's the foreman of to a unanimous guilty verdict. When the freed defendant goes on to kill again, Matthew becomes unmoored and is diagnosed with PTSD. In an effort to start healing Matthew goes to the remote Quarry Island in Georgian Bay where he loses his wallet in a boating mishap. While replacing the contents of his wallet, Matthew learns the birth certificate he had was a forgery. What he finds in his search for answers will change everything he thought he knew about himself.
I found this to be a nicely written and well crafted story. Told in three books, each one representing events in Matthew's life, the story builds in intensity right up to its satisfying conclusion. I really enjoyed Matthew's journey and found it oddly relatable and at times even thrilling. This is the author's first novel and I look forward to more from him.
Thank you to the author, Cormorant Books and Suzy Approved Book Tours for the gifted copy and including me on this tour.
May 8, 2023
Michael Decter, the author of “Shadow Life” has written an intriguing fictional novel. The locations in the story are Sydney, Boston, and Dublin. The timeline for the story is set in the present and goes to the past regarding the characters and events. The author describes his characters as complex and complicated. The protagonist, 60-year-old Matthew Rice’s world collapse after the jury he was on frees a man that goes on to kill again. Suffering guilt, anxiety, anger, and depression, Matthew retreats to Quarry Island in Georgia Bay, where he plans to both recover and escape.
Matthew escapes injury and death in the rough waters of the island. When he returns to shore, he realizes he lost his wallet. Matthew now starts a new journey to discover who he is. He discovers some problems with the birth certificate that he needs to get and realizes that he has to discover who he is and who his family is. Matthew has to leave the island and starts an adventure that will change his life forever. The author discusses the importance of finding yourself, your family, friendship, and hope.
Matthew escapes injury and death in the rough waters of the island. When he returns to shore, he realizes he lost his wallet. Matthew now starts a new journey to discover who he is. He discovers some problems with the birth certificate that he needs to get and realizes that he has to discover who he is and who his family is. Matthew has to leave the island and starts an adventure that will change his life forever. The author discusses the importance of finding yourself, your family, friendship, and hope.
May 15, 2023
A very well written and thought provoking debut novel! I was drawn in from the very start wondering, “how the murder of a child could be a hung jury with a non guilty verdict”! This action caused the protagonist, Matthew Rice, to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. Trying to find solace and some sort of peace, Matthew retreats to his cabin. The author did a great job in transitioning from the scenario of PTSD into the life altering turn of events. Michael finds out family secrets after losing his wallet while out in his boat. The secrets begin a passage for Michael on a journey of self realization, identity, and heritage. This journey changes everything he thought he was and who he was. I really liked this book and I am looking forward to more books by this author. #suzyapprovedbooktour
May 19, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
At the start of this book, I thought this would be a legal thriller or maybe a legal drama. Matthew, the jury’s foreman, is distraught over the mistrial in the child murder case. When another murder occurs, Matthew feels unhinged and retreats to Quarry Island.
I thought this was a great setup. So I was a little surprised when the plot shifted to Matthew searching for his birth mother after discovering his birth certificate had been forged. While the two storylines felt a little separate to me, I did, however, enjoy all the travel and self-discovery elements in the latter half.
At the start of this book, I thought this would be a legal thriller or maybe a legal drama. Matthew, the jury’s foreman, is distraught over the mistrial in the child murder case. When another murder occurs, Matthew feels unhinged and retreats to Quarry Island.
I thought this was a great setup. So I was a little surprised when the plot shifted to Matthew searching for his birth mother after discovering his birth certificate had been forged. While the two storylines felt a little separate to me, I did, however, enjoy all the travel and self-discovery elements in the latter half.
March 3, 2023
I picked this up because I know and respect Decter from his professional work in both personal investing and corporate governance. I wasn't convinced that fiction writing would be his forte and was pleasantly surprised. This is an enjoyable read about a man dealing with his personal experience on jury duty. I enjoyed the mix of the actual trial, his back story, and what happens after. Similar to many novels I found the ending a bit too neat and more drama than needed but I would definitely pick up another novel from Decter.
January 26, 2023
finding one’s road
Long story how I found this book but I am absolutely overwhelmed by the story, the locations, the drama and trauma, the search for one’s roots, the bigger-than-life love everywhere and the Irishness of it all. I absolutely loved and devoured this book and will probably read it again - because there is just so much humanity to be gleaned in it. I recommend this book to everyone - just too, too good.
Long story how I found this book but I am absolutely overwhelmed by the story, the locations, the drama and trauma, the search for one’s roots, the bigger-than-life love everywhere and the Irishness of it all. I absolutely loved and devoured this book and will probably read it again - because there is just so much humanity to be gleaned in it. I recommend this book to everyone - just too, too good.
April 2, 2023
Matthew is very disturbed by the outcome of a jury trial he was on that set a child killer free. That sparks him on a journey of self discovery. To discover who he is and where he comes from. His lineage. This was interesting and thought provoking. It starts out like a thriller and then shifts to self discover. This left me thinking a lot about it. I really liked the way it shifted and how it was done. I really enjoyed this.
Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley NY
May 22, 2023
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, and I was delighted to be immediately drawn into an engaging adventure. The novel is incredibly well-written and I found Matthew's journey and travels toward finding his roots fascinating. If you're looking for a fast-paced unique story that probes some meaningful questions about life this is the book for you. I enjoyed every minute of it.
I received a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
I received a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2023
𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵-𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨!
This story caught my attention since the first chapter, it starts with the trial’s veredict following with Matthew’s life after it and his quest to findhimself. It was past-paced and easy to read.
Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours and Cormorant Books for this tour invite.
𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 by Michael Decter released November 23, 2022.
https://www.instagram.com/booksandcof...
This story caught my attention since the first chapter, it starts with the trial’s veredict following with Matthew’s life after it and his quest to findhimself. It was past-paced and easy to read.
Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours and Cormorant Books for this tour invite.
𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 by Michael Decter released November 23, 2022.
https://www.instagram.com/booksandcof...
March 19, 2024
I accidentally came across this novel and was intrigued by the fact that the author is from Winnipeg and he writes about Falcon Lake and Georgian Bay. All three places I know quite well. The story is definitely unique in the beginning and with what Matthew Rice discovers about his personal life. I found his reaction to the trial he was involved with as very plausible but not his reaction to the event in his personal life. At times the story was a bit flat and there seemed to be confusion to how the story would progress.
May 15, 2023
This book was a wonderful mix of public service, family secrets, Irish history, soul searching and so much more. Matt was such a likable character and his jury duty experience was powerful. My heart broke for him as his family history (as he had known it) was challenged while he was healing from the emotional jury experience. Quarry Island was the perfect setting for reflection and healing.
May 31, 2023
I gave it3 stars, for a story that compelled me. I’ve also been on a murder jury, and I know it can do things to your emotional well being. But overall the story is so bogged down by details and minutiae that it’s hard to get to know or care about the main character. I think I’ll still look for the second book when the series continues.
March 3, 2023
My journey through the decter canon continues
May 1, 2023
A highly enjoyable read with wonderful writing.
April 24, 2025
Wow! Rarely do books inspire me. They thrill me, and excite me... being inspired is illusive.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews