Black Willows

The Apple Dumpling Gang meets the red earth of Tara in this delicious romp through a Georgia playground of the rich and infamous.

When the family patriarch dies, spoiled rotten and uber shallow members of the Trapnell family drool over their slice of the $40 billion family fortune. Each relative tries to snatch the will from the shaky hands of a senile probate judge in order to further their own ridiculous plans.

Fashion designer Aimee Trapnell wants to buy an Aegean island and fill it with snakes. Her sister-in-law Palmer wants to create a land-locked version of the Titanic. Brother Marsh is an international arms dealer. Nephew Benjamin is walking off demerits on the “Ho Chi Minh Trail” of an elite boys boarding school in Pennsylvania. Half-sister Karen is supposed to be dead. Turns out she’s a Buddhist nun who’s allegedly created a “tulpa” – an imaginary friend you can see. The tulpa’s after everyone and everyone is after the money as soon as they finish their mint juleps.

It’s a full day at the White Oaks estate.

But something creepy and other-worldly stalks the Trapnells. What is it after, and why? Who’ll be floating belly up in the estate swamp next? And what’s up with the secret codes in the estate’s iron railings?

A brisk and breezy blend of humor, thriller/crime story, and fantasy, Black Willows has plenty of Southern charm. Ditto grits with cheddar cheese. French toast with pecans, bananas and raisins. Also enough dead-pan humor to sink a battleship.

Peppered with memorable characters like “Birdsall Gormley” and “Peach Walker,” the story is nimble and engaging. Each chapter glides effortlessly into the next with the exception of chapter 25, “Kortney’s Double Life." It bogs down here. But this lively whodunit? soon regains momentum and quickly returns to the tracks.

Indeed, Black Willows is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Just watch out for flying boomerangs, especially if you’re a “tulpa” wannabee.


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Not my normal type of read but this one was gripping from start to finish.Would recommend this book and author to anyone who likes a good mystery.Will keep a look out for more from this author.

Here is a tale of southern charm and scheming families. There is an undeniable humor here not only in its primary characters the Trapnell siblings but the supporting cast as well. A fathers death and missing will. A supposed dead stepsister and a brother, part lush,mostly drawling charm make for a delightful read. Karen said stepsister starts to appear around town and causing mischief. The siblings turn to Voodoo as a solution which brings a whole different light to the story. It’s a chase for easy money from a father who cast too long a shadow on their lives. It’s a look at life in a town, just small enough to house big illusions about the rich and faux rich. Happy reading

An exciting, entertaining visit with a family that's very possibly more eccentric than my own. When Dad kicks the bucket, the siblings and their immediate family start the battle over his estate, with some very weird results. This is the 2nd in the Trapnell Thriller series, but I really didn't know that until I was well into the book, so didn't miss anything. The characters and their plans for their wealth made me think of the game Clue with their hit or miss actions and consequences. With a few ghostly.....maybe ghostly....characters thrown in, this was a welcome change to the heavy on tension and gore thrillers I've been reading. If you do not have an active funny bone, this might not be your cup of tea, but if you're looking for an entertaining, but still a mystery book, this is it.

Although this is the 2nd book in the Trapnell Thriller series it can be read as a standalone. If you like southern mysteries give it a go.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.