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Ill Gotten Gain
Woe to the man who betrays. It would be better for him if he had never been born.
Thomas Edward Garrett is an outskirter among the social and political elite in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, a fact that grates on his soul and claws at his mind. He is wealthy…enough. He is handsome…enough. He is well-connected…enough. He is acceptable…enough. But he fails to possess the one thing essential for full acceptance. He does not have a Charleston pedigree. Garrett’s life takes an unexpected turn when he discovers a treasure of unimaginable value. But among the artifacts in this incredible “find” is an unusual box that contains some very dangerous coins.
Suddenly, everything he desires – wealth, power, notoriety, celebrity, women – are his for the taking. And a very different power is clawing at Garrett’s mind.
Thomas Edward Garrett is an outskirter among the social and political elite in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, a fact that grates on his soul and claws at his mind. He is wealthy…enough. He is handsome…enough. He is well-connected…enough. He is acceptable…enough. But he fails to possess the one thing essential for full acceptance. He does not have a Charleston pedigree. Garrett’s life takes an unexpected turn when he discovers a treasure of unimaginable value. But among the artifacts in this incredible “find” is an unusual box that contains some very dangerous coins.
Suddenly, everything he desires – wealth, power, notoriety, celebrity, women – are his for the taking. And a very different power is clawing at Garrett’s mind.
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Published October 4, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 19, 2017
Thomas Edward Garrett III is a disgruntled, though relatively successful antiques dealer based in Charleston, South Carolina, operating his established business from his large family home at 13 Church Street. He is a respected businessman; financially he is comfortable rather than rich, and enjoys a close relationship with the senator’s daughter, an attractive, vivacious woman who in addition to attending to his emotional needs also helps promote his business. He feels isolated however, excluded from the established Charlestonian society which forms the majority of his client base. He is resentful of the fact that as he is the first generation to grow up in the town he is seen as a newcomer and he longs for the recognition and approbation of his peers. Ill-Gotten Gain by Ralph E. Jarrells chronicles his chance discovery of a precious horde hidden in a disused chamber of his old house, and how the find brings almost instant fame and a fortune running into hundreds of millions of dollars, but also how a small inconspicuous box, part of the find, brings about much more sinister changes with representatives of the Pope and Opus Dei arriving at his door. With terrifying dreams and vested interests shattering his confidence, hounded by the media and with all those around him displaying a competence and confidence he cannot match, is it possible for Thomas Edward Garrett to survive the physical and mental storm that has engulfed him?
Ill-Gotten Gain by Ralph E. Jarrells explores an intriguing idea – what happened to the thirty pieces of silver paid to Judas Iscariot for the betrayal of Jesus Christ? Written in an intricately detailed style, the character, life and thought processes of the central players of the piece are laid bare as the narrative proceeds at an unhurried, deliberate pace. Personally, I found it difficult to feel sympathy for our hero as he seemed to be the architect of all his misfortunes, but behind it all there was a feeling that the contents of a small stone box could have had a great deal of influence over his reasoning. As his first novel, Mr Jarrells has chosen a truly original theme to launch his career as an author, producing a complex multi-layered plot of surprising quality. Excellent work from a new author who is sure to find further success in the field.
Ill-Gotten Gain by Ralph E. Jarrells explores an intriguing idea – what happened to the thirty pieces of silver paid to Judas Iscariot for the betrayal of Jesus Christ? Written in an intricately detailed style, the character, life and thought processes of the central players of the piece are laid bare as the narrative proceeds at an unhurried, deliberate pace. Personally, I found it difficult to feel sympathy for our hero as he seemed to be the architect of all his misfortunes, but behind it all there was a feeling that the contents of a small stone box could have had a great deal of influence over his reasoning. As his first novel, Mr Jarrells has chosen a truly original theme to launch his career as an author, producing a complex multi-layered plot of surprising quality. Excellent work from a new author who is sure to find further success in the field.
September 1, 2019
An imaginative take on the cursed 30 pieces of silver that were the price of Judas' betrayal. Creative and creepy.
January 29, 2018
I read it because I wrote it. I think it's great.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews