If you are a new author today, it is hard to get a book published. Many new authors are using the self-publishing route of e-books. These talented authors are frustrated to see quasi-celebrities known for little more than sex scandals getting lucrative book deals. So what is a new author to do? Especially one who is facing both economic and family pressure to “Get a Real Job”? Manufacture their own sex scandal?

 That is exactly the premise of the book “Chill Run” by Russell Brooks. But as the saying goes, “Be careful what you wish for.” Eddie Barrow, Jr. along with his friends decides to stage a publicity stunt where Eddie is “caught” in a sex act with a celebrity. However, the stunt goes terribly wrong and the celebrity is murdered. Eddie and his friends become fugitives, trying to uncover the real killer.

Russell Brooks offers us a compelling lead character with Eddie Barrow, Jr. In the book Eddie pretends to be his fictional character, Simeon Wolf, who wouldn’t be scared. In fact Eddie always says “there has to be some aspect of reality when you write fiction”. I suspect the same is true for Russell Brooks.

I enjoyed this book immensely, although it is different from the books I normally read. I do want to warn readers that this is not a cozy mystery; it is “R-rated”. The book offers strong characters who despite their flaws, you want to succeed.

The plot is intriguing and inspired by the real life scandal of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. It has everything: sex, politics and power. However, what makes this book much more than a whodunit is the uplifting aspect of the book. I was inspired by the people who help Eddie without worrying about how it will affect them. Perhaps my favorite part of the book was an old African parable in the story about elephants that is a metaphor for the entire book. While I don’t want to give away the ending of the book, I will confess it left me with a smile on my face.

Five Stars out of Five.

________________________________________________________________

In accordance with FTC guidelines for reviewers, I would like to clarify that this book was provided to me by the publisher free of charge.  I am not compensated by the author or publisher for my review. All they expect is an honest review of the work