Assessment:
Powers provides a straightforward tale of family loyalty as recent Princeton graduate Andrea Harding takes charge of Harding Industries after attempted hits on her father and uncle. A discussion between forceful Andrea and elderly aristocrat Cordelia Southington over the unimportance of condemning slavery injects a tone of realpolitik consistent with Powers's themes of confronting evil and defending family. Although quixotic Deirdre Southington overshadows Andrea as the plot develops, the explication of loyalty and betrayal provides a message that resonates more successfully than the sometimes soap opera-ish confrontations with stage villains.
Date Submitted: June 02, 2016
Fantastic book that I really didn't want to put down. I enjoyed the characters and plot. Great detail and plot makes this a book you will really enjoy! Bill Powers is a novelist that I hope will be producing more books.
A new exciting character is introduced that I hope to meet again. She is beautiful and deadly. And made this thriller almost impossible to put down. If you like powerful, confident and beautiful woman- turn to page one and enjoy.
Enjoyed every chapter of this usual fast-paced murder mystery with lots of twists and turns that keep you turning the pages.
The Torch is Passed: A Harding Family Story is written by Bill Powers. Having just graduated college, Andrea finds her world ripped apart when two family members are shot. Her father is one and, with his life hanging in the balance, she must take control of the family business until he recovers. Business partners, Carlton and Jefferson of Oakes Industries make a play to not only take over but own Harding Industries. They offer a staggering amount of money in an attempt to obtain control, but fail despite the amount offered. Why would they be prepared to pay so much for a company worth much less?
Andrea is fast-tracked to adulthood as the world she once knew vanishes. An attempt on her own life leads her to find trusted support in Beth and Riva. Both women are powerfully able to defend and protect not only Andrea, but also those she holds dear. Her determination to keep Harding Industries intact for future growth, takes her along violent pathways, meeting very disagreeable, volatile people.
This is a fast-paced story of greed, murder, and ambition. Thrown into the mix are characters from the Russian mob, whose cold, calculated methods to annihilate anyone crossing their path leave you breathless, and you have a book that will grab you from the very first page. It is a tale of corporate greed and misguided trust and broken trust. I enjoyed this book very much. There’s a lot of detail, but the characters are strong and you quickly determine whose side you are on. Well written.
MENDHAM, N.J., Feb. 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- First there was The Pharm House, Finalist in the Medical Thriller category of the 2014 National Indie Excellence Awards, where readers met Nicholas Harding and his daughter, Andrea. Now comes the second Harding Family story. In the exciting new thriller, The Torch is Passed, Andrea has just graduated college and her world is turned upside down when her father, Nicholas, and her uncle, Michael, are shot in a surprising and puzzling attack. As the only family other than her paternal grandmother, it falls to Andrea to not only investigate who would want to kill her father and uncle, but also to oversee Harding Industries.
The youngest Harding soon finds herself surrounded by a bevy of intriguing new friends and helpers after she is also violently attacked, forcing her to kill both would-be assassins. Suspicion is cast on a short list of family friends and colleagues, including Don Marshall, with a shady past including an incident that also involved Andrea's father. Then there is Marcus Ricci, widely believed to have ties to the New Jersey mob. Also on the suspect list are the Oakes brothers, Carlton and Jefferson, who run Oakes Industries along with their silent partner and cousin, New Jersey state senator Schuyler Colfax. They recently made a seemingly irrational attempt to purchase Harding Industries and were rebuffed by Nicholas.
Along with her new allies, including an abrasive, but loyal, attorney and an eccentric southerner with more money than God and an intriguing background in international espionage, Andrea urgently seeks answers why anyone would want to kill her entire family— grows up along the way and seeks her revenge.
Print and ebook available at Bookbaby, Amazon, iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, and other sites
http://store.bookbaby.com/book/The-Torch-Is-Passed
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Bill Powers is a former pharmaceutical R&D executive, a world traveler, and history buff turned author.
He earned his PhD in Toxicology from the University of Cincinnati, and worked in pharmaceutical Research & Development for twenty-six years before changing his focus to writing the Harding Family mysteries.
Bill's parents were both teachers who stoked his voracious childhood love for words and stories. He is married, with one adult child, and has moved away from the corporate world to focus on his writing career.
Author website: http://authorbillpowers.com
Video - http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/multivu_archive/PRNA/ENR/330132-the-torch-is-passed.mp4
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160205/330131
SOURCE Bill Powers
