Deadly Bequests by Peter Ralph

Publisher's Synopsis

Josh Kennelly’s resolved never to kill again, but there are those who want to kill him.When Josh stumbles across an evil scam in New Orleans where the elderly are being murdered, he faces powerful forces.Jack Fontaine calls himself a criminal (pause) lawyer, which is not the same as a criminal lawyer. Sandra Norton, your everyday banker, is sucked into Fontaine’s scam when her greed overrides her decency.When a criminal (pause) lawyer and a corrupt banker get together, their clients stand to lose their lives and their money.Josh is out of his depth, and only the promise he made to his lover Georgie keeps him persevering.If you like clean-cut heroes, you won’t be able to put down the compulsively addictive Josh Kennelly series.

My Review of Deadly Bequests by Peter Ralph

The second book to feature Josh Kennelly takes the reluctant war hero out of New York City for a trip down to New Orleans. Josh first appeared in Fog City Fraud where it was firmly established that he’s a man of honour who is more than capable of defending himself and isn’t afraid to take action when it’s necessary.

In New Orleans, a diabolical plan has been hatched by a local lawyer who’s come up with a way of ensuring the life savings of the elderly is left to him after they die.These handpicked people have no living relatives, are singularly wealthy and are prepared to leave their money to a charity of their choosing…that he helps set up!

Dragged into this scheme is banker Sandra Norton who unexpectedly finds out that one of her clients has just died and left her a sizable fortune. She barely knows the woman and can’t figure out why she’d be named as a beneficiary in her will. She finds out soon enough.

Josh’s girlfriend, Georgie, has received a call from her cousin, Pamela, from Louisiana. There’s a problem with her stepmother’s estate. A sapphire necklace that was supposed to be part of the estate and was to be handed down to Pamela is missing. Georgie has promised that Josh would come down to solve the problem for her. And although Josh is convinced that the necklace had most likely been sold by the stepmother, he starts digging.

A brilliant addition to the Josh Kennelly household is a rescue dog, an Akita he names Tsar, who proves to be a personality in himself. Loyal, obedient and protective of his master, Tsar provides a great deal of entertainment as the story unfolds and, not surprisingly, plays his part in the story’s outcome (think of it as Chekhov’s dog as opposed to Chekhov’s gun).

A great deal of effort has gone into filling in the background of the main criminal characters of the story. The result is a cast of richly described, believable characters whose motives, while reprehensible, are understandable. As for Josh and his girlfriend Georgie, the more we find out about them, the more likable they become.

The crime around which the plot depends is simple in its conception and ruthless in its execution. As with many such crimes it preys on the vulnerable and, in many cases, would be difficult to identify, let alone catch the perpetrators.

This second outing for Josh Kennelly, as reluctant a hero as he professes to be, confirms that he is a worthy advocate for battlers and he’s fearless as he fights for justice. The fact that he’s able to back up his stoicism with controlled aggression, not to mention some pretty innovative ideas, makes him a rewarding character to follow.

I get the feeling we’ve merely scratched the surface of what Josh Kennelly’s capable of and Peter Ralph has more elaborate plans in store.