Review: "The Trust" by Ronald Balson

Synopsis: When Liam reluctantly returns to Northern Ireland he learns that not only was his uncle shot to death, but he’d anticipated his own murder. In an astonishing last will and testament, Uncle Fergus has left his entire estate to a secret trust, directing that no distributions be made to any person until the killer is found. Did Fergus know, but refuse to name his killer? Was this a crime of revenge, a vendetta left over from Northern Ireland’s bloody sectarian war? Or is it possible that the killer is a family member seeking Fergus’s estate? Otherwise, why postpone distribution to the heirs? Most menacingly, does the killer now have his sights on other family members?

As his investigation draws Liam further and further into the past he had abandoned, he is forced to reopen doors long ago shut. Now accepting the appointment as sole trustee of the Fergus Taggart Trust, Liam realizes he has stepped into the center of a firestorm.

My Thoughts:  I LOVE Ronald Balson's and The Trust is no different.  This is the first book I've read by him that wasn't set during the Holocaust so I didn't know what to expect.  That being said, I shouldn't have worried because this book was quite the page turner!

First off, Liam and Catherine are back!  I really love these characters and was excited to follow them on a new adventure.  This book focuses primarily on Liam and allows us to get to know his family and his past a lot more.  I enjoyed getting to see where he grew up in Ireland and learning more about who he was as a character and what his motivations are.

My favorite part of this book was the family relationships.  Liam had a difficult relationship with some of his family and a great relationship with others and I enjoyed reading about how he navigated his very large family.  There were so many neat characters within the family and they really made the story.

I really know very little about the conflicts in Northern Ireland so this story was quite the eye-opener.  I think the author did a great job of weaving the complexity of the conflict and the civilian cost into the story. I definitely want to read more about it and was intrigued by the depth of hatred felt between the groups. 

I did figure out part of what was going on before it was officially revealed but the overall story was so good that I didn't really care.  There was one final twist at the end that I did not see coming and it completely rounded out the whole story.  

In the end, I loved this book; I couldn't put it down!  Mr. Balson is a wonderful story-teller and in this book, he created a really enthralling mystery.  I would recommend this book to anyone; you don't have to have read his other books to read this one (though they're so good, I would recommend them too!).  4 stars.

About the Author:

RONALD H. BALSON is a Chicago trial attorney, an educator and writer. His practice has taken him to several international venues. He is also the author of Karolina’s Twins, Saving Sophie and the international bestseller Once We Were Brothers.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.