Review: A delightful page turner with a depth of eloquent prose
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 3, 2011
In the debut novel from author Fingers Murphy - FOLLOW THE MONEY - a young protagonists searches for the truth about a twelve year old murder case, and struggles to find his place in a world of greed and conflicting ethics.Oliver Olson is a law student from a working class family who lands a position working as a summer associate at a prestigious law firm. He went to law school because he wanted to help people, but quickly finds himself in a world of extreme opulence, power, and greed. The skillfully crafted narrative is reminiscent of classic hard-boiled mysteries, and like many pulp novels of the past the mystery plot is at times stilted and contrived, but the overall story is so well written we can forgive a few shaky elements.Though hardcore mystery readers might find some mystery elements a little weak, the back story of a young man on the threshold of losing his soul to the corruption inherent in money and power makes the work a worthwhile and spellbinding read. The characterizations are rich and believable, the settings detailed and alluring, and the protagonist Oliver Olson is endearing even in his deepest plunges into the dark side. The reader easily sympathizes with his ethical battles and eagerly cheers and scolds him along the way.The writing itself is one of the most stand out elements of this book. Fingers Murphy is a master of the well turned phrase and is able to speak volumes with only a few words. In one early scene the author describes the opulence of a party thrown at the law firm. A centerpiece is described as an ice sculpture of Lady Justice, the scales filled with caviar. Later, as Mr. Olson is torn by guilt over his conflicting desires and ideals he references the sculpture - "...the clear droplets running down the side of Lady Justice's icy face as she strained to hold those scales aloft."Another beautiful example of the authors mastery of prose comes as Olson wakes after a drunken night - "My head pounded and I went frightfully still. I was only two more foolish moves from vomiting. Nearly checkmated by my own hangover, I paused and planned my next motions with care." The narrative is filled with such gems, keeping the reader joyfully engaged. Anyone who loves good literature will enjoy Mr. Murphy's writing, whether you are a fan of mysteries or not.I heartily recommend FOLLOW THE MONEY to anyone who enjoys fine literature, young adult to senior citizen. It is a very well written and satisfying summer read. I look forward to future works by the author.