Customer Reviews

Promises to Keep: A Novel (Strivers Row)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Gloria Malette takes her writing to new and amazing levels in her latest book, Promises to Keep. This book takes us into the lives of Nola and Ron Kirkwood and their adult sons Troy and Vann.

Troy and his daughter Meika move back home after Troy obtains full custody from his drug-addicted ex Cordelia. Just as Troy begins to start anew for himself and Meika, he later turns up murdered after what started out as a father-daughter outing to the movies. Grief-stricken, Nola and Ron's marriage is put to the test as they work to sort through their pain and gain justice for their son. Vann also returns home to deal with the loss and like his parents seek justice for Troy. An extra twist to the tale is when Cordelia returns, determined to do whatever it takes to gain sole custody of Meika.

Ms. Malette does an excellent job of presenting this story from start to finish however my only complaint was not knowing what happened to the family after everything was said and done. I would have really liked to have seen a prolouge of where they were several years from now, especially Meika. I hope that Ms. Malette will consider a sequel to this book. :)

While on Amazon I rate it a 5, overall I rate it a 4.5. I would recommend this for ALL to read. Ms. Malette is truly one to watch in the literary world.

I must admit that I did something with this novel that I had never done before. I picked it up and started reading it without having the slighest idea of what it was about. I did not even read the back cover. I just knew it was a Gloria Mallette book so I purchased it and dug right in.

The book is riveting from page one. I was captivated with the relationship between Meika and her single father Troy. When tragedy suddenly struck, I was shaken because it was totally unexpected since I was reading without forewarning.

The torment of losing a child is one that no one ever wishes to go through. I truly felt compassion for Troy's parents as well as for Meika. The fact that her mother was a recovering addict and totally unfit to be a parent was unnerving as the court system once again failed by allowing her to take custody.

All of the characters were wonderful but Vann was my favorite. He was a strong young man who stepped up to the plate without hesitation to soothe the pain of his parents, handle all of Troy's affairs and track down his murderers.

Mallette has once again given her readers a tale to remember. For those that love a good mystery mixed with a complex tale of family love and devotion, this is an excellent choice for summer reading.

A suspenseful and heart-wrenching novel, Promises To Keep, takes you into the lives of the Kirkwood family. An ordinary day turns tragic as Troy, a single father, comes up missing, leaving Meika, his 5 year old daughter, alone at the movies. It is later determined that Troy had been murdered, but there are no clues left behind to aid in finding the killer.

Nola and Ron, Troy's parents, ban together along with Troy's brother, Vann, to investigate the murder. Vann returns home only to become obsessed with the case, leaving his girlfriend and her children feeling abandoned. Relationships are put to the test during this stressful time and all are forced to deal with their own separate demons.

As the Kirkwoods attempt to return to a normal life another bomb shell is dropped into their lap. Meika's drug addicted mother, Cordelia, comes back into the picture demanding custody of her daughter. Once again, the family must face disappointment and pain.

Gloria Mallette pens a very descriptive novel. Although it is a little drawn out in the middle, and the end leaves you with some unanswered questions, most of the book is page-turning drama.

Tina
...

Filled with chapter-by-chapter drama, and featuring an array of emotions, Promises to Keep is an engaging and thoughtful suspense novel that readers should embrace.

Nola and Ron are the parents of two adult sons, Vann and Troy. One day Troy takes his daughter, Meika, to see The Lion King. While in the movies, his car alarm device goes off. Troy wants to take Meika with him to investigate. She won't budge, the movie is too good. Troy leaves, and Meika never sees her daddy alive again.

The family is distraught, quite naturally, and embark on an intense and at times hilarious investigation as to what happened to Troy, who did it, and why. Other dynamics in the mix include Meika's biological mother, Cordelia. To say that Nola and Cordelia can't stand each other is an understatement.

Over-the-top humor, and intense meddling from Nola, makes Promises to Keep a page-turning novel that should maintain the interest of lovers of suspense and child/family issues.

OMG. Damn(...) this book is off the hook and the best art there wasn't any slang for you to decode(although theres nothing wrong with it)and not that many curse words. This plot can be seen all around the world, the situation is so mind twisting and sad that you feel for the character Troy. Must Read.

I really enjoyed the novel. I found it a bit drawn out at times, but overall I was impressed with the overall suspense and heart-wrenching agony that tugged at my heart. The ending left me with too many questions that were left unanswered. Ms. Malette should have included an epilogue to bring the story full circle.

The very first mistake that I made was to read the back cover that describes the book. I have learned that when there is a book by a special author - simply get the book and read. Gloria Mallette has reached the top 10 on my best author list.

Promises to keep tells that story of Troy Kirkwood, a recently divorced father of a 5 year old girl. Troy marriage was a living hell. His ex-wife abused drugs. On a trip to the movies, he disappears, leaving his daughter at the movie theater. All hell beaks loose. It is discovered that Troy was murdered with little clues to who the murderer was. The Kirkwood family must stick together as they attempt to help the police solve the murder.

Mallette has written a very moving book. At times, you want to scream, yell, cheer and cry (usually all at the same time) They are dealing with the same everyday issues that everyone faces, relationships in marriage and family, father/son, mother/son, and a list of others. Hats off for such great story telling. Trust me I have learned my lesson....don't read the cover, Just buy the book.

Peace and Blessings!!!

This is an author to really watch out for. I definitely was not disappointed. I started this book at 10:30pm and did not sleep until I finished it at 4am. The more I read, the more anxious I was to get to the end. Ms. Mallette defintely has captured my attention with her ability to combine suspense, humor, drama and mystery all in one book. It may hsve been a small book but it was packed full of interesting, exciting material. Please keep up the good work only next time give us more pages. Kudos to you, Ms. Mallette

What more can I say,what a beautifully written book. If you are looking for a fast paced read that does not leave you when you are done reading it this is the book for you.Gloria once again has captivated me with her words this sister really can write Dayuuum,Dayuuum,Dayuuum like Florida Evans on Good Times would say. This sister held my attention page after page. I am really looking for the sequel. What a wonderful inspiration to families everywhere of how tragedy strikes and there were plenty of arguments but they still stuck together. I also loved the way Gloria incorporated the mother in law daughter in law concept into this story. Because many mother in law's don't realize that there daughter in law is a human with real feelings. Wow!!!!!! I will not tell you anything about the book because it will take away from your experience.This book is like an Eric Jerome Dickey book it keeps you wanting more and more.

This was a very descriptive and suspenseful book.

If you are looking for a fast read this is the book for you.