Customer Reviews

A Shred of Truth (Aramis Black Mystery Series #2)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Here's a great sequel to "The Best of Evil." Top notch mystery with creative characters and a good solid plot. Although I really liked "The Best of Evil" I found "A Shred of Truth" to be a great improvement in character development with a storyline that was much more complex and engrossing. There were so many suspect that it had you changing your mind throughout the book on who you thought the bad guy was. Finally towards the end someone said something a tad bit out of character and I knew I pegged the perpetrator.

Usually I find the filler parts of books that give you a break from the main plot (such as romance, buying a new puppy or back-flashes that take you to the first time you broke a bone) just to be a waste of time however the filler in "A Shred of Truth" was very engaging, thought provoking and worked well in adding to the story's biblical perspective.

Do yourself a favor and get this book but you'll have to read "The Best of Evil" first. This is not a stand-alone novel.

1 Star = I've been robbed!

2 Stars = Why'd I finish it?

3 Stars = Good

4 Stars = Excellent

5 Stars = Life changing

We first met Aramis Black in The Best of Evil (An Aramis Black Mystery). We learned of his dark past, his tattooed forearms a constant reminder. Live By The Sword, Die By The Sword. After experiencing divine intervention at gunpoint, Aramis turned his life over to God. He moves far away from his former life and now reads the Bible, prays, runs a coffee shop--a tribute to his late mother.

And his past came back to haunt him.

As book two, A Shred of Truth, unfolds, Aramis learns there's more past to outrun. He finds his brother strapped to a statue and bloodied by the markings AX sliced into the man's back. Thus begins the continuing saga of Aramis Black. And the constant struggle to separate truth from lies, darkness from light, sin from righteousness.

Having read each of Eric's novels I can honestly say this is his best to date. With each novel I've witnessed the growth of one of today's cutting edge novelists. One who's not afraid to confront the hard issues in life and who won't give in to the easy answers. His prose has never been tighter, more laced with emotion that the reader feels within themselves as they read. His weaving in of history never takes you out of the present immediate danger Aramis is in. And with all that goes wrong, a sliver of hope shines through along the way.

I've come to really like this cast of characters. If by chance you haven't read The Best of Evil (An Aramis Black Mystery) (shame on you), have no worries. Though part of a series, this novel stands on its own as Eric guides us through the events mingling in tidbits of the past as needed and never slowing us down.

I hope to see more of Aramis Black in future novels. For now, we have the upcoming Facing the Giants: novelization by Eric Wilson and a new series beginning next year unlike anything you've seen before. I, for one, can't wait. I'll save you a space in line at the bookstore.

REVIEWER'S NOTE: This review corrects several typos from a previous review I wrote for ASOT titled "Strong Coffee".

In A Shred of Truth, we once again find Aramis Black at home in his Nashville coffee shop with his brother Johnny Ray fast climbing the ladder to country music fame. The mystery takes off from the first chapter when Johnny Ray is abducted and the initials AX are slashed into his back.

Aramis wants to protect his brother. Wants to discover the identity of the sicko cutter. Wants to settle into the comfort of his motto, Live by the sword, die by the sword, that brought him through his tumultuous past before he gave his life to God. But now, the motto only serves to complicate matters. Does he revert to the security of his motto and seek vengeance or does he follow the faith that tells him to lay back and let Detective Meade handle the investigation?

Aramis struggles admirably with the decision, but when the threats become personal the motto wins out and he is thrust into a hunt that has all the elements of a keep-you-reading-when-you-should-be-sleeping mystery. If Wilson's fast pacing and superb prose don't firmly affix the book in your hands until the last page, his revelation of a mid-book surprise guarantees you'll read until the satisfying ending.

When I finished Eric Wilson's last novel, The Best of Evil, I thought it would be difficult for Wilson to top that book. As I said in my review of The Best of Evil, Wilson's prose was outstanding, his characters deep, his pace fast moving but full of life's meaning that connects us with the characters, and his dialogue genuine. The same is true of A Shred of Truth, but Wilson has provided an even more compelling mystery in this one.

And, as in his last book, Aramis Black's struggle with his faith, with doing the right thing staring him in the face and failing to do it, rings true to the reader. Through his balance of credible dialogue and internal exposition, Wilson reveals Aramis' strife and helps the reader recognize and better understand the battle with the same force in their own life.

Be sure to buy A Shred of Truth, but before you do, I'd like to encourage you to read The Best of Evil. Though A Shred of Truth is written as a stand alone and you don't need to read book one to enjoy and understand book 2, once you read A Shred of Truth you will be compelled to go out and buy The Best of Evil. So why not maximize your experience and read the books in the order they were written? Either way, Eric Wilson has crafted a pair of books that belong on every discerning reader's must read list.

We first met Aramis Black in The Best of Evil. We learned of his dark past, his tattooed forearms a constant reminder. Live By The Sword, Die By The World. After experiencing divine intervention at gunpoint, Aramis turned his life over to God. He moves far away from his former life and now reads the Bible, prays, runs a coffee shop--a tribute to his late mother.

And his past came back to haunt him.

As book two, A Shred of Truth, unfolds, Aramis learns there's more past to outrun. He finds his brother strapped to a stature and bloodied by the markings AX sliced into the man's back. Thus begins the continuing saga of Aramis Black. And the constant struggle to separate truth from lies, darkness from light, sin from righteousness.

Having read each of Eric's novels I can honestly say this is his best to date. With each novel I've witnessed the growth of one of today's cutting edge novelists. His prose has never been tighter, more laced with emotion that the reader feels within themselves as they read. His weaving in of history never takes you out of the present immediate danger Aramis is in. And with all that goes wrong, a sliver of hope shines through along the way.

I've come to really like this cast of characters. If by chance you haven't read The Best of Evil (shame on you), have no worries. Though part of a series, this novel stands on its own as Eric guides us through the events mingling in tidbits of the past as needed and never slowing us down. I hope to see more of Aramis Black in future novels. For now, we have the upcoming Facing the Giants: novelization by Eric Wilson and a new series beginning next year unlike anything you've seen before. I, for one, can't wait. I'll save you a space in line at the bookstore.

Aramis Black returns in A SHRED OF TRUTH, a new novel by Eric Wilson. Aramis first appeared in Wilson's BEST OF EVIL. In that novel, Aramis had to overcome a dark past and the evil surrounding his mother's death. He got the "best of evil" by granting forgiveness to those who wronged him. In the newest novel, Aramis is still running his coffee shop, still working with the elegant and beautiful Samantha Rosewood, and still battling the violent ways of his past.

The novel opens at a party/concert where Johnny Ray Black, Aramis's brother and a rising country music star, is seduced by a beautiful redhead. Aramis later finds Johnny tied to a statue with the letters "AX" carved into his back with a razorblade. About ready to go on tour, Johnny is too busy to deal with the assault, so Aramis takes over. Aramis talks to Detective Meade, a friend from the previous novel. Meade agrees to help Aramis search for the mysterious slasher and Meade says it may be related to the death of a homeless woman the year before. Soon Aramis begins receiving cryptic messages, and one message reveals a shocking truth about his past. Aramis vows to confront this tormentor head on, and begins carrying a gun wherever he goes. Aramis wages a constant battle between his new commitment to God and his motto that he had lived by for so many years, "Live by the sword, die by the sword."

Part of the fun in reading a series is that you get to enjoy the characters and setting over several novels. The city of Nashville plays a prominent part in this book as it did the first. The witty interaction between Johnny and Aramis also continues. Wilson created many colorful characters in his newest work. Diesel works with Aramis at the coffee shop and also goes to school with him at night. Diesel is a great guy, but has a domineering, scripture quoting father who might just be using Diesel to get to Aramis. Felicia Daly is the beautiful ex-girlfriend that Aramis never got over. She's returned, and is now doing the bidding of AX. Chigger is the redneck guitarist for Johnny Ray, calls himself the "AxMan," and threatens Aramis on several occasions. Then of course there is Aramis Black. The novel is in 1st person so the reader sees events through Aramis' point of view the entire novel. Wilson's voice and tone come through in Aramis, a conflicted soul determined to find the truth about the man stalking and tormenting him.

In BEST OF EVIL, we learn Aramis was related to Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame. His ancestry continues to haunt him in this novel. Wilson weaves a complex plot full of suspicions and sprinkled with humor and wit.

I do have a few complaints about the novel. First, the link between the man harassing Aramis and the history of Meriwether Lewis at times seems out of place for the novel. The premise seems far-fetched. Second, I think this is one of those series where you must read the first book to enjoy the second. Not a bad thing, but if someone reads A SHRED OF TRUTH without knowing it is a sequel, they might be disappointed.

A SHRED OF TRUTH is a novel I'd recommend to fans of Brandt Dodson, Brandilynn Collins and anyone else that enjoys a good mystery/suspense novel. Wilson brings a unique voice to the genre in Aramis Black, a man haunted by his past and determined to have a future shaped by God.

I was fortunate to come upon an Eric Wilson book on vacation and was doubly fortunate finding it to be his first! I have been hooked on his writing since then and A SHRED OF TRUTH shows that he can keep it coming.

His characters become old friends and one wants to read more about them; they are also fallible but hold on to beliefs through the trials they must walk to get to the truth.

Even his sociopath is believely evil. And, Eric Wilson always has clues added to his stories to spice it up even more!

I work in a library and am always on the look out for 'new good' talent and Wilson is a consistant author. An author of whom you want his next book, next series, next and next and next. Keep writing Eric! ~ Paula Shene, author of Mandy The Alpha Dog: The Chronicles of the K-9 Boys and Girls on Locus Street

Sequal to The Best of Evil, A Shred of Truth continues the story of Aramis Black. Black is one of the most relateable (and honest) characters in Christian fiction today. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a lover of fiction.

Eric Wilson's Shred of Truth is a novel full of compelling writing, history and mystery.

This is my first visit into the life of Aramis Black and I missed the in-depth story as shared in book one, but I believe I still got an accurate feel for the character and his life. Told in first person POV, Aramis continues to struggle with his generational ties to Meriweather Lewis.

Shred has it's share of blood, so the Big Honken Chicken Club might not be able to handle it.

Wilson did a great job with red herrings and twisted motivations. Several paths veered into dead ends and the mystery remained intact until the end.

Historically the reader is treated to a blend of Knights Templar, KKK, Lewis and Clark, Masonry legends and the Russian Czars. These all add to the story, making it feel very much like the movie, National Treasure.

If you love Eric Wilson's previous novels you'll find much to like in Shred. Action, crime drama and history buffs might want to check him out as well as those who just like a good solid story.

It was a good night for Johnny Ray Black. Lots of fans, lots of fun, and then someone knocked him in the head, tied him to a statue, and cut the letters AX on his left shoulder. The stunt sent Aramis Black on a crusade to find the creep who did this to his older brother. Then Aramis begins to get strange e-mails quoting scripture and the letters AX begin to show up carved in other places and on other people. Afraid to go to the police, Aramis is soon plunged into a dark spiral of evil. The unknown opponet, seems to be taunting him, and is always one step ahead.

I love discovering a new author, and Eric Wilson is one of the best. A Shred of Truth is a tightly drawn, hard edged suspense novel that leaves the reader hungry for more. This one is highly recommended.

I love the way Eric writes. I could easily see this as a movie. What a great concept and deep characters. What's Eric going to come up with next?