The Heir (Hardcover)

by Paul Robertson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
It's a familiar plot: the death of a filthy rich relative-who of course altered his will just hours before his sudden demise-results in instant wealth for an heir no one expected. In this debut novel from Robertson, a computer programming consultant, young mogul Jason Boyer discovers that his newly minted fortune is tainted by his deceased robber-baron father's legacy of corruption, scandal and power brokering in New England. Will Jason find the moral courage to clean his corporate house and do something meaningful with his millions? And was his father's fatal car crash really an accident? Pacing is a problem throughout much of this story, which doesn't hit its stride and become a bona fide suspense novel until the final 50 pages. Most of the characters are routine stock figures-the upwardly mobile wife; the corpulent and scheming attorney-with only Jason's innocent younger brother Eric breaking the mold. Robertson offers some strong observations on greed and human nature, and adopts a refreshingly soft approach to religious faith. The humor, which could work well in another context, feels adolescent in such a dark tale. Despite promising themes and a decent plot, this God-and-mammon novel would benefit from stringent editing and stronger supporting characters.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Robertson's first novel is a Gresham-like tale of intrigue and murder about the son, Jason Boyer, of a New England financial titan and kingmaker. Jason barely knew his father, a tough, remote man who sent Jason and his brother to boarding schools, but Jason becomes sole heir upon the old man's sudden death. Jason is cynical but uncorrupted, and his first impulse is to divest himself of the old man's holdings. Then the power that his inheritance commands seduces him, and he grows as ruthless as his father. And then, once more and finally, he sees the light and proceeds to clean up all that his father and he have befouled. Or, at any rate, he tries, in this suspenseful first novel with a lot of humor and well-drawn minor characters.

John Mort
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076420324X
• ISBN-13: 978-0764203244
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #176,010 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read story of hard ethical and moral decisions, March 17, 2007

By	armchairinterviews.com (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

Whew! I'm exhausted as I close The Heir. The Boyer family's trials and tribulations went from exhilaration and joy to despair and sadness--and finally hope that the right thing would be done.

Murder and money, power and politics, and family and the obligations that bring, all tie up this story in a neat bundle.

Not only is first-time author Paul Robertson a darn good storyteller, filing pages with intrigue and twists, he also does a good job of telling it. A dozen of his sentences were so powerful, so visual, so telling, I had to write them in my own journal to read again later.

The Boyer boys' mother died when they were 5 and 3, so Eric has no memory of her, and Jason's are sketchy. When their father soon remarried, the boys were off to boarding school and hardly knew their father.

Jason, 28, and brother Eric, 25, have been living off their fathers' monthly gifts. Jason has been married three years and wife Katie loves to spend money. Eric spends all he gets, and more, and is floating through life with no goals but a new car or bike.

Jason Boyer becomes a billionaire at the suspicious death of his father, power broker in both business and politics. However, Jason knows one thing: He does NOT want anything to do with his father's businesses--and is in shock to realize his responsibilities. After some deep thought, he decides to "do the right thing" and make some of his father's underhanded dealings public, regardless of who gets hurt. He has many advisors, but he doesn't know whom to trust--and neither do we as the clues send us astray. We are as ignorant as Jason is.

Murders are plentiful and all clues point to Jason as the murderer. Although this is considered a mystery, this is really a "study of people," and how they are changed, both bad and good, by money, greed, power and position.

Throughout the book, Jason keeps asking "Why am I here?" and at the end, he knows why--that God has enlisted him to do something his father couldn't.

Armchair Interviews says: The Heir is a powerful first novel of hope and redemption that follows murder and mayhem.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful new Christian business thriller, March 26, 2007

By	Bill Garrison (Oklahoma City, OK USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

The Heir by Paul Robertson is a new corporate/business suspense thriller from Bethany House. The story is told from the first-person point of view of Jason Boyer, the son of the extremely wealthy, powerful and corrupt Melvin Boyer. Jason was never close to his dad, and his mom was dead. Jason spent his life looking out for his care-free younger brother and growing an aversion to money, power and everything his dad stood for.

When father Melvin Boyer dies, Jason surprisingly inherits his dad's entire empire. Jason and wife Katie had been content to live out the rest of their lives on the stipend they received from his dad's trust. Now, Jason is thrust into the middle of everything he despised. At first, Jason wants to decline and give everything he way. However, with the family lawyer guiding him, Jason soon begins making decisions to keep the empire moving along. It isn't long before Jason is thrust into the evil inner-workings of his dad's businesses and Jason realizes how deep the corruption is. Jason then must decide how to extricate himself from the mess (if he even wants to) while keeping his family entact and escaping the clutches of a murderer on the loose.

The story moves along quickly as Jason must make decision after decision about the future of his dad's companies. Jason is a witty guy, and this humor sometimes distract from the fact that novel is treading into some dark places. The money and power that Jason has can truly change a man. Towards the end of this fast-paced thriller, you can only hope that Jason can escape from the depths that the money has taken him.

This is a great novel from author Paul Robertson that is set in the business world, but should appeal to all suspense lovers. Authors that don't usually give Christian fiction a try should definitely check this book out. You'll find the all the suspense and intrigue of mainstream fiction as well as a good message at the end. The religious message is subtle though, and shouldn't be a turn-off to anyone. This is a novel that goes into some dark places, yet does it realistically. The characters are strong, except for Jason's wife Katie. She seems money hungry only, and I think Jason knows that about her but hopes it isn't true. Another character we don't get to know is Melvin, Jason's dad. Melvin's shadow hangs over the entire novel, yet we hardly get to know his character, we just get to witness the evil empire he created.

In conclusion, The Heir is a powerful new novel in Christian fiction with a fresh, new voice. I recommend it to anyone.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars intriguing thriller , March 4, 2007

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Jason Boyer was somewhat estranged from his father Melvin over the business of the Boyer Foundation. Everyone assumed once Mel died that the company would pass to someone like Nathan Kern or even Melvin's younger progeny Eric. Everybody is proven wrong when a car accident kills his father and Uncle Fred says Jason is THE HEIR.

The angry Jason has no time to decide what he will do with the Boyer Foundation. Politicians offer their services in exchange for campaign funding and other favors. His dad's cronies especially Nathan demands he join them by bloodying his hands or else face their wrath. Mel's second wife believes she was cheated and Eric feels left out. However, it is Nathan who anticipated wielding more power with Mel's death who is most irate. As Jason is tempted to abuse the influence as his dad did, he tries to hold on to his principles. However, he has not understood the corrupt game of power yielded by those with the mindset of a fanatical terrorist; they insist Jason play in accordance with the rules his father established or watch helplessly as his loved ones die one at a time that is unless they kill him.

THE HEIR is an intriguing thriller in which a somewhat ethical person is forced into situations not of his making where he must act against his beliefs or watch loved one suffer perhaps die. The story line is driven by a cast who for the most part thirst for power with most willing to use it regardless of the cost to others. The temptation on Jason to simply join is incredible as fans wonder will he totally replace his father or will he keep his morality and sense of self.

Harriet Klausner