A Review of “Sins of the Fathers” by A.J. McCarthy

Full disclosure – I was provided a copy of this book by the author but have voluntarily chosen to write a review. All opinions are my own.

Family secrets – Family lies

Charlie Butler leads a simple life. After having inherited Butler’s Pub, she spends most of her days working alongside her bartender best friend Frank and trusty pug and constant sidekick Harley. When cryptic unsigned letters start arriving in the daily mail, Charlie initially dismisses it as a prank; but when the missives continue, Frank hires a private investigator to get to the bottom of the increasingly disturbing notes. As Simm begins to investigate, the harassment escalates beyond mere letters and becomes personally threatening. In order to get to the true heart of the matter, Charlie and Simm find themselves dealing with  organized crime syndicates in both Canada and Ireland, but will their efforts solve the mystery of the letters or are the missive just the tip of an explosive iceberg of family secrets and dealings that will turn Charlie’s life upside down?

“Sins of the Fathers” is the second novel by author A.J. McCarthy. Having not yet read her first novel “Betrayal” I was not sure what to expect as I delved into “Sins of the Fathers.” Any concerns I may have had regarding missing backstory were unfounded as “Sins” appears to be a standalone offering that does not require one to have read the previous book to get the bigger story. Charlie and Frank have an easy friendship and their camaraderie really set the tone for the story. I really liked the flow overall as it was a very easy read. Each character was well developed and it was not difficult to delve head first into the narrative and read for hours on end. With the addition of PI Simm into the mix Charlie finds herself going to places she never dreamed as she attempts to get to the bottom of the letters, including an unscheduled trip across the Atlantic Ocean to the Emerald Isle. The ending will blow you away as the antagonist is finally revealed in a plot twist that you will not see coming. Overall, “Sins of the Fathers” was a great read and a nice introduction to a new author for me. Packed with action, intrigue and danger, this was an enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone who likes crime fiction or  action adventure novels.