Jill Hand

Everything about White Oaks appeals to me, from the fabulous cover to the wonderful blurb and the southern location. I was hooked from the beginning. Written in a comic style with characters that fit the southern profile, including the family’s three siblings that want to control their father’s fortune.

White Oaks is the Trapnell family’s plantation.

White Oaks starts out with a yellow Lamborghini racing into town and a foxy woman, Aimee, holding a bottle of Southern Comfort getting out. show more You may draw your own conclusions. lol

We also have Trainor, driving a beat up, rusted truck, feigning poverty because of his divorce from his gold digging third wife

And Marsh, am arms dealer.

Don’t forget Karen, the older sibling by another mother.

Blanton, their father, has no trouble playing them off against each other, sticking the knife in and twisting it. I’m not sure if any of them are worth the paper I am writing my notes on, even the grandchildren, who learn nothing good from their elders.

Blanton is celebrating his 90th birthday, and his wish? “I want to kill a man.”

His children’s bumbling and fumbling to grant his wish lead them on a wild mystery ride of gators, snakes, and treachery, all done with a comically light touch. There is more than meets the eye going on and I loved the twists and turns that Jill Hand came up with.

Humor, mystery, murder and a plot to bring on Ragnarok.

The characters are ones that I love to hate, at times showing some redeeming qualities as they traverse the world on a mission that has so many twists and turn I was constantly surprised.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of White Oaks by Jill Hand.

See more at http://www.fundinmental.com show less

The Trapnell books keep getting better and better! I received this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program, and when I saw that it was book 3, I of course had to read books 1 and 2 first because that's just what I do. I'm glad I did because I have gotten to know the members of this rather dysfunctional family quite well. The new characters that appear in this book do not disappoint - an FBI agent, a deposed dictator, and an interesting former family member. Murders are solved and show more criminals are caught, although the book ends on a rather interesting note that makes me think (and hope) that a 4th book is in the works. Being a Georgia girl myself, I really enjoy the humor as these crazy rich Southerners do some truly bizarre things. show less

In book 2 of the Trapnell series, we continue to see just how disfunctional the Trapnell children are. Someone appears apparently from the dead, they encounter a Voodoo priestess, and some people are not what they seem. I enjoyed this book better than the first one, White Oaks, especially since I'm getting to know the characters better. It isn't necessary to read the first book, but it adds to the enjoyment of this book. I love the humor since it's a bit on the bizarre side, just like I like it.

Thrillers aren't generally my genre, but I had a lot of fun reading this one. Starting in rural Georgia and then jetting off to locales around the globe, this comedic and somewhat dark thriller let me live vicariously as one of the world's super rich. Somehow the author made me sympathetic to these spoiled, self-centered, and even criminal heirs to a vast fortune. Some amateurish turns of phrase, but overall nicely done. I'm ready to read more. Library Thing Early Reviewer copy.