Trios: Death, Deceit, and Politics
About
Rita Collins, a reporter and writer for a local Washington, DC television station, faces apparently unexplained rejection by her husband, who has suffered amputation of both legs during the Iraq War. He refuses both her affection and any attempts at rehabilitation. At the same time, Rita is investigating a radical political cell on an elite college campus. With the help of her husband’s psychiatrist, she discovers that her marriage was doomed from the start because of its intricate ties to the career of her politically corrupt father-in-law, a Pennsylvania state senator, and his manipulative political advisor. Once her initial grief gives way to anger, Rita uses her contacts within the news media to exact revenge on her father-in-law. On the same night she successfully covers a major campus riot, the revenge she fashions proves more destructive than she could have imagined.
Praise for this book
Reviewed by Frank Mutuma for Readers' Favorite
Senator Collins and Mark have been close for a very long time, with Mark managing most of his calendar and affairs. Marla, the senator's wife, is confident that most, if not all, decisions are actually made by Mark. Brian, just like his father, has an unusual relationship with Vincent Gallia, who has been his close friend since high school. Rita, his wife, was at first Vincent's girlfriend, but with a sudden change, he pushed her toward Brian. Brian and Vincent are deployed together when an explosion kills Vincent and leaves Brian in a wheelchair. How will Brian cope with this loss? To find out how things play out in this politically powerful family and the events at Eastminster that Rita is following up on, get a copy of Trios: Death, Deceit, and Politics by Carl Parsons.Trios: Death, Deceit, and Politics by Carl Parsons is a wonderfully written book with twists and turns in the flawlessly flowing plotline that kept me intrigued and entertained. It was a page-turner, and I couldn't put the book down once I started reading. I loved how vivid Carl was with the descriptions of events and places, which helped create a mental picture of what was happening. The characters were all well-developed, and I enjoyed the easy-to-understand language used, which makes the book accessible to all kinds of readers. I found it to be thought-provoking, and I enjoyed the themes covered, such as the state of education and what is going on in colleges. I cannot wait to read something else by this talented author.
Audiobook Review by Rox Burkey, June 21, 2023
Carl Parsons wraps the state of society into the life of a political kingpin—Senator Leader hoping for a successive political win. Rita Collins, a Washington DC television station reporter, is married to a wounded veteran, Brian. Brian hoped to follow in his father’s political footsteps. He and his school friend, Vincent, were on tour in Iraq when he lost his legs and his friend was killed. Brian refuses treatment for unexplained reasons. His father, Dolph Collins, never visited his son in the VA hospital. Marla, his mother and trophy wife, wants her son to do therapy and come home.
Veterans get support in the hospital as long as progress continues. When Brian refuses treatment, a psychiatrist gets assigned. Interviews of the people in Brian’s reveal a dark, seedy side to love and politics. Marla shares how she met and married her husband and the personal and political sides of her unhappy life. Rita also carries her share of secrets. She is unaware of many of Brian’s decisions when she tells the psychiatric team what she knows. Mr. Parsons creates distinctive, three-dimensional characters. Their choices during their life’s journey are like individual hamsters on their wheel, making choices that won’t quietly disappear even in death.
The narration by Jeff Heisler fits the grim thriller in tempo, though in places, it seems too slow. The women’s characters sounded similar, while the men’s voices were more distinguishable. Fans of political thrillers will enjoy peeling back the layers of the manipulative lies until the unexpected end.