A Matter of Issue


Fiction - Drama
306 Pages
Reviewed on 06/25/2017
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

Author Biography

'A Matter of Issue' is Carollyne's second full length novel, following her award winning novel 'Raised by Committee'. Born in England, Carollyne emigrated to Canada at age 20 and now lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia with her husband, Jim.

Carollyne's stories shine a spotlight on contemporary issues, and lays them bare.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

A Matter of Issue by Carollyne Haynes takes a closer look at family relationships, elder abuse, and the problems that can occur when children allow greed and avarice to cloud their judgment of their family, once money becomes involved. It asks important questions such as when does caring become controlling and what rights do the elderly often lose when they rely on their children for care? Charles has worked hard all his life and created a nice little investment portfolio for his retirement. The death of his wife has hit him hard and his health is on the decline. Enter son Kirk and his wife, who live in the same town as Charles. They will provide the much-needed help Dad needs, but at what cost? Other son, Bill, and his family live off the island, on the mainland, and are unable to keep too close a check on what Kirk and his wife are up to. When an old friend, Mary, now a widow, reenters Charles’ life and romance blossoms, all hell breaks loose amongst the children.

I found A Matter of Issue to be a sensitive look at what is doubtless a common problem right across all western cultures. The characters were well drawn, almost to the point of caricature, with the “evil” Kirk and his sense of entitlement balancing beautifully against the rational, caring brother, Bill. With a number of clever little side plots, Haynes has done a wonderful job of wrapping her story around some very big and very underrated societal issues that affect our ever-aging population. With Haynes not afraid to be ruthless in her arcs, I found A Matter of Issue to be an excellent family drama that highlighted a pressing concern. Kudos to the author for this story whose time has come.