Fools Gold

The Dream Traveler Book Four

Fiction - Crime
281 Pages
Reviewed on 02/13/2020
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by K T Bowes for Readers' Favorite

The time-traveling-detective premise offers a different take on the average police procedural mystery in Fools Gold by Ernesto H Lee. It’s refreshingly alternative and has been well thought out. Despite the extreme manner in which DS Sean McMillan must return to the present, the author keeps it new by inventing relevant scenarios and means for him to do that. The characters are drawn well and the partnership between Sean and Cath is both real and effective. Clive Douglas, as the antagonist, made my flesh creep. But I guess that’s the point; to create a character who is so universally detested as to keep the reader coming back for more. Ernesto H Lee definitely achieves that with Douglas. Elitist, sexist and entitled, he’s patently disgusting and the absolute epitome of baddies.

The storyline twists and turns in the spirit of all good mystery and suspense novels and Ernesto H Lee goes a step further. The author allows Sean McMillan to come to realizations outside of the reader’s view, adding an increased sense of hunger for more detail and increasing the speed of their page turning. This sense of him keeping something back is part of the drive of the storyline and is one of the things which trips up the character in the end. He's holding so many things in tension that something is bound to catch him out and it does. This genius hook will take the reader into the next book in the series with ease. Gritty, tense, clever and filled with surprises, Fools Gold delivers something outside of the ordinary for the most discerning of readers.

K.C. Finn

Fools Gold is a work of crime fiction with plenty of intrigue and suspense and was penned by author Ernesto H Lee. Written as the fourth novel in The Dream Traveler series, we continue to follow the adventures of Detective Sergeant Sean McMillan, who uses his unique abilities to solve many crimes. The work is suitable for mature readers due to moderate language and some violent scenes. In this installment, we find Sean heading up north to confront his old enemy Clive Douglas head-on, only to find that Douglas has something new to offer that changes the whole game. So begins a new intrigue of trust, betrayal, and misinformation as Sean and Catherine search for the truth.

Coming in new to the series part-way, I found this to be a highly accessible read and one that places you straight into the action. Author Ernesto H Lee gives enough prior information to allow you to start a fresh narrative with Sean and Catherine, delving into their world where trust is in short supply. The structural use of grammar and chapter lengths really adds a great deal of suspense to the piece, with a technical prowess for pacing that leaves you with bated breath as you await vital pieces of the mystery. I enjoyed the dialogue too between Sean and Catherine, and the way that it is incorporated to help with the exposition of the plot rather than it all being told in prose or backstory narrative. Overall, Fools Gold is a solid crime novel that will suit fans everywhere.

Lesley Jones

Fools Gold by Ernesto H Lee is the fourth book in The Dream Traveler series where Detective Sergeant Sean McMillan finds himself having to visit an old adversary, Clive Douglas, in prison. If Sean believed that he had seen the last of Douglas once he was in prison, he was mistaken. Now he is forced to venture to Leeds where Douglas offers him the chance to solve a historic robbery in return for a transfer nearer his home. What Douglas reveals entices the detectives into a plea bargain situation that they hope they will not live to regret. As the case unfolds, Sean's search for answers brings him into contact with his past and risks everything and everyone he holds dear.

The author definitely knows the craft of writing exceptional thrillers and suspense novels. The action starts immediately and I was hooked. The characters have been created with much thought and creative imagination. I loved the main characters, Catherine and Sean; they made an excellent team with a strength of character that could only be admired. However, I have to say they did meet their match in the villain, Clive Douglas. The way he played a psychological game of cat and mouse with the two detectives was exceptional and he reminded me of Hannibal Lector (without the cannibalism). I also thought the technique of flipping back and forth in time was a fantastic method of giving the reader detailed backstories of the characters and plot. The dialogue is also authentic for the characters' personalities and the mention of events, such as IRA bombings, really made Fools Gold by Ernesto H Lee realistic. The plot has great twists and turns and the revelations uncovered are brilliant. The ending was dramatic and surely leaves the door open for book 5.

Rabia Tanveer

Fools Gold is the fourth book in the Dream Traveler series by Ernesto H. Lee. The story of Sean McMillan continues as he and his partner Catherine face an old foe as they try to crack a case that seems unsolvable. Sean does not trust Clive Douglas, he never has and he never will, but when they receive some information from him that shakes them to the core, they realize that this is something they cannot ignore. The information can potentially help them solve an unknown case. But the more they dig deeper into the case, the more they realize that they are stuck in a tangle of lies that never seems to end. They have to be very careful about who they can trust and what they do because they cannot trust anyone but themselves. Can Sean and Catherine solve this without having their own loyalties questioned?

I remember reading Walk With Me and falling in love with the way the author writes the story. Ernesto has a rhythm; he has a way of using words like a musician and creates beautiful images in your mind. This is the beauty of reading his works because even if you haven’t read the previous novels in the series, you will never have a hard time catching up with the characters and getting invested in the story. Sean is a universal kind of character; he has a way of connecting with readers and making them interested in the story. This crime fiction/ time travel novel is filled with action, adventure and a mystery that is begging to be solved. I was lost in this new case. I wanted to know what Catherine and Sean would do, but more than that I wanted to see how it all unfolded. This is yet another amazing, incredibly rich novel from Ernesto that had me sitting on the edge of my seat and wanting more.

Christian Sia

Fools Gold is the fourth book in The Dream Traveler series by Ernesto H. Lee and it is a compelling crime thriller. The protagonist, Sean, works well with Catherine. Together they form a strong investigation team. Now, they get a tip from someone as treacherous as Clive Douglas, and while Sean knows he can't trust Douglas, he finds it tempting to use the information. This sets Sean and Catherine on a slippery path, with danger dogging every step they take and loyalties put into question. Who can Sean trust and can he unravel the mystery and get to the truth?

Fools Gold is gripping, fast-paced, and intelligently plotted, a novel that will entice readers who enjoy suspense and mystery. Ernesto H. Lee is a great storyteller and he knows how to create strong plot points, making readers guess at every turn and having them suspect the characters — even the very good ones. Fools Gold is the kind of book that keeps you awake throughout the night, written in great prose. The author has a unique phraseology that is intentionally designed for dramatic effect and readability. The characters are well-developed and multidimensional and readers will enjoy the way the author provides background information while enriching character development with brilliant dialogues. Ernesto H. Lee doesn’t only know how to get the reader’s attention; he has what it takes to sustain it.