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Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
In Hill Country Greed: An Austin, Texas Mystery by Patrick Kelly, Rose and Joe Robbins have just moved into their new house outside Austin, Texas. It overlooks a lake and woodlands, and is a symbol of their luxuriant new lifestyle. Joe has just signed on to be the CFO of Connection Software, a tech company headed by the flamboyant and charismatic Brit, Webb Elliot. Joe's employment package includes stock options that will be worth millions once the company goes public. The Connection, as its employees call it, is run by a tightly knit group of five, called the core team, which include Webb, Joe, Gwen, the VP of marketing, and two engineering prodigies, Tommy and Henry.
The Connection is a psychological pressure cooker as the participants work ever longer hours and focus more and more intensely on the prize. The larger-than-life Webb Elliot is an intriguing, if somewhat shallow, character, who is overshadowed by the Zealots, Tommy and Henry, Gwen and Joe's wife Rose. Joe is a complex and original character who hates bullies and cannot stand by and watch when bad things happen. During one of the company parties, Joe starts to see some of the cracks in the Connection's veneer as one of Webb's less savory associates, Slim Bohl, is observed having an urgent and unpleasant discussion with one of the young recruiters.
Patrick Kelly's fast-paced mystery/thriller, Hill Country Greed: An Austin, Texas Mystery is beautifully plotted and very well-written. The characters are finely drawn and I found myself fully involved in their lives and experiences. Joe Robbins is one of the most intriguing and original hard-boiled detectives/fixers I've run across in quite some time, and I'm hoping to see him solving more problems and crimes in future offerings by the author. I also enjoyed how author Kelly shares his first-hand experiences in the world of tech companies with his readers, from the exhilaration, hard work and creativity to the maneuvering, greed and jealousies. Hill Country Greed is a grand read, and I recommend it.
