The Real Story

a mystery

Fiction - Mystery - Murder
226 Pages
Reviewed on 09/03/2022
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Author Biography

Art Smukler, MD, was born and raised in Philadelphia. He attended Penn State University and Drexel School of Medicine and completed his psychiatric training at Univ. of Pa. and UCLA. He is a board-certified psychiatrist, specializing in the treatment of adults with a subspecialty in adolescents. As a member of the UCLA faculty, he ran an award-winning psychotherapy conference for psychiatric residents and received the coveted “Golden Ear” award. He has published in psychiatric journals, and won the award for excellence in creative writing at The Santa Barbara Writers Conference.

Now a full-time author, he applies his deep understanding of the human psyche to the motivations of his fictional characters.
He has a blog, Inside the Mind of a Psychiatrist (BOOKS & THOUGHTS), http://artsmuklermd.com

Art Smukler

    Book Review

Reviewed by Luwi Nyakansaila for Readers' Favorite

What happens when an ordinary medical student discovers he is trailed by hitmen trying to take his life? He makes this discovery immediately after his mother and uncle are found dead under mysterious circumstances. Joe Belmont goes on the run after burying his only remaining relatives. His mother was a saint, she was poor and lived her life for the Lord. So why does she have a private Swiss account with a lot of money? Joe did not have a close relationship with his uncle, but he knew the man did not drink alcohol. So why was he found dead at the wheel of his car with alcohol in his system? Joe wants answers to all these questions and more. He makes the decision to search his past and dreams to find the missing links to all his questions. In The Real Story by Arthur Smukler, MD, suspense, thriller, and romance await you.

The Real Story is an action-packed novel. Joe's story is full of suspense and mystery. His entire world turns upside down, and he realizes he has been living a lie. As Joe narrates his story, he continues to have flashbacks from his past. These flashbacks fit in very well with the story and give a glimpse of why Joe made his decisions. Joe is a loyal friend and a kind human being. This side of him is brought to light when he talks about his friendship with Jeff and the relationship he builds with Lara. I loved his compassion for the victims, people like Mr. DeAngelo, who just wanted to better their lives. Most people today would have looked out for themselves and forgotten the innocent people caught in the crossfire. This is a beautiful message to preach, given that this book is written in our present time. The mention of masks and the Covid-19 effects made me relate to this story. I was rooting for Joe and his friends and praying for a happy ending for all of them. Arthur Smukler made wonderful and relatable characters. He added humor to the characters, and this brightened up the story. I cannot wait to read more of this author's creations.