The End of Time
From the publisher:
A series of journal entries explain the mystery of a terrible killing.
In the town of Muscatine, Iowa at the turn of the 20th century a respected jeweler called Fitch Swan has a disagreement with a former employee, George Volger. This man dares to start his own jewelery shop within view of Mr. Swan.
Fitch’s fortunes start to fade as Volger’s rise.
Circumstances in the small town gradually cause Fitch to lose his sense of self, family and most importantly in this case, perspective.
When the monster, Volger, dares to suggest he can buy Fitch’s hard-won business, Fitch takes matters into his own hands…
The Book Blogger Review:
In 1921 the brutal murder of a rival jeweller shocked the peaceful town of Muscatine and left an air of mystery over the events that have finally been lifted in this riveting new book by local residents Tom and Sharon Savage.
Once a leading figure in the business community of Muscatine, Fitch Swan is driven by feelings of persecution and paranoia to the point where he loses the ability to separate reality and fantasy. Fixating on a business rival who was once his protégé and whom Swan believes is the root of all of his woes, he gradually plots his ultimate revenge.
This is not an ordinary murder mystery by any standard; it’s more a character study and a documentary on the destructive power of mental illness. As the protagonist becomes more and more deranged the reader is given a very clear window into the mind of a paranoid schizophrenic and the nightmares that inhabit his soul.
The story opens with a body and is then told from the viewpoint of different characters. The narrative feels like a cross between a documentary and a dramatic screenplay as it weaves fact with interpolation and a little guesswork, resulting in a compelling read. The authors have undertaken vast research into the events leading up to the inevitable horror of that August day in 1921 which saw the deaths of two of the town’s best-known inhabitants.
Combining local knowledge with painstaking research and adding their own skills as psychologists, Sharon and Tom bring a unique perspective to this twisted tale. This is a well-told story and one which would stand well even as a work of fiction but with the factual nature this is truly a work of immense power. It will be interesting to see where the authors go from here.