Mysteriously familiar
While it has what most fiction stories have – affairs, secrets and backbiting – it also has what some of the others lack: familiarity.
In “The Grail Mystique,” author Brewster Milton Robertson, a Golden Eye Literary Prize-winner, former Virginia Commonwealth University student and Virginia native, incorporates the names and places of home with charm and balance.
While it has what most fiction stories have – affairs, secrets and backbiting – it also has what some of the others lack: familiarity.
In “The Grail Mystique,” author Brewster Milton Robertson, a Golden Eye Literary Prize-winner, former Virginia Commonwealth University student and Virginia native, incorporates the names and places of home with charm and balance.
He also masters the craft of character creation by giving each of his characters their own distinct voice whether they are speaking or thinking. This mechanism gives substance to the characters and the plot.
For the plot, Robertson brings the concept that made the television drama “Dallas” popular among audiences into the 21st century.
One does not need to compare the Grahams to the Ewings, or even know a thing about “Dallas” to understand or enjoy the book because the plot, dialogue and scenes give it an identity of its own.
In this story, the Grahams have North Carolina and Washington, D.C. in the palm of their hands thanks to the financial success of Graham Industries Ltd., a.k.a. “Grail.”
The family relations are the most difficult.
Norris Wren, the CEO of “Grail,” struggles with his feelings for Marilee, his boss’ daughter-in-law, while a contract that will change his career is still being discussed.
Trip Graham, son of the “Grail” owner and Marilee’s husband, believes Norris cheated him out of his place in the company.
When Trip falls under suspicion of being tied to the mysterious death of an actress, he uses his corporate influence to try to figure out what happened and cover it up.
His secret is the most recent and biggest within the family circle, but it is not the only one. Almost everyone except the grandchildren is hiding something.
The nature of these secrets keep the story from becoming a typical family-corporate fiction because they are unexpected, but properly placed, making the story clearer with each new piece of information that is revealed.
This happens fairly often and fairly quickly. Therefore, skimming is not the best option because solving this mystery is about context as well as content.
And when it comes to content, “The Grail Mystique” is a classic with a modern and familiar twist.
