Evil Business
Product Description
What the hell, I thought, someone had just shaken me as I slept on my back. I lay there in the dark trying to figure out where I was. I put my left arm out for Helen before realizing she wasn’t there. Of course, I thought, I’m in the Super 8 in Anthemopolis. I must have dreamed someone was shaking me. I thought I heard a sound, nothing much. It was like someone was walking softly on the rug. There was a brief moment of fear before I thought, How silly. Just go back to sleep. I grabbed both of the extra-thick pillows that came with my king sized bed and pulled them both over my chest like I was hugging Helen. I was just starting to doze off when I felt pressure on my chest. Almost instantly there was a muffled ‘pweeeee’ sound, and the bottom pillow exploded in my arms…. More >>
This review was actually writen by Fred Mazik, a Book Lover, and submitted by the author on 05/08/2007.
One guess, Guess who? That sentence keeps running through my head even now. I read and listen to the events going on all over the world and I keep thinking about the “Voice of Evil”. I read John’s first book because, well… we’re neighbors. I got such a kick out of it, that I couldn’t wait until “Evil Business” was published. Let me just say right here that you’ve got to read his first novel, “See the Monkey, a Tale of Two Evils”, because although he re-visits a portion of it, you need to read the whole thing to fully appreciate the “8 Commandments of Evil”. So definitely read this book also. When I started reading Evil Business, right away, from the cover art, I was expecting more action and drama, and I got it. It’s fast paced, holds your attention and descriptive to the point where I could almost envision myself as the protagonist. After Norman Fuller almost wins a Pulitzer prize for his series about his conversation with Evil, “It” once again summons him to investigate some corporate nasty business. Then, just as he blows the lid off a corporate scandal, there’s a mysterious murder to solve. It’s all related to the same thing, but he doesn’t know it yet. I think he achieved a wonderful effect, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to others. Now, every time I see “Yankee” walk past my house, I about a scene in the book where John describes the view down the street from his house. What’s funny, is that I walk that same street and at times, get a similar vision. Maybe it’s me, but I dunno…that’s pretty cool. BTW, If anyone actually finds “Anthemopolis”, let me know…I wanna move there!
A friend of mine turned me on to this book and I am glad that he did.
Norman Fuller is a newspaper columnist that occasionally gets a helping hand from the mysterious “Voice of Evil.” In his travels he uncovers the legal though morally lacking “conspiracy” between 3 seemingly unrelated companies. In the second half of the book Norman gets involved in a murder investigation.
I like that this book does more than tell a story. The book portrays some practices used by businesses from a “different angle” that reminded me that I need to watch what I buy and not take everything at face value. Finally, the book also reminds me that at the core of all of our “problems” that there are some really simple solutions that if accepted universally would abolish many of the issues our country faces.
All-in-all a good read that I recommend highly.
Very interesting and thought provoking. I’m going to read it again if I can figure it out. It is definitely a cliff hanger. Read it!
This novel is fun to read and it holds your interest from beginning to end. The author has a creative style that is unique as his story unfolds with a blend of fiction and social themes. The main character, newspaper journalist Norman Fuller, discovers evil conspiracies in food production and processing in the Midwest that are motivated by greed and generate consequences from obesity to murder. The “Voice of Evil” is an interesting touch of fantasy that actually guides and protects Fuller on his quest for the truth. The message behind the “Voice” is that evil is created by undesirable and inherent characteristics. “Evil Business” is a 200-page book that, in addition to being thoroughly entertaining, leaves you thinking “what if”.
Reviewer: John K. Simmons (Florida USA)
In this follow up to the popular See the Monkey, protagonist Norman
Fuller battles evil in America’s heartland. His career as a New York
newspaper journalist is stalled. His Pulitzer nomination was heady
stuff for awhile, but the prize went to someone else. His boss thinks
Fuller has lost his journalistic edge and is sending him to Kansas
City, of all places, in pursuit of the ultimate evil. Once again, the
mysterious “Voice of Evil” that saved Fuller’s life on 9/11 returns to
reveal a conspiracy that threatens the lives of all Americans.
You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to believe the truths
uncovered in Fuller’s investigation. The three powerful Midwestern
CEO’s in “the golden triangle” understand what buyers want and play to
their customers zealously. The world wants cheap food that tastes
good, easy meal preparation, and a quick fix to all problems. Past
generations ate food fried in lard, ate sweets and butter. They lived
through unbelievable hardships yet faced life with hope. The
questions Fuller must answer in his investigative report are: Why is
our generation paralyzed by depression, obesity, and high cholesterol?
Could the answers be hidden in the foods we eat? Do we worry
excessively about terrorist attacks when we should be worrying about
the foods we put in our mouths? Are political donations more
important to the government than the health of citizens? Fuller’s
life and career are on the line as he follows clues from Kansas City
to a tiny Utopian village. The truths he reveals are frightening to
consider