THE MOTIVE
The Curtis Chronicles (#1)
In “The Motive,” Joseph Badal presents the first book in his new series, The Curtis Chronicles. This latest addition to Badal’s offering of acclaimed, best-selling thrillers delivers the same sort of action and suspense that readers have come to expect and enjoy from his previous nine novels.
Confronted with suspicious information relating to his sister Susan’s supposed suicide in Honolulu, Albuquerque surgeon Matt Curtis questions whether his sister really killed herself. With the help of his sister’s best friend, Renee Drummond, and his former Special Forces comrade, Esteban Maldonado, Matt investigates Susan’s death. But Lonnie Jackson, the head of organized crime in Hawaii, afraid that Matt has gotten too close to the truth, sends killers after him.
This is an artfully written book that will appeal to readers who like thrillers with fully-developed characters, a big plot, and plenty of action, seasoned with friendship and romance.
“The Motive” puts the reader on a roller coaster ride of non-stop thrills and chills, propelled by realistic dialogue and a colorful cast of characters. It is another entertaining story from a master story-teller where good and evil struggle for supremacy and everyday heroes battle malevolent antagonists.
REVIEWS
“Badal does what Tony Hillerman told us to do...first, write a good story! A hero in over his head, vicious bad guys, beautiful women... Badal has ‘em all in ‘The Motive.’ ”
--Steve Havill, Award-Winning Author of “Come Dark,” a Posadas County Mystery
“Master of Suspense Joseph Badal never disappoints. ‘The Motive,’ The Curtis Chronicles #1, spins a complicated web of breath-taking intrigue and heart-stopping action. This tightly crafted new thriller introduces a reluctant hero the reader can care about, and adds a well-wrought cast of cohorts and a chilling villain. Well done! Badal knows his way around a good story. I couldn’t stop reading.”
--Anne Hillerman, New York Times Best-Selling Author of “Rock With Wings”
“For novels of international intrigue with gut-wrenching action, twists, and unpredictable developments, no thriller author can beat the high-octane crime writing of Joseph Badal. Suspense is his middle name. Simply put, ‘The Motive’ is nail-bitingly un-putdownable.”
--Mark Rubinstein, Award-Winning Author of “The Lovers’ Tango”
"The Motive’ is a nail biter I couldn’t put down. Joseph Badal knows how to make his legion of readers sweat to the very last paragraph. He has mastered the art of writing—and suspense. Bravo!”
--Parris Afton Bonds, Award-Winning Author of “Dream Time”
“ ‘The Motive’ is gritty, gripping noir transplanted to a tropical paradise. Joseph Badal’s ingenious, postmodern take on a tried and true genre is fresh, vibrant and bursting with colorful characters who practically leap off the page. In a fashion akin to the great James W. Hall, Badal turns the Hawaiian landscape into the perfect backdrop for the dark world that lurks beneath the surface. As close to perfect as a crime thriller can get.”
--Jon Land, USA Today Bestselling Author