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The Root of All Evil: Review and Excerpt


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5.0 out of 5 stars A Thrill Ride,

By

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Root of All Evil (Paperback)

Jamal Morris' family had been blessed to receive a large sum of money from Paul "Maddog" Madsen, an unscrupulous and ruthless, yet financial savvy white man. He was a member of an elite group of bankers that not only left America bankrupt, but also forced the country to put up an unthinkable commodity as collateral. Along with Madsen's wealth, the Morris family inherited a great mystery and responsibility. Jamal soon learns that the riches his family have enjoyed carries a heavy price, one that could very well cost them their lives and change the world as we know it.

THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL is truly a page-turner from beginning to end. Filled with mystery, action, and adventure it is a thrilling ride that left me wanting more. Intelligently written, the novel leaves the reader with several unique scenarios to ponder. I highly recommend this novel to any one who is looking for an exciting and different legal thriller with many twist, turns, and action. Newcomers Gregory Stantin Jones and Gibran Tariq have truly outdone themselves with this novel. I eagerly anticipate works from these authors.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy

of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Jamal Morris had been born into the richest black family in the country, but little did he know that damning evidence would ultimately link his family’s wealth to the Illuminati, a secret organization of European bankers out to control the world.Suddenly Jamal’s world is turned upside down as the myth surrounding his family wealth is finally exposed. All his life, he had been told that a mysterious, white man had left his wealth to them, but what he wasn’t told was that the man was Paul “Mad-dog” Madsen, the devious English banker who had brilliantly master-minded the collapse of the American government in 1933 forcing it to declare bankruptcy, allowing him to make off with all the country’s gold.

But that’s just the beginning of Jamal’s problem. Unknown to him is the fact that the little, tiny jewelry box that Madsen bequeathed to his family contained secret documents that international bankers as well as the President of the United States are willing to kill for. And they’re only a few of the people out to get him!

* * *

Perhaps Jamal had tried to carry too much at one

time, but when the clothing slipped from out of his

arms, the jewelry box crashed to the floor and

cracked open. He gasped and immediately dropped

to his knees to inspect the damage.

“Mama!”, Eric yelled. “Come here!”.

Bernice Morris, a strikingly elegant, black woman

in her mid-forties hurried over to see what the commotion

was about. “What in the world is going on?”.

Eric, the younger son looked accusingly at his

older brother. “Jamal just broke the jewelry box.

See”.

“It fell”, Jamal apologized. “I didn’t even know it

was in the closet”. He eyed Eric suspiciously. “How

did it get there, anyway?”.

“Don’t look at me. I—-”.

“Hush, you two”, Bernice scolded. “I put it there”.

Both Jamal and Eric were surprised. They both

knew about the jewelry box and when they were

young had been told the box was magic and that they

should never touch it. They never had. The jewelry

box had always sat on their mother’s dresser and was

never moved.

Bernice looked lovingly at her sons. “I hid it there

when I had my room painted because I felt it would

be safe there”. She sighed. “I decided to leave it

there”.

“Why?”Jamal asked. “Granddaddy gave it too

you”.

Bernice sighed again. “But not to keep. Is it damaged

badly? Give it here and let me see”. Running

her finger along the crack in the box, she could see

that the break was not that severe, but her fear was.

She dared not to tamper with the box in any way.

She was too afraid that it was Pandora’s box and remembered

how stern her father had been when he

had sworn her to secrecy and warned her not to say a

mumbling word about the box to anyone. Ever. All

she was supposed to do was to safeguard it and then

to pass it on. If she failed, she had been told, the

whole family would die brutally. Bernice had never

been any more frightened in her life. “There is something

both of you need to know”, she informed her

sons. “Let’s talk”.

It was naturally difficult for the brothers to believe

what they were hearing and to a considerable

extent it all sounded like a scene from an urban

fairytale. What else in real life could follow such a

bizarre pattern? No fantasy could have taken shape

like this. A white Englishman, dying of tuberculosis,

stumbles into a greasy spoon diner and out of remorse

for slavery, enpowers the first black man he

encounters with untold of wealth in the form of

stocks and bonds. It just didn’t figure.

“It just so happens that Grandpa Bernie was in

the right place at the right time”, Bernice offered,

“and because of that, we have everything that we

have. Your great-grandfather was the richest black

man in the country and our wealth started with that

white stranger”.

“But what does the jewelry box have to do with

this?”.

“All I know—”, Bernice began slowly, “all I know

is that the white man, Mr. Madsen, gave granddaddy

the box”. She paused.

“You still haven’t answered the question, Moms”,

Jamal contended. “What about the box? Granddaddy

had to tell you”.

Bernice glanced at her sons. “He told my daddy

the same thing I’m going to tell you. Don’t let anyone

outside of this house know anything about this

box”.

“We already know that. We just want to know

what’s in it”,Jamal prodded.

“Yeah, Moms, why can’t we open it and see since

its already busted?”.

Bernice snatched the box off the coffee table.

“No!”. She raced from the room, clutching the jewelry

box to her bosom. “No!”, she shrieked.

Without speaking, the brothers hurried behind

their mother, following her into the bedroom.

“What’s wrong?”, Jamal quizzed. “What is it about

that jewelry box?”.

“I just wish to God that I—-”.

“Tell us, Moms”, Eric interrupted, “what is going

on? What are you afraid of?”.

Bernice pivoted, closed the bedroom door, and

then for a second stood paralyzed with anxiety. It

was evident she was afraid. “For a lot of reasons”, she

began, “I do not want to share with you our family

burden, but I have no choice”. She touched her finger

to the box. “Just like my father and his father

before him, I don’t know what is in this box, but I’ll

tell you just like they were told and like I was told”.

She began to weep softly. “If either of you try to find

out what is inside the box, it will get all of us killed”.

“Wh-who told you that?”, Jamal stuttered.

“That’s what Mr. Madsen told my grandfather and

he was emphatic about it. Grand-daddy was told to

enjoy the wealth, but to keep the box a secret and

for the longest time no one has known”.

“And the white man—?”.

“No. He never said what was in the box. He just

told your great-grand-daddy that men, the president

included, would one day want this info and wouldn’t

hesitate to kill to get it”.

“Oh my God”, Eric groaned in panic.

Jamal glared at him shamefully. “Be cool, man.

We haven’t got anything to worry about if this stays

quiet”. He hugged his mother, kissing her cheek.

“It’s alright. The secret is safe. What did you say the

white man’s name was?”.

“Paul Madsen. He was from England”.

“This is not some kind of family prank you’re playing

on me because I’m going away to college, is it?”.

“No, Jamal, it isn’t”, Bernice confessed. “We owe

every dime we have to Mr. Madsen. Life before he

came along was not so pretty”.

“Regardless, though”, Eric conceded, “why didn’t

he just destroy the box. Anyway, look at it. What could

be that important, that small”.

“Documents”, the mother admitted, “and that is

all you need to know”. She gathered them close too

her. “Now, you have got to promise me that you’ll

never say a word to anyone. Promise me”, she demanded.

Eric spoke first. “I promise”.

Bernice and Eric stared at Jamal.

“Why can’t we just drop the box in the river and

get rid of it, once and for all?”, Jamal inquired seriously.

“No”, Bernice said sternly. “The box is never to

leave this family. Now, promise me, Jamal”.

Jamal sighed. “I promise”.

“Starting now, I’m entrusting the box to you boys.

Eric, while Jamal is in college, you keep it”. She thrust

the cracked box into her younger son’s hands. “Remember”,

she whispered, “our lives are in your care”.

Eric fearfully studied the jewelry box, staring

numbly at the ugly gash that now covered its front.

Suddenly, the small box seemed to weigh a ton in

his hands, so as a precaution he gripped it tighter,

but inwardly he reeled at the responsibility. He was

trained in living the good life, money being a backup

for any difficulties he might encounter, but this. Fear

triggered his desire to continue his life without having

anything to do with this. He stretched out his

arm, extending the box to Jamal. “Here, take it with

you”.

“You listen to me!”, Bernice exclaimed harshly,

her voice urgent and demanding. “You’ll keep the

box as I told you and that’s the end of the conversation.

Now, finish helping your brother to pack”.

****

Purchase The RooT Of All Evil for 99 cents: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007DBVVM0

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