Architect of Courage

Architect of Courage

Can you enter a situation and be blindsided by what you find? How do you handle a murder? When Arch Landis enters the apartment of Julia Fernandez what he finds sends his world spiraling in many directions. What should he do? Call the police? Leave the scene of the crime and make an anonymous phone call? What he does because of events that follow is nothing? When he enters his office the staff realizes that Julia has not been there for a few days and his son Hawk has decided to go with another company not liking the treatment he is receiving in his father’s. Wanting to have someone find her, he sends Ty and one other employee to her apartment and the investigation takes on a huge turn when the police learn something about Julia that will not only shock Arch but lead him into a territory that might bring down his company and him. 

Events spiral in many directions as the police investigate Julia who is really Alia Said, Muslim and Arab. Arch did not know her heritage and he hired her as an architect hoping to get her permanent license. He did not know that his son, Hawk would be the link to his downfall and more. Hawk went to work for another company and things changed drastically between them. Marjorie his wife always defended him and when the investigation in Julia’s murder comes front and center and his lawyer is working to make sure he’s not accused, a single note, a phone call and a surprise at his office ends two lives and there are unanswered questions.

When the detectives uncover the truth about who killed Julia, it was not Hawkins. Other leads take them in different directions, and they declare the deaths of Hawk and Marjorie an accident. But, when they do a toxically on Hawk they find a high-level amount of a drug for ADHD which his doctor never prescribed. How did he get it and was that why he was paranoid and delusional? Added in his company loses a major account and Ty is now taking over the lead for creating a better security system and Arch is going to Brussels to see the site of another account. 

Events get dangerous and tense as Landis is in danger wherever he goes. Who tried to shoot him and what really happened to his wife and son? Why was the man he met for dinner in Brussels killed and why was he following him after dinner? Added in Charleston Lee who works for him was enroute to Brussels why and his receptionist seems close to him, but can she be trusted? A picnic that is held yearly some get sick. Who added something to the brownies and saltshaker? What is behind all the murders and the attempt on his life?
Someone wants him out of the way and each time he meets with a different law enforcement agency in different countries, and here in New York plus his lawyer you get an uneasy feeling. Why? 

The author brings us inside Julia’s past, and we learn that she was not who Landis thought she was. He also lets us know that some of his employees might not be that trustworthy. Getting his son’s effects, Julia’s too and meeting her parents you get more of an insight as to how she was brought up, but a simple letter says it all when he opens a special box that was hers. But what does he find in his son’s and what information about the drug he took adds more questions? Fowler the detective in charge seems overloaded with pressure to solve the cases. Charleston Lee and Ty Geller plus his receptionist are they hiding something? Who is trying to take him down and why? The author weaves a web of deception, lies, betrayals and much more as we get deeper inside the mind of a killer. But a major project goes to a competitor who Hawk worked for but is he behind what is happening? 

Rechecked the Schuman Station and Metro station and the sadness about what happened to Meert plus an odd phone call that sends him having to change hotels and dealing with another contact to help keep him safe. Going back to his room and checking and double checking everything he finally gets away. Talking to the Brussels detective and about the death of Meert they uncover the motive. At Alai’s apartment he meets the parents and learns more about her past, heritage and why they moved to the states. Alai’s stories were strange to them and his investigator and lawyer clear things up but not how he thinks. Then focus on the picnic and reminded it was the third attack on him plus the two murders and the shot that wounded him. Plus, his son threatened him with a handgun. The author brings in that Alia was arrested in a demonstration that went sour and her parents fixed it. Her mother is Israeli, and Father Lebanese and they could not stay in Israel. 

Carlos comes into play as he brings Charlestown Lee into the limelight plus Ty but how do they connect besides work? The info is disturbing but demands his attention. His staff meds him and each has their own issues, and he feels he failed as a mentor. Talking with Tamara Dagan he learns that Alia was her niece and close with her daughter Chaya and their relationships and their school life. Chapters 28 and 29 explore their relationship and then he gets the name of someone close to both girls who knew about Alia and her drawings but no closer to learning who wanted them eliminated and why.

Archer and Tamara spend quality time and then each goes their separate ways as Carlos learns more about his son’s friends and Alia’s which brings them to unsolved conclusions. Who wanted her eliminated and who wanted his son gone too? Who slipped him the drugs and where will this all finally end? 
Finding Chaya, Alia’s cousin, understanding who was behind the kidnapping and being set up again for murder, Arch and his team of law enforcement and Carlos take down those that killed Alia, kidnapped the cousin and then learned what killed his son and made everyone sick at the picnic. Just how this all winds up and where Ty’s allegiance lies you will have to learn for yourself. An ending that will shock readers and the person behind the murder of his son, his partner and the reasons he wanted him destroyed provided an unexpected twist to a surprise ending. Where will Landis go from here? How will be deal with his memories of his son, wife and Julia? Will his company succeed with their security system and who can he trust? An ending that will make you want more of Arch Landis and author Victoria Landis takes us inside the workings of a corporate giant to understand just how you create AN ARCHITECT OF COURAGE.

Fran Lewis: Just reviews