 January/February 2003
Rested Memories
by Michelle McGriff
What makes a story a must read, one that you know holds the key to contentment while reading it taken from a series, even? Continuous sagas that are held in balance with intriguing and suspenseful subplots, along with extenuating characterization should answer that question. When a writer is in a zon,e and a writing style is able to induce a need to follow recurring themes, it more than adds to status quo in the makeup of a successful literary series. You want to give your readers a sense of continuity by crafting characters that allow the need for change.
Michelle McGriff's The Majestic Series gives us the fourth installment to solidify this. Rested Memories, is the book where all of the above play an important part in making this entity a significant unit of the serial whole. This is so because we follow one of the protagonists, Jimmy Smith, both in retrospect and in present-day drama as he deals with situations that are direct influences to him, and others that are circumstantially beyond his control. Know that Jimmy Smith is a wealthy man who had everything, but peace of mind....who went on to found, produce, and lead a tremendously successful band which proved to be at the forefront of his problems.
This is also a story of murder, mayhem, and mystery surrounding Mr. Smith and the characters that are central to the storyline, with the entertainment world as a formidable backdrop. The story excellerates with Jimmy and Destiny and their attempts to fathom a life together. The author does a good job of throwing a wrench into it to test it to the fullest. The past has a way of letting all concerned that it’s business as usual! Also Eljen and Tearza.... and what will attempt to keep them from happiness. We have the ruthless ElJen and the bad blood that is displayed throughout between them; Candice and Rickki, two women he couldn't do without; His sister Mary who was strong but too weak for the 'bad apple' Simon; Then there were the sultry Destiny (ElJen's daughter who's spotlighted in a previous book within the series) who he couldn't resist; and the surrogate and real families that sprung up to give this book it's misplaced title. There are questions and answers to them that keeps this an interesting read, among them: Who REALLY killed Lasiter, and why? Will Jimmy allow the past to rear it's ugly head to reveal secrets best left alone? What happened that caused the tragic death of Jimmy's lover Rickki?
In order to really understand and delve into the myriad of subplots that this book has, one should invest into the previous titles within the series. Unrequited love, adultery, and the games people play to keep their toys intact will always be main ingredients to a well developed storyline with matching characters. The chapters are short, breezy, and easy to contemplate without having to wait until the next scenario to unfold before abandoning interest. Michelle’s writing style too, gives the reader a sense of contentment because of how easy the dialogue is juxtaposed within the storyline for easy adaptation. I recommend this book and the whole series.
My assessment of why one should read and discover this author is a testament to the short article I wrote, the interview displayed, and the review of this book. Michelle is bubbling on the top, destined to me a force in this industry. Any aspiring writer should deem it necessary to heed her advice. As this is but one of the several intriguing stories within a series, please do yourself justice by familiarizing yourself with the whole gamut to fully appreciate The Majestic Series.
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