Book review of The Trophy Wife Divorce
Fiction writer and author of four published books, attorney John D. Mills’, newest work, The Trophy Wife Divorce has now been released and makes for an interesting conversational summer read with a plot not unlike that of a carnival ride out of control. Taking the always debatable marriage arrangement of the times, the rich but older man and the voluptuous and younger woman, Mills exposes the underbelly of a relationship destined to spiral nowhere but furiously down. In this story twist of deception, deceit, arrogance and greed, readers will prejudiciously impose their personal opinions, experiences and moral standards into the story line from the beginning pages and will not finish The Trophy Wife Divorce without some emotional attachment throughout the transpiring up and down events and final rock bottom outcome.
The marriage of retired dentist, Dr. Stan Jacoby to Karen, an elementary school teacher, is a guaranteed death trap locked with a key formed of lies and cheating relationships. Drawing on his Criminal Defense and Divorce experience in Lee County, Mills uses the irony of what’s good for the goose isn’t good for the gander, and amps up the carnival ride, turning the locked key and driving the marital rollercoaster straight into anger, accusations and rape. And the end of the line is a legal battle in a case of self-defense or murder.
With his craft as a writer ever improving, Mills adeptly manipulates the cast of characters which grows to include two divorce attorneys, a divorce court mediator, a crafty good old boy criminal defense attorney and a prosecutor for the State Attorney’s office and the elected judge. Throw in the female court reporter that has dated both the judge and the prosecuting attorney and start the merry-go-round with the fact that Karen’s divorce attorney, in addition to currently being in a relationship with the state prosecutor, is the key witness in the murder case. But not all in The Trophy Wife Divorce is up and down tension for Mills uses ironic humor in unexpected areas to describe a scene or place an accessorized image on display. It could be said that sometimes the law just calls for twisted humor.
The Trophy Wife Divorce is an interesting read. Mills creative style is basic, just the facts and simply adjective free. It could be said that with each new work, Mills travels a progressive direction toward the simple and understated writings of Ernest Hemingway. Not to the top of the carnival Ferris wheel yet, Mills’ work does improve with story line and character development. This fifth and more crafted work is proof positive. An added bonus to each of his books is that Mills incorporates with historical accuracy secondary story lines explaining the history and development of the southwest Florida islands and surrounding fishing waters. Mills has created a unique genre to his works - the law and the land. The Trophy Wife Divorce is a candy apple treat all the way to the bitter end.
Angela Savko
Former NewsPress Art Critic
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