Review: The Prodigal by Michael Hurley

The Prodigal by Michael Hurley, AF, 2013, 358p, Rating=5
Source: ebook provided by author in exchange for an honest review
Adult content: (minimal) language, assault
Finalist, 2013 BookBundlz Book Club Pick

Pride, betrayal, forgiveness . . . and the eternal sea. The Prodigal tells the mystical tale of four people on Ocracoke Island whose destiny is tied to an abandoned schooner, thought to have been lost at sea more than a century ago, that one day drifts ashore. Marcus O’Reilly, a renegade Catholic priest, must confront his inner demons. Ibrahim Joseph, a Bahamian fugitive, must face his past. Aidan Sharpe, a fallen lawyer, struggles with self-doubt and his growing affection for Molly McGregor, a fearless towboat captain who cannot find the courage to love. They will all be drawn into a 2,000-year-old mystery that unfolds with the reappearance of the ship.

The title says, The Prodigal, so the story of the prodigal son came to mind.  Thus, I was suspecting a religious tone but discovered that it was more.  Along with the spiritual lining, there was law, romance, fantasy, and mystery ..rolled up in one.  Just when I thought the setting was going to be courtroom drama, it moved to a beach.  So I thought, romance, yay!  Then it moved to the ocean and wow it was magical!  Before I knew it I found myself at the end of the book feeling very satisfied and happy. 

The entire read was a literary gem.  The character development was magnificent.  I found myself attached to the main characters and grew with them.  I was intrigued and engrossed in the mystique of the legend story that surrounded them.  This historic-fantasy romance with humanizing evolution was my kind of fiction.  Mr. Hurley weaved a novel that prompt me to feel the joy in reading.  I was in book paradise.  Simply majestic.  Brace your heart.

By the way, Mr. Hurley visited here last month.  Go here to find out more about him and this book.

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