Joe's Last Secret

Synopsis:

The novel ‘Joe’s Secret’ is about a staggering and prolonged episode in the lives of Dale Stephens and his partner Patricia Arlington. Dale is a willful and newly qualified solicitor with a practice in Newhaven. Somewhat reluctantly, he accepts the task to find the heirs of Joe Bishop; apparently a kindly old man who died intestate.

Joe was a talented odd-job man, who was helpful and resourceful yet strangely private. As Dale’s investigation progresses an appalling secret is discovered In Joe’s house, which throws a different light on his character. Astonishingly, the authorities seem predisposed to ignore the affair. Despite their repugnance at the dreadful discovery, Dale and his partner Patricia, a librarian in Lewes, are determined to unearth more. Then Patricia disappears and Dale is threatened.

As his search for the truth develops, Dale struggles psychologically to deal with the dangers and moral choices with which he is confronted. Events conspire against him and he is accused of Patricia’s murder but with the enforced help of others, who seem part of a secret operational police cell and about whom he has serious doubts, he evades arrest but is forced to seek out the truth in order to help Patricia.

His quest takes him to Eastern Europe and from there, via Israel and Spain, to South America. Everywhere, he goes there is danger ahead and angst not far behind. Patricia has been abducted and is smuggled to a remote place in the Amazonian Basin. She is exposed to terrifying events and fraught circumstances and is strained to cope with the mental and physical distress she experiences.

Dale’s dual quest to find Joe’s true identity and Patricia’s fate, lead to traumatic and sometimes painful situations when their characters are tested to breaking point. Dale is desolate over the possible demise of Patricia and confused by the juxtaposition of so many weird events. The story ends with a final, unexpected and bizarre twist as Joe’s last secret is revealed.