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Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite
Pardon Me, Father by Carl Laurin and Lisa Story is 'the mostly true story of a diamond smuggling priest.' Who would ever have expected a priest to be a diamond smuggler? Walt Reca sees himself as a sort of James Bond figure. Using skills he learned in the military and his memories of being a Catholic altar boy, he gets involved in diamond mining in Africa. He loves taking risks, and this time, it might just have paid off as he manages to smuggle the uncut gems out of Africa, dressed as a priest. That’s the easy bit. The hard part is trying to sell those gems in a market where independents never succeed. But he’s a priest, isn’t he? Who would suspect a Catholic priest of breaking the rules? This could be his best adventure yet, or it could be his undoing. But there’s more at stake here for Walt. His heart belongs to someone, but he can’t decide who – a mysterious lover in Antwerp or his ex-wife?
Pardon Me, Father by Carl Laurin and Lisa Story is a fascinating tale, made all the more so because it is 'mostly true.' It is fun to read, full of action and adventure, and much hilarity ensues over some of the main protagonist’s escapades. We also have the inevitable love story wending its way through the plot, but this is no simple romance; this is a love triangle that has the potential to go horribly wrong. It does have some violence and bad language, but this is not out of keeping with the story. The characters are incredibly well-developed, and you’ll fall for Walt right from the start. You’ll want to follow him wherever he goes and join in his adventures, no matter how dangerous. This yarn has been written by a pair of master storytellers who have managed to tell a true story with just the right amount of fiction to make it one of the most enjoyable books you will read this year.
