Soul Proprietor by Duke R Woodrick is a political thriller set in the very near future of the year 2025. The story follows the trajectory of several characters, led primarily by the protagonist and retired secret service agent, John “Bullets” Galore. There are a series of shifting timelines covered, taking readers to different locations and with varied timelines to provide backstory and a handful of subplots. It is the ascent of a newly elected and deeply villainous President of the United States who takes the helm as Galore becomes entrenched in the death of a dear friend and his family. He is searching for answers that bring up a seemingly endless number of leads, which raise more questions than answers regarding the culpability of the government and its underlying objective...one in which a patriot like Galore is dispensable.

Soul Proprietor is an easy to digest story that doesn't hold back with the action and intrigue, which are already in full blossom from the prologue. Duke R Woodrick writes with a simplicity that readers who find themselves lost in more complex story lines will appreciate, but that may not have the level of sophistication others who enjoy the genre might expect. Still, Galore is a well-developed character, and the way the plot takes shape, particularly as it becomes clear that a Constitutional crisis is on the cuff, gives the narrative an edge. Galore is relentless in the pursuit of truth and I really became committed to rooting for him early on and carried through even as his actions fell off the morality radar. Overall, this is a fun read that I would imagine many will enjoy as much as I have.

"You’ll see government expansion like you’ve never seen before. You’ll see big corporations being taken over. You’ll see union leaders put in charge of the companies. The government will no longer work for the people. The people will work for the government." In Soul Proprietor by Duke R Woodrick, recently retired Secret Service agent turned private investigator John ‘Bullets’ Galore is searching for answers to Pepper Duncan's and his family's deaths. He refuses to believe that his best friend had murdered his own family before committing suicide and the clues confirmed his suspicion. Strangely, the national murder rate has increased tenfold since Pepper’s death, involving high profile individuals. As John gets deeper into the case, the evidence gradually points to one powerful entity.

Duke R Woodrick's suspense novel Soul Proprietor dives below politics' veneers to expose and explore the intricate mechanisms involved in controlling a country. Restless and determined, John Galore finds his uneventful retirement unbearable, thus cutting it short with his own investigation business. He has all the right traits to move the plot forward at a good pace along with other characters. The story is also laced with a mystery that readers will find irresistibly intriguing, including some character-defining and poetic justice moments. Simmering with danger, violence, corruption, and compelling political connivance, Soul Proprietor is an eye-opening, relevant, and perhaps a probable outlook on the near future. It’s an engaging read although it might be considerably acerbic for the far-left minds. I look forward to reading more of Woodrick's work in this genre.