Book Review: Legacy of Evil

Legacy of Evil. Ed Marohn, BookBaby, 4 August 2021, Paperback, 340 pages.

Reviewed by Florence Osmund.

Legacy of Evil by Ed Marohn is a multi-plotted, action-packed adventure with a cast of diverse characters that come alive on the pages. The narrative includes an incredible amount of drama, conflict, tension, and crises that take place over the course of just one month. Several subplots add to the depth of the story of the missing nuclear device and intensify the conflict—fierce competition for high-ranking political positions, serious trust issues, characters with hateful ideologies, and even a love story.

While this book is plot-driven, strong protagonist characterization—John’s inner conflict, profound point of view, and well-developed backstory—makes it character-driven as well. While he is on his adventurous assignments, John is faced with dangerous situations involving those who he perceives to be the enemy. His military training taught him that under certain conditions, it is the morally right thing to do to kill another human being. But this is not so clear-cut as a civilian, and he is conflicted with having to compromise his ethics and morals, even if it means saving his own life.

Vietnam veteran John Moore wants to put dark elements of his past behind him—the atrocities of war, the death of his army buddy Todd, memories of his late wife Kay, who had succumbed to cancer, and his recent break-up with girlfriend Sally. And when he accepts the paper-pushing job offer of reviewing personnel files for CIA Director James Woodruff, he feels it will provide him the opportunity to do just that. But this administrative position soon turns into something else when Woodruff immerses him in the middle of hazardous circumstances surrounding a group of neo-Nazis who infiltrate the CIA.

Author Ed Marohn’s writing style is well-structured and engaging. He skillfully weaves together myriad story elements with a good balance of description, action, dialogue, and backstory. It is told with a strong, consistent narrative voice. Sentences are well-constructed, making what some will consider a complicated storyline relatively easy to follow.

Readers who enjoy stories about political espionage, multi-layered plots, action-packed scenes, complex characters, and a string of intertwined mysteries will enjoy Legacy of Evil.