Firstly I wish to thank Andrea Kiliany Thatcher at Smith Publicity for inviting me to read RESTORATIONS by Charles Strickler

BOOK DESCRIPTION

When Miles West discovers a mysterious treasure in an old car he acquires, he thinks his broken life is on the mend. But the 1928 Stutz Black Hawk Boat Tail Roadster contains a secret that has remained hidden for almost ninety years, left there by the infamous bank robber “Lefty” Webber. Jewels, old gold pieces and a coded journal force Miles to dig into the past. With the assistance of the resourceful Bramley Ann Fairchild, West sets out on an adrenaline-fueled adventure. They must evade ruthless Mafia boss Carlo Bello, who seeks to acquire the car and the treasure for himself, no matter the cost. Will West unravel the decades old mystery, rescue his friend, and help a man restore his family name? Or will he simply become another victim of the Roadster’s murky history?

BUY LINK:

Restorations

HERE ARE MY THOUGHTS AND REVIEW

Miles West has his heart set on a Stutz Black Hawk Boat Tail Roadster, a pretty rare 1928 vintage car that is up for auction, as restoring it will be the thing that he can throw all of his energy into and take his mind from his personal tragedies. As the bidding rises at the auction a telephone contender keeps on pushing the price higher but a bit of a blip and confusion on the line results in Miles getting the final bid. To say that the air was blue between the telephone bidder and his client would be like saying it gets a little chilly in the Arctic in winter.

Miles is delighted with the outcome but little does he know that the real prize isn’t the car but what it contains. When he is offered a substantial amount above what he paid for it, it only makes him more determined to keep it. When Vic, who is restoring the car with him discovers hidden compartments in the car to opens up a chain of events that will be life changing to lot of people.

Miles takes up with Bramley Ann Fairchild who is extremely knowledgeable in antiques and an incredible journey begins for them both. Little do they realise that they have stirred up quite a hornets nest among the gangster population that all want the secret of what this vintage car holds.

This story turns into quite a road trip that picks up more unsavoury characters that go  after Miles and Bramley. This is an entertaining and all action story that has a little for everyone. The gangland violence isn’t too graphic making it more of a cosy gangster car chase than anything too sinister, not that people don’t die or get hurt because they do. There is the mystery to solve, a little love story going on and gangsters that wouldn’t even trust who looks them back in a mirror. Loved the end!

Many thanks to Smith Publicity for a copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

HERE IS A LITTLE ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charles Strickler is a native Virginian. He graduated from Virginia Tech where he also met his future bride Mary. An entrepreneur with work experiences that range from the barnyard to the Board Room, Charles brings a unique perspective to his mysteries. Like many others, the only mystery that Charles does not like is Polycystic Kidney Disease. PKD is a genetic disease affecting 200,000 people per year. While there is no cure yet, the PKD Foundation continues to fund promising research to discover treatments that can slow the progression and eventually end PKD.