Undaunted

The first Stan Turner mystery from William Manchee is loosely auto-biographical and mesmerizing. It kept my attention from start to finish. The characters are real and can be related to, unlike some where they are totally fake. This books leads us through the choices and adventures of a young Stan Turner and shows us the path he took to being a lawyer in Dallas, Texas. The plot twists and turns, taking the reader along for the ride, holding on and trying to figure out who did what. Excellent read, highly recommended for anyone who loves a good mystery.

UNDAUNTED is the first Stan Turner Mystery followed by the second, BRASH ENDEAVOR and the third, SECOND CHAIR. Stan decides at a very early age that he wants to be a lawyer, but while he is at the Ventura county fair Stan and his friend Steve wanted to have their future read by a Univac Computer which analyzes a persons handwriting and tells their the future. Stan's card came back saying. `STRUGGLING IN A HOSTILE WORLD, PURSUING YOUR DESTINY, YOU WILL STAND RESOLUTE AGAINST ADVERSITY, UNDAUNTED' Stan did not understand the meaning then, but as he became an adult, he would understand all to well. While Stan was at UCLA he met Rebekah whom he loves very much, they are married Oct 18, 1968. On the way to getting a law degree, things get rough for Stan. The Army drafts him in 1970; to avoid the Army he signs with the Marines. While in boot camp, he unwittingly befriends a serial killer and soon finds himself charged with the murder of his drill sergeant. Stan desperately searches for the real killer. Helping him is nurse Rita Andrews, who wants Stan for herself, and Virginia Stone, a journalist looking for a story. Undaunted is a sensual chiller, involving white supremacists, a serial killer, and the Marines all rolled up into a startling package that will keep you clinging to every word. Undaunted proves it to me; William Manchee is a master at story telling. He has a way of spinning a tale that will leave you breathless every time.

This is the first William Manchee book I have read but will not be the last. The story centers around Stan Turner, a law student who must enlist in the marines so as to hopefully prevent being sent to Vietnam. When he is accused of murder, his friends leap into action to prove his innocence. The ending was totally unexpected and as such gave the book much more of a thrill. It is a book you will not be able to put down.

I had already read Brash Endeavor, and was surprised to find Undaunted out. Now I have become a Stan Turner fan! The author takes the reader through many twists and turns as Turner tries to prove his innocence of a crime he didn't commit. Learn all about Stan Turner in this one, and find out what makes him tick. This is a well-crafted novel which will keep the readers turning the pages.

I am not a reader! When a friend handed me a copy of William Manchee's Undaunted, I was skeptical, but I managed to get through the book - in just one day! What a surprise. Not only did I enjoy the realness of the characters (not the "perfect" people in everyday novels), but I was pulled into the events that took place in their lives. Although Undaunted is fiction, it breathed hints of episodes that could take place in anyone's life. I couldn't stop reading until I knew how it ended. I already have a copy of the sequel Brash Endeavor - I can't wait! Linda A. Taylor