Oceanview Publishing Presents ... Book of Nathan

Oceanview Publishing is introducing a new novel that is the work of two authors - Curt Weeden and Richard Marek. It is called Book of Nathan and it is an interesting collaboration of the two authors.

The prologue of the book introduces two characters who play a very important roll in the story.

The first person is Rick Bullock. He had been an advertising executive and his wife had worked with the homeless. As a result of her influence and her untimely death, he left his job with the advertising company and became the director of a homeless shelter.

The second character introduced in the prologue was "Zeus". Rick knows "Zeus" from his work in the homeless shelter. Zeus was a big, unsightly man who was under developed mentally. His role in the story is mainly as a catalyst - to get Rick involved in an investigation. You see, "Zeus" is thrown in jail because an extreme evangelist is murdered and he is the suspect.

This book is a mystery that uses a blend of comedy to tell the story. Rick has put together an unlikely team to help him investigate and defend Zeus. First there is Maurice Tyson - a resident of Gateway 0 the homeless shelter where Rick works. He is the only one who can truly understand and communicate with Zeus. Then there is Doc Waters. He is a down on his luck very intelligent professor who is out of sorts with the mafia. Speaking of the mafia, Manny Maglio, a civic minded mafia boss, is helping to finance the investigation. It isn't that he is really interested in the investigation but there are strings attached. The strings attached come in the person of his dead brother's daughter - Twyla Tharp. She is in prostitution and Manny wants Rick's help getting her into a reputable business. She has an interview with Disney in Florida and this is where Zeus is being held. Finally there is a little known Jewish lawyer named Yigal Rosenblatt. He and his firm took on the case for the attention this big time case will bring to them. His interest quickly shifts when he becomes aware of Twyla.

Another source of support (and influence) quickly becomes apparent - tycoon Arthur Silversteen. Rick learns he is more interested in finding the Book of Nathan - a lost book of the Bible. He also learns the murder of the evangelist may be connected to this book as well. The evangelist was preparing for a TV rally in which he was going to reveal the secrets from this find. It was possible this find might be contrary to the views of some of the extreme religious groups.

Rather than let on to any more of the story, let me mention one of the humorous situations in this story to whet your interest / appetite. It relates to a weinermobile look-alike and the headquarters of Johnson & Johnson. (Hey ... wasn't one of the authors of this book a retired from Johnson & Johnson?)