Jeffrey S. Stephens
Author Interview - Jeffrey S. Stephens
Author of ILLUSIONS OF TRUST
When attorney Russell Palmer agreed to handle the divorce of a beautiful
and wealthy socialite, he never anticipated the tangled web of deceit,
corruption, peril—and murder—he would be forced to confront.
Russell Palmer is a New York City attorney who, together with assistance from his private detective associate Robbie Whyte, is well known for taking on unusual and risky matters. When he is approached by the rich and attractive Christina Franco to handle her divorce, he finds her story irresistible.
When Christina describes the abuse she has suffered throughout her marriage, Palmer’s protective instincts are aroused. He is further intrigued when she mentions one of her husband’s associates—a dangerous man Palmer has battled in the past. Despite Whyte’s misgivings, Palmer takes the case.
Soon after making that decision, a series of events unfold that may or may not be related to this beautiful woman and her influential family. They begin with the apparent suicide of a prominent lawyer, followed by a murder for which someone is trying to frame another of Palmer’s clients, and then a federal investigation into a major pharmaceutical company with ties to Christina’s husband.
As Palmer and Whyte seek to determine how some or all these occurrences might intersect, they travel across a varied strata of society, following a trail that leads them from New York’s demi-monde, through the rarified world of the ultra-rich, and up to the halls of Congress. Along the way they meet an assortment of characters, including Christina’s parents—an influential politician and his reclusive wife; an attractive journalist—with a decidedly personal interest in Palmer; and a number of other people populating their client’s world.
As the layers of deceit and corruption are peeled back, Palmer and Whyte do all they can to protect their client and themselves while ensuring that justice, in all its complexity, prevails.
Author Interview - Jeffrey S. Stephens
Author I draw inspiration from:
John Grisham, Scott Turow
Author Interview - Jeffrey S. Stephens | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
My living room
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Holden Caulfield, CATCHER IN THE RYE. I expect to redicover my youth.
Author Interview - Jeffrey S. Stephens | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I've been writing since I was 6, starting with puppet show :-)
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I like hard cover books. Kindle is nice for travelling.
The last book I read:
The Impossible Fortune, by Richard Osman. Brilliant 5th book in the Thursday Murder Club series.
Author Interview - Jeffrey S. Stephens | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
Both. Start with fountain pen and legal pad, then move to the computer once the outline is done.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Russell Palmer, my main character in ILLUSIONS OF TRUST. SOrry, but it is true.
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
A screenwriter.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
Place I’d most like to travel:
Italy, always again and again. The people, the food, the scenery, the history
My signature drink:
Bourbon. One cube. Preferably Blanton's.
Favorite artist:
The Beatles. Trite, I know, but they defined an era.
Number one on my bucket list:
Lake Como.
Anything else you'd like to add:
ILLUSIONS OF TRUST is the first in a new series that I am enjoying writing immensely, and I hope you do.
Find more from the author:
Instagram, jeffreystephenstheauthor
About Jeffrey S. Stephens:
Jeffrey S. Stephens
Jeffrey Stephens is the Amazon best-selling and PenCraft award-winning author of the Jordan Sandor thrillers, TARGETS OF DECEPTION, TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY, TARGETS OF REVENGE and ROGUE MISSION; the Anthony Walker murder mystery CRIMES AND PASSION; the Pencraft First Place Award winning novel, FOOL’S ERRAND; and the Nicholas Reagan thrillers, THE HANDLER and its sequel, ENEMIES AMONG US.
A native of New York City, the author is a successful attorney in private practice, admitted in both in New York and Connecticut, who has lived for more than forty years in Greenwich, which is where he and his wife Nancy raised their two sons, Graham and Trevor.
