Who doesn’t love a good prequel? That’s what book three of the Capfield series is, and I’ve got to say, I was pleasantly surprised. EP Spiegel’s third installment, The Goodberry Man takes a deeper look into antagonist Robert Cage, and let me tell you, I was here for it!
(Here’s a link to my vlog!)
So, book one, Cage really just seems like a normal, murderous, villain, hellbent on destroying his target… who is sadly his son, a classic case of filicide. As entertaining and engaging as the plot and characters were in book one, there wasn’t a ton of depth. Then, book two provides a little more context, fairly fleshed out characters were further developed and we began to see some of the inner thoughts and motivations of various characters.
The Goodberry Man takes this to the next level for Cage. I loved book two’s development and display of vulnerability, but book three provided backstory. We get to learn about Cage’s past with Mr. Duke, we learn about his star-crossed romance with Naomi, whose death is a catalyst for much of the series’ action. Honestly, it was very much like Attack of the Clones meets Revenge of the Sith–even though we knew that Cage was always capable of violence, this book shows how it happened; it’s his transformation-to-Darth-Vader moment.
Spiegel is so skilled at setting this part of the story up too. At first, he’s just a hitman, but then as he falls in love, you can see that he’s more complex than some stoic, cold-blooded killer. After Mr. Duke decides that Naomi must die and we see Cage beg for her life, we readers develop a sense of pity for him. It’s not that he just wanted to kill her for the heck of it, his hand was forced, and this is the first time that Capfield fans truly realize that. On the note of pity/sympathy, we also see a glimmer of it with Mr. Duke, which I think is really interesting. It goes without saying that he’s selfish and definitely one to protect his own interests above anyone else’s, but there’s one moment near the end of the book (not unlike a moment in book two) where he seems like a real person and almost becomes one of those characters that, while he’s kinda the worst, you kinda like him anyway.
Additionally, I’ve said before that Spiegel is skilled at setting things up. Remember Ted and Daisy? Both their parents are cops (even if Ted isn’t totally aware of this) and they come back–Spiegel intertwines characters’ lives together so well, it’s impressive. The whole plot, the back-plot, it’s all so well thought out that it only adds to the entertainment.
I definitely recommend this book, and the rest of the series too. If you like crime, suspense, action, you’re sure to like it. Book three has a touch of romance, and all of the books have really thoughtful characters and plots. It’s a solid read that’ll definitely engage.
That’s all I’ve got for now, look out for next week’s post on
Happy Reading!
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