The Long Harbor Testament by Tom Minder

The Long Harbor Testament Reviews

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  Bona Fide Book Reviews

  This is an engrossing story of a strongly knit community with priests, married couples, adulterers, unmarried couples, gangsters, police officers, murderers, and witnesses, just to name a few. Bad things wouldn't have happened if Silvio had actually been a plumber instead of a bookie-in-disguise. It is from Silvio that the line of negative action descends, pulling in a person here and a person there. If only Long Harbor had not been a haven for sinners to indulge in the vice of gambling and losing, losing, losing.
  
  Luckily, Long Harbor has its favorite diner where everybody loves to dine, especially on bean soup night, and from where Detective Mark Porfino keeps a keen eye on anyone who becomes of interest in the town's current murder, which is Silvio, of course. In spite of Detective Porfino interrupting people's lives while he investigates, they all manage to go about their business of observing each other and having their own thoughts and, of course, secrets.
  
  Father Ray is keeping an eye on Father Jim. He has a pretty good idea what Father Jim's secret is. Silvio has a pretty good idea what wife, Jessie, is up to, just not who with. Jessie knows what Silvio is up to and she knows who with. Detective Porfino has an unwelcome mole in his department and interestingly, Mister Richardson's dog, Reggie, has a secret of his own. Many of the characters are regular day people who really don't want to feel suspicious of anyone. However, people do like to gossip and sometimes the most innocent conversation just seems to draw a person into giving more information than maybe he should.
  
  In spite of this being a story of the consequences of murder, it contains so much more and is written with such character and charm, I was constantly intrigued with the people and what they would do next. There are a lot of characters and a lot of happening, but at no time was I confused or lost in the story. This book is well worth your time.
  
  Now, for the grading:
  
  Genre and general reading age - Contemporary for adults.
  Level of sexuality - Low.
  Is there graphic language? No.
  Did I cry? No.
  Did I laugh? Often.
  Is this part of a series? No, this is a standalone.
  Level of character development - The author was quite good at dragging the best out of his characters.
  
  I am happy to give this book a stellar ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars.
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  Kathy

  I met Mr. Minder at the Wilmington B&N. He was promoting his latest book, along with his first. He's an excellent salesman in description. I was taken in by the story line and purchased both books. These are laid back easy reads. They remind me of the mystery novels my maternal grandmother read when I was young.
  
  The characters and plot where a delight to follow. The book has many levels and is a stand alone. Looking forward to his next book and hopefully more to follow.
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  Michael Reed

  First off, a disclosure: While author Tom Minder and I don’t know each other, we share the same publisher and the same need for honest reviews. That said, I am pleased to report how enjoyable “The Long Harbor Testament” is, both from the standpoint of character development and the author’s attention to plot details.
  
  Serving as the backdrop for this gritty tale of gamblers, mobsters, detectives and a suspect land development deal is Long Harbor, an eastern berg notable for its wharf, piers and – perhaps most notably – its greasy spoons, where its mix of sometimes ethically challenged characters gather on regular basis to chow down on chili and exchange some not always so pleasant pleasantries.
  
  Father Jim, a priest with a football betting and girlfriend problem, and a fair amount of influence over the townspeople is at the center of a story, but he’s far from the tale’s sole focal point. He’s joined by an array of others, including his occasionally volatile brother, Gabe, who has some interesting personal problems of his own, one of which involves an accidental death that will prove tricky to explain since it involves the local mob boss’ protégé. (This occurs early in the novel, so don’t fear – this is not a spoiler.)
  
  The writing here is precise, direct and keeps the reading wondering what’ll come next; it’s a true page-turner. The humor here is appropriately dark but not overly so, and I found the use of the Father Jim’s sermons, inserted into the text of the book, an interesting way to provide readers with the priest’s inner thoughts.
  
  I highly recommend the novel and look forward to what Tom Minder offers going forward.
  
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  Victoria Lees

  Tom Minder’s The Long Harbor Testament is indeed filled with lovable but deeply flawed characters. This police procedural echoes back to the Columbo television series from 1968 to 1978 when the audience watched the murder happen, knew who the murderer was, and then followed Lt. Columbo as he linked the evidence together to be able to arrest the culprit for murder. And at the same time, the audience watched the murderer squirm and try to convince others that he was innocent.
  
  What makes Minder’s story unique is its frame around the Bible. It starts with the title: The Long Harbor Testament. Title chapters recall Bible passages as well, and the main thrust of the parables echo in the story chapter events. If you look deeply into the life of the story, you’ll find the 7 Deadly Sins of pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and, I think, even sloth.
  
  One of the protagonists is Jim Cooper, a priest, and the insight offered through his sermons and sermon writing allows the reader to reflect on her own life as well as the life within the story.
  
  The story moves along crisply. Minder’s attention to detail and characterization through action, dialogue, and thought help the reader feel a part of life in Long Harbor. Minder expertly brought the story together, linking the characters to one another, and the scenes and actions built to an exciting close.
  
  If you are looking for a fun read this summer, I recommend Minder’s The Long Harbor.
  
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  Marbea Logan

  Alot of messages between messages. Alot of religion and sermons too. The story had great qualities and bad ones,in introspection. I can't speak for other readers, this is my review and I liked only certain parts of this book. The writing was good, but the connection to the characters weren't their with me personally. Not the connection between characters in the story, but to me as a reader. I liked the concept of having trials and tribulations, and struggling with your morals and human nature. I just didn't see any forthright into the conclusion, it just was not put into a more responsive and detailed information. I feel like nothing in the story made me change moods feel depth or justification for the characters. It's very difficult to put my intuitive feelings into words about this story. There just should've been more to this I feel is missing.
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  William Howard

  Tom Minder captivated me with father Jim Cooper's journey from the very first chapter. His duality of being a man of the cloth while, at the same time, being burdened with a compulsion for gambling made him a compelling character to have at the center of this intriguing story. The backdrop of the town of Long Harbor peeks the interest of the reader about what really goes on in those small towns that you pass through for business trips and vacations. I would have appreciated a little bit more mystery, but appreciated that the characters were struggling with what to do about their circumstances that I will not spoil by elaborating on in this review.
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  Dawn M.

  Couldn't finish
  
  I found this book to be too wordy and inaccurate. The author went to great lengths to describe the priest's vestments but did not give credence to the breaking of his vows. I couldn't get passed that.
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  Dawn Byrne

  Tom Minder’s cozy suspense characters are very human. They eat, a lot. I’m a fan of Tom’s short fiction and look for his signature bear claw pastry in his prose. I wasn’t disappointed here. It made a cameo appearance in this, his first book, “The Long Harbor Testament.”
  The much-flawed characters living in and around Long Harbor include mobsters, and mix in their overlapping relationships around the main story’s murder. But we know who did it. What pulls us to read to the end, is finding out if the murderer gets caught. The big question is: Do I want him caught? I like that the reader is clued in to what the characters’ deep secrets are. “The Long Harbor Testament” is a 254-page fun, fast read. You’ll want to run to a diner by its end.