The Gatsby Enterprise


Fiction - Mystery - Sleuth
272 Pages
Reviewed on 09/28/2022
Buy on Amazon

Author Biography

Bryan David London is a psychologist and Certified Sex Offender Treatment Specialist with a private practice in Carmel, Indiana. Over the course of his career, seeking to experience the breadth of his profession, he has worked in a variety of settings, including a psychiatric hospital, a group home for children, a pain management center, an autism evaluation and treatment center, correctional facilities, and mental health centers. His first book, a nonfiction self-help book entitled Life Is One Damn Thing After Another: Until You Acquire the Insights and Skills to Take Charge of It, was published in 2000. His Gatsby novels are meant to bring something new to literary noir, a seamless integration of psychology and life skills strategies with detective fiction. He lives with his wife, Amy, and their assortment of four-legged companions, all of whom are rescues.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Fans of sleuth stories rejoice for author Bryan David London has come out with yet another Zachary Par gripping murder mystery novel with The Gatsby Enterprise. In this book, Dr. Zachary Par, a private investigator and counseling psychologist, is hired by the acting director of Scopewell International, Maximillian Scopewell, to discover the identity of the person who had been stalking and sending threats to his daughter, Krysta. It's been only a few months since Scopewell International was rocked by the 'boardroom murders' that spread havoc amongst the Scopewell family. Soon, Zachary's investigation reveals dark secrets about the Scopewells' past that may have far-reaching consequences. However, Krysta's dysfunctional relationships complicate things further for Zachary. Will he be able to find the person who had been sending those threatening letters? Is there any connection with the boardroom murders?

The Gatsby Enterprise is one of those sleuth mystery books that are hard not to read at one go. Author Bryan David London keeps his cards close to the chest until the end, and you find yourself hooked to the pages as the constant reveals have you wondering what's going to happen next. The plot is full of twists and turns you never see coming. If one mystery is solved, two more questions arise. Zachary's stoic demeanor and intelligence continue to make him a likable protagonist you find easy to root for. I enjoyed his dynamic with Krysta and the way he breaks down his deductions with meticulous ease. I highly recommend this book to sleuth story lovers.

Alma Boucher

Zachary Par is hired by Max Scopewell to investigate threatening letters they received. It involves Max's daughter Krysta, and Zachary was very pleased to meet her. He did not mind her flirting with him and he enjoyed the game playing. He interrogates every member of the family. He was interested in Laurie's condition. She is the younger sister and is very shy. Talking to her grandma, he soon realized something had happened when she was only four. Max told him he was not allowed to talk to his father. At first glance, everything seems fine, but there are many secrets about to be revealed. His investigation led him to investigate the mass murder at Scopewell’s company earlier. He was involved in a shootout and was the target of a cold-blooded killer. Not everyone is what he or she pretends to be in The Gatsby Enterprise by Bryan David London

The Gatsby Enterprise by Bryan David London has a complicated and thrilling plot. The suspense in the story made it very powerful. It has several interesting sub-plots that were knitted together. I was intrigued by the events and they unfolded genuinely and naturally. The story is full of action and kept me on the edge of my seat. I could not stop reading as I wanted to know what would happen next. I never knew what to expect next with all the surprises. The characters were fully developed and genuine, and I could relate to them. Each had an interesting backstory. I learned about each character on a deeper level, and I could relate to them. London has the gift of taking readers to another world with his words and descriptions. I enjoyed reading The Gatsby Enterprise as it is superbly written. The ending was a shock that I did not expect.

Emily-Jane Hills Orford

Private Investigator Zachary Par has his own personal motto: “Beliefs are the foundation of our lives. We use beliefs to declare a self: that abstraction possessing the tangibility of a sunset, arising from a felt reality spun from sensations, perceptions, emotions, thoughts.” Krysta Scopewell is a wealthy young woman. She’s also stunningly beautiful. When her pet dog is dog-napped and Krysta feels like someone is spying on her, Zachary is brought in to offer her assistance, first in retrieving the dog, then to help her deal with her multiple issues. You see, this private investigator is also a psychologist and a wellness coach. But the mysteries thicken as threatening letters, blackmail, family secrets, and corporate sabotage enter the mix. Not only is Krysta in danger, but so is Zachary.

Bryan David London’s mystery novel, The Gatsby Enterprise, is the second book in the Gatsby mystery series. Told in the first person from Zachary’s point of view, the plot follows the private investigator/psychologist as he becomes enmeshed in a multi-generational, multi-layered mystery of mammoth proportions. The author uses Zachary’s voice to give a firm sense of place and to develop each of the characters as the tension builds. Dialogue is well used and helps move the story along. The plot has multiple layers of interwoven unsolved mysteries which has the reader sitting on the edge of their seat anticipating some unexpected and compelling resolution. The added layer of psychology adds an interesting dimension. The novel is fast-paced and engaging and will certainly capture the attention of mystery addicts.

Edith Wairimu

In the absorbing mystery novel, The Gatsby Enterprise by Bryan David London, a private investigator also working as a counseling psychologist unearths a family’s shocking secrets. Dr. Zachary Par is hired by Maximillian Scopewell, the director of a prosperous real estate investment firm, to find his daughter’s stalker and establish the source of anonymous threats directed at the Scopewell family. What begins as a straightforward case soon twists into a complex investigation involving an intricately designed and executed lethal plan that spans years. As pieces fall into place and more people are included in the case, Par also discovers an underlying intergenerational cycle of abuse and works on helping the Scopewell family recover from years of trauma to achieve personal growth.

The Gatsby Enterprise is a brilliant blend between detective work and psychology. London does an outstanding job of intertwining the psychological impact the family endures with the investigation and its outcome. The novel’s first-person perspective helps flesh out the main character, while the other characters are equally well-developed. I loved seeing the other main characters discover the reasons for their diverse behavior and work toward becoming better. I found each chapter thoroughly exciting as they contained interesting revelations that kept me glued to the story. The plot also leads up to a fascinating ending. Bryan David London has created an impressive mystery novel that features unique, compelling characters and a riveting plot. Mystery novels fans will love its surprising action scenes, the incorporation of psychology into the story, and its carefully planned plot.

Sashon Davis

A trail of broken hearts, deep family secrets, and suspicious letters. Scopewell Enterprise once again finds itself in the eye of a hurricane as an array of suspicious letters arrive one by one in their letterbox. This results in the employment of a psychological detective, Dr. Zachary Par. Entwined in the mysteries of Scopewell Enterprise, Dr. Par finds himself intertwined with the amorous ways of Krysta Scopewell, all while trying to protect her from whoever is trying to bring her and her family down. We find ourselves traveling down the road of spiritualism, secret marriages, family betrayal, and death. Will the loose ends tie up or does our main character find himself being added to the trail of broken hearts left by Krysta Scopewell. Follow Dr. Zachary Par as he takes us on his psychological journey in reassembling the lives of the secret-riddled Scopewell residence as well as capturing the culprit that's trying to orchestrate the demise of their legacy.

Bryan David London involves the reader in a steady stream of built-up anticipation by packing mystery upon mystery. He cleverly takes us inside Dr. Zachary Par’s train of thought without revealing any of his conclusions. The Gatsby Enterprise keeps the reader in much suspense, even having us conclude that the mystery might not be solved before the author suddenly unpacks mystery after mystery. Focusing on themes of family trauma, love and betrayal, London goes to great lengths not to make it a traditional family affair, but rather one of how learned behaviors impact the psyche, how lack of interaction leads to social dysfunctionality, and how the repercussions of one’s actions come back to haunt not only us, but everyone we’re connected to.

Essien Asian

In Bryan David London's latest mystery novel, Doctor Zachary Par, Counseling Psychologist and Private Investigator extraordinaire, is invited to aid the Scopewell family in retrieving their kidnapped dog, among other things. He discovers that there is a lot more at stake than the life of a canine when bodies start dropping around the family members. Racing across the country, trying to gather the information he needs, he must dig up his very best sleuthing skills and combine them with his professional experience if he is to solve this mystery that supposedly defies conventional science. With brawny gangsters, ghosts, and some sinister family secrets on the cards, brain-teasing entertainment beckons in The Gatsby Enterprise.

The Gatsby Enterprise is the second book in a series starring the crime-solving therapist as the principal character. The storyline is undeniably the jewel in the crown where this mystery novel is concerned as it sees the principal character going up against adversaries of an equal, if not higher intellect. As if that's not interesting enough, there are many subplots blended into the storyline with such fluidity that I could not help but wonder how Bryan David London could surround one family with so much drama yet make it look perfectly normal. The secondary characters are carefully thought through and expertly fleshed out, and the pace kept me guessing whodunit to the end. To say I am impressed with the quality of this book is putting it mildly. Step aside, Hercule Poirot. Zachary Par is in the building.