Our three protagonists, Fitz, Charles and Jamie, have in common a commitment to carrying on the family legacy, including both “tangible and intangible things handed down or a long-lasting effect of an event or process” (as defined by by the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th Edition). What that legacy means to each of them is different, defined in part by the family’s values and history.
In Fitz’s case, there are two strong elements to legacy: first, like her parents and siblings, she views herself a steward of the family’s financial assets. As trustees for many of the family’s trusts, she and her brother Tommy take seriously their fiduciary responsibilities. Each year they review the investment policy statements for each trust (except for the Dressail trust that features prominently in the story’s plot) and make adjustments based on the investment environment of the previous year, the economy and the beneficiaries’ need for distributions. One of their primary goals is to provide resources for the beneficiaries from earned interest so that the family trusts will be able to provide funds to future family members for at least the next 100 years.
Fitz sees the second element of her family’s legacy as service to country. Both she and her father have worked in the federal government, Thomas Sr. in the State Department and Fitz in the SEC. When Fitz resigns her position at the SEC, she feels a need to find a new way to be of service. She will struggle with that in the second book of the Three Musketeers series, Broken Web.
Charles comes from a different family background. He inherited his grandfather’s entrepreneurial drive, and sees part of his legacy linked to his entrepreneurial success. He sees his family’s legacy as being productive members of society and giving back to those less fortunate. He worries about his daughter Sara growing up without the need he had to earn a living. One way he hopes to provide Sara with options for being of service is through philanthropy. To that end, he is already involving her in his philanthropic vision. He gives her money each year to give charities and other worthwhile causes of her choosing. Part of that gift must include Sara volunteering her time to the organization she supports financially. It is his hope that she will see giving back to society and those less fortunate as a primary focus as an adult. He secretly hopes that she will also have some of his entrepreneurial drive.
Jamie’s family has had an active, well-funded family foundation for two generations that is at the center of his family’s legacy as stewards of their wealth. As the third generation leader of that foundation, he has been struggling with a vision of how to best use those resources to make the world a safer, better place to live. Interestingly, his work for the US Department of Defense and the UK Ministry of Defense carries on his great-grandfather’s support of the military’s efforts to protect and serve.
Thomas Maurin is the pen name of husband and wife writing team Bonnie B. Hartley, Ph.D., and Michael T. Hartley, CFP®. They both write non-fiction books and articles regarding financial and family business topics and have delivered talks on those subjects internationally over the last thirty years.
Connect with them: Website ~ Twitter
Series: The Three Muskateer #1
Author: Thomas Maurin
Published: October 25/14 by CreateSpace
Length: 286pgs
Format: paperback
Genre: suspense
Shelf: review
Rating: ★★★★
Back Cover Blurb:
They get caught up in the hunt for a corrupt Swiss banker intent on finally unloading the last of the gold stolen by his father in World War II; a violent, narcissist leader of a Mexican drug cartel making his move to take over as the head of all cartels in Central America; and the daughter of a murdered Bulgarian arms dealer making the deal that will give her mother financial stability and get them both out of the increasingly unstable arms business.
The plot unfolds as financial crimes committed by insiders put common criminal activities to shame in a world where technology has increasingly insinuated itself into our lives to good and bad effects.
My Review:
I appreciate the fact that the characters in this novel are older but still remember what it’s like to be young. Their friendship remains strong through all of the trials that they’ve encounters, both together and separately. Not only that, but these well-developed characters were such a treat to get to know. The thought processes and emotions of the main characters were just as intriguing as the overall plot of the story. There were a few times that I found the dialogue to be a bit forced, written the way one writes rather than the way that people talk. It wasn’t all the time, just a few sentences here and there.
Did I enjoy this story? Very much so. Would I read more of this series? I can’t wait! Will I be reading more by this author duo? You can bet your last gold bar on it.
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Thanks for your review, Jonel. We're glad you enjoyed Broken Trust!
ReplyDeleteBest,
Bonnie Hartley