Authorpreneur Dashboard – Augustine Sam
THE CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
The conscience of a town steeped in sexism, vanity and hypocrisy is pricked by the brutal murder of a mysterious woman in a park in Los Angeles. But the shock is transformed into a steamy, seductive scandal when the body turns out to be that of Susan Whitaker, the flamboyant wife of the governor of California. Soon, a dazzlingly intricate shuffle of volatile links leads the police to the delicate theory of secret lover/blackmailer, and to the indictment of Benjamin Carlton, Hollywood’s most influential black celebrity. Then curious things begin to happen when Carlton’s ambitious girlfriend, Rita Spencer suddenly unearths the shocking secret that Susan Whitaker did not, in fact, exist. She little realizes however that her discovery of this colossal fraud is a mere curtain raiser to a chilling world of ugly skeletons dating back to the assassination of a U.S. senator in a Washington hotel sauna, skeletons connected to riveting sex scandals in high places, skeletons the FBI and political kingmakers will kill for…
Book Bubbles from THE CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE
Character Profile: Rita Spencer
She is a young, introverted lawyer who is in love with a superstar. She shies away from the limelight but is suddenly thrust into it by an unexpected murder for which her lover is accused... She is in possession of a piece of evidence that can save him but first she must save herself. This quote from her, in a conversation with her boss, reveals quite a lot about her: “I believe I’m more equipped than you to take the risk. You are a respected attorney and I’m an orphan, twice for that matter, I lost my biological father while still a kid and my stepdad just when I was getting to know him. Now, I’ve lost my home with everything in it, including an innocent life.” She wiped her eyes. “Can you understand now? There’s only one thing left and that’s the man I love, who is being framed for a murder he did not commit—whatever else his shortcomings are—and for that, Marty, I’m willing to die.”
From Radio Play to Thriller
The Conspiracy of Silence was inspired by a play I wrote for the radio many years ago. It was a short play about an entertainer who was wrongfully accused of murder and the only person alive who knew he did not commit the crime was his sister. Trouble was, she had no way to prove it. When the play was aired I felt that it was too short to convey the kind of emotion that should naturally accompany a tense plot such as that. So, after a long period of 'mental fermentation' I decided to approach it from a slightly different, and I suppose, more interesting standpoint. Imbued with elements of suspense, The Conspiracy of Silence, was then created as a fast-paced mystery/thriller accompanied with an epic courtroom showdown.
