The Journey Through Illusion

Glenn Willoughby
Aventine Press (2010)
ISBN 9781593306632
Reviewed by Marty Shaw for Reader Views (07/10)


While I couldn’t find any evidence indicating a journey through illusion, Glenn Willoughby provides his readers with plenty of action and suspense. In “The Journey Through Illusion,” Jamison (Jamie) Everett is a determined man who lost his badge because of the same passions that made him a good cop. Now, bouncing from job to job as a consultant, he finds himself deep inside a conspiracy that threatens both him and his friends; it also threatens to bring him closer to his own barely-controlled dark side.

This book contains it all: interesting and realistic characters, edge-of-your-seat action, and a mystery that will leave you guessing until the very end. Jamie is the type of guy that you can’t help but side with. He’s charming, funny, and completely dedicated to the idea that the bad guys should be caught, regardless of how much red tape needs to be cut through to get the job done. He’s pushed right to the edge of sanity and morality when his personal life collides with his professional life, and the demons that plague him make more driven, yet less confident, at the same time. He’s the underdog that you want on your side.

The majority of the story takes place in Houston, Texas and I really enjoyed seeing my hometown take center stage. With Mr. Willoughby’s descriptions, Houston becomes much more than just the background; the town almost becomes another character. Anyone who has spent any time in Houston will find himself (or herself) nodding in agreement at details such as:

“The drive along FM 1960, traveling east from the Champions area toward Lake Houston was certainly pleasant enough. If you enjoyed experiencing suburban gridlock first hand, and breathing in exhaust fumes. I had to stop at about forty-five lights along the way and crawled through countless others. Not only that, but the humidity was up about fifty percent from the day before, and the mid-day summer heat was stifling.”

“I saw the familiar skyline of downtown in the distance, hidden slightly in the haze that tends to surround Houston in the spring and summer months.”

Descriptions of this depth pertaining to both locations and characters really give an extra sense of dimension that makes you feel like you’re living the adventure with Jamie, instead of merely reading about it.

“The Journey Through Illusion” is a great detective story that just happens to feature a main character that really isn’t a detective. Colorful descriptions and realistic situations combine to create a great story that blends the right amount of humor with a page-turning mystery.

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