John Morelli served as a Municipal Court Judge for twenty years and as a trial attorney for 40 years. He has authored The History of the Municipal Courts which appeared in New Jersey Lawyer magazine as well as articles on Lincoln the Lawyer and book chapter in the New Jersey Municipal Court Practice Manual. The Angel Theory is his third novel.
Review from Publishers Weekly January 16, 2023
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The Angel Theory, the twisty, consistently surprising fiction debut of judge and trial attorney Morelli, concerns a fall from grace, yes, but the questions that the book plumbs firmly concern this material world, with one small science-fiction twist. At age 55, “disgusted and depressed” with the law, one-man-shop attorney Bill Arena connects with Peter Swanteck, an old friend from Little League and now a physicist who has become the laughingstock after publishing an article arguing that time travel isn’t just theoretically possible—it’s achievable now. Soon, Arena is impressed into overseeing Swanteck’s early—and surprisingly successful—time-travel experiments, eventually agreeing to serve as executor of Swanteck’s will and estate should anything go wrong.
Something does go wrong, of course. But, fascinatingly, something also seems to go right, as Arena discovers himself suddenly, impossibly rich, in a Great Expectations-style windfall that will keep readers guessing. An uncle’s long-ago investment in a now dominant computer company lifts Arena and family to a California mansion, A-list Hollywood parties—and all the temptations and legal hassles that come with it. Throughout the tale, Morelli continually throws off expectations, offering a vividly detailed moral and legal thriller with literary characterization and pacing rather than the time-travel shenanigans readers might expect.
Arena asks his friends, early on, who they could murder, via time travel, to better the world, but, as Morelli makes clear throughout, cause and effect are more complex than that fantasy. The question becomes, for Arena, whether or not to destroy Swanteck’s discoveries. The story hits some traditional suspense beats, especially in the final chapters, but what’s most engaging are the legal travails of the newly rich Arena, which find him representing himself in a suit filed by a Swanteck relation. Morelli writes with persuasive power and an eye for telling detail for the legal and financial realms, and his story engages as both what-if? and moral conundrum.
Takeaway: Time travel upends a lawyer’s life in this thoughtful, convincing literary thriller.
Great for fans of: Reed Arvin’s The Will, Paul Goldstein’s Errors and Omissions.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-
Print Date: 01/16/2023
Book Review Mini-Critique- FIVE STAR REVIEW
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Title: The Angel Theory
Author: John Morelli
Genre: Fiction - Science Fiction
Appearance: 5.
Plot: 5.
Development: 5.
Formatting: 5.
Marketability: 4.
Overall Opinion: 5 l
Review: Reviewed by Maria Victoria Beltran for Readers' Favorite
The Angel Theory by John Morelli is about Bill Arena, a man disgusted with and depressed by the law. Now aged 55, he is in the middle of a crisis in his career, marriage, and supporting his children. An old friend from his high school, now a genius physicist, asks Bill for help. Peter Swanteck has made time travel possible but using it might have unwanted consequences for the world. Peter convinces Bill to help him, and eventually, the control of the project is passed to Bill. With the time machine under his command, he opens Pandora’s box of chaos that slowly destroys his life and everyone around him. Bill Arena has to make a hard choice destroy the machine before it can be used as a weapon or allow himself to be consumed by self-interest.
John Morelli’s The Angel Theory is an interesting, exciting, and well written novel that hooks you from the start. While the narrative is partly science fiction with the element of time travel, Morelli grounds his narrative through its main protagonist - Bill Arena. Morelli zooms in on the vividly detailed world of Bill as he goes through various twists and turns that challenge his morals. His focus on characters rather than the quirks of time travel allows Morelli’s novel to expand organically. Through Bill, we realize that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction and probably more complex than we think. This allowed me to engage in a what-if conversation with myself, giving me a better understanding of Morelli’s writing style. This is a cleverly written work that is a must read for fans of science fiction and thriller narratives.
Intended Consequences Reviewed by Jennifer Ibiam for Readers' Favorite
Bill Arena became a multi-billionaire after inheriting a considerable portion of the Campbell Computer Company stocks through dubious means. The Arena family held the secret to his wealth, but it had dire consequences for them. Bill's son, Tom, went missing on a typical workday, and things went south. They found a corpse in Tom’s office, his gun on the table, and no one to tell what happened. Tom was a suspect or victim, and Vince Reismuller must find out. Former marine Vince worked for the Arenas and was loyal to them. And like his past battles, Vince dug deep to dismantle complex schemes from the past while watching out for the fatal shot. Who has Tom? Can Vince save him in time? Find out in Intended Consequences by John Morelli.
Intended Consequences by John Morelli is a fantastic novel that kept me on the edge of my seat. The author had his foot on the figurative pedal and sustained the momentum from the beginning to the end. I saw the damage caused by greed and the rough side of the corporate world. There is action, suspense, crime, law, politics, and some flirting. I loved the story’s uniqueness, plot, and character development because they were not cliched. There was substance and something new to discover in every chapter. The author incorporated actual places and past events into the plot which gave the novel authenticity. Vince and Parker were my favorite characters. I wonder why no one arrested Tonya and hope Vince and Morgan take it to the next level. John did a fantastic job with this novel, and I encourage him to continue writing.
Vince Reismuller, a battle-hardened Marine veteran and security factotum for the wealthy Arena family, must rescue his employer's kidnapped son Tommy even as it becomes clear that a murder and more may connect with his employer's shady past. In addition, Vince has to protect the Arena daughter, Morgan, from a young man harassing her and figure out if Tommy is guilty of a crime himself. The various strands start coming together, amidst deadly violence, even as Vince and Morgan struggle with their growing feelings for each other. Vince navigates through stock fraud, greed and hatred to protect the Arenas and come to terms with himself and his violent past.
Morelli places the emphasis heavily on action, and he's a master at choreographing the fight scenes. Vince doesn't pull any punches and neither does Morelli when describing the scenes. "This is only the start of how much I am going to hurt you," Vince explains to an antagonist. In a terrifically staged scene, Vince and his associates attack a house, and readers will find themselves in Alistair MacLean territory, holding their breath until the wind-up. Morelli has clearly done a lot of research, and occasionally he shares more than some readers may want to know about firearms or mountain lions, slowing the pace, but overall the book moves rapidly toward a satisfying conclusion.
However, the action is not the whole story. Morelli has elevated the theme, giving his tale a richer background than is usually found in this genre. Behind all the conflict is stock-market manipulation and other corporate chicanery, and the financial theme provides an effective contrast to the street fighting, while making the characters less black-and-white. Morelli also does a great job fleshing out Vince's character. The police detective on the case, Jerrell Troy, is a former comrade-in-arms, and their rocky yet close friendship comes across as very real. Readers will hope to meet Vince in a sequel.
Takeaway: Two-fisted novel of revenge, told with breathless suspense.
Comparable Titles: Lee Child, Alistair MacLean.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B+
Print Date: 10/30/2023 [+]
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