A ‘Tangled’ Web of Murder

Two Storylines Tell Demise of Young Couple in New Novel

 

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – Orange County, Calif., is known for its beauty and affluence, but the new thriller novel, Tangled, by Joey Seymour, is no episode of "The O.C." In this imaginative book, two story lines collide to explain the ghastly demise of a pair young lovers.

The novel is a fast-paced murder mystery that surrounds the slayings of an Orange County couple. A twisted web of sex, lies and deceit unravel through two parallel storylines. It begins as Rory Montoya’s post-mortem manuscript lands on the desk of Heather Frank, a prominent New York editor. Typically she would overlook an unsolicited manuscript, but this tale of Rory and Jessica Carpenter seems different. Soon the reader is following Heather as she read through the book. The mysterious novel is guided by a strange narrator as it weaves through the blissful early beginnings of the young co-eds relationship.

Jessica and Rory are star athletes at Chapman University, and the two find an immediate, insatiable attraction. However, when Jessica learns of her mother’s extramarital affair and her parents’ impending divorce, she stumbles into a deep depression. To make matters worse, Rory decides to study abroad in Australia. While apart, the novel describes how each explores themselves by undertaking taboo tryst. When Rory returns, he finds Jessica crushed by the news that her mother has been brutally murdered. What follows is a series of lies, heartache and deceit that threatens to severe the couple forever. The book describes the events as Rory and Jessica move toward their horrible fate. All the while, the mysterious narrator hides behind the black and white words of his manuscript waiting for the moment to reveal his identity and maniacal motives.

As inventive, high-charged thriller, Tangled is sure to have readers flipping pages as fast as Seymour’s enraptured editor.

Born and raised in Huntington Beach, Calif., Seymour has had a love for writing since one of his English teachers in high school assigned a paper that opened “the gates of creativity.” When he entered Chapman University, he discovered a keen interest in screenwriting. He has since penned five scripts, three of which he published in the book, Killing Dick and other Screenplays. Tangled is his first novel.