Measure for Measure is the tale of two citizens of Lakeview (Christine and Radar) whose lives have taken them in vastly different directions. Christine is an aspiring politician and the successful mayor of a fictitious upstate New York city. Radar is a former motorcycle gang member whose only desire in life is to make enough money to feed himself and a few of his bad habits. The novel follows Christine in her attempt to become the first female governor of the state and Radar on his quest to vindicate the murder of his brother. The plot becomes complicated by the fact that Christine is having a sexual relationship with a married man who, unbeknownst to her, just happens to be the murderer of Radar's brother. As the sole eye witness to the tragic murder, Radar knows the identity of the killer, but he has shared this knowledge with no one, quietly keeping it to himself for over twenty years. A new job offers him the unexpected opportunity to observe the murderer on a regular basis. By studying his patterns, Radar develops a plot to avenge his brother's death and to execute the plan in a way that will not connect him to the episode. The novel fully develops all the main characters including a naïve rookie FBI agent from Iowa (Stacey Kowalski), her religious African American veteran partner (Clarence Weatherspoon), Christine's brilliant but geeky campaign manager (Bob Johnson), the womanizing murderer (John Castellano) and his business partner/brother (Tony Castellano). Several incidental characters are also included to support the plot, subplots, and theme and to enhance the character development of the main characters. The novel is written in a style that lends itself to easy reading and to fully capture the interest of the reader throughout each chapter. It is composed in a manner that does not allow a major character link until the final chapter. While there are subtle hints throughout the novel, a very high percentage of the readers will not recognize the clues until they are enlightened by the final chapter. Measure for Measure is a mainstream commercial novel that will appeal to a large and diverse audience. The novel has been completed, edited multiple times and finalized. Measure for Measure is 111,133 words in length. It also includes the first chapter of my next novel, The Reunion, which is an additional 3,017 words in length.
About the Author: James Culver was born in Buffalo, NY in 1961. He was raised in nearby Lockport, New York and attended Starpoint Central School. He graduated from the University of Buffalo with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration in 1984 and from Niagara University with an M.B.A. degree in 1994. He received his Ph.D. in Public Administration in 2002. During his career, he has served as a Real Estate Appraiser, Assessor, President/CEO of a real estate company, Real Estate Developer, Landlord, Instructor, Executive Director of a not-for-profit agency, Director of Education on an international not-for-profit agency and as a Consultant. His instructor and consulting work have afforded him the opportunity to travel extensively across the United States, Canada and Europe. He has resided in several cities in New York State including Fredonia, Lockport, Batavia, Albany and Westbury. In addition, he has resided in Chicago, Illinois and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He enjoys owning and racing thoroughbred race horses and is the founder and Managing Partner of Dream Team Racing Stable, LLC - an organization that offers public partnerships on thoroughbred race horses. During his spare time, Mr. Culver enjoys reading and writing. He currently resides with his wife Mary in Hickory, NC and has two daughters, two grandsons and four granddaughters.