The Law of Moses: Sam’s Story by Kwen Griffeth

Once Sam graduates with his teaching certification, he has a pretty simple plan. To go back home, find a position to work in, and marry a nice girl. Just the usual white picket fence thing. Boring and common. But then, Sam had always been relatively boring and normal person. Never really interested in the political occurrences outside Elmira. Unbeknownst to him, these very occurrences would take him away from his beloved home. These occurrences were about to change him completely. 

Sam Moses Cardiff joined the Union Army a few years after that. He worked as he was supposed to. He was everywhere he was supposed to be whenever it was required of him. Soon, his ‘talents’ were noted and he became a Marshall. He can easily, without breaking a sweat, kill if someone crossed his path. He had become a dangerous assassin. However, behind that scary scowl lay an emotional and moral conflict. He hated the person he had become. He longed to go back to being the young energetic man with simple dreams. He longed for his home. 

Sam was a rude and angry man until he met dear Laura. Laura had the difficult task of helping Sam love himself again. Her role in how his life changes yet again is profound. Together, they unravel his humanity. 

‘The Law of Moses’ is a moving story. It is a story about façade and human sacrifice. It is about love and life’s struggles. Kwen Griffeth has weaved a tale so vivid the reader feels embroiled in the scenes. His descriptions of everything are so spot on and accurate. His prose flows effortlessly in silky fashion. The author obviously has some vast knowledge of weaponry. His masterful description of each weapon and the exact sounds each makes is evidence of that. He has an uncanny ability to take a reader on an emotional journey. He sculpts every scene with the appropriate punch of intensity. One thing is certain, you will be very sad to see the end of this book. You will be yearning for more when the tale of Sam ends. 

Kwen Griffeth has a great gift. The gift of building wholesome characters. It is almost as if he takes time to develop one character. Get accustomed to them. Help them develop little quirks that fit just right. The character profiles are detailed down to the odd use of specific words or quips. This is what makes it so easy for a reader to connect with the characters. Sam’s emotional turmoil elicits very confusing empathy. 

In a story like this where a man is stuck in a life and persona they loathe, there is almost always a girl. A girl who helps this man pull himself out of the hole. Laura is it. Kwen has given the reader that gift. The relationship is not exactly swoon worthy but it is heartwarming. You will be relieved to see that Sam can still be a human being. This time Kwen Griffeth gets five stars out of five.