Sacrifice, the Ultimate Cost of Payback and Vengeance "Voice of Conscience" is a strong first novel.
Behcet Kaya writes of a people and culture which is often misunderstood by those influenced primarily by Western thinking.
Behcet acquaints the reader with of a mores steeped in traditions and customs carried over from generations past, a society where family pride demands revenge once insulted.
The story opens as young Ramzi Ozcomert Junior flees from his home in a small Turkish community to escape death after his parents and sister were brutally murdered.
His went to Ankara where he was able to find employment working for a distant uncle.
He learned a trade.
One again, fearing his life was in jeopardy, Ramzi fled his native Turkey to find refuge in London, England.
While in London he worked hard, pursing an education in engineering.
Shortly before his graduation, Ramzi met and fell in love with Megan Townsend, an attractive American girl.
They immediately became soul mates and within months were married.
After moving to America Ramzi soon became known as a competent engineer in Megan's father's Engineering Company in Los Angeles, California.
Successful in business, blessed with a wife, and two adoring daughters, it would appear that Ramzi had every reason for happiness.
However, inner turmoil plagued him.
He became obsessed with an ingrained sense of the need to avenge the deaths of parents and sister.
This obsession drove him to extreme measures.
Unknown to him he was the victim of traumatic stress syndrome.
Personally I struggled with Ramzi as he worked through his struggles and the voice of his conscience.
I followed with interest, disappointment and empathy the decisions Ramzi made in his excessive anger driven revenge.
Behest Kayak through his characters expresses a wide range of emotions from tenderness to rage.
His protagonists express insight and understanding even while displaying stubbornness and selfishness in their actions.
Behest uses night mares, day dreams and flash backs to help carry the plot of the story forward.
Behcet uses an interesting dialog technique which reflects the flavor of ethnicity by using the difficulties of a second language with native tongue variations of expression.
This use gave a sense of genuineness to many conversations.
The dialog flows in a natural way.
"Voice of Conscience" is a strong first novel, timely and challenging.
Behcet Kaya is destined to become recognized for his classic approach to communicating a message with a solid plot and story line.
As reviewed on Midwest Book Review