5 Star Review
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Editorial Book Review:
By Solange Roe
The first great episode in Lee Matthew Goldberg's The Desire Card series, "Immoral Origins: A Suspense Thriller," masterfully tells you into a dark, gritty 1978 New York City. I was captivated from the first page into the life of the protagonist—a small-time crook whose desperation drives him into the mysterious and sinister orbit of an organization pledging "Any Wish Filled for the Right Price." Without a doubt, this is an attractive concept, and Goldberg skillfully peels back the layers to reveal the true meaning of sacrifice for ambition.
What stood out the most was the way the narrative painted an atmospheric, almost tactile portrait of the time period. A strong blend of disco glitz and urban degradation brilliantly recreates the late 1970s. The stark contrast between the protagonist's fast rise to money and power and his plunge into moral ambiguity creates an engaging experience. "What would you sacrifice for success?" is one of the tough questions. and "can you ever come back from the choices that cross a line?" are not ones that Goldberg avoids. Long after the last page, these universal themes continue to ring true.
I also loved the richly drawn supporting characters, who each brought a unique dimension to the protagonist’s story. The exchanges felt real and sometimes disturbing, exposing just how twisted the underbeneck of New York City might be. The conversation was incisive, precisely catching the conflict between allegiance and treachery, wealth and atonement. Every chapter was painstakingly created and full of turns that were both startling and unavoidable.
Another feature was the tempo. Another twist would propel me to a new level of suspense just when I thought the plot had stabilized. It's a novel that draws you in and rewards you with a story that continuously makes you reevaluate your preconceptions. Goldberg's writing is effective and vivid, skillfully fusing psychological nuance with a thriller's fast pacing.
By the time I finished, I couldn’t stop reflecting on the haunting questions the story posed about power, identity, and morality. This isn’t just a thriller—it’s a study of human ambition wrapped in a gripping tale. For anyone who loves a dark, thought-provoking read, Immoral Origins is an absolute must.
About the Author
Lee Matthew Goldberg
Lee Matthew Goldberg is the author of twelve novels including THE ANCESTOR and THE MENTOR along with his five-book DESIRE CARD series. His YA series RUNAWAY TRAIN is currently with actress Raegan Revord from Young Sheldon attached to develop his original written pilot.
He is a finalist for an Anthony Award and nominated for the Prix du Polar. After graduating with an MFA from the New School, he’s been published in multiple languages and his writing has also appeared as a contributor in CrimeReads, Pipeline Artists, LitHub, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Millions, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, LitReactor, Mystery Tribune, Monkeybicycle, Fiction Writers Review, Cagibi, Necessary Fiction, the anthology Dirty Boulevard, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review, Maudlin House and others. His pilots and screenplays have been finalists in Script Pipeline, Book Pipeline, Stage 32, We Screenplay, the New York Screenplay, Screencraft, and the Hollywood Screenplay contests. He is the co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series and lives in New York City. Follow him at LeeMatthewGoldberg.com
His favorite authors are classic writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Hermann Hesse, Emily Bronte, W. Somerset Maugham and Raymond Chandler. For modern authors, he's been influenced by Jay McInerney, Bret Easton Ellis, Denis Johnson, John Irving, and Paul Auster.
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