The Benefactor (Knights of the Octagon 1) by Colleen Snyder

The Benefactor by Colleen Snyder
Series: Knights of the Octagon, Book 1
Publisher: Gordian Books, a division of Winged Publications (June 5, 2023)

Review by Mae Clair

The first book in The Knights of the Octagon series, this novel stands perfectly as a singular read—though I enjoyed it so much, I intend to purchase each successive book. The Knights are a group of four college-aged men who have known each other since their school days. Each is struggling with individual problems, past and present, which are revealed a little at a time as plot threads develop.

The story starts with a bang, dropping the guys into a mess from page one. They’ve taken a rafting trip but end up dunked in a raging river only to be rescued by a stranger who wants to remain invisible—at least at first. I found their rescuer or “benefactor” highly curious, setting up questions that only grew in succeeding chapters. Eventually, the Knights are given the chance to join a competition—forming their own team against several others in the search for treasure buried in remote woodlands.

The author keeps things entertaining through clue-solving, survival elements, an enigmatic man named Quinn who “monitors” the teams by dropping in from time to time, a handful of unscrupulous competitors, and even a drug deal.

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Quinn took control. “Let me spell it out. Fifty years ago, a man named Warren Magary hid treasure. A substantial treasure. A box of gold coins. The exact value is unknown, but estimates run from two-hundred-fifty thousand to a million dollars.”

Micah used his hand to push his jaw closed.

Quinn grinned. “Yeah. Like that. He created a game to find it, but no one has figured out the instructions.”

The Benefactor, by Colleen Snyder

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There is plenty of action and motivation to keep the reader flipping pages, but what resonated most for me was the unshakable bond of friendship between the Knights.

I also grew attached to several secondary characters who I found every bit as engaging as Micah, Jeremiah, Tav, and Luke—the Knights of the Octagon (“because no one had a round table”). I loved the back-and-forth banter and grousing between the guys, but also how they looked out for each other. Their loyalty was unquestionable.

Scenes move at a crisp pace with plenty of suspense. There is also introspection, especially in the form of Micah’s prayers and reflections on his faith. Christian elements are woven seamlessly throughout the book and had my heart in knots over more than one circumstance.

One very small quibble I had—characters frequently “sneer,” an action not always used as it should be. The occurrences were often enough that I found them jumping out at me. For that I took off half a fish. Otherwise, between the combination of action, mystery, and faith, I finished this book in two days. I highly recommend it to any reader who enjoys stories of friendships intertwined with devotion to God.

I give The Benefactor four-and-a-half wonderful fish!

I purchased the Kindle version of The Benefactor.