Tauranga/Whangamatā lawyer-cum-author Neil Evans’ latest fiction offering Snake Oil tells the tale of a Joseph, a dodgy car salesman-type-turned-charismatic pastor from Hamilton who’s looking to make a quick buck after setting up as a sermon franchisee.
In terms of source inspiration, Evans said he based the Joseph character upon a mixture of multi-millionaire “televangelist preachers like Joel Osteen and Kenneth Copeland”.
After some missteps, which include an affair with the sister of a mobster, Joseph is faced with blackmail, and the book takes a sinister twist.
Whangamatā reviewer Shaun Fay had this to say about Snake Oil:
“Snake Oil develops well, and the characters are believable and relatable. Loved the pace and storyline, it’s a good read. Love the fact that Neil is also local and has a day job, an inspiration for lazy writers like me. Drugs, sex, murder - Snake Oil has it all. Well worth the effort.”
