In his latest novel, “Murdoch’s Curse,” Chicago-based patent lawyer and author Jerry Jacover tells a riveting saga of love and adventure, courage and betrayal, sin and redemption, set in Western North Carolina.
The book introduces readers to Phil and Cindy Murdoch, a wealthy but troubled Chicago couple who visit the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, in search of a dream property on which to build a vacation home. They retain a local Realtor, Elmer Hicks, who brings them to an 80-acre tract that meets all the criteria on their wish list.

But the land is holding a secret. Unbeknownst to either Hicks or the Murdochs, the journeys of their ancestors from Scotland to Ireland, and then to Colonial America ultimately led them to that very same tract. Along the way, the two families ...