Published on 27, Feb 2023

Betrayal, Mortality, and Suspense: 
Who Okayed This?! The Riveting Life of Grant Davis

We are all aware, of course, that our time on this Earth is finite, but relatively few of us have any real sense of what that means. As we walk through life, we are accompanied by our own personal clock that is out of sight but inexorably ticks towards the day when we discover just what, if anything, is waiting for us when we pass away. In the award-winning mystery/thriller Who Okayed This?! The Riveting Life of Grant Davis, author Philip E. Barrington explores what happens when the title character suddenly comes face to face with his own clock and realizes that the people he had trusted as his closest friends are actually his enemies determined to kill him.

“I wrote Who Okayed This?! for all the people out there who are struggling to embrace life and to really make the most of the time they have been given,” says Philip E. Barrington. “I was fascinated by Grant Davis, whose story is based on real-life events, because he is like so many of us: he thinks he’s got it together and knows where his life is going. He’s got friends and family, and he believes in doing the right thing and standing up for the weak.”

Grant’s ideals, however, lead him to make enemies, and one day, the rug is pulled out from under him when he is attacked in his home by an intruder who injects him with an unknown toxin. His health immediately begins to decline, and he’s faced with his own impending demise unless he can find a cure.

Philip E. Barrington thinks readers will be drawn to Grant, who must embark on a courageous world-wide quest to save his own life and discover who is trying to kill him and why. Along the way, Grant is forced to look more deeply at his own relationships, see the people around him with new eyes, and accept that despite his best efforts, he might not have the happy ending he so desperately wants.

“It is first and foremost a rollercoaster ride that takes readers from one location to the next as Grant runs from the corruption on both sides of the law and races against time to find clues,” Philip E. Barrington says. “At every step, he is hindered by the hidden motives of those around him. However, while Grant is focused on uncovering the truth of why he was poisoned, he can’t help but see the world, its people, and its beauty differently now that he may be on the verge of losing all of it.”

With his time in this world presumably running down, Grant struggles to decide if he should redo parts of his life or simply let go of his past. As just one person among billions, he wonders if the needs of the many really do outweigh the needs of the few and what that might mean for his own personal happiness. 

“What exactly constitutes a healthy relationship? What kind of support should anyone be able to expect and receive from family?” Philip E. Barrington asks. “As Grant travels from locale to locale, searching for a cure, he is dogged by these questions that do not always have easy answers, as we all know.”

Philip E. Barrington grew up in New York City, where he worked in the world of luxury goods at the Plaza in Manhattan. His own life was upended by a horrific accident when he was crushed between two cars. He remembers the bewilderment and disorientation that he felt when he woke up in a hospital bed.

“One moment, I had been just fine, and the next, I was wearing a Philadelphia collar around my neck, and I had two metal wrist-splints on both wrists and a cast from my right knee down to my toes,” Philip E. Barrington recalls. “I had concussion syndrome as well as multiple herniations in my neck and back, and the only way I could get around was by scooter.”

He says he learned very quickly who his true friends were, as many deserted him in his time of need. He was able to use that experience to make the emotions and reactions of Grant more realistic when he learns his friends are behind the attack.

“I was also very fortunate to cross paths with a woman who used a wheelchair due to a serious illness,” Philip E. Barrington reveals. “I was inspired by her full recovery, which she attributed to changing her diet and mindset. She was also a best-selling author, and this motivated me to begin writing my book.”

The ideas for Who Okayed This?! The Riveting Life of Grant Davis flew onto the page, and within a few years, he had created his first “faction” novel (a book that is based on true events). 

“In some ways, I had my own Grant Davis experience because of my accident,” Philip E. Barrington reflects. “Thankfully, I have made a full recovery, and I’m having a great time working on my second book as well as learning more about photography, cell physiology, and geo/bio physics.”

Philip E. Barrington hopes that Who Okayed This?! will both entertain readers with its never-ending plot twists and challenge them to dare for more in their own lives.

“It really is true what the legendary Charlie Chaplin once said: ‘The best thing in life is to go ahead with all your plans and your dreams…[because] the world belongs to those who dare to go after what they want,” Philip E. Barrington says. “Every person’s life is significant, and if we are brave like Grant, we can do far more with the time we have on this Earth than we may ever realize.”

Philip E. Barrington is the author of Who Okayed This?! The Riveting Life of Grant Davis, which is the Stellar book award recipient winner of 2022. Who Okayed This?! can be purchased on Amazon or on Barnes & Noble.