About the book:When Vanessa Jessup returns home from her sophomore year of college, her mother, Sophie Trace Police Chief Brill Jessup, is stunned to see that she's pregnant-by one of her professors. While Brill is glad her middle daughter rejected the father's abortion ultimatum, she's also hurt that Vanessa ignored her upbringing and angry that the professor has disappeared without so much as a nickel of child support.
But that's not all Brill's got on her plate. One of her detectives has been killed, and the attacker has threatened to come for her next. When a second cop is wounded, public criticism mounts as Brill attempts to stay alive long enough to catch the perp. And she's trying to find that deadbeat dad, while Vanessa struggles to make decisions about her future.
The killer seems to be everywhere and nowhere. How can a police chief—and a mother—do her job with her life on the line? In a show of grace under pressure, Brill will manage to have the last word, even if it kills her.
Admittedly, I haven't read anything else by Kathy Herman, and this is the second in a trilogy. While it stands alone well, there are also many references to situations that I assume happened in the first novel.
It wasn't a difficult book to read, it just wasn't one that I found to be incredible or enthralling. I liked it well enough, and while I know the author was going for drama and suspense, much of the story seemed far-fetched to me. I could see it as some episode of a law enforcement show, actually. I also had a hard time relating to Brill, the main character. That could be because I haven't read the first book, and knowing her history could certainly endear her to readers. Emily's voice and thoughts seemed too old for her age. I also found the subplot of Vanessa running off all the time and meeting the "old man" in the park a bit strange, although I realize why the author put it into the book and how it tied into the story. It just seemed awkward and the whole thing wrapped up too neatly.
While I do think that, for the most part, some of the discussions between Vanessa and her parents regarding her pregnancy were realistic and accurate, I also found the story very preachy, to the point of lecturing.
I think that this is a book fans of Kathy Herman and Brill Jessup will love. I liked it well enough, it just didn't do much for me. I do recommend reading the books in order. A third book will follow next year and be more focused on Ethan's story.
Thanks to First Wildcard and Audra Jennings of The B&B Media Group for the opportunity to review this book. You can find out more about Kathy Herman here. You can read the first chapter here. You can purchase your own copy here.
Read 10/09
* *
2/5 Stars
I'm going to read this book in order. You made some interesting points to consider.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading a book where the author started strong then by the middle of the book started to lecture on an illness and cure. It ruined the flow of the story. The characters became talking heads.