Sunday, August 31, 2014

A Place to Call Home

A Place to Call Home is the debut thriller of Maryland author Amy Schisler. In striking contrast to the quaintness of the Eastern Shore where the story is set, the book deals with corruption and crime in government circles, particularly the scourge of human trafficking. The heroine, Susan O'Neil, finds two small children picking through her garbage for food. She takes them in, and before long her life is in danger. She finds herself thrown into the company of officer Jim Russell, an old flame of her youth, and together they and the two hunted children embark on an odyssey of peril and discovery. The novel is coherently written with some believable characters. For any native Marylander, it is fun to read about familiar places in such an adventurous context. Baltimore is the city of iniquity from which the various evildoers sally forth, which is fictional but perhaps not entirely. The latest technology is used to outwit the criminals, as well as common sense and courage. The action begins on the first page and does not end until the ending. I especially like it that the heroine is someone I can respect for her determination to mother and protect the traumatized children, and in that context the hero discovers he is in love with her. Where there are those trying to destroy youth and innocence, there are others who at great cost to themselves are trying to salvage broken lives. It is a novel of hope as well as one of adventure.

*NOTE: This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for my honest opinion. Share

No comments: