Book Review - Suspense

Protector's Honor by Kit Wilkinson, Love Inspired Suspense, Steeple Hill, 2009.

 

I met Kit when she got our local Tidewater writers group started up. She is the ACFW Mid-Atlantic Coordinator and is based in Richmond. There is a lot more to Kit than meets the eye just like the female protagonist in her story.

Kit got both her main characters "just right". Rory is a wonderful balance of military and police know-how combined with an appropriate amount of tenderness. Tabitha, an attorney, is blessedly consistent throughout the story although she does have her story and spiritual arcs going on. Don't you just hate it when you read a book through and the heroine seems to flip-flop and change around so much that you just don't "get" her? That will not happen with this book. Protector's Honor has a great story line with lots of twists and turns without being mind-boggling. I stopped most reading suspense and mystery books a while back because I could not stand the convoluted plots. Most of us are so busy managing our lives and our families that we don't want to have to totally concentrate on a book just to understand what the heck is happening. A mother of school-age kids could read this book during kiddy wait time. I finished mine off at Tae Kwan Do last week. The Love Inspired Book line has stories that fit into even a medium sized purse, which is nice for an on-the-go read.

 

Bibliotherapy factor SPOILER ALERT:

Tabitha was traumatized by a very close family friend. Why I love this as a bibliotherapy factor: Many times it is not a stranger who sexually assaults but someone who is well known to the survivor. There are nuances that Kit skillfully weaves (forgive my cliché, but it is appropriate here!) into the characterization and plot. We have a professional woman, in law, who has to get on with her life after this. Kit Wilkinson did a wonderful job of showing a character doing that without trivializing or patronizing those who have survived such an ordeal. Kudos Kit!