Review: Suspenseful, Smart, Gut-Wrenching and Masterfully Written
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 2, 2012
John Potter has produced one of the better indie novels I've come across. Emotions, actions and scenes flow through his writing, allowing your mind to fill in the blanks and paint a mental movie that engages you from one page to the next. Other reviews describe the story in more detail, so I won't repeat what's already been said. Instead I'll focus on how the book made me feel and the writing.Potter skillfully puts the reader in the mind of the protagonist, Sarah Sawacki. Sarah's past bedevils her relationship with her husband, and makes her a suspect in what most of us in the so-called civilized world would consider one of the worst crimes a human can commit upon another. Through her bravery, sacrifices and pure will, Sarah protects that which is priceless and through the process transforms and recaptures some of her lost dignity and innocence. I could feel her pain, sorrow and raw determination radiate through Potter's prose. As a fellow writer, I am envious of his character development! If there was one sub-theme to Chasing Innocence, it would be "Justice."No book is perfect, right? There was one patch about 40% through where I thought the story bogged down during some of the dialogue between detectives Ferreira and Boer. I thought it went on for too long, and wasn't sure where it was going, however, that's just my opinion. I suspect most others won't care, because the rest of the story grabs your gut and refuses to let go. At times, I found myself truly angry, wanting to jump into the scene to help Sarah escape, which proves Potter is skilled at his craft.What surprised me is that Potter isn't afraid to kill off main characters, which is a sign of a mature writer, and realistic. That made the story all the more impactful. If you like thrillers, especially those that put strong women in difficult circumstances, then Chasing Innocence deserves your time.