Review: Gripping and Suspenseful  Romantic Mystery
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 26, 2010
"Killing Time" by K. Dawn Byrd was not a book chosen exclusively by me for reading pleasure.  I was the lucky random winner of K. Dawn's interview and book giveaway online the Seekerville blog.  The Seekers are a group of fifteen unpublished and newly published writers that I follow.  K. Dawn Byrd was a new writer that I had not read before.The cover of the book and title suggested to me a story about a troubled young woman in jail for an unknown reason and I supposed it would be a dark dreary story.  Was I in for a surprise!  Let's put that in multiple plurals.  The story was full of unlikely events that weren't realistic to me at the time; but what in life that happens is likely or makes sense in many instances.  Only God knows the answers to that.This young Christian woman, Melinda McLaughlin falsely being charged for embezzlement, is a twin, separated from her twin Renee since she was three.  She had come to this town to search for Renee. I began to see possible twists and interesting plot set ups as I read through the steps of Melinda being booked into jail.  She was drawn right away to the handsome Counselor Drew Stone that questioned and entered her answers into the computer.  His solemn hazel eyes mentioned grief as she looked in them.  She declared her innocence and she heard kindness in his voice as he said he believed her.  He suggested and invited her to the productive citizenship class that he was teaching the next day.  Mindy asked him to find a telephone number for her as he directed her toward the phones.  She left a message for a Mr. Blair with his secretary and a message on her boyfriend Mitch's cell phone.From that point on, everything that happened to Mindy was against all she had been accustomed to during her lifetime.  The kindness shown her by Counselor Stone was diabolically changed when Officer Delacy enters the scene and adds to Mindy's terror and horror.  Mindy bravely asked for a Bible.  She found one in the bottom of her box after she was placed in a cell. She felt God's presence with her through the Bible even in this ungodly place. Problems were only beginning for Mindy.  Her first cellmate Roxie proclaimed dislike and hate toward Mindy. She showed animosity in threatening Mindy when an officer ordered Roxie to move to another cell instead of Mindy.  Enemies were already lining up against her.  She trusted no one and even wondered about Counselor Stone.An interesting twist begins when Mindy's new cellmate, Candi, arrives.  Candi appears to have led a rough and hard life and might have been beautiful at one time, but Mindy has a nagging feeling that she'd seen her somewhere before.  She became more disconcerted. She learns that her private investigator boyfriend, Mitch, won't bail her out because he wants Mindy to remain inside the jail to help him investigate a prior murder inside the jail.The plots thicken and become more wicked as Mindy finds herself a suspect when her cellmate Candi is murdered in the same method that the prior murder occurred.  Mindy is still drawn romantically to Counselor Stone as she attends his classes.  But, she doesn't know who is friend or foe anymore and trusts no one.  Even the guards prove untrustworthy and Officer Delacy has a very steamy dislike for Mindy.  She's not sure of trusting Mitch and perhaps not Drew Stone.  The constant and what could be considered harassment by the Major of Mindy causes challenges to Mindy's investigation of the murders.  She is beleaguered with problems from the guards as well as abusive jail mates before she is finally miraculously released.I have read the fine reviews here by published authors Shawna K. Williams, Michelle Sutton and Tiffany Harkleroad that covered many of the intriguing points, twists and plots of this talented creative writing of K. Dawn Byrd.  I feel no need to be repetitive of their reviews.  "Killing Time" has everything to keep the reader glued to the story.  After Mindy's release, the mystery vacillates as well as the reader's tension and fear of Mindy's safety as she faces danger upon danger.  The villain's imagined identity keeps changing, as well as those that Mindy can continue to trust.  The only one for sure is the adorable puppy, Zippy, that enters and steals the love scenes in a special way.  You might suspect who the killer is before the end, but don't be too sure.  K. Dawn is too creative to let you guess on your own.Nevertheless, big surprises are still in store for Mindy, and I won't even give a hint about any of them.  I know this is one romantic suspense mystery that you will grasp hold of until the last word before you let your breath out and sigh in relief......and in love.I have been honored to give my review and opinion of K. Dawn's wonderful imaginative story at her request.  I could never give it the true justice due in my own meager words.  She is the true author here.  I can't wait until her next publication.  She hasn't let me in on that secret yet...but I'm sure she will when the time comes.