Review: In The Shadow of Revenge
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 24, 2013
In her debut novel, author Patricia Hale weaves a riveting crime thriller about three girls who are bonded forever in friendship by a traumatic incident that leaves an indelible imprint on their lives through a bond of love, guilt, and desire for revenge.Set in the rundown town of Miller's Falls, Maine, nine year old best friends Cecily, Amelia and Hilary are sworn blood sisters whose clubhouse is an old railway car. Their bond of friendship is forever cemented when Hilary is raped by a stranger with a tattoo, Cecily and Amelia are forced to watch and are unable to assist their friend, while the assailant escapes and is never caught. Fast forward twenty years, the young women are still haunted by the tragic event that has each of them handling the guilt, trauma and memories in different ways: Cecily is an Asst. DA who specializes in domestic violence cases and relies on an Ouija board for answers; Amelia is living a promiscuous life with one-night stands; and Hilary struggles with the memory of the rape and recovering from a history of substance abuse. When Amelia meets a man with the same tattoo that the rapist had, the girls are determined to get revenge and bring the rapist to justice at any cost.This riveting story is told in the first person narrative by Cecily, who takes the reader along for the ride as the three best friends embark on a haunting journey to seek justice from a man who has changed their lives forever. This fast paced tale draws the reader in from the start with the traumatic incident that the three best friends endured, and keeps them turning the pages as the young womens' lives unfold, each dealing with the ramifications from the tragedy in different ways. The story is filled with emotion, drama, hidden secrets and enough intriguing twists and turns that keeps the reader in suspense and guessing what will happen next ... can the girls exact revenge and bring the rapist to justice?You can't help but feel for Cecily, Amelia and Hilary, the author provides the reader with an emotional back story into each of the girls' childhood, and how the past still haunts their present lives, and how their damaged lives fuels their need to bring the rapist to justice. It is a riveting story about three young women whose bond of friendship endures the ramifications of a traumatic event, and how they learn to persevere and overcome their fears, and turn the tables on the man who forever changed their lives.In The Shadow Of Revenge is a hauntingly poignant story that will tear at your heartstrings. It is also a thrilling mystery that will captivate you with intriguing drama and suspense, and a paranormal twist thrown into the mix.Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review.