The Rocking Horse

Twenty-two years ago, in Shady Creek, Kansas, three people are found murdered. Two year old Jenny Preston is found alive. She is the daughter of Amanda Preston who was one of the victims. Jenny is later taken from the crime scene to the home of the town sheriff and is abducted. Neither crime was solved. So opens Gloria Zachgo's novel, The Rocking Horse.
Fast forward 22 years and Julie Hendricks is running from an abusive husband and she arrives in Shady Creek. Julie has chosen well by choosing Shady Creek. She quickly makes a life for herself that includes a job and friends. However, she is not who she claims to be. Her name is actually Jen Sanders and because she fears her husband she has bought a new identity. A cherished childhood toy accompanies her to Shady Creek - a most unusual wooden rocking horse. She needs to decide her future and surprisingly, it is her past that will play the largest role in that.
The novel provides a sweeping examination of the lives of the people connected to that awful night 22 years ago. Shocking secrets are exposed with devastating results. The author's mastery as a story teller keeps the reader enthralled. She skillfully developed the characters and provides powerful descriptions of their emotions.
I found the book to be exciting and easy to read.
I received this book for free from LibraryThing Member Giveaways and I give this review willingly. ( )

Julie Hendricks, a young woman from an affluent area in Chicago finds her life going into in a downward spiral. She plans and executes her escape, only to discover her life is even more confusing than originally thought. She is comforted by a child-hood toy that influenced the choice of a small Kansas town as her hideout, but it also provides the clue that she may actually have ties to the community. The story explains the steps that lead her to the answer. Who is Julie Hendricks? She has always felt something was missing in her life but is now content to learn the answers and start over. ( )