Dee Henderson

I have kind of been on a Dee Henderson kick lately. She has filled my morning walks with interesting characters, excellent writing and intriguing plots. In Traces of Guilt, Henderson introduces readers to new characters while including old favorites from previous books. This book is more mystery than suspense, since the crimes are cold cases, having taken place years before the present action. As part of a new task force put together by Governor-elect Bliss, Evie Blackwell uses vacation time show more to get a headstart on the investigations. Rural Carin County has not one, but three for her to puzzle over. Joining her in the investigation are friend Ann Falcon and Sheriff Gabriel Thane. All aspects of the cases are explored including likely and unlikely motives and suspects.

Traces of Guilt is not a fast-paced suspense novel. It is more of a methodical uncovering of layers involved with missing persons cases. Through intuition and professional expertise, the investigators get to the bottom of the mysteries. I liked this aspect of the book — a plausible look at real-life police work. Characters do spend a lot of time thinking (and in some cases over-thinking) relationships — their own and others. I found that a bit tedious, especially since I was listening to the book. That’s a disadvantage in an audiobook. It’s harder to skim over the boring parts.😉 Fortunately, I found those to be few. I also liked Evie Blackwell and Gabriel Thane. Evie is much less high maintenance than some of Henderson’s female characters and Gabriel, while solicitous, is more believable in his actions than the long-suffering males in some of Henderson’s novels.

This audiobook was a good choice for my morning exercise and I look forward to future books in the series.

Recommended.

Audience: adults. show less

Oh my word. Can I give this a thousand stars?

Y'all. THIS is how you write romance!

**Prepare yourselves for a minor rant on romances **

A good romantic relationship is not built on the "feels", the physical aspect - a tingling feeling when he touches your arm, constantly wanting to kiss, swooning over his blue eyes, getting lightheaded when you smell his aftershave . . . (*rolls eyes*) It's built on a solid friendship and a deep mutual respect and reverence for the other person - for their show more heart, their soul, their personality, not how cute they are.

Henderson nails that perfectly in "Jennifer". Tom and Jennifer's relationship is so pure, so sweet, and so beautiful. I fell in love with these amazing characters from the very start. I loved Jennifer's sweet servant's heart for others, and Tom's respect and support of her. Jennifer's salvation was incredibly realistic and beautiful, and actually had me tearing up. Henderson brings up some tough issues on God's sovereignty, and handles them with great tact, making things clear for the unbeliever, and strengthening the faith of the believer.

While very short, the pacing of this story was slow, peaceful, meandering. But not too slow that I lost interest. Just perfect. This could have been a full-blown novel and I would have loved it even more.

All in all, I very much enjoyed this short novella, and greatly look forward to reading more by this talented author! Highly recommended! show less

In my opinion, Dee Henderson’s books have come a long way since her O’Malley series. Still big favorites of her fans, I have found from online reviews and discussions that her later novels have been met with mixed feelings. Taken is billed as romantic suspense, and from the above blurb you would think that it is fast-paced with elements of danger. Well, I really didn’t find that to be the case. All of the action takes place before the book even begins. And while main character Shannon show more Bliss is in some danger from her former captors, she is well-protected and never comes within reach of them. So, does this mean I didn’t like the book. Absolutely not! I really, really liked it because it showed the rest of the story. Taken explores what happens after the rescue — a time when the trauma finally takes root, a time when normal really isn’t.

Main character Matthew Dane is experienced in the handling of kidnap victims. His own daughter, Becky, was once one. When approached by Shannon Bliss, the victim of 11 years of captivity, he sets up an elaborate network of professionals and friends to ease Shannon’s reentry into normal life. I found the process very intriguing. Henderson does an excellent job of detailing the pain-staking work that needs to be done to ensure the physical and emotional well-being of a victim. Taken is to me a mystery, as the past is uncovered to reveal just what happened to Shannon and why. The suspense comes not from car chases or narrow escapes, but from the unfolding of motives. I listened to the audiobook and the timing and narration were very good.

If you are expecting a novel in the same vein as Henderson’s earliest novels, then you may be disappointed. But if you want to immerse yourself into a detailed and articulate novel of after the crime, then Taken is for you.

Recommended.

Audience: adults. show less

This is the next to last novel in Henderson's "O'Malley" series (excluding a novella). The O'Malleys are a group of seven who met in foster care. They had variously been orphaned, abandoned or removed from abusive situations. They banded together, decided to be a family, and changed their names to O'Malley. The series follows their adult lives. This one focuses on Rachel (Rae) who is a trauma counselor specializing in children.

The blurb for this book is somewhat deceptive, as it speaks only show more about a trauma that Rachel deals with in this story. It does occur, about halfway through the book, but although an important event it is not the primary focus. Throughout the series, Jennifer, the youngest sister, has been dealing with cancer. In this book, she is nearing the end. The focus is really on how Rachel deals with personal trauma and constant trauma in her work. She struggles with a newfound faith, actually inspired by Jennifer, and how to hold onto it when it becomes clear that there will be no miraculous healing of Jennifer. She alternates between finding comfort in her faith, and confusion as to how a good God could allow this for her sister. She also find comfort in the strength of her family, and in a new relationship with Cole, a firefighter and arson investigator. He is tremendously supportive, but she worries that it will not be much of a relationship if all she can give him is her fears and her tears on his shoulder.

Henderson's stories tend toward introspection. Although there is a dramatic event here, and a crime to be resolved, if you are looking for high-paced action and adventure, you won't really find it. If you are looking for a more thoughtful, touching and sometimes emotional story, this certainly fits the bill. show less