Valerie McCormick witnesses the murder of 2 FBI agents. She tries to do the right thing, reporting what she's seen, but the authorities botch the opportunity to capture the killer. Since only her testimony can put away the murderous drug lord, she becomes his target. The order is out, make her the DEAD WITNESS, whatever the cost. The FBI & RCMP join forces to protect Valerie, but the cartel has infiltrated all levels of law enforcement. To protect her 3 daughters, she will make choices and sacrifices that go beyond extreme, even for a loving & protective mother.
I don't want to give away too much of the story, because there are several well-done plot twists & surprises. The tension ramps up consistently throughout & the pacing is great. The characters work well, very believable - Joylene gets the reader to "lock in". I particularly liked the protagonist, Valerie, who transforms from the desperate, sometimes despondent - easily led victim, to the still conflicted, but take charge protector, willing to take any risk or pay any price to save her family.
So there you have it - my 2 cents. If you like suspense, I recommend DEAD WITNESS very highly, giving it 2 thumbs up & a well-deserved standing ovation. Great job Joylene - it was entertaining & captivating, (&, gee, I don't think I've ever used the word captivating in a sentence before).
BTW - Don't forget to check out the new joint - http://jackrackhamadventures.blogspot.com/ I've been busy trying to get that one off the ground.
13 comments:
I'm with you on this one, Dave. I've read DEAD WITNESS, too, and thought it was great! (Is "riveting" an easier word to swallow than "captivating"?)
Carol- Riveting is a good one, you Canadian Thesaurus.
Holy Eagle, thanks, Dave! Sheesh, I don't know what to say. I'm so glad you liked DW. I was sic with worry. This was very kind of you, and I'm so grateful. I'm posting a link tomorrow. I would today but I have a guest blogger. Nice lady.
You're welcome, Joylene. Didn't say anything I didn't mean. It really is a great book, RIVETING, in fact!
Hi Dave .. sounds like Joylene's written a really empowering book - should be a good read by the sound of it .. thanks for the thumbs up - always good to know .. Hilary
Thanks Hilary - It really is a terrific book.
I heard about your blog and review of DEAD WITNESS over at Joylene's blog. I've not read the book, so thanks for sharing your review.
Susanne - Ya gotta read the book. I think it's mandatory. Thanks for stoppin' by.
I'm heading into Dead Witness in the new year, Dave. After that review, I'm even more anxious to get reading.
Hi Laura - You'll like it - a lot. After Christmas, I'm going to order Bitter,Sweet. (I'll be bouncing between Ft Lauderdale & St Augustine between now & New Years so I don't want it to get lost.) Do you happen to know that author?
Don't forget to hit the follow button on my new blog - http://jackrackhamadventures.blogspot.com/
I'm going to post cover art soon to go with the prologue & back of the book copy.
I read Dead Witness and LOVED it! And that darn Joylene made the bad guy, Miguel de Olmos, so captivating that I drooled for him as well as for hunk Mike Canady.
I agree with Dave. It's a riveting read. And everything so very vivid, I WAS there with Valerie.
Now I'm looking forward to Broken But Not Dead...
Ms. Zampa - Yeah, DW is awesome, but I DID NOT drool, nor did I think anyone was a "hunk" - but it was riveting. Thanks for visiting.
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