A Pawn for Malice

Jessica had a short but brutal marriage that ended when she killed him in self-defense. She has to get back to her Aunt in Albany, NY and she will be safe. Power, old money, and a generational last name that carries weight in the capital will allow her to hide and recover. Her father-in-law has other plans for her, however - and his are more twisted than any her late husband thought up. Meeting and working for a rising star State Senator, Bryan Gallagher, is on her list, but falling in love with him is not. Staying safe is also on her list, but is proving harder than she thought.

This twisting suspense novel puts Jessica through a lot in a short amount of time, and unlike some contemporaries, she keeps her spinal column intact, showing no lack of guts or initiative. Bryan, likewise, is a straight shooter and perfect match for her. This tale has so much promise, but there are severe continuity errors that can’t be overlooked or housed under “suspension of belief”, and the lack of any kind of logical comma placement throughout makes fluid reading nearly impossible. The story is set up to be action packed, but there is too much telling getting in the way. The characters of Jessica, Bryan, and Aunt Florence are wonderful, some of the secondary ones cut close to stereotypical caricature, but with a solid edit, this could be a nail-biting 5 star.

Julie York