Silent Sentry

Gianna Donatelli is a well-heeled computer expert who insists on living among the less fortunate, believing that they are redeemable. Dr. Joe Scarfili is a family friend who worries about Gianna living among the down-trodden - it brings back memories of his wife’s murder. But when Gianna’s life is threatened Joe's protective instincts take over. As sparks fly between them, Joe tires to figure out who is after Gianna, leading him to look into the possibility of his own family’s involvement.

This suspense novel has many plot threads intertwined with one other. From intellectual espionage to the mafia’s possible involvement, one is led to think they already know who the culprit is when things are not exactly cut and dried. Joe Scarfili is aptly written as a conflicted character that leads to the tension that any one reading this novel can sympathize with. The tension between Joe and Gianna, however, is not as tight as one would expect between a man and woman attracted to each other. At times the dialogue between the two felt stilted, something that perhaps one would read in a script for a play where actors are allowed leeway on how to act out the scene.

Still, this does not detract the reader from enjoying this suspenseful read and understanding the theme that familial protection is an important part of the characters’ lives woven through the entire story.

M.P. Ceja