Dee Henderson
The Guardian (2001)
Author: Dee Henderson
Genre (and subgenre): Mystery (Romantic Suspense)/Christian
Plot Summary:
A killer's plan for the perfect crime and the perfect revenge is foiled by Shari Hanford, who surprised him as he killed a federal judge. This makes her the only person who saw his face and can testify against him. It becomes up to Marcus O'Malley, a US Marshall, to protect Shari and her family as the killer tries to get rid of any and all evidence against him. While Marcus and his colleagues try to determine who it was behind the murder, the killer's Family hires a skilled assassin to finish the job. It becomes a race against time and across the country to try to protect Shari. As he spends with him Shari, Marcus finds himself falling for her and turning to God.
Geographical Setting: Chicago, Virginia, Kentucky, Montana
Time Period: Present Day
Series: Part of the O'Malley Chronicles, book 2 or 3 depending on which source you read. (NoveList places it as book 3 however my copy calls it book 2 and labels Danger in the Shadows (1999) as a prequel.)
Appeal Characteristics:
While being a fast-paced book, the stronger emphasis is on character development and the romance between the two characters as well as the main character's decisions regarding faith. The story is told in third person and predominantly from either Marcus' or Shari's viewpoint, however there are some sections told from the murder's point-of-view. Marcus is a US Marshall and Shari is a speech writer, which may be of interest to readers through the professional details offered by the author, especially with Marcus' duty as a Marshall to protect Shari. As Marcus learns to not just accept his sister's Christianity but believe in God himself, there is use of scripture and prayers by the characters, which may or may not appeal to a reader.
Read-alikes: Start by finishing the O'Malley series, the prequel to the series is Danger in the Shadows (1999) and book 1 is The Negotiator (1999). Also try the author's Uncommon Heroes series--which centers on protagonists who are military officers--starting with True Devotion (2000). Terri Blackstock is another christian/romance/suspense author, try her Newpointe 911 series starting with Private Justice (1998) or her Sun Coast Chronicles series starting with Evidence of Mercy (1995). These are both Christian suspense tales with a protagonists working in law enforcement. Other similar authors include Kathi Mills-Macias (try Obsession, 2001, or its sequel The Price, 2002) who writes Christian fiction with protagonists who are police detectives, and Alton Gansky (try Distant Memory, 2000, a Christian thriller about a woman with amnesia).
Red Flags: Violence
|top|
|
