3 out of 4 stars
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Detective Sharon Toro responded to a 911 call. Someone had reported seeing a child wandering alone on the mountain. In her attempt to assist this youngster, she becomes the pawn of violent criminals. The miscreants kidnap Sharon and hold her hostage. One of Sharon’s captors approaches her husband. He shows Floyd a recording of Sharon being held captive. The criminals need Floyd’s skills to complete their nefarious activities. If Floyd completes his assigned task, he and his wife can expect to be reunited.
Deputy Tommy Atkins was Sharon’s backup. He arrives at the designated meeting place. Sharon has disappeared, and there is no cell service on the mountain. How will he find her? Sheriff Augustus Smith helps Tommy by sending a search and rescue team up the mountain. Jamie Gallagher witnessed some suspicious activity between Floyd and a stranger. His instincts motivate him to go up the mountain in search of his friend.
The story alternates between these diverse scenarios. Sharon is attempting to escape and get back down the mountain. The criminals plan to keep Floyd on the mountain and manipulate him to fulfill their demands. Tommy and Jamie are on the mountain searching for Floyd and Sharon. The sheriff sends other deputies up the mountain to help with the search. The captors and the rescuers engage in a fast-paced game of cat and mouse on the mountain.
The White River National Forest in Colorado was an ideal setting for this story. The criminals’ scheme required the isolation the forest provided. The mountain setting obviated all cell phone communications requiring the characters to depend on wit, skill and experience. The mountain passes, along with the high winds they generate, played an essential role in the story.
Justice on the Mountain, by Michael Giere, is the second installment in the White River series. It is a beautiful standalone book. Readers delight in the soft winds of love and faith and shudder at the harsh gales of kidnapping and murder.
My only disappointment with the book was the phone call Floyd made to Sharon on his return from Weld County. The author builds up this relationship by revealing a history of heartaches healed by a shared faith. I thought the telephone call between them was a missed opportunity. Further development of this communication would have strengthened the reader’s connection with this couple.
I rate Justice on the Mountain 3 out of 4 stars. The story merits four stars, but numerous grammar errors moved the scale down to a three. I felt refreshed by reading a book with no bad language and no sex scenes. The portrayal of supportive and loving couples in happy marriages was inspiring. People of faith, willing to share their beliefs in a caring and unpretentious way, warmed the heart.
I recommend this book to people who enjoy Christian fiction and suspense. Readers will observe how believers rely on faith and prayer in all circumstances of life. People who are uncomfortable reading about kidnappings might not enjoy this story.
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Justice on the Mountain
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