Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Inevitable Sentences-Tekla Dennison Miller

Inevitable Sentences
Tekla Dennison Miller
Medallion, Jan 2009, $7.95
ISBN: 9781934755013

Near Marquette, Michigan, Celeste Brookstone converted the Big Bay Point Lighthouse overlooking Lake Superior into a safe house for abused women and children. She did so to honor her murdered adult daughter Pilar, the ninth victim of serial killer Chad Wilbanks, who is incarcerated at the maximum security Hawk Haven Prison with a life sentence. Celeste deals with her guilt because Pilar turned to charismatic Chad for comfort rather than her mom or her dad, Celeste’s abusive ex husband.

Chad plans his tenth homicide while charming kitchen worker Lizzie Chatfield who enlists the aid of psychologist Pricilla Madden in enabling the convicted killer to escape. Celeste believes he is coming for her as she is the reason he is behind bars; however, she will not be a victim by anymore or allow her wards to be either so she is prepared for him or for that matter the abusive spouses to bring it on. However, she is unprepared for a traitor within her safe house as the lethal snake charms another woman like he did Pilar.

This exciting direct sequel to LIFE SENTENCE continues the confrontation between Celeste and Chad as each reach out to abused women with different motives and ends in mind. The story line focuses more on the Lighthouse activity than on Chad working on the psyche of a prison employee eerily similar to what he did with Pilar; thus this is less of a psychological character study than the first tale. The suspense comes in the second half when the two female prison employees abet his escape and a third woman inside Big Bay Point enables him to go after number ten. Insightful into the fears and needs of abuse victims, INEVITABLE SENTENCES is an interesting cat and mouse drama.

Harriet Klausner

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