Serials and Scenarios ~ Kathy Herman's The Real Enemy

Happy Monday morning, all.



I'm writing this from chilly Minnesota while visiting friends. We've had a great weekend. Lots of laughter and a few injuries. : )

But today, I'm focusing on Kathy Herman's newest release.

Here's the book info and keep reading for my review. Kathy went crazy with the Dregs questions which I'll post on Wednesday.

Happy reading.

Book Description:

Brill Jessup just became the first female police chief in Sophie Trace, Tennessee, and is riding on the credentials of a stellar eighteen-year career on the Memphis police force. She may be a pro at finding clues, but she tends to ignore the obvious in her personal life. And she would rather work than deal with the bitterness she feels about her husband Kurt's infidelity. Kurt, is weighed down by her unrelenting anger as he struggles to let God redeem the stupidest mistake he ever made. He is genuinely contrite and making every effort to show his commitment to Brill. But she hides behind her badge and her bitterness, deciding that moving her family away from Memphis is the only change she needs to make. So why can't Brill get over this anger?

Before she ever has time to unpack her boxes, people start disappearing. Lots of them. Seven people in seven days To complicate matters, a local legend has many residents believing that the cause is unearthly─tied to the “red shadows,” or spirits of the departed Cherokee who once inhabited the land.

While Brill draws on all of her experience and instinct to solve the case, she must confront an enemy that threatens everything she holds dear─one that cannot be stopped with a badge and a gun. She is forced to confront the real enemy.

If you would like to read the first chapter of The Real Enemy, go HERE




My Review:


Kathy Herman has produced an intriguing novel about a family in crisis and a town in turmoil.

New-to-town police chief, Brill Jessup, discovers many lessons as she finds that small town doesn't guarantee safety nor peace, that safety and peace come from a bigger source altogether. She also discovers that "where you go, there you are" is a true and uncomfortable statement. Running away and pretending don't make problems better, they only become all the more powerful. As Brill attempts to keep her town safe from the unknown and brutal, her hidden pain rips and tears her family apart even as her husband attempts to rebuild.

Equal time is spent on Brill and Kurt's marriage and the police work required to solve the bizarre puzzle in Sophie Trace. Because of that, the intensity of both is decreased a bit. And that's a good thing because either of these plot lines; kidnappings, gang violence, fear and evil within the town and distrust, bitterness, infidelity and unforgiveness within the marriage, could've easily been overwhelming. Herman masters her story and makes it readable, touching and mostly believable.