Taken: Before Her Very Eyes
by Wade Faubert
Description
Summer Demure — a police officer on stress leave because of a brutal abduction that nearly took her life — is elated when her abductor is finally captured and she's called upon to ID him. Everything seems about to come to an end. However, before she's able to make the ID, her husband is viciously stabbed and her daughter taken away.
The ransom note has no dollar figure — only one demand. Release the man she's supposed to ID and set him free.
The ransom note has no dollar figure — only one demand. Release the man she's supposed to ID and set him free.
Excerpt
Review
Summer Demure
sat slouched behind the wheel of the white Volvo, gazing off into the distance
down the one-way street. Her unblinking eyes were locked on a single point in
the darkness, but her mind was completely blank and she relished the feel of
it. The ability to shut down her mind and take a break from the constant
barrage of memories was the bliss she’d been searching for.
She couldn’t
believe how drastic her life had changed these last months and knew the feeling
of dread, which coursed through every fibre of her body, was going to be the
hardest thing to overcome. She thought of Dean and how he’d tried to comfort
her, but a shiver—that same shiver she felt every time he touched her—raced
through her body, racking her petite frame with uncontrollable muscle spasms.
It didn’t seem
to matter how many sessions she spent with the department psychiatrist, the
outcome was always the same. She couldn’t stand the touch of her own husband.
It devastated
Dean when she asked him to move out of the house, and he argued for hours that
him leaving wasn’t going to solve her problems. Summer knew this was likely
true, but like he’d said, this was her problem and she had to find a way to
deal with it.
The night Dean
left, he said he understood what she needed right now, but she could tell from
the look in his eyes that he didn’t. Maybe the time apart would do them some
good? Maybe after being separated for awhile, she’d overcome her fears and they
could once more live as a family, but until then she had to live alone, taking
care of Sabrina.
Her fingers
strummed nervously against the worn leather steering wheel. Worn smooth by
Dean’s many miles on the road. He loved this
car so much that Summer was floored when he insisted she take it. Sure her old
car wasn’t reliable, but Dean simply grabbed the keys and drove off, leaving
her little choice in the matter. He said he did it for her, but she knew he’d
done it for Sabrina.
“Sabrina,” she
muttered, breaking the trance she was in. If it wasn’t for the shared custody,
Summer would’ve sold the house and taken off far from here. Far from Chatham.
Far from Southern Ontario. Hell, she would’ve trekked halfway across the
country just to place some distance between herself and the memories of that
brutal night five months ago. But even if she had full custody she couldn’t. At
least not for a few more days. Not until that bastard, John Scott—Summer
shivered just thinking about what that madman had done—was locked away for a
long time. The mere thought of him sent her body into convulsions. Her muscles
twitched and trembled as anxiety and fear gripped her heart, squeezing until
she surrendered.
She glanced in
the lighted vanity mirror and sighed. Her normally glowing skin had turned pale
and sickly. Her face nearly disappeared, hiding behind the veil of white-blond
hair. Normally she spent an hour styling it, but lately she couldn’t be
bothered. Wash and go was all she could muster. Her physical appearance had
changed drastically over the last months, that was, except for her bright green
eyes. They reminded her that she was still somewhat in control, no matter how
lost she felt these days.
She flipped the
mirror closed and stared out the window. Summer watched as the painted autumn
leaves fluttered along the deserted downtown sidewalk, tumbling and twisting,
dancing upon their invisible stage. It was Monday morning and the stores were
all in darkness. Not a single sign of life could be seen. The only figures on
the sidewalks were the bags of trash set out for the early morning pickup. She
glanced at the clock and shook her head at the smothering darkness that not
only stole away hours of outdoor activities, but also caused her chest to
tighten slightly.
Summer closed
her eyes and drew a deep breath.
Review
I liked this book for the action, suspense and
the thrills. A mother's worse nightmare comes true. Yet, Summer faces her fears
from being brutally kidnapped, beaten, raped repeatedly and left for dead while
on the job. This tragedy for any woman would be enough to send you over the
edge. But being a cop, a mother and a wife ultimately gives Summer hope and
regained strength that she had buried. This story was a great story. I truly
enjoyed it. If it had not been for the repeated misuse of words and punctuation,
I would have given Taken:
Before Her Very Eyes a 5 star review. However, I do recommend reading
this book.
About the Author
The author states, "I live in Ingersoll, Ontario and enjoy writing my novels with a link to my area. Wampus Springs, my debut novel, is set in the fictional town of Ridgeway, Ontario. Ridgeway is a combination of all my favorite places I grew up in. It's a collage of Ridgetown, Rondeau park and every other water front paradise Southern Ontario has to offer."
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