I've been away for two months.
Two words.
Writer's block.
I found it difficult to get myself to sit down in front of a computer to write a review, so I finally did it the old fashioned way. I wrote using a notebook and pen, away from the computer, and I was able to get something down on paper.
Anyways, I'm back with a review of a Love Inspired Romantic Suspense novel titled, Perfect Alibi, by Melody Carlson, who has written over 200 books. I've reviewed one of her previous books, Trading Secrets, which was a young adult novel, but she also writes for older audiences.
In Perfect Alibi, Mallory Myers, a young Portland journalist, flees to her hometown of Clover. She is trying to escape the nightmarish discovery in her apartment where she found the body of her best friend, Kestra. Kestra had been murdered there and Mallory fears that she is next. Mallory is certain that she knows who the murderer is: her ex-boyfriend, Brock Dennison, a popular news-anchor of a Portland television station. When she voices her suspicions to the police, she faces disbelief and skepticism. Instead, she comes to realize that she is considered to be the primary suspect for Kestra's murder.
On top of that, Mallory is still receiving death threats, which started when she first broke up with Brock. The threats follow her to Clover. No one believes in Mallory's innocence because everyone thinks that she is making up the threats in order to throw off suspicions from herself.
The exception is Fire Chief Logan McDaniel, one of Mallory's former high school classmates. He had been interested in her romantically in the past, but hadn't acted on his attraction then. His protective instincts are roused when he sees the threats made against Mallory. The threatening texts indicate that her harasser is physically nearby and is able to find Mallory even when she is supposedly in seclusion.
Brock Dennison has the perfect alibi. How could he have murdered Kestra when he was on the air, delivering that evening's newscast? It also doesn't make sense that Brock could be the author of the threatening texts when he is Portland, which is located three hours away from Clover.
Will Mallory and Logan be able to expose Kendra's real murderer and prove Mallory's innocence? Will Logan be able to protect Mallory from being killed next? Is Mallory trying to deceive everyone so that she can get away with murder?
I thought that the novel was okay. The female and male protagonists were both believers, and they didn't seem to be suffering crises of faith. The conflict seemed to be more about whether Mallory could prove her innocence to the the rest of the world, including to Logan, who found himself doubting her every once in a while. Perfect Alibi is a basic inspirational, romantic suspense novel with believing protagonists, and I didn't think that either of the central characters experienced huge development or growth in their faith after their adventures concluded.
As with Love Inspired's practice, the Bible verse inscribed on one of the first few pages of this novel reads, "Be gracious to me, O God...for my soul takes refuge in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by." (Psalm 57:1 NASB) The verse describes what Mallory must do in order to get through the circumstances that she finds herself in.
I found the book to be entertaining, and enjoyed the ride that I had with Mallory and Logan in Perfect Alibi. I would probably read more of Ms. Carlson's romantic suspense novels in the future.
