Way of the Raven

My Review of Jackie Zack’s Novel

By Jeff Salter

I met author Jackie Zack over at the Christian Writers & Readers Group and we’ve touched base back and forth ever since. I picked up this title when she had it on sale and it took a while for me to get to it, since my TBR stack is so tall. But I’m glad I did.

Author Bio:

Jackie Zack loves to read and grew up reading Phyllis A. Whitney, Victoria Holt, Agatha Christie, and many others. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Jackie has spent many years studying and practicing the craft of writing. Her light-hearted novels include the genres of romance, suspense, and/or mystery. She loves serving up her special blend of entertainment and hopes it will bring much enjoyment to the reader.

Book Blurb:

Two Converging Paths…NYC editor David Wappelhorst has everything going for him except what he’s wanted in life. Concerned he’s waited too long to pursue his dream of writing a bestseller, he ditches his prestigious career and relocates to his hometown.

After witnessing a murder and given a new identity, Megan Summers finds herself in a Podunk Pennsylvanian town far away from family. Stunned with grief, she wonders if it’s possible to rebuild her life. A nearby abandoned brick house with a grim history lends more unease to her situation. Has she escaped one deadly past to live in the shadow of another?

David is intrigued by crossing Megan’s path. Why does she seem familiar? And by meeting her, has his desire turned tragically unattainable?

My Review:

This is an engaging story of two “opposites” who arrived at the same small town of Pleasant PA for very different reasons… and each cuts off almost all contact with their former big city existence. In Megan’s case, it’s regrettably required for her own safety… but David WANTS to isolate himself.

Megan – who witnessed a horrible crime in her big city – has been relocated (to this totally unfamiliar environment) through the witness protection program. Her life is in danger as the remaining bad guys actively track any witnesses – even associates of witnesses – to silence them (permanently).

David, on the other hand, has totally burned out of his prominent position as exclusive editor for a NYC publisher’s best-selling author. He wants time and solace to write his own novel… in his former hometown, where he still knows some of the residents.

But to Megan, Pleasant PA is a different world… an isolated, foreign exile. After she meets David, both are cautious… but their mutual attraction grows.

Several plot threads emerge, including nosy citizens and a flirtatious trouble-maker who’d like her own relationship with David. There’s a mysterious boarded-up cottage adjacent the property Megan is renting. David seems to know something about it, but won’t really explain.

To me, the most interesting sub-thread involves real-life Centralia PA… a nearby town totally shut down for decades because of a massive deposit of subterranean coal that won’t burn out and can’t be extinguished. [It’s a perpetual underground fire, rather like I might imagine Hades.] The description is so vivid that I had to ask the author if she’d actually visited there.

The relationship between Megan and David is sweet — and I mean that in a positive way. Their early dates are at church and she entices him with her baked delicacies. Things develop with the usual ups and downs. Most of the downs are caused by them over-analyzing, jumping to conclusions, and generally wallowing in angst. For example, David makes a big deal about their age difference… but Megan scarcely seems to notice.

The heroine and hero are well-drawn and likeable. Most of the other characters also behave believably, but I found a few (like the former friend who is father of the two boys) whose reactions and dialog did not ring true… to me, anyway.

Another character – out-of-town – behaves in a rather unrealistic (to me) manner but I can’t discuss that individual without including spoilers.

There’s an effective, tense scene in a tunnel / cave beside Megan’s rental… and we later see more details of that elaborate underground studio / gallery. It was created by the artist who formerly lived there. Except for the absence of sunlight, it seems like the kind of writing studio I would enjoy!

One of the intermittent threads I found particularly interesting is David’s periodic, brief “conversations” with his fictional protagonist, Max. A psychologist might have a field day with this, but – as an author myself – I can easily picture “discussing” plot issues or other characters with one of my heroines or heroes. [It helps to have an intelligent sounding board, even if they don’t really exist!]

My biggest complaint — the author brings us to the climactic action scene… but then fast-forwards to the aftermath. Even just a few paragraphs (in my opinion) would have been better than just skipping over it! But I think I comprehend the author’s likely rationale — not to feature the probable violence in a Christian-themed story. So, readers of Christian romance will probably be grateful for this “missing” scene.

Summary:

Despite my beef about two of the supporting characters, I’d recommend this novel all readers of Clean and Christian fiction. And, despite what I’m calling the “missing” scene, I think most general fiction readers would also enjoy the story.

Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B074134G53

If you’re curious about Centralia PA:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia,_Pennsylvania

[JLS # 594]

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