Monday, December 3, 2012

A Hometown Boy-Janice Kay Johnson

A Hometown Boy


Janice Kay Johnson

Harlequin SuperRomance, Jan 2 2013, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373718252



Two weeks ago in Tucannon, Washington, Joyce Own told her troubled oldest son thirty-four year old Robbie he would have to leave if he failed to take his psychiatric medicine as she feared for her life. He left with rifles and began a deadly rage starting with the nasty next door neighbor Tindall and ending with his suicide. The mass killings became a media sensation.



Robbie’s brother David comes home to help his mom cope with what her boy did and with the town’s ostracizing her, which he cannot blame them as he told his parents Robbie was dangerous and needed to be committed; they refused. In town, David and his friend from his teen days Acadia Henderson meet. They were sweet on each other, but she moved before either acted on their feelings. The pair remains attracted, but David knows his mom’s need comes before his desire; complicating any relationship is Acadia grieves the death of her dad; one of Robbie’s victims.



This is a tense small-town thriller that looks at the aftermath of a massacre done by one of them. The key to the character-driven poignant tale is the romance between David and Acadia plays second fiddle to a town and a family struggling with the bloody tragedy.



Harriet Klausner



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