Review: The Real Enemy by Kathy Herman

About the Book: 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.

My Review: What a fascinating premise this has! How often do you have your protagonist dealing with a missing person a day? Unfortunately, the book just didn't deliver for me.

Don't get me wrong. It's not a bad book. At first I was really engaged. The writing is very simple and straightforward, however, and the plot was predictable. Add to that the fact that Brill's coldness towards her husband drove me crazy, and made it impossible for me to really sympathize with her. I also had a hard time believing Emily would be as smart as perceptive as she was, and one key plot point was resolved in a way that felt much too rushed for me.

If you like a more quiet suspense novel, this might be to your liking.

Rating: 3.5/5
Things You Might Want to Know: Christian fiction