Silencing Sarah
by M.L.
Cordle
A novel of
voices: gossip, ghosts and a mysterious drowning.
Publisher:
Resplendence (October 2007)
Madison Owens returns to Virginia like a prodigal daughter only to
discover that Will McGomery now has possession of her grandparents'
land and cabin, a place she had hoped to call her own. Determined to
undo this wrong and get him to sell her the property, she keeps
visiting. Maddie feels a powerful attraction to Will despite the
horrible rumors and the cloud of suspicion of his connection to the
suspicious drowning of Sarah Chambers and his wife's suicide. Will
wants nothing more than the peace of solitude. The cabin is the
perfect sanctuary to escape the town's rumors and the deep secrets of
the past that haunt him. When Maddie arrives on his doorstep,
persistently asking questions, Will attempts to warn her about the
dangers of bringing the past to light. Maddie cannot resist her growing
attraction to this recluse. Everyone blames him for Sarah's murder.
When he hears the voice of Sarah herself, Will knows that he must act.
Inconsistencies and personal relationships among the townspeople lead
Maddie to believe that Will might be innocent despite the rumors, but
his strange behavior also adds to the suspicion. Mystery, silence and
innuendo surrounds all those involved with Sarah Chambers, that the
truth may lie hidden in the hearts of a whole town. Can Will face the
past? Can Maddie uncover the truth and stay alive? Can love speak
across the divide between life and death and cry out for justice, not
only for those wronged but for the future?
Madison's journey home to Virginia opens up a can of worms! Suddenly
all the secrets and underground sexual liaisons that an entire town has
kept below the surface now seethe and simmer in full view. From the
first pages, the reader hears all the voices and the gossip directly in
dialogue as family and townspeople the townspeople discusses Will and
Maddie and the case of Sarah, speculating but not giving straight
answers. The author extensive use of dialogue to set the story adds to
the Southern setting, creating a location where people get together and
talk and tell stories. As speculation about Maddie and Will heightens,
so does the suspense as gossip unveils the personal liaisons and
emotional attachments behind the enigmatic Sarah. Alongside Maddie, the
reader starts to realize that something darker lies behind the town's
more public stance on Sarah's drowning. As Will reveals the tortured
past, can he find peace or forgiveness? As the author's portrait of
Will deepens, the reader feels the contrast between the dialogged of
gossip and the voice of Sarah haunting Will, a voice of truth that
stands out amongst the gossip and destructive relationships. Sarah's
voice speaks quickly, warning with an unusual directness and urgency.
As the author moves into the narration of dreams and the supernatural,
the language takes a more lyrical tone, creating a richness that
contrasts with the dialogged. As the suspense heightens, Sarah's voice
creates a spiritual dimension breaks through to a kind of justice
beyond what the law might achieve.
SILENCING SARAH
has a different tone than the standard fare in romantic
suspense, a tone that kept drawing me deeper and deeper into her story.
Although it might be a little less polished than some of the more
vetted works in the genre, the author also takes more exciting chances,
truly surprising the reader as the path to the truth narrows. SILENCING
SARAH is unique, more cutting edge than the typical bestsellers,
and
quite refreshing to readers looking for variety within the genre. Will
is not a blameless romance hero. Indeed, many characters are flawed
human beings whose past tortures them. M.L. Cordle creates a vision of
romance that extends outward and beyond, healing even those riddled by
guilt and tormented by their past decisions and actions. This book
might not appeal to those who want a more simple distracting read or
something that complies with stricter genre definitions, but to
readers, like myself, who enjoy exploring the more eclectic, and
finding something unexpected, SILENCING
SARAH appeals precisely because
it defies easy definitions. M.L Cordle creates an exciting mix of
romance, suspense and the paranormal with a gratifying depth of
spirituality coming out of the twisted past. M.L. Cordle takes risks in
the narrative style that worked for me, making SILENCING SARAH more
meaningful. I loved SILENCING SARAH
because it is the kind of book
where I followed the book versus a book that followed my expectations.
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