Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley – Interesting Plot, But the Story Got Bogged Down

 

I enjoy suspense and mystery novels and was excited to read Patricia Bradley’s newest book Fatal Witness, the second book in the Pearl River Novel series.  A cold case, family secrets, a repressed memory, and a family seeking justice makes for an interesting mystery. 

 

At age nine, Danielle witnessed her parents’ murders and was whisked away by her uncle Keith.  It has been twenty-five years and Dani has no memory of the events that changed her life.  Her uncle has protected and insulated her from all possible danger.  While she has no memory of her family, she inherited the natural artistic talents of her grandmother Mae.  The subject of a recent magazine article, Dani has been invited to attend an artist workshop in Cincinnati.  Though Dani has no memory of her early life, her grandmother has never forgotten her, nor stopped looking for her.  Seeing the article in the pottery magazine, Mae is certain that Dani may be her long-lost granddaughter. 

 

I found the storyline intriguing.  I liked Dani and was curious about her uncle Keith and how he would react to Dani venturing out on her own.  I liked her grandmother Mae who was willing to press law enforcement to investigate this cold case and find her granddaughter.  Law enforcement officers in the remote area of Tennessee were stretched thin and had a lot of area to cover.  But Mark Lassiter with his K-9 companion Gem, along with Alex Stone and her team would do what they could investigate this cold case and protect those in danger. 

 

Once Dani is back in Tennessee, things heat up and it appears the murderer will stop at nothing to protect their secrets.  At this point in the story, it seemed to get bogged down.  I struggled with the last half of the story. There were a lot of characters and potential suspects to weed through.  There were some strategic errors made by law enforcement several times.  Some risks and decisions that were made were not logical.  As a former military sharp shooter, I found it interesting that Mark allowed himself to be distracted. 

 

Faith was a small part of the story and a Bible verse was focused on in times of danger.  I would like to have seen Mark’s faith more fully developed and part of the story. 

 

I liked the storyline and characters in Fatal Witness, but found the story dragged in the last half of the novel. 

 

I would to thank NetGalley and Revell Publishing for the opportunity to read Patricia Bradley’s book Fatal Witness.  If you enjoy Patricia Bradley’s writing and like mysteries and intrigue, you may enjoy this book.  I was provided with a complimentary copy of Fatal Witness.  I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.