Review – The Abduction Of Mary Rose By Joan Hall Hovey

Reviewed By: Kellie

Blurb:

Imagine discovering everything you believe about yourself to be a lie. And that the truth could stir a killer from his lair. 

Following the death of the woman she believed to be her mother, 28-year-old Naomi Waters learns from a malicious aunt that she is not only adopted, but the product of a brutal rape that left her birth mother,  Mary Rose Francis, a teenager of Micmac ancestry, in a coma for 8 months.  

Dealing with a sense of betrayal and loss, but with new purpose in her life, Naomi vows to track down Mary Rose’s attackers and bring them to justice. She places her story in the local paper, asking for information from residents who might remember something of the case that has been cold for nearly three decades.  

She is about to lose hope that her efforts will bear fruit, when she gets an anonymous phone call.  Naomi has attracted the attention of one who remembers the case well.  

But someone else has also read the article in the paper. The man whose DNA she carries.  

And he has Naomi in his sights.

Review:

The Abduction of Mary Rose by Joan Hall Hovey is a suspenseful mystery which builds with each turn of the page. Naomi has just lost her mother, a beloved figure within the community. She had a close relationship with her mother, they were basically best friends. After her mother passes, Naomi’s Aunt Edna, a woman who has always carried a strong dislike for Naomi, insists upon writing her obituary.  It seems harmless enough, until Naomi discovers a terrible secret within the obituary.  Naomi learns that she was adopted and when she presses her mother’s dear friend, for more information, she learns the horrifying truth behind her adoption.  Naomi’s birth mother was a Native American girl named Mary Rose. She was abducted, brutally raped and beaten by an unknown assailant(s). Also, the cops were not that interested in a case involving a Native girl back then, so the case was never truly pursued.  Mary Rose remained in a coma for eight months, while life grew inside her womb. She lived long enough to give birth to Naomi, only to succumb days later to her injuries.  Despite learning that her whole life has been a lie, Naomi believes that it is her job to bring her mother’s murderer to justice, even if the man is her father.

The journey which Naomi embarks upon is a brave one. She is persistent throughout the story, despite those she loves or people whom she encounters advising her against her track towards justice.  When she has an article written about her mother’s case in a local paper, including her own profile, her mother’s murderer is reawakened. He is a cold-blooded socio-path who is willing to take the life of anyone who gets in his way—even if that someone is his daughter.

Hovey’s, The Abduction of Mary Rose was disturbingly satisfying. Naomi’s resilience and the strength which she managed to acquire were inspirational. Also, the author allowing readers to peek inside the mind of a sociopath was riveting. The cold madness which he displayed was masterfully crafted. Even though his character was well tailored, the relevance of the other characters cannot be annoyed, the way in which the other characters were incorporated, allowed the story to flow well. They added the components which led to Naomi achieving justice.  The Abduction of Mary Rose was well worth the read and I hope that Hovey once more invites readers into Naomi’s world.

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