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Reprisal |
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 Reprisal byMitchell Smith Signet Books 389 pages, April 2000 ISBN 0451184769 Reviewed by Marion E. Cason What could be lovelier than spending a summer on Asconsett Island, a quaint town off the New England coast? Professor Joanna Reed, a poet and caver, and her husband Frank are looking forward to a relaxing three months. Frank loves the ocean and leases the sloop Bo Peep so he can go fishing. Their daughter Rebecca is at college but spends the weekends on the island with her parents. This idyllic time abruptly ends when Frank neglects to come back from his fishing trip. The Bo Peep is found empty off shore and the Coast Guard later finds Frank's body. The authorities call it an accident. Joanna does not believe he drowned. Frank, an excellent boater and swimmer, has fished all his life without an accident. No, this was no accident. Rebecca and Joanna each grieve in their own way and Charis, Rebecca's roommate, holds things together. She tells Joanna she will keep an eye on Rebecca and take care of her. They will return for a weekend very soon. Caving is Joanna's escape, the one thing she can do that brings her back to reality, puts everything into perspective. Smith places us right beside Joanna in the caves and we experience the difficult climbs, spooky darkness and breathtaking moments. When Joanna returns from caving, the sheriff informs her that her father has been killed in a deadly fire. There is no way this was an accident. Her father had fires all his life and never once neglected to close the door to the wood stove. Joanna reluctantly agrees that perhaps her father may have been neglectful. Two deaths in two weeks. How much more can she endure? Joanna is angry and feeling lost. She goes to great length to get at the truth about Frank's death. She regains her inner strength, only to have it assaulted again. Charis arrives on the scene to comfort Joanna. When Joanna comes to grips with her losses, she discovers the real reasons behind all these accidents. Mitchell Smith writes a chilling thriller, one that keeps you turning the pages until the very end. This psychodrama is tightly written and makes you apprehensive about when the reprisal will occur. |
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