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Summary
Summary
The author of the critically acclaimed Brass Ring and Keeper of the Light once again delivers an absorbing and emotionally charged page-turner. About to lose custody of her young son, Susanna Miller takes the child and runs away, establishing a new life in Annapolis, Maryland.
Author Notes
Diane Chamberlain is an American author of adult fiction. Prior to her writing career, she was a psychotherapist in private practice in Virginia, working primarily with adolescents. Among her works are: Secrets She Left Behind, The Lost Daughter, Before the Storm, The Bay at Midnight, The Lies We Told, The Midwife's Confession, and Necessary Lies.
Diane's novel, The Secret Sister, became a New York Times bestseller in 2016.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
A young mother who has a secret in her past and an ache in her heart is the heroine of Chamberlain's (Reflection) latest novel, a fairly pedestrian affair that would do well as a made-for-TV movie. Boulder, Colo., bank secretary Susanna Miller has lost custody of her 11-month-old son, Tyler, to her cold-hearted ex-husband, James, and his new wife, Peggy Myerson, both of whom are lawyers. Telling no one, not even her closest friend, Linc Sebastian (who served a prison term for the murder of Susanna's abusive father and is now a nationally syndicated radio deejay), Susanna decides to flee with Tyler. Assuming new identities for them both, she keeps traveling until they reach Annapolis, Md. As Kim Stratton, she begins looking for work doing data processing from home. When she buys a recently returned "loaner" computer, she finds it contains a cryptic list of names, addresses and dates. She also finds herself with a growing attraction to painter Adam Soria and a friendship with his possessive sister, Jessie. Back in Boulder, Peggy has met with Linc and learned that James may not be the caring father he has portrayed himself to be. Meanwhile, Susanna/Kim has realized that two of the names on her computer have been victims of letter bombs and that the next name has a date only a month away. Afraid to contact the police, she finally tells Adam about the listonly to then suspect him of being the bomber. Chamberlain's plot moves are easy to predict, but her pop-psychologizing about motherlove and the feel-good ending will undoubtedly strike chords of empathy in readers. Reader's Digest Condensed Books selection. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
In her latest off-the-rack tale of domestic miseries, Chamberlain, (Reflection, 1996, etc.) leads off with a sure-fire grabber--a young mother who flees cross-country with her adored baby son, after losing a custody battle. Along the way, she confronts a romantic complications, a mystery, and fatal violence. Susanna Miller, having seen the custody of 11-month-old Tyler (survivor of a serious heart condition) awarded to ex-husband Jim and his new wife Peggy, knows what she has to do. Beginning with a night exodus from Boulder, Colorado, Susanna will travel east, eventually settling in Maryland. She'll adopt the name ``Kim,'' and little Tyler will answer to ``Cody.'' Kim's only link to Boulder is the syndicated radio show of the man she loves--disc jockey Linc Sebastain, who once served a short sentence for murder. His victim was Susanna's childhood tormenter, whom Linc had known as a neighbor years before. It's Linc's past, and his present involvement in her life (along with her own few days in a mental institution), that contributed to Susanna's court KO. In Maryland, jumpy Kim finds pleasant people, particularly a local artist, the attractive Adam, who pronounces her talented. Adam makes advances, Kim communicates with Linc via fax, and Linc responds on the airwaves. Kim must soon make a terrible decision, however, involving her knowledge of the route of a serial bomber: If she alerts the police, she will certainly lose Cody permanently. Meantime, back in Boulder, Peggy, essentially a good sort, is rapidly learning that Jim is a liar and a cad. She readies a surprise, while Kim sets off to waylay the crazy, deadly bomber advancing in the dark. There'll be a nick-of-time appearance, as well as a sacrificial demise. Chamberlain paces the flight-or-fight phases of the runaway mother's story with thoroughly professional ease: Her stories never cut deep, but they do skim along at a cheerful speed. A reliable time-passer.
Booklist Review
When Susanna Miller loses custody of 11-month-old Tyler to her ex-husband, Jim, and his new wife, Peggy, she runs away with her son, even leaving behind her lover, Linc Sebastian. Building a new life as Kimberly Stratton with son Cody in Annapolis, Maryland, is complicated by her concern about being found and by the odd file on the used computer she buys. When it's clear that the file is linked to a series of deadly local bombings, Kim--reluctant to talk to police--seeks advice from both Linc and Adam Soria, a grieving Annapolis artist who becomes more than a friend. Chamberlain skillfully weaves flashbacks with shifts in locale, vividly describing the pain of Susanna's childhood and alternating Peggy's relentless quest for her stepson with Kim's determination to keep her son. Although some turns of plot strain credulity, they do little to lessen the pleasure of this page-turner with its last-minute surprises and eminently satisfying ending. --Michele Leber
Library Journal Review
The one man who understands Susanna Miller says she is always running away from her troubles. True to form, she flees with her young son after losing custody to her lawyer ex-husband. It's easy to sympathize with the naive protagonist of Chamberlain's (Brass Ring, LJ 10/1/94) eighth novel. After relocating and re-creating her life as Kim Stratton, Susanna stumbles onto a serial bomber's plan for revenge. She must stop the murders without jeopardizing her new life while finding a way to face her problems head-on. Chamberlain tells a moving tale of parental love and desperation while throwing in plot twists and intrigue. Enjoyable, if a bit unbelievable, this is recommended for general collections.Shannon Williams Haddock, BellSouth Corporate Lib., Birmingham, Ala. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.