DISCOVERING NORMAL

Author: Cynthia Henry 2/2005 CONTEMPORARY/ACTION Publisher: SCHEHERAZADE TALES ROMANCE E-NOVELS

Former Special Service Agents Chris and Beth Stoddard share more than just wedding bands. Chris rescued Beth from a dangerous religious cult which she'd successfully infiltrated in order to save innocent victims--but Beth herself fell victim to the malicious brainwashing. Chris was her shining knight then...and he hasn't left her side since. When they decide to leave the world of danger and excitement behind and build a peaceful family life with their two young children on a dairy farm in Canada, life seems idyllic. But eleven years down the road that idyllic life takes an unexpected and sinister spin as evil seeps into the quiet world they’ve built. Beth becomes restless in the marriage and prepares for divorce, taking their children away from their loving father and back to her hometown in Connecticut. Only days later, Chris disappears. When evidence is left behind to suggest that Chris was suicidal, Beth cannot accept that. Convinced that her husband is very much alive but in desperate trouble, Beth discovers that her training as an agent never really faded and she convinces her former boss to dig deeper. They suspect that Chris has been brutally kidnapped by the same religious cult that held Beth before. And now, after years of civilian living--not to mention motherhood--Beth seems to be the best hope of saving Chris. As time slips away and Chris’ life hangs in the balance, Beth comes to the realization that a love as strong as the one they’ve shared never truly dies. But even if she saves him, will Chris forgive her for leaving him and taking his children? A gritty, realistic and unforgettable tale of intrigue, suspense, and the healing power of love.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Once again, I'm surprised by an ebook, one I probably would never have picked up on my own. This tale of husband and wife special agents is more than just an action and intrigue-filled suspense. It is much, much more.

DISCOVERING NORMAL is the study of two people whose marriage is deeply in trouble.The synop above spells out the basic plot, but that's not what kept me glued here. It is what happens when two people, who twelve years before were both madly and passionately in love, come to the crossroads that inevitably most marriages must face—after the kids come, the house begins to fall apart, two people become pulled in different directions, and the passion begins to wane. In other words, for most of us a normal life.

Cynthia Henry has done a wonderful job of taking us through the journey of both Beth's and Chris's self discoveries. Both sides are presented fairly and faithfully here, giving two points of view into the workings of this marriage, both in the aspects of its breakdown and the characters' selfsearching on whether it is worth saving or not. That's the real pulling power of this book for me, and what ranks it as a Four Rose Read.

The writing is fast-paced and flowing, and the dialogue has a very "every day" feel to it. It was just as easy to picture Chris and Beth in their early days, newlyweds with the whole world before them, as it was to see them later in their relationship, when things began to fall apart and the two must cope with the breakdown of their marriage and how they will rebuild their lives. The other characters were well drawn, too, but it fell a little short with the villain, The Most Masterful, who's reencounter with Beth and his inevitable downfall in the end came up as just a bit short for me.

In short, Cynthia Henry's DISCOVERING NORMAL is a realistic and thought-provoking character study of the anatomy of a marriage, as opposed to just another action romance story. I very much recommend it.

Nancy Davis