124. Never Let You Go by Erin Healy

Never Let You Go by Erin Healy (US) - (Canada)


Pages: 344 pages
Ages: 18+
Finished: Jul. 6, 2010
First Published: May 4, 2010
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Suspense, thriller, christian fiction
Rating: 4/5

First sentence:

For seven years, Lexi Solomon had been as cold as the wind that raced down the mountain above her home.

Acquired: Received a review copy from the book's publicist.

Reason for Reading: I enjoy Healy's work with Ted Dekker and was excited to read her first solo venture.

This book has two themes. The first is the confession of your sins, *all* of them without holding back and the second and more central theme of forgiving others and not judging them for the sake of our own spiritual well-being. Lexi Solomon has spent the last seven years holding down two jobs to raise her daughter on her own. Life is hard but she has her faith to keep her going. Seven years ago her world fell apart, she was having a secret affair, her husband was dealing crystal meth, he brought his "partners" into their home and then her sister was randomly murdered. After this her affair ended, her father lost his mind and went into a home, her mother left her father and took a job that sent her globetrotting around the world, and worst of all Lexi's husband got in the car and drove away never to return.

But now her past is suddenly back to haunt her. The man who killed her sister is up for a parole hearing, an unwelcome old "friend" reappears demanding money that is owed him that Lexi hasn't a clue about nor could she ever repay, and her husband suddenly reappears wanting back into her daughter's life with her mother apparently on his side. If that wasn't all, Lexi also feels something evil around them all, something not of this earth.

A very exciting book that I could hardly put down. Lexi is a realistic character who is sure of her faith and yet has times of self-doubt. The bad characters are evil and there is no greying around the edges. On one hand the story is a fast-paced, exciting thriller with Lexi's nine-year-old daughter in the centre of all the danger. While on the other it is a showdown of spiritual warfare as Lexi must rise above her human weaknesses to fight pure evil with the love her faith expects of her.

While I wholeheartedly recommend this book, I don't think this is a book for everyone. The Christian elements are integral to the story. There is a secret identity that is so obvious from the very beginning that I think the author should have revealed it much sooner as it did become a bit of an eye roller for the "secret" to last so long. As a Catholic, there was nothing disparaging. A great thriller and a successful solo novel. I will be watching for Erin Healy's next book.