ISBN: 978-0-595-46032-8

Publisher: iUniverse

Catherine Johnson is a nationally published author who currently lives in the Midwest. This is her first novel.

Weddings are meant to be the beginning of the couples happy future however in this case it was definitely not so.  

The Pierson family from the Midwest are delighted when Paul Pierson recovered from the tragic death of his first wife, married Pamela. Sophisticated and glamorous it soon becomes very clear that she is not all she appears to be.

The story is told by Kay Pierson, Paul’s sister. Her husband is a Pastor in the local church who during difficult times always sees some good in everything.  The family are involved in Real Estate ad it’s not long before their father passes the business on to Paul, his brother Jack and Kay.  

Pamela becomes pregnant and then somehow the story becomes quite tedious, you are waiting for something to happen. Everything is explained in minute detail, if I read again, about an over-stuffed chair, I wanted to scream or throw the book. It was so irritating.

Also the in-depth descriptions about the clothes they wore I found quite irrelevant and unnecessary and again irritates the reader when it occurs time after time, however I persevered.

Pamela’s odd and malicious behaviour after the birth of the child gets worse. Her actions involved having many affairs, some with police officers and one involving a boyfriend involved in prostitution with young people and various murder scenarios. Drugs too were involved.  

Pamela put Paul under suspicion time after time. A quote from the book, which is so relevant  “Pamela Schaeffer seeped into people’s lives like water into pottery made from porous clay.”

The family close ranks to cope but this is a classic horrifying tale of evil. The illusion of normality on the surface belies the treachery and frustration beneath.

Based on a true story it shows how wealth and influence cannot prevent terrible events by malicious people affecting them. The strain on each member on this close-knit family soon shows but love holds them together.

A headline in the Star Tribune brings further sensational news “A Dog Returned Home with a Severed Leg”. Who did it belong to and what does a tattoo, Foxy Lady, and a black rose mean?

The climax of this awful story, which at times is quite tedious to read completely, takes you aback. In fact I had to read it over twice - the best part of an amazing tale which makes up for everything.