The Following review was contributed by: Molly Martin 

Following a threatening telephone call; fire breaks out and Kaye Berreano hurries to vacate residents in the Denver Battered Women’s Shelter where she is night shift counselor. Kaye pounds on doors, locates the fire and to her dismay the soon to be single mom with divorce pending Kaye finds the new resident Mary Ellen Schuster is unconscious in the fire. Complicating the situation is the fact that no one at the safe house was too fond of the woman. Kaye fears pregnant Nicky and her two small children may also be trapped.

Before long Farrell the Denver police arson investigator working the case is certain Kaye knows the perpetrator. Farrell even accuses Kaye’s soon to be divorced husband Roger who had been seen at the safe house arguing with Kaye before the onset of the fire. When the officer is not contemplating Roger as the culprit he toys with the thought that Mary Ellen may have set the fire herself in a suicidal moment. Kaye is askance at the thoughts: Roger may be a difficult person, however Kaye is positive that neither Mary Ellen nor Roger had anything to do with setting the fire.

Before long Kaye’s life becomes totally hectic: her hours and paycheck are cut, then her paycheck is hung up in red tape. The safe house residents are moved to a Red Cross shelter, Roger decides he wants custody of their children and the threatening telephone calls continue. When the police down play the calls Kaye decides to do a little investigating on her own along with caring for her teenaged son and daughter and dealing with the divorce from Roger.

Kaye decides she had better try to unravel this arson herself. She considers other residents of the safe house as possible suspects. Amanda battled with her spouse and is now under court order to stay in the safe house, Cindy Arbitus and Barbara Washburn come under scrutiny. Mary Ellen and her roommate Nicky fought during the night of the fire. Then of course there is the overly religious preacher who brought Mary Ellen to the safe house. As Kaye continues digging and the list of possible suspects lengthens she finds each question leads to few answers and creates more questions.

In her initial mystery novel Safe Beginnings author Christine Duncan presents a suspense filled, fast paced page turner filled with fully developed characters and nicely plotted tale. Duncan’s main character Kaye is a delight because she is so human. She reacts in predictable understandable manner just as most humans do in particular situations. On the night of the fire she become flustered and forgets the fire extinguisher, she is a good mom who worries about her role with her children and she doesn’t want her husband to know when he is getting to her.

Safe Beginnings weaves a good plot, believable dialogue and plausible characters as writer Duncan takes a difficult theme and creates a highly readable story about women and their struggles in a circumstance that only a decade ago was only whispered and received little understanding or interest. Difficulties encountered by those living in a battered woman’s shelter or even the necessity for a shelter has just begun to move away from the level of taboo in our social mores.

Much of the real power to be found in this tale evolves from the fact that an average woman who finds herself in an egregious situation can rise to meet the problem head on and despite some human fumbling can emerge victorious. Kaye is a woman readers can relate to on a personal level. Few of us are skilled in martial arts, or are well versed in law, Kaye the mom struggling to get through the day is an ordinary woman performing on a uncommon level.

I found the tale to be very readable, the character of Kaye most entertaining and am pleased Safe Beginnings is to be one of a series. I look forward to reading the next offering when writer Duncan has the book ready for us.