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DESTINY by Shelby Lewis BET/Arabesque June 2000 (4) Melanie Schuster |
Contemporary Romance |
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PLOT SYNOPSIS: |
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REVIEW: |
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I
will say at the outset that this book would make a fabulous screenplay. It is an unusual approach to romantic fiction, and I am all
for anything that challenges our perception of the genre, as long as is done
well. And Ms Lewis has done very
well indeed with DESTINY. Josephine Brennon is a ‘mystery wrapped in an enigma’, as the phrase goes. In Destiny, Oklahoma, people have gotten used to the reclusive, beautiful woman with an ‘X’ branded on her face. Although she never leaves her home, her presence is felt throughout the small town. Josephine has her own way of doing things, and when that way includes hiring a drifter to make repairs on her farmhouse, it starts a ripple of unease in the town that causes an emotional tidal wave before all is said and done. Hannibal Ray is as reclusive in his way as Josephine. How else to explain why he drifts from place to place, earning his keep by working as a handyman? There is a hunger deep within Hannibal, though, a hunger that only Josephine can assuage. From the moment he lays eyes on the quiet, self-possessed and secretive woman, he is bound up in the silken web of mystery that has kept her a prisoner for so many years. Hannibal is the only person who can break through the wall Josephine has placed around her heart, the only one who can force her to start living again. But before they can have any chance for a future, Josephine has to confront the past and face some shocking truths. In this case, though, the truth can do more than hurt her. These truths might very well destroy her. This is a most unusual offering in the romance genre. Moody, atmospheric and haunting, it puts me in mind of Rebecca or Laura or Suspicion, those great old romantic mysteries from the 40’s. This is not to say that it isn’t totally contemporary, but that Ms Lewis has created a stirring and provocative milieu and peopled it with some truly challenging characters. You will not soon forget Josephine’s aunt, the complex and cunning Cordelia, or the Reverend Franklin. This is a story that reveals itself slowly, layer upon layer of finely nuanced writing that advances stealthily to a stunning climax and a final denouement that is unlike the typical hearts and flowers endings we know and adore. It is that very difference that makes this an arresting novel. Ms Lewis paints a striking picture in DESTINY, the kind that draws your attention to it and dares you to look away, even though it may not be in the soft pastels we have come to expect from romantic fiction. If you are a fan of mystery and intrigue, even more, if you are the kind of reader to likes a challenging cast of characters, get ready to meet your DESTINY. |
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1st June 2000 |
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