03 July, 2013

#BookReview :: One Small Victory by Maryann Miller

Life can change in just an instant. That's the harsh reality that Jenny Jasik faces when her son is killed in an automobile accident, but never in her wildest dreams did she ever expect to be working undercover as a member of a drug task force. She is, after all, just a mom. But don't discount what a mom can do when the safety of her children is at stake.





Jenny Jasik’s life is turned upside down when she loses her son in a driving accident. Her son Mike was in a car with his friend driving while high on drugs. It is a shocking news that leaves Jenny feeling helpless and with the realisation that the streets were not safe for anyone, including her two remaining children, till drugs were freely available. While grieving for her son, Jenny decides that she needs to do something to ensure that it does not happen to anyone else. Once she clears a physical test, she is able to join as an undercover agent with the drug task force. From then on her life takes a different turn. Unable to confide in anyone, Jenny starts living a dual life. But those around her are observant and know that something is amiss… Will Jenny be successful in her job as an undercover agent, or will her other life as a single working mother be in the way?

The premise of the story is just so awesome. Not the fact that a teenager was driving under the influence of drugs or the death of an innocent boy, but the idea of an average single mother taking up the responsibility of cleaning the streets free of drugs. I mean, at first you feel that the idea is just absurd – a single mother with three kids and no previous training whatsoever working as an undercover agent – too fantastical. But as you look further, you are forced to stop and think. Everyone knows that a ‘Mother’ can do anything for her child. So why would it be so surprising that a mother who has lost her son to drugs, would want to clean up the streets? On the other hand the story also revolves around about how a family deals with an untimely loss of life. While Jenny goes out hands and limbs, living a dual life, her younger son becomes possessive and rebellious to cope with it. The lies cause an increased stress level all around and while they are trying to deal with it individually, they are also trying to deal with it as a family.
The plot is complimented by the constant pace and smooth flow of narration. But Jenny is a character that actually holds everything together. Her strength, her will, her attitude and even her self-doubting moments make her a character who is easy to warm up to.

Drama, action, suspense, romance – this book has the right mix of every essential aspect of life. It’s an entertaining read that touches a chord somewhere deep.


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2 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for the review. When I first read the news article about the woman who actually did help bring down a drug ring, I found it absurd, too. But then I thought about how most of us who have children react to any threat. We come out with claws bared. What I found most courageous about this lady is the fact that she did this while grieving for that son.

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  2. Congratulations to Maryann, excellent review for what sounds like an excellent book!
    Thank you for sharing!

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