"This is an exciting romantic suspense"

As a courtesy, Prodigal, Maine Police Chief Richard Weldon calls Boston Homicide Detective Noah Gabriel to inform the Beantown cop that his ex-wife Tessa is involved in a murder. Noah, who already received two conflicting calls from his former spouse, arranges for coverage of his cases over the objection of his boss and the disapproval of his peers. He immediately leaves for Maine.

In Maine, Noah learns that Tessa found her legal partner widower David Howard stabbed to death in his office. The police suspect Tessa killed David in a twisted lover's spat so that she can gain custody of his baby Maggie. Their logic is based on Tessa's child she had with Noah that died from SIDS eighteen months ago and David's daughter makes a near perfect substitute. Meanwhile, Noah plans to keep Tessa and Maggie safe though he can barely look at the infant without pangs of guilt and self-loathing, but this time he will not fail the woman he still loves as he did when their baby died.

This is an exciting romantic suspense starring two tortured lead characters trying to nurture a baby even as they still have not healed from the death of their own child. Closure has proven elusive for Tessa, who still started over, but even more difficult for Noah whose life has collapsed. Though the villains are obvious early, readers will take pleasure from MAGGIE'S GUARDIAN as the plot combines a redemption theme with a second chance at love plot inside a suspense thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted August 22, 2002