"Classic Romance, Great Spiritual Conflict"

Family love...today's most prolific authors, Deveraux, Coulter, Roberts each have created special families where love endures the test of time, providing the reader with satisfying love stories. Thanks to the wonderfully gifted Dee Henderson, creator of the special O'Malley Clan, Inspirational Romances have their own premier family as well. The O'Malleys are a special family not bound by blood but by commitment, devotion and a very extraordinary love. Yet, all is not perfect as each member must come to grips with the devastating news, a family member has cancer. As each journeys back to God they discover HIS justice and mercy(THE NEGOTIATOR-Kate),and the power of prayer(THE GUARDIAN-Marcus). In THE TRUTH SEEKER, Lisa with the help of U.S. Marshal Quinn Diamond, will learn the meaning of the Resurrection.

Lisa O'Malley, a forensic pathologist and youngest O'Malley sister, refuses to take 'hand me downs' even if it is in the form of Marcus's partner, Quinn Diamond. Before becoming an O'Malley, Lisa spent her early years in foster care and when it looked like she would finally have a forever family, tragedy struck. This tragedy, unknown to the rest of the O'Malley clan, has formed the basis of her rejection of a loving and caring GOD. Must she open her heart to GOD's love before she can have a future with Quinn, yet will there be enough time?

U.S. Marshall Quinn Diamond is attracted to the youngest O'Malley sister after their part in helping to find the murderer of a federal judge (THE GUARDIAN). Still, before he can have any kind of future he must find out what really happened on the fateful day his father was gunned down. Springing himself on Lisa's doorstep opens doors to both their pasts, doors best kept closed?

While investigating a fire with her brother Jack, Lisa is not convinced the fire was truly an accident and enlists the aide of Quinn who she finds on her doorstep. Unfortunately, she has a near death fall at the site which will lay her up from her job for weeks. Quinn, ever the consummate hero, stays around long after she begins to recover; could he feel responsible? But regrettably Lisa, who dreads the time spent to recover, is placed at a desk with what appears to be a dead end job of going over old unsolved murder cases. Yet, it quickly becomes apparent the deaths of the women in these cases are all connected, and even more bizarre, they may be connected to a personal case Quinn has spent years working on, Could they even be linked to her fall? Working close with Quinn is doing weird things with Lisa's resolve to keep her past just below the surface but her growing love for Quinn won't let that happen.

As with all of the O'Malley books, the background research is impeccable, the writing is crisp, the suspense is riveting, and the spirituality is hopeful. In THE TRUTH SEEKER, Ms Henderson brings back all the O'Malley siblings but as the last page is turned, she leaves the reader with a yummy taste of Jack, the firefighter; the next O'Malley book. A Dee Henderson story is what inspirational romances should be and often aren't: they are classics. However, the O'Malley family sagas are sure to appeal to all romance readers who crave the very best in romance fiction whether they read it for the inspirational message or for the romantic suspense. Ms. Henderson's O'Malley stories continue to embrace the heart and caress the soul.

Reviewed by Jody Allen
Posted July 27, 2001