Review: The Door at the Top of the Stairs by Alison Naomi Holt

ISBN #: 978-1-60910-271-5

Page Count: 269

Copyright: 2010

Book Summary:

(Taken from Amazon)

Undercover officer Jesse Shaunessy is kidnapped and tortured, then thrown away by her department as damaged goods. The mind is a powerful ally, and 26-year-old Jesse has no memory of the abduction or the subsequent torture. Inevitably, the protective walls carefully constructed by her subconscious are beginning to crumble. Insanity, friendship, and redemption are all possibilities dependent upon one choice, one gamble, and two determined women who must risk everything to save one lost soul.

Mandy's Review:

Cover

You have a doorway of light at the top of a flight of stairs.  I'd say it's a pretty literal interpretation of the book's title.

Plot

This was definitely an engaging and well thought-out story.  The characters (Morgan, Ryland and Jesse) were believable and felt real. 

There was a part of the story that I wasn't expecting and that was the lesbianism.  I hesitate to mention this because a lot of people will not read a book if same-sex couples are depicted.  While I may not agree with the same-sex couple lifestyle, I am in no place to judge anyone.  I say that so I can mention that while this story has a same-sex couple as two of the main characters, that does not take away from the effectiveness of this story.

As a matter of fact, I applaud Alison for writing a non-erotic book that includes a same-sex couple.  While there are those of us that may not agree with this lifestyle, I believe that more and more genres of books will include same-sex couples.  This is just the beginning.  I encourage you to not let that cause you to pre-judge a book before you read it.

Main Characters

Morgan - Owner of a farm with horses and hounds.  She is well-respected in the community and is adamant about her employees using respect and manners in every aspect of their life, since they are a representation of her.

Ryland - A former psychologist who lives at the farm with Morgan.  She is also well-respected in the community and is Morgan's softer side and, sometimes, her sense of reason.

Jesse - A former cop with anger issues that are a result of a traumatic event that she has amnesia about.  She has gotten fired from every farm but Morgan's.

Overall

This book has a few romantic scenes, but is mostly a suspenseful story about a traumatic event in a former cop's life who receives emotional help from the last two people she ever expected would help her.  It is a touching story about friendship and being able to let go and trust those who really want the best for you.