{Review} Not My Mother's Son by R. K. Avery

ISBN #: 978-1621830092

Page Count: 216

Copyright: November 20, 2012

Publisher: Brighton Publishing LLC

Description:

Devious. Conniving. Deceitful. Insidious. David Miller thought he knew his mother. He thought kidnapping three children was the most appalling and horrendous thing any human being could do and she couldn't possibly do anything more monstrous. He thought there was nothing else she could do or say that would surprise him. How wrong he was.

After Beatrice Miller, David's serial-kidnapping mother, is sentenced to thirty years, David moves to Phoenix, Arizona; and with the help of a trust fund and an old friend, he starts the "Never Give Up" foundation, an organization dedicated to finding and returning exploited and missing children safely to their families. With all the wicked things his mother had done, David feels it is his unspoken duty to do something worthwhile.

Hesitant at first, but after reading his mother's journal, David is determined to mend their dysfunctional relationship. Every time David visits Bea in prison, she seems deranged, insisting that people are trying to kill her. She ends each brief encounter with the chilling statement, "Remember David, things aren't always what they seem."

As word about the foundation spreads, the services of "Never Give Up" are requested time-and-time again to help where other agencies have failed. That is, until the police come knocking on David's door and arrest him, taking him back to Bunting Valley, North Dakota, for the murder of a newborn baby boy.

Forced to shut down "Never Give Up," David is amazed at how quickly the entire world turns their backs on him. The trial begins and his mother's testimony is the only thing that can save him. Telling the truth is as foreign to Beatrice Miller as giving up drugs is to an addict. As everyone in the courtroom hold their breath, you will, too. Remember, things aren't always what they seem.

Charlene's Review:

Not My Mother's Son picks up where Ms. Avery's first novel Be Careful What You Wish For left off. With Bea in prison for kidnapping, David Miller, all alone now, moves to Phoenix, Arizona to start a new life. Using the inheritance he received from his late aunt, David starts an organization to help in finding missing children. His success is immediate, and he begins the process of forgiving his mother.

Without warning David is arrested and is taken back to North Dakota to stand trial for the murder of a baby boy. His organization shuts down, people turn away, and David is left to depend on only his mother to prove his innocence. I actually received this book at the same time as the first, so I immediately jumped in to see what happened next. I was not disappointed. Again, some of the details were far-fetched, such as the immediate success of his organization, but the premise of this book, redemption and forgiveness was evident. Adding to that the twists of betrayal and murder, this book left me breathless.

Not wanting to spoil it for others, I will just say that I had no idea what was coming, and was completely blown away. Ms. Avery took a good first novel and made it into an amazing second novel. This one is a 5-star book, solely on the surprise it holds. I'll be looking forward to seeing more from this author.


*A physical copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.