Take amnesia, add a dash of lust, mix with clandestine affairs and top it off with racism to create The Witness. Sandra Brown, with admirable consistency, presents another bestseller, one that combines love and intrigue to make a must read. Like Exclusive, The Alibi and Ricochet, Brown is at the top of her game. Although she strays from her typical settings of Texas and New Orleans, her apt descriptions of life in fictional Prosper, South Carolina, make for a novel that is both intriguing and crowded with scandals. In a standard Brown move, The Witness concludes with a startling revelation.
With endearing characters, such as Kendall Deaton Burnwood’s brassy best friend Ricki Sue, Brown provides a balance to her darker, more disturbing characters. As Brown’s graphic narrative lends itself to unsettling scenes, so is it a perfect playground for her antagonists, particularly Gibbons Burnwood, Kendall’s father-in-law. The resulting confrontation between evil and good – laced with bouts of love and lust – propels The Witness forward at a swift pace.
Love, an Escaped Fugitive and a U.S. Marshall
At the heart of every Brown novel is love. But for Kendall Deaton Burnwood, her desire for self-preservation and protection for her newborn son outweighs any potential need for love and companionship. After having stumbled upon her husband and father-in-law’s “hobby,” she flees, only to be discovered by the FBI. A fugitive, Kendall is escorted back to South Carolina by John McGrath, a U.S. Marshall. When their car crashes and John suffers from amnesia, Kendall, left with few choices, passes herself off as John’s wife, setting forth a series of confrontations and illicit encounters.
For John McGrath, his amnesiac state sets his world on a tailspin. Struggling with his own feelings of honor and his growing attraction to Kendall, John must find his balance. His further battle of fighting his own instincts, which warn him of Kendall’s lies, and his inability to regain his memory leave him limping. In a captivating climax, John’s returning memory and his actions with Kendall come to a head.
Racism, Bigotry and White Supremacy
Unbeknownst to Kendall, her town of Prosper holds a dark secret: a brotherhood of men determined to keep Prosper “pure.” With corruption, racism and bigotry as their foundation, this particular clan of men – more violent and extreme than The Klan – runs Prosper. Those deemed unworthy are marked for “extermination.” Between crucifixions, dismemberments and murders, these men quietly exert their power, all in the name of God. However, Kendall’s efforts will potentially bring this group to their knees, making her a dangerous foe, one worth hunting down. Kendall’s subsequent fight for her life, and her son’s life, makes The Witness a page-turner.
Brown, Sandra
The Witness
Hodder & Stoughton
1996
9780340961803
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