An Imperfect Oath

By Stewart Goodwin

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jerjen

Synopsis:

Jace Hadley took seriously his oath to protect and serve, most of the time. But there were times when all the trust bestowed upon him by that oath could be used to his advantage. An advantage he seized upon again and again to rid this world of arrogant women. The demons that haunted Nichols drove him to be the best homicide detective in the state. The one homicide that went cold on his watch was now joined by another that would become a cold case for years until a break that brought it to an unexpected close. The paths of the two officers, who had taken the same oath, would cross multiple times as the investigation unfolds. One as the cat. The other as the mouse. But, would the mouse ever be caught?

Review:

Two men take an oath to uphold the law, to serve and protect and to do everything in their power to keep others safe. One would think that they both take their oath seriously and will do the best they can to uphold that oath. But you would be wrong in thinking that.

One does his best to uphold the law and take criminals off the street. He tries to do what he can to solve murders and bring justice to the victims and their families. Sometimes his dedication is so consuming that everything else is his life takes second place (family, friends, relationships). Sometimes havoc is wreaked in his life because of this dedication. But he still upholds the laws and takes his oath quite serious.

The other man uses his badge and his power for evil purposes. He uses the trust that his position holds to get close to women and perpetuate unthinkable acts of violence. He is on a mission to rid the world of vain pretentious women and will use whatever means necessary to carry out this mission. The two men are polar opposite of each other but they do have one thing in common: a badge.

I really enjoyed the concept of this book. Two people whose lives could be very similar but both take different paths that shape their lives forever. They really could not be more dissimilar I also enjoyed how tense and suspenseful the book was. At times I could not turn the pages fast enough and at other times I did not want to turn it because I was afraid of what might happen. The book is such a good example of the good versus evil concept with a modern twist. The author is very talented using the written word to convey terror, suspense and fearfulness.

The characters are well developed and well rounded. The good guy is flawed but he always tries to do whatever he thinks is right, even if it was a bit outside the law. He doubts his ability and worries that he will not be able to catch the criminal. The bad guy is as bad as they get, evil through and through. He has total confidence and is not worried about getting caught because no one is as smart as him. The contrast between the two is written very well and I thought it was carried on well throughout the entire book. The book is divided into different years and what happens during each of those time frames and I liked the fact that the book is divided like that.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well plotted mystery suspense. The book is well written with enough suspense and tension to satisfy the most avid mystery lover. Grab a copy of this book but you may want to read it with the lights on.