Wherever She Goes: A Novel
THIS IS A fun mystery story about a mother who wants only the best for her own child, but recognizes her own failings can get in the way. Although it diverges from traditional faith-based values in places, it’s a redemption story with many angles worth diving into and getting curious about.
The main character is an amateur detective and the plot will keep readers turning pages. This novel isn’t a cozy mystery, this isn’t a story Jessica Fletcher or Miss Marple would explore. Instead it realistically explores the impact of past trauma and sets the stage for forgiveness, a search for identity, belonging and hope.
KL Armstrong is a pen name for bestselling Canadian author Kelley Armstrong, known for her paranormal fiction and urban fantasy (romance) stories. But Wherever She Goes is a major departure for her, showing refreshing restraint and leaving out almost entirely the explicit intimacy, violence and language found in some of her other works.
The main character is a little hard to connect with at the beginning because she’s so selfdeprecating. To be honest, she’s so hard on herself that it’s hard to read. That kind of honesty isn’t seen often in fiction, but there’s a great payoff if you stick with her past the first couple of chapters and watch as she connects briefly with another mother, and is able to empathize with someone whose shot at redemption ended differently. This story was a fast read, but still asked some hard questions about love and sacrifice which gave it unexpected depth.