Book Review - Recompense by Joyce Morgan Hammock

Recompense by Joyce Morgan Hammock is an excellent book. It is easy to read and understand. Once you start reading, you will have a difficult time putting it down.

Recompense is a crime fiction novel about a boy named Eddie. He was removed from his home when he was younger because his mother was not taking care of him properly, and his father had disappeared. After going to court, his mother, Rose, lost parental rights because of the way she lived. His father lost parental rights because he couldn't be located. At that time, Eddie was placed in a foster home, which wasn't much better as Eddie grew up.

When Eddie was 17, he came upstairs and saw what had happened. Eddie's foster father, Elliot Bowers, had raped his own daughter, Carolyn. A few days later, Eddie's foster father told the police that Eddie had committed the rape. Because of being threatened, Eddie's foster sister, Carolyn, backed up the story. As a result, Eddie was placed in prison for rape. Even though he insisted he didn't commit the crime, he didn't stand a chance because Elliot Bowers was a policeman.

As the investigation continued, Eddie's social worker, Kate, and another policeman, Cal, worked together to solve the case. They uncovered several incidents that involved past crimes such as the murder of Kate's husband, who was also a policeman. Elliot Bowers was the prime suspect in that murder and other crimes. Cal had to gather the evidence to have Elliot arrested.

Suspense continues to build throughout the book to the very last page. This is a real page turner. It is written in such a way that you want to keep reading to find out what happens next. You are given clues as to the crimes that Elliot Bowers and committed as Cal and Younger continue to investigate the case. You are still kept in suspense because you aren't aware of who did what until the detectives reveal their findings.

The characters are also well-developed. It is easy for readers to identify with one or more of the characters. For example, one character's husband had been shot and killed. She had not allowed herself to think of that incident. However, because of recent incidents, the case about her husband and his death was re-opened.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in crime fiction.

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