REVIEW OF RUIN FALLS
by Jenny Milchman
When Liz Daniels and family
take a trip to see her in-laws, this alone is most unusual. Her husband, Paul,
who’s kept his distance from his parents gets this sudden urge to vacation at
their farm.
However, when Paul takes the
extraordinary step of staying at a motel overnight, this is truly out of
character for him. Paul is rigidly anti-consumerist and won’t abide his
children eating anything but health food. No pesticides, no additives, no
sugary treats for his kids. And Paul, being an expert in living off the land,
has visions of doing so completely someday.
But that is just the set-up
of Liz Daniels’ nightmare – the disappearance of her two children. Taken by
Paul himself.
Once that’s established, the
cops dismiss the matter as a “domestic dispute,” and Liz is left on her own to
solve the problem.
What transpires is a story
that’s way more than one of eerie suspense and page-turning thrills. It is a
story of a woman who always deferred to and depended upon her husband’s
strength and larger-than-life persona, who must come into her own.
In the face of self-doubt and
loneliness, Liz is forced to deal with her stoic father-in-law, Paul’s fawning
students, and a dangerous adversary in order to dig out the whole truth behind
her situation.
To her credit, Liz co-owns a
business. However, she hasn’t been the “take charge” partner, leaving that role
to her friend Liz, who has her own troubles.
Not only is the story
well-plotted and characters fully formed, but the setting is described in rich
detail, without slowing the pace.
I highly recommend this book.
