Side Effects

Powell (To Protect and Serve) tells a touching contemporary tale of two wounded souls hoping to find lasting love and redemption together. After threats are made against North Carolina physician Neela Sahjani, who’s performing research on stem cells, police detective Jordan Bishop is called in for protective duty. Jordan, who was abused and grew up in an orphanage, finds it nearly impossible to allow people to get close to her—until Neela and her understanding mother, Bina, burrow through Jordan’s defenses. Neela herself is lonely and feeling adrift after a new governor takes office and threatens her research, dimming her hopes of curing her mother’s rheumatoid arthritis. As threats against Neela escalate, Jordan and Neela start to wonder whether they’ll live long enough to find their happy ending. Powell ably plots a plausible and suspenseful story, leading readers to fall in love with the characters she’s created. (Aug.)