The Witness

This latest romantic thriller from Henderson (the two series O'Malley and Uncommon Heroes) and her first with Tyndale House has the elements that have made her so popular in the inspirational Christian market: interesting characters, an intriguing plot and fast pacing. Amanda Griffin is deep in hiding, using various aliases to fly under the radar of nefarious criminal interests. When she witnesses a multiple murder, Deputy Chief of Police Luke Granger befriends her. He fails to convince Amanda to come out of hiding, however. Three years later, Amanda's story and that of two newly minted millionaire sisters come together, and Luke finds his interest in Amanda becoming more personal. There is a foreshadowing of tragedy, and Henderson isn't afraid to kill off a beloved character in the interest of a compelling plot. She does an admirable job dispensing just the right amount of information, and her penchant for resilient women characters is endearing. Yet despite mostly strong writing, her dialogue is sometimes stiff and a few plot segments strain credibility (e.g., Amanda working incognito at a jewelry store in her sisters' hometown). Better is the well-paced action, the romance, and Henderson's integration of faith themes. The conclusion tapers off, a major disappointing note in this otherwise engrossing stand-alone entertainment. (Feb.)