The Loyal Servant (Degrees of Separation Book 1) [Kindle Edition]

British politics is difficult for an American to understand, but this author weaves a tale of political corruption that is believable and frightening in any country. Caroline is an ordinary working woman copes with discovering the "suicide" of a dear friend, the problems of raising three children, a husband who drinks too much, and a mother bent on protesting against projects her department handles. When a phony suicide note appears in the news and the new office administrators starts purging the office of anything related to her friend, she gets sucked into a one-woman investigation. As everything spirals out of control, Caroline uncovers ugly secrets in the government and in her own family that threaten her ordinary life. She must make difficult choices. This novel makes the reader think while rooting for the heroine to come out on top. It won an award for writing in England, and I recommend it hightly to American readers.

Our heroine Caroline is a complex character and a bit of a detective on the side. During the day she works long hours at a government office and runs home at night to care for her family - her alcoholic husband; an elderly mother who protests every imaginable cause, including the very office Caroline works at; three kids and a dog. Caroline has a strong sense of family and right and wrong, so when a close friend supposedly commits suicide, she doesn't believe it for a minute and decides to get to the truth and find the real cause of his death. It never occurs to her that she could be putting her life, or her family's lives into danger. And suddenly she doesn't know who she can trust and who she can not trust. And time is running out because someone doesn't want her talking.

This book is not your fast paced action/adventure, but rather an excellent drama which weaves it's tale and slowly draws you into it. It is written using British terms and phrases which at times caused me to wonder exactly what the author meant. However many of those terms have been used in American conversation before and shouldn't dissuade an interested reader. Nor in most cases is it impossible to grasp the meaning. Instead, use this as an interesting contrast and insight into the British way of thinking. If you love drama, give this book a chance. You'll find yourself caught up in the story and wondering how it will all end.

My usual genre is sci-fi but I really liked this book. It had a few typos/errors but not any more than a hard copy book. The book was well thought out - the author obviously started with a plot in mind - and well written. The main character and the newspaper reporter were both working women and I think a lot of woman can relate to both of them. The author seems to have a good feel for what a working mother goes through and how she can lose track of things - especially with 3 kids to take care of. The characters in the book are very well developed and you really get to know them. I really like books with characters who come alive and this author certainly is able to develop her characters thoroughly.

This is not just a book for working women, though, so don't overlook it if you do not fall into either of these categories. It's just a good read with a believable story and I really had a hard time putting it down until I was finished.