The Crossing - Serita Jakes

 

Back cover excerpt...

"On the way home from a football game, a decade earlier, a masked gunman opened fire on a Texas school bus.  Cheerleading coach BJ Remington was killed, but her murderer was never found.  Claudia, who had a close friendship with the young, spirited teacher, constantly relives the anguish of that day, caught in one moment in time.  When her husband, the assistant district attorney, becomes determined to uncover the mystery of that tragedy, the secrets buried over the years threaten to tear their family apart.

Officer Casio Hightower will never forget the day his dreams were destroyed.  A star quarterback with a promising future, Casio was on top of the world--until one bullet changed everything.  He is eager to help Victor Campbell find BJ's killer, the man who shot him.  Maybe solving the case will help silence the demons driving Casio to hurt the woman he loves."

My thoughts...

7 % - 8 % of people will develop PTSD, Post Traumatic  Stress Disorder, in their lifetime.  While that percentage may not seem high to some, it is to those suffering from it.  If you are one of the estimated 5 million who suffer from PTSD, you know that the difficulties of living everyday life can be very overwhelming and scarey at times.  

While I have never suffered the affects of PTSD, reading Claudia's story brought the disorder to life for me, breaking my heart many times for her.  To be in such a terrified state at the drop of a hat, to have to relive the flashbacks of "that event", or to feel isolated from those you love, cannot be an easy life. 

Yet, if only Claudia's problems ended with PTSD.  As if that were not bad enough, Claudia has had a difficult relationship through out her life with her mother, has suffered the devastation of a miscarriage, and now seems to have a marriage on the brink of falling apart. How much more can God expect her to handle?

Victor would describe his marriage with Claudia as a happy one.  Yes, they have their problems, but what marriage doesn't?  To say he is blindsided by what is to come, is putting it mildly.  He has a job he loves, a beautiful wife to come home to, and everything he has ever wanted.  There is, however, one lingering thought...he longs to see the light in his wife's eyes that once glistened in the beginning of their marriage.  Things just aren't as they once were, yes people change over the years, but it seems to be more than that.  Maybe solving the 10-year-old murder that haunts his wife will bring the sparkle back to her eyes and finally set her demons free.

Throughout  "The Crossing", there are many stories to be told.  While I am not usually a fan of flashback writing, switching from the past to the present to the past, it seems to be necessary in this book to get the story told from that night long ago.  While reading in the present, you learn of the current day investigation into the murder of BJ Remington.  When the author switches to the past, you are reading of BJ's thoughts as they were occurring, the actual happenings at that time.  Piece by piece you are slowly able to put together what happened on that Texas school bus ten-years-ago.  But beware...there may be some surprises you weren't able to figure out!

Overall, I give this book 4 stars!  If you like a little bit of romance mixed in with a little bit of mystery, than this book may be the perfect read for you!

**I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group and was not required to post a positive review.