A Perfect Place to Pray

Mae Spencer is a beautiful woman who is living the American dream on the surface. She has a beautiful daughter, home and successful husband, but looks can oftentimes be deceiving. This is a story of a woman who endures unspeakable abuse from her husband, but as the story progresses we discover that the abuse began long before she became an adult. Mae believes if she is able to endure Rick's abuse, her daughter will be spared. After a particularly horrible beating and while talking with her daughter, she discovers she's not the only one in danger. This is a wake up call for Mae and she fleas to her hometown with her daughter. With the help of her best friend Deborah, her sister and a private woman's organization, she is able to start over with a new identity and begins to put her life back together. In the meantime, Richard (being a celebrated Police Detective) starts a nationwide search for his wife and daughter. Their faces are plaster all over the television and newspaper. Miraculously Mae and Lily are believe to be found dead and the nationwide search for them is ended. Mae aka Anne Marie begins to live again and even embarks upon a budding relationship with Dr. Jasper (Child Psychologist), but the terror begins again when Richard finds out she's not really dead. He's determined to teach Mae a final lesson. Mae also discovers she has been betrayed by the last person she would expect. Things quickly come to a head and Mae is truly in the final fight for her life. This was a powerful story of abuse, betrayal, dysfunction, survival and love. When I finally got to the end all I could say was WOW!!!

Mae is married to Rick, a well-known and respected detective on the police force in Philadelphia. They have a darling six year old daughter, Lily. Mae also has her dream job with a television station. Everything seems so perfect on the outside, but once the door is closed, it's another story. Mae is abused by Rick to the point where, because of internal bleeding, she must sneak to the doctor, who, fortunately, is her best friend, Deborah. Rick calls the beatings "lessons" Mae has to learn. Frequently she has to call in sick at work because her face is so bruised. One day, Rick finally crosses a line - a line that is intolerable to Mae. Conferring with Deborah, she and Lily disappear one night, riding the bus to Mae's hometown in Louisiana. Yes, they've disappeared and Rick is distraught but as a detective, how hard will it be for him to find them? As expected, Rick pastes their faces all over the national news, along with his woeful image, begging anybody who has seen them to let him know. Secretly, he knows he will kill Mae if and when he catches her. How long will Mae and Lily manage to stay hidden? Her sister, who still lives in Beau Ciel, is willing to help her, but she knows it is only a matter of time. Mae lives a terror-filled existence, mostly for Lily. A PERFECT PLACE TO PRAY by I. L. Goodwin is a book that contains suspense, tension, fear, horror as well as love. The characters are well developed and easily understood. The plot is compelling and there are enough side issues with the secondary characters to keep those pages turning. I found the book impossible to put down once I started. Reviewed by Alice Holman of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

This book not only tells how domestic violence affects the battered person, but everyone around them as well. This book can also be called a story of healing as well. This is a sad story but needed to be told. Great book with an even greater title. To me it deserves '10' stars!

This book has it all, drama, mystery, twists, and an awesome ending. Not the typical husband verses wife book. Coming from abusive relationships also, I felt an overwhelming sense of being there in this book. The author reels you in until the very end. It's a can't put down book. Waiting anxiously for the next book. Two thumbs way way up!!!!

This was a good but kind of un-nerving book. The main character...abused her whole life.. God how could she be in her right mind.. all by the people close to her and people she should have been able to trust explicitly. I do however think that her new love life should have been expanded a little more. I don't want to give anything else away, but pick this up and read it with an open mind. The Diva has spoken