The Word of a Child

This book is very interesting, because it was not just a Romance novel, but a mystery also. It was so good I did not want to put it down.Mariah Stavig was doing just fine. She had a great home, a great husband, a great job and a beutiful three year old daughter named Zofie. Then one day the doorbell rings. It is Detective Conner McLean who tells her that a friend of Zofie's has accused Mariah's husband Simon of abusing her.Three years later Mariah who divorced Simon soon after the accusation is still a teacher at the middle school when a student comes to her to tell her that a teacher raped her. Mariah does not want to be a part of the investigation that Connor McLean does in the persuite of the truth, but ultemtaly she does help Conner get information from the student that might help prove she is lieng. The reason? Against any logic Mariah starts to have feeling for Connor McLean.

Detective Connor McLean caused more emotional turmoil for her than any one else in her life ever had. When he and a social worker unexpectedly knock at Mariah Stavig's door, accusing her husband of raping a small child, the doubts the detective left in his wake ended Mariah's marriage. The small child's words forever destroyed Mariah's belief in her husband. Without proof, the case was dropped. Following their divorce, Mariah cannot prevent her ex-husband exercising of his visitation rights. Although her daughter never exhibits any signs of abuse, Mariah remains emotionally torn even three years later. On one hand, she fears the detective was right and her daughter's in danger. On the other hand, she fears the detective was wrong, and she betrayed her husband. When a student confines her sexual abuse as the hands of a fellow teacher, Mariah must fulfill her legal obligation to report the incident. Unfortunately, Detective McLean is assigned to the case, bringing back all those terrible days of fear and betrayal. As they work together to help the student, Mariah finds herself inexplicably drawn to the man she's blamed for the end of her marriage. Connor likewise feels many misgivings; even as he's drawn to Mariah, he also feels guilty. He's come to feel as though it's his role in life to destroy families, and he's beginning to consider making far-reaching career changes. Such deep self-evaluation makes completing his assigned task even more complicated. Worse, while he believes the student's been raped, he doesn't believe she's truthfully identified the perpetrator.Author Janice Kay Johnson takes on a hard-hitting plot with grace in THE WORLD OF A CHILD. Never backing away form the most difficult and painful aspects of her plot, she also approaches the topic of childhood rape with sensitivity and insight. While a strange background to create for a love story, this subject with all its different aspects successfully furthers the plot, deepens the characterizations, and leaves the romance lover richly satisfied. These are believable characters that demonstrate admirable growth and sensitivity. Remarkable in scope, beautifully realized with plot and characterizations, THE WORLD OF A CHILD comes very highly recommended.

On an ordinary day, in an ordinary neighborhood, a knock on the door of an ordinary house leads to an extraordinary revelation.Detective Conner McLean is the man who came to call, carrying with him a child's accusation. Conner's visit ended Mariah Stavig's marriage and left her a struggling single mother. Three years later, the word of another child brings Conner back into Mariah's life. Conner knows his investigations can ruin as much as they fix, but he has no choice. He has sworn to speak for the innocent and seek justice for the victims. And now, to do his job, he has to have Mariah's help--no matter how much she hates him.Part of the 3 Good Cops triology (also look for His Partner's Wife and Maternal Instinct), this is a great book that easily stands alone. It deals with some very difficult subject matter in a deft and touching way. The romance is real, with actual characters who struggle with many of the same emotions that we deal with everyday. By far one of Johnson's best.