Silent Witness (Rebecca Forster)

Silent Witness pretty much picks up where Hostile Witness left off. Still obsessive-compulsive, Hannah Sheraton is at a new school, albeit a month behind after her trial for the murder of her stepfather, Justice Rayburn. Attorney Josie Baylor-Bates, who defended her, is now her legal guardian.

But now, her ex-cop lover, Archer, is being held for murder. Beaten and close to being broken, he's accused of killing his 17-year-old stepson, Timothy Wren. Mentally challenged and physically disabled, Tim had fallen off a ride at Pacific Park, which buys used, fully depreciated rides from other amusement parks, then repairs and refurbishes them.

Pacific Park Pacific Park is on the verge of being acquired, and the owner doesn't want any complications the deal. He's got his security chief watching out for his interests. Tim's biological father, with the help and advice of personal injury lawyer Jude Getts, wants to get even with the park by helping Archer ... at first. But then, the agenda changes.

Josie is her usual stubborn self. Petulant, even. It takes a long time for logic and reason to break through her personal prejudices. At times she can't even envision or accept reality that even readers can spot. But that's Josie – passionate and stubborn.

The courtroom scenes are pretty hard to read passively and nonchalantly. The questioning and testimony will grate on your nerves and leave you craving a comforting cup of steaming hot chocolate. It's as though you've had a half-dozen mugs of strong black coffee before entering the courtroom.

As for Hannah, she has no real significance in the story, it's as though author Foster kept her in for historical purposes or as a distraction and additional complication for Josie to deal with in her life.

Silent Witness rumbles through at a quick pace, skipping large chunks of time, often at the expense of details. But all in all, it is a good read and hard to break away from once you start. It’s the second book in Rebecca Forster’s “Witness” series.

Silent Witness (2005)

Rebecca Forster

Amazon Digital Edition ($3.99 list)

ISBN-13: 978-0451214249