In her novel First Offense, Nancy Taylor Rosenberg, a New York Times bestselling author, draws on her experience as a former California investigating Probation Officer in Court Services to deliver a thriller that openly presents the dark evil that lurks in the heart of man while revealing the inter workings of the legal system. Possibly using her own experience to a degree, Rosenberg creatively manages to weave her third suspenseful tale around a strong, beautiful, and likable female protagonist. The female protagonist is one, Anne Carlisle, whose Highway Patrolman husband, Hank, inexplicably disappeared some four years prior leaving her alone to raise their then nine-year-old son David. As an investigative probation officer, she is just starting to get her life back on track by allowing herself to get involved with the town’s District Attorney, Glen Hopkins, when her life takes another downward turn when she begins being stalked by a maniac who first shoots her and then attempts to rape her in her own house. Added to her troubles are the fact that her son, who was traumatized by his father’s disappearance, becomes yet more disturbed when they begin to receive calls from someone sounding like his father who promising to come home for him. Championing Ann are two police detectives, Tommy Reed and Noah Abrams who believe that Ann may have been targeted by any one of several dangerous criminals she was charged with overseeing, including Jimmy Sawyer, a first time drug offender. Even their finest efforts; however are not enough in the end when she is put in a situation of saving herself or dying at the hands of a crazed killer.

Seemingly grounded in reality and told with a relentless authenticity, this fast-paced story is full of surprises and totally engrossing as Rosenberg once again proves herself a major plot weaver in First Offense. Be prepared, however, for vivid sexual detail, grisly murder scenes, and suspects galore, which some people might find too graphically explicit but if those elements don’t bother you I would suggest that you give this fine thriller a read.

You can use your Google search engine to find more books written by this astoundingly masterful author.

Tags: book review, first offense, nancy taylor rosenberg, rosenberg, graphic material, mystery, intrigue, police, rape, murder