Royal Target

By Traci Hunter Abramson

Reviewed by Millie Holyoak
On 10/25/2008

Covenant Communications, 2008 Paperback:
257 pages
ISBN-10: 1-59811-628-2
ISBN-13: 978-1-59811-628-1 Price: $15.95

If you’ve ever wondered what a Latter-day Saint would do as a CIA agent with a little Cinderella thrown into the mix, this is just the book. Traci Abramson has done a delightful job with this 5th novel of mystery and intrigue with an LDS backdrop. This is a fast paced mystery that really doesn’t slow down until the very end. And the wrap up scene is satisfying.

For the reader with no LDS orientation it might be a little confusing, but on the other hand, it might also open a door. It does assume that the reader has an LDS cultural background and knows that not drinking and dressing modestly and shooting for a temple marriage are understood by the reader.

Janessa, our heroine, starts out being sent home from an assignment with the CIA because her superior objects to her refusal to having an alcoholic drink at a dinner. However, her charm and usefulness keep her going to another job, guarding a royal family. Janessa and the prince fall in love in the very beginning, but rather than becoming maudlin, it adds interest as she tries to ‘do her job’ in spite of the attraction. The plot is full of intrigue, wondering who is doing what and why. There aren’t so many characters that it becomes confusing, which is comfortable, and most of the characters are introduced in such a way that they are memorable. The characters are well developed and consistent as the story progresses.

There is one place, however, where a character is sort of introduced and used for 2 or 3 paragraphs, to facilitate the plot, then disappears again. Toward the end of the book, the main character needs a double to make a getaway, and one is produced almost out of thin air.

The plot also leaves the reader wondering why all the girls in town are after the 2nd son instead of the heir apparent. He doesn’t seem to have any matrimonial prospects at all. He’s just busy most of the time doing paperwork.

Other than those two small items, this is a very enjoyable book. It was definitely a page turner and a quick read. I felt satisfied with it. I will enjoy reading more of her books.


Copyright 2008