Wicked Disregard by Barbara Ann Derksen

This is the third book in a series. I have not read the earlier books and found this one to be quite confusing. Much happened to Christine, the main character in this book, in those earlier books. The events are alluded to but there is not enough background material included in this book for enjoyable reading on its own.

Christine is the main character but that is not her birth name. Apparently her parents were killed twenty years ago and she was raised by an aunt and uncle. Even after finishing the book I still did not understand the reason for a name change.

Christine is in the business of finding lost kids. The reason is alluded to, apparently stemming from events in the previous novels in the series. This rescue involves child trafficking. There is quit a bit of action and some suspense in the plot.

Christine was a puzzling character for me. Not having read the previous novels, why she does what she does, why she is so attached to her dog, and much else about her was a mystery to me. She is apparently the owner of her father's company but that remains shrouded in mystery too. She visits the board of directors for the first time in this novel. Why she hasn't been involved in the company the twenty years since her parents' death is another mystery. How the company managed to continue with a missing owner is a mystery too.

There is some some suspense in this novel as Christine's life is in danger. Again, that apparently originates in previous novels. I found it interesting that her friend, Jeremy, actually does much more of the serious rescue work in this novel than Christine does. We are tantalized by the possibility of a romance between these two in a future novel. That highlights the strong Christian message in the novel, including a salvation experience.

This novel really emphasizes the horrors of child trafficking. Some sensitive readers may find some of the scenes gruesome. I also found some distracting grammatical errors (such as “for … and I”).

If you can pick up a book in the middle of a series and not be bothered by missing the information in earlier books, you may like this novel. I do recommend reading the earlier books in the series before tackling this one.

My rating: 3/5 stars.

Barbra Ann Derksen has written 19 books in a variety of genres. She and her husband have four children and nine grandchildren. You can find out more at www.barbaraannderksen.com.

EaglesNest Publications, 320 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through The Book Club Network for the purpose of an independent and honest review.