Into the Fire

First off, I love the good doctor Harry Kraus’s voice, this being my sixth novel of his. Salty Like Blood tackles the horrible experience of losing a child. One moment the child is there and then suddenly gone, disappeared, nowhere to be found, assumed drowned, no body. For parents this is the worst punishment, the ultimate torture.

Little Rachel is the namesake daughter of Dr. David Conner’s little sister who died at an early age when David was 10 years old. He carries the blame for her death as a permanent silent fixture in his life. Rachel is the delight of her parents, David and his wife Joanne, the highlight of their life together, the adhesive which carried them through Joanne’s severe post partum depression and stabilized the mini-fractures in their relationship.

When David, Joanne, and Rachel make a trip to “the shore” because David’s father lies on his deathbed, Joanne is steamed because of the important dinner they’ll be missing, a celebratory career bump into partnership at the practice where David works. Arriving after a harrowing trip in stormy weather and a scary conflict with men in a mustang, the condition of David’s dad’s house and health do nothing to calm conflict. Before they can even attempt a rational solution to their dilemma, Rachel asks permission to go outside to play. When David heads out to find her, she will not be found.

The horror and panic set in as they frantically search for her and call the local authority. The sheriff and Joanne assume the water has taken her away, and she must be dead. David refuses to accept it. Since Joanne’s mental health seems to hang precariously in the balance most of the time, when no body is found, she decides the worst has happened in order to attempt to cope. David remembers the sound of a revved car engine right before he goes out to find his daughter and will not concede the little girl went near the water.

Told mostly from the first person POV of David Conner, Harry slides into third person POVs, capturing the thoughts of the other characters as they react to the reality of a missing child. David determines early on to find the truth, being unable to accept a drowning. Learning of another family who has lost a similar looking child, he becomes even more obsessed to find Rachel. The journey to discover whether or not she is alive or dead, kidnapped or murdered, sends him back to the shore. His father passes, he is dismissed from the practice, takes on a position at the prison to contact an inmate he suspects of taking his daughter, separates from Joanne at her request, and becomes immersed in revenge.

Facing all kinds of feelings, temptations, and desolations of his soul, he presses on to find out what happened to his daughter. Mixed in with all the past and present failures in his life, he loses himself in unethical conduct and comes near to a complete meltdown.

Salty Like Blood investigates the journey to forgiveness at every level of the human soul while exploring the ugliness of the dark ride into vengeance, hatred, self-centered lifestyles, crippling guilt, and laying blame. Viewed from every angle, it presents a painful picture of human weaknesses.

In light of yesterday’s post regarding “character” in characters, I must admit I could never warm up to Joanne. Something about her aloofness, her seeming lack of understanding for something so basic as David needing to take care of his father, alienated me right from the git-go. When she gave up on the life of her daughter in order to cope, I couldn’t relate. Her actions with another character in the story seemed two-faced and manipulative. And while I could easily grasp how David wanted justice and destruction for the perpetrator of the potential crime against his daughter, at times I failed to find enough empathy with him as a person to totally back his actions.

The main twist toward the end I had figured out but was surprised by the consequence. The less obvious twist proved to be a bit melancholy for me after David’s devotion to his daughter. A solid mystery containing characters I found less than enthralling told in a difficult story with many layers and a partially satisfying conclusion . . .

Father, you know Harry’s heart and his writing gift. You also know he seeks you now for answers as to where you want him to be in this world. There’s a nagging call to return to Kenya, but there is a position here for him, too. Help him and his family to make the decision you desire from them. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.