Book Review: My Lost Daughter by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg

releases 9/14/2010

My Lost Daughter
by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg
ISBN:  978-0765319036
Pages:  448 pages
Publisher:  Forge Books
Genre:  Mystery/Thriller
Source:  PR by the Book
Rating: 5 out of 5 Quills

Synopsis:

Following her success with The Cheater, Nancy Taylor Rosenberg returns to her most memorable character, Lily Forrester. Lily is a tough judge in Ventura County, California, who has overcome adversity and heartache to achieve a position of power to help those who can’t help themselves.  Like the current case before her, the sensational murder trial of a woman who tortured and killed her beautiful two-year old son. Lily is determined to see justice done but she’s thrown for a loop when she receives word that her own daughter, Shana, months away from graduating from Stanford Law School, is on the verge of dropping out.  Lily rushes north and what she discovers causes her to fear for her daughter’s mental state.  She must get back to the trial and decides that she will take Shana to a facility where they can evaluate her and if needed give her some counseling or medication.  

Which is when things go horribly awry.  For the institution that Lily has chosen is far less interested in treating patients than it is with bilking the insurance companies out of extravagant fees…and they are less than scrupulous about patient’s rights.  Discovering the awful truth, Lily will have to summon all her intelligence and street smarts to find a way to free Shana.  She will have to work fast however, for there is someone at the facility who seems to have his own agenda separate from the institution. And Lily’s daughter may not only be in danger of  losing her sanity but her life.

There is an area of the court system that has always terrified me - the determination of sanity...I think it is the absolute loss of any control over your own care & well-being that is so scary to me and if you have someone who is misusing power in order to have someone committed to a mental ward against his or her will then that is truly terrifying! I realize there are many times and situations that call for it, but be prepared to be scared out of your wits in My Lost Daughter when Judge Lily Forrester inadvertently leaves her daughter at a mental hospital thinking Shana has checked herself in.  Reality is - the hospital is keeping Shana against her will....why?

What ensues will leave you breathless and potentially without nails because they'll all have been bitten off!

I have to admit when offered the opportunity to read and review Ms Rosenberg's latest Judge Lily Forrester novel, I jumped at the chance. I was a bit nervous going into the book because it has been awhile since I've been in this series.  I thought I might be lost or behind. Ms. Rosenberg did something I wish more authors of a long-running series would do ~ she provided brief flashbacks.  So even if you've never read a Judge Forrester book, you could still pick this one up and read it as a stand-alone novel without losing the personalities of the characters.

Things I loved about My Lost Daughter ~

• The fully-developed characters;
• Flawed relationship between Lily & her daughter, Shana;
• Ahh, the diabolical murderer! Talk about dysfunctional!
• The flashbacks - not too few & not too many;
• Shana grows up....does this mean we will see more Shana books or Lily? hmm???

My Lost Daughter is the first book for my Peril the First Challenge and it's a perfect way to begin the haunted, scary season!

I would like to thank PR by the Book and Forge Publishers for providing me with 3 gorgeous hard-bound copies to giveaway. Please complete the form below if you'd like to be considered for one of the giveaway copies.  With the help of random.org, I will select 3 winners on 9/30/2010.