Barritt once again delivers strong, well-developed characters who find themselves working together under seemingly impossible circumstances, keeping -- and strengthening -- their faith, and coming through the trial stronger than before.
Synopsis: Mallory Baldwin is a survivor. A former victim of human trafficking, she’s been given a second chance, yet not a night goes by that she doesn’t remember being a slave to weapons dealer Dante Torres. Despite being afraid of the dark and wary of strangers, Mallory is trying to rebuild her life by turning her tragedy into redemption.
To former Navy SEAL Tennyson Walker, Mallory seems nothing like the shattered woman he rescued two years ago, and he can’t help but be inspired by her strength and resilience. So when a stalker suddenly makes Mallory vulnerable once again, Tennyson steps up as her bodyguard to keep her safe.
Mallory and Tennyson’s mutual attraction can’t be ignored, but neither can Mallory’s suspicion that Tennyson is keeping a terrible secret about her past. As the nightmare closes in, it’s not only Mallory and Tennyson’s love that comes under fire but their very lives as well. Will their faith sustain them? Or will the darkness win once and for all?
Barritt opens Distorted with the rescue of Mallory Baldwin and then reintroduces her to the reader after a two-year period during which time Mallory has been healing and reclaiming her life. Throughout Distorted, Barritt writes a convincing story of a woman who refuses to live in fear but who also deals with continuing effects of the trauma of having once been the victim of human trafficking. "Through the grace of God, I'm a victor not a victim!" is Mallory's watchword.
As with any story that features a mystery, I played armchair detective and tried to figure out who the bad guy really is. There are a couple of red herrings thrown in that will surely have the reader guessing that a person is involved in stalking Mallory, at the very least, only to find that they guessed wrong. Highly recommended!
Rating: 5 Stars
