Beyond Suspicion

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY AUG 19, 2002

Bedford was an established romance writer when she moved into the realm of religious fiction in 2001, with A Rose by the Door. Fans of her chart-topping secular romances will miss the sex, but Christian women seeking characters dealing with real-world problems will enjoy her second inspirational novel. Abby and David Treasure have the perfect marriage they believe it, their nine-year-old son Braden believes it and their close-knit Christian community in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, believes it. But when a dalliance from David's past comes back to haunt him, their faith and the foundations of that marriage are tested. Susan, with whom David had an affair during Abby's pregnancy, appears bearing news of Samantha, the eight-year-old daughter David never knew he had. She's dying of leukemia and needs a bone-marrow donor: David and Braden may offer her only hope of survival. Abby and David battle with their consciences, their God and each other as they seek the right path. The novel's brisk pace is aided by Bedford's straightforward prose, a welcome relief from the flowery language typical of many romance writers. The novel's major flaw is that the characters are rather one-dimensional: their faith is too pat and their emotions, while duly noted, are never experienced fully enough by the reader to allow complete empathy. However, the issues Bedford addresses will ultimately win over inspirational romance readers. Her refusal to shy away from adultery and illegitimacy and her continued eye on God make her book an effective mix of the sacred and the profane.