Rose Pry

The book begins when 2 children (Reggie and Jazz) are kidnapped from their Hippie camp in 1972 and taken to a cult worship compound in the Kentucky mountains. Here, the children are thrown in with several other kids - many who were also kidnapped (it appears the cult members thought they were "saving" these children from lives of sin). The 2 main characters are held here for the next 4 years and subjected to abuse in many forms. One of their tormentors escapes just before the compound is raided and this is the thread the story takes up many years later.

10 years in the future finds these kids have grown up and made friends with at least one influential person (Gillian, an author of detective novels). Unbeknownst to Jazz, Reggie has met other Enclave survivors and between them, they have realized that a now prominent evangelist may be the tormentor who escaped years before. Through a coordinated effort, the women involved plot revenge. As Reggie leaves town under suspicious circumstances, Gillian becomes concerned. Gillian then contacts Jazz and also hires a private detective to help (Rachel) find Reggie.

Gillian, Jazz, and Rachel then follow a breadcrumb trail to find Reggie and her friends in time to help her - all of them suffering personal harm along the way - but putting their lives on the line for their friends.

I won't give away the ending, but I really enjoyed this book. I want to take a few lines to mention that this is classified as 'lesbian' literature. While this is true, the personal relationship(s) are not too developed. As a 'straight' reader, I kind of found the minimal 'sex' in the book nearly irrelevant. Almost as if the author was asked to add it by her editor. But it was tastefully written. It was nice to see characters who were a good fit get together and honestly, I would have liked to hear how the new budding relationship(s) turned out. What I'm trying to say is that if you read literature in this category for the sex scenes...this one is much more plot oriented. If you are worried that reading a book in this category may be a "turn off" (because you are 'straight') please don't be concerned, instead - read The Venus Vendetta!… (mere)