The Negotiator (O'Malley #1)

Dee Henderson kicks off her book The Negotiator with one impression: Try to keep up because everything’s about to go on full-throttle. And, it’s true! Henderson’s book was fast paced and suspenseful, following the hectic life of a hostage negotiator, Kate O’Malley, a young woman with a troubled past who spends her days just trying to survive. This female heroine sees her occupation as more than a job. She sees it as a duty. On call twenty-four hours a day, Kate attempts to balance her job and h

Dee Henderson kicks off her book The Negotiator with one impression: Try to keep up because everything’s about to go on full-throttle. And, it’s true! Henderson’s book was fast paced and suspenseful, following the hectic life of a hostage negotiator, Kate O’Malley, a young woman with a troubled past who spends her days just trying to survive. This female heroine sees her occupation as more than a job. She sees it as a duty. On call twenty-four hours a day, Kate attempts to balance her job and her family life. But what about relationships and murderers? This book entangles thrill and mystery with love and passion, keeping the readers on edge. There are so many reasons why a reader could enjoy this book.

Henderson’s book was fast paced and grips readers until the turn of the last page. It is clear to see that her purpose was to entertain readers and leave a strong impression on them. This purpose was fulfilled, and even after reading the book my mind was reeling. This mystery forces readers to think, and presents enough details for readers to start connecting the dots before even the characters do! The plot of the story was complex and carefully planned out so readers could enjoy seeing how the story developed over time. This story was especially entertaining to read because it was easy to enjoy seeing how the heroine, Kate O’Malley, dealt with the different obstacles that came her way. Henderson also makes this story entertaining because of the details that she gives. She describes things so perfectly that the reader can see everything in their mind. Henderson has readers literally in the palm of her hand.

I found the theme of this book to be very influential. Henderson’s theme is this: Forgive and forget. Kate O’Malley must live by this theme when she comes across two people: Dave Richman, a cop who she begins to fall in love with, And Tony Emerson, a family member from a long forgotten past. As Kate’s story begins to play out, she repetitively says, “I don’t date cops.” This seems to be her sword and shield as she attempts to ward off the wooing from a heart-eyed lover, Dave. Kate suffered from a bad relationship that went horribly wrong when she dated the wrong person years before. Because of her demanding life, Kate couldn’t keep up with her old boyfriend. But when she meets Dave, she starts to see that it’s okay to forget the past and move on with her life. Dave helps her through her troubled past and makes it easier for her to understand that the past is behind her. Kate not only had bad boyfriend relationships, but she had horrible family ones. Abused and orphaned at age nine, she suffered dark times in her childhood that she never forgave. She later meets Tony Emerson, her brother whom she didn’t know she had, who was thrown into the same situation. Kate at first thinks that Tony could end up like her abusive father, but she learns to give him a chance. Meeting her brother helps Kate recover and learn to not be so wary of others anymore.

Henderson uses the style of narration to tell this story, which I believed was perfect for this novel. I found this style to be extremely effective, and it brought this novel to life. Henderson uses third person, which enables readers to see into the minds of various characters and gives insight on what they are thinking. She uses narration to her advantage, and you can see how she does in her writing. Henderson allows readers to step into the minds of Kate and Dave, so readers can see how each character feels about each other. This spins the “love connection” between both the characters and makes the bond between them seem stronger. Narration was also a good style for this book because the complex plot required a chronological order of events to help readers solve the mystery in their minds.

My thoughts on this book? I thought it was great. The plot was well-formed and flowed nicely, the characters were well-developed and convincing, and the style of writing perfectly suited this story. I think that anyone from all ages can enjoy this book! It’s very engaging and suspenseful and has good dialogue. Even other readers can agree. The Library Journal said this about this book: “Solid storytelling, compelling characters. Highly recommended.” Highly recommended is right! I give this book five starts! If you are looking for a good book, choose Dee Henderson’s The Negotiator.