The Obsession

Jackie Austin Mysteries #1

by Dawn Brotherton

At first, Jackie Austin tried ignoring the phone calls in the dead of the night. Fresh out of Air Force missile training and no stranger to harassment, she shrugged them off as a prank. But when the calls didn't stop, unsigned love letters started arriving, and things in her house seemed out of place, Jackie started to worry. Were the men on base playing a trick on her or did they not realize that she wasn't interested? And just how far would this harasser go?

In the neighboring town of Sedalia, a more ominous situation was brewing. Yet another young, single woman had been mysteriously killed in an ongoing series of grim murders. With the police on alert but without any leads, it was only a matter of time before the killer found his next victim.

Could Jackie be his next target?

286 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2010

About the author

Dawn Brotherton is an award-winning author and featured speaker at writing and publishing seminars. When it comes to exceptional writing, she draws on her experience as a colonel retired from the US Air Force as well as a softball coach. Her variety of interests has led to a variety of genres including mystery, romance, middle grade and nonfiction. Her next book will involve quilting, one of her most recent hobbies.

Dawn and her husband have wisely invested in their daughters’ college educations, hoping the girls will pick out a nice retirement home for them someday.

Keep in touch with Dawn via the web:
Website: https://www.dawnbrothertonauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DawnBrothert...
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dawnbrother...

Reviews

[Military Writers Society of America (MWSA)]

MWSA Review

Someone is making calls in the dead of night to Jackie’s phone, but not speaking. Someone is writing her poems, with no signature. Someone is opening doors and moving objects around in the house while she is gone, but nothing stolen, and there’s no sign of a break-in. Dawn Brotherton’s The Obsession will keep you guessing the stalker’s identity, and your supposition will probably be wrong.

Jackie Austin’s life was going reasonably well. She finished up her missile training and was assigned her first duty station at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. Her only regret was that her boyfriend was assigned elsewhere, and the long-distance romance was not working out. Against her domineering father’s wishes, she purchased her first house—one hundred years old, with repairs to match its age. Between the renovation projects and her job as a missile officer, she does not need this additional stress. Against this backdrop, there have been several violent murders across the state, and the local police departments have no clues in these cases.

Out of the blue, Jackie is given a one-year assignment to Osan Air Base in Korea as an A-10 squadron section commander. Considering all that had happened in Missouri, she welcomes the break. Life with fighter pilots proved to be an adventure with some rewarding outcomes.

A follow-on assignment to Langley Air Force Base has her bumping into old acquaintances from Whiteman and making new friends. Then the calls begin again. Jackie knows she must confront the tormentor once and for all—if she can figure out who it is.

The Obsession is a fast-moving read with some rather interesting twists and turns.

Review by Sandi Cathcart (March 2020)

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

You guys already know- I met Dawn Brotherton at the market awhile back. I read the cozy mystery series first (which is an ongoing series). I really enjoyed that. This series is based on Dawn’s time in the Air Force.

This first book:

Jackie Austin begins in Missouri and moves to Korea and then to Virginia on back to back assignments. In each location, weird things occur. Random hang up phone calls. Breaking in. Even a few murders. What is happening and why is it following her?

I quite literally could not put this book down. I put another book down to pick this one up because I couldn’t stop thinking about it after talking to Dawn. The stalking pieces of this book are all completely true. She was stalked during her time in the Air Force. The relationships or Air Force background is also true as Dawn was a proud member of the Air Force-one of the first female launch officers on a coed crew for Minuteman II. The murders and the rest of the story is completely fiction but it was so fun. Not too military that a non military person got lost. I really really enjoyed this book. I could see how someone would say it became slightly slow but really not because the chapters are short and we were onto the next “adventure” quickly. I cannot wait to pick up the next one.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met Dawn Brotherton while staying in The Williamsburg Plantation Resort. She was signing her new book. Having retired from the military, her books were based on the character Jackie Austin, who was in the military. A crime story was written around Jackie's time in the military. Facts based on military life and the crime were very interesting. I really enjoyed the story. Looking forward to more of her novels.

[Julius Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book at the library off the free rack, so I took a chance. I can tell you I finished the book. So, that tells me I was at least engaged. I'd like to give this 2.5 stars, but I will round up. It's a quick read, and it did have an interesting conclusion. It jumped around a bit, especially at the end because there was no indication Jackie had law enforcement backing her up, but it was an ok read.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was good. Writing very simple, not great but it’s a very quick read

[Jade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book via a first reads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to read this book when I read the blurb. But it didn't really do anything for me. The plot was neither here not there, I felt nothing for the characters and couldn't really get into it. I wanted to enjoy this story, it just was a bit ... meh.

[Ian Wooder]

This book was great. The book is 212 pages and I just couldn't put it down.

I found the book so entrancing that I read it all in one day.

I found myself pulling for Jackie and worried if anything was going to happen to her. I kept trying to guess who the perpetrator was.

I look forward to reading more books by Dawn Brothertown.