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The Witness #1
The Witness
A crime/suspense novel with a difference--traveling from trauma to recovery from the point of view of the victim.
No one expected Jennifer Jeffries to survive the physical and emotional trauma she experienced -- not the doctors, not the London serial killer who chose her for his seventh victim, not the Scotland Yard detective who desperately needed her to testify against her attacker. No one expected this young, petite Texas to overcome her fears -- not her witness protection team nor the tough ex-special-forces sergeant in charge of them. And no one expected her character and courage to blossom -- not the defense barristers who sought to discredit her testimony and not even Jenny herself, who had to battle pain and panic to rediscover hope and love.
No one expected Jennifer Jeffries to survive the physical and emotional trauma she experienced -- not the doctors, not the London serial killer who chose her for his seventh victim, not the Scotland Yard detective who desperately needed her to testify against her attacker. No one expected this young, petite Texas to overcome her fears -- not her witness protection team nor the tough ex-special-forces sergeant in charge of them. And no one expected her character and courage to blossom -- not the defense barristers who sought to discredit her testimony and not even Jenny herself, who had to battle pain and panic to rediscover hope and love.
- GenresFiction
491 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
1 person is currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Naomi Kryske
4 books4 followers Two flags best describe Naomi Kryske: the Lone Star flag of Texas, where she was born, and the Union Jack of Great Britain, where her work came to fruition. And she feels equally comfortable with both.
Naomi Kryske lived just outside incorporated Houston while growing up, in a neighborhood where people felt no need to lock their doors and there was room for a stable (with a four-legged occupant!) in the back yard. Following her graduation from Rice University, she worked for a time in the advertising industry. (Her major, political science, equipped her to be a good citizen but didn't lead to career employment.)
Following her marriage, she lived in Dallas, raised two sons, attended operatic performances, and covered the inside of the kitchen cabinet doors with Italian vocabulary words and phrases. She read while waiting in the carpool line. She propped a novel in the cookbook holder to read while stirring soup. She devoured biographies, literary fiction, mysteries, poetry, and anything else well written, including issues of The New Yorker. In the middle of the night, she wrote chapters for spy novels.
Remarriage made her a Navy wife and stepmother and exposed her to the periodic moves that are the blessing and the bane of military families. Her husband, Larry's, final posting was as Commanding Officer of Naval Station Pascagoula, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. During their twelve years there, they shared the anxiety of other Coast residents during hurricane season, evacuating several times in advance of the arrival of forecasted storms.
So many Gulf Coast residents evacuated before Hurricane Ivan, in September, 2004, that the vehicles on the highways appeared to merge into one long brightly-colored and multi-wheeled stationary conveyance. Because the road meandered through primarily rural areas, radio channels held nothing but static. Imagination kept Naomi sane, and when she arrived in Dallas after more than twenty hours behind the wheel (a drive of less than eight hours on a normal day), she had the beginnings of a charming, traditional British detective story to record, complete with Scotland Yard detectives and Crown prosecutors.
Hurricane Katrina, in August, 2005, changed everything. The devastation was widespread, with entire communities obliterated and her home flooded, torn, and unlivable. Her shock, despair, and traumatic stress gave her insight into what the victim in her detective story would suffer. Hence her detective story and psychological trauma married, creating an intense crime/suspense novel with a twist: attention would be paid, not only to the procedures followed by police, but also to the emotional and physical struggles the victim of violence would encounter. Clues for real recovery would be revealed as the story unfolded.
Thus was born The Witness, the first of a series of novels set in London, involving the Metropolitan Police, and exploring the themes of trauma and recovery. Research trips happily necessitated traveling to London repeatedly, where she met with active and retired officers from the Metropolitan Police Service, questioned a Crown Prosecution Service solicitor about the judicial process, witnessed several Crown Court trials, absorbed London's sights and sounds, and accustomed her ear to the cadence of the Queen's English.
Following each journey, she returned to north Texas, where she and her husband became permanent residents. They are now members of Spring Valley United Methodist Church. Naomi sings in the Chancel Choir and is an active Stephen Minister. She shares her home with two cats, Big Ben and Clemmie, and a rabbit, the only Bentley she will ever own.
Naomi Kryske lived just outside incorporated Houston while growing up, in a neighborhood where people felt no need to lock their doors and there was room for a stable (with a four-legged occupant!) in the back yard. Following her graduation from Rice University, she worked for a time in the advertising industry. (Her major, political science, equipped her to be a good citizen but didn't lead to career employment.)
Following her marriage, she lived in Dallas, raised two sons, attended operatic performances, and covered the inside of the kitchen cabinet doors with Italian vocabulary words and phrases. She read while waiting in the carpool line. She propped a novel in the cookbook holder to read while stirring soup. She devoured biographies, literary fiction, mysteries, poetry, and anything else well written, including issues of The New Yorker. In the middle of the night, she wrote chapters for spy novels.
Remarriage made her a Navy wife and stepmother and exposed her to the periodic moves that are the blessing and the bane of military families. Her husband, Larry's, final posting was as Commanding Officer of Naval Station Pascagoula, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. During their twelve years there, they shared the anxiety of other Coast residents during hurricane season, evacuating several times in advance of the arrival of forecasted storms.
So many Gulf Coast residents evacuated before Hurricane Ivan, in September, 2004, that the vehicles on the highways appeared to merge into one long brightly-colored and multi-wheeled stationary conveyance. Because the road meandered through primarily rural areas, radio channels held nothing but static. Imagination kept Naomi sane, and when she arrived in Dallas after more than twenty hours behind the wheel (a drive of less than eight hours on a normal day), she had the beginnings of a charming, traditional British detective story to record, complete with Scotland Yard detectives and Crown prosecutors.
Hurricane Katrina, in August, 2005, changed everything. The devastation was widespread, with entire communities obliterated and her home flooded, torn, and unlivable. Her shock, despair, and traumatic stress gave her insight into what the victim in her detective story would suffer. Hence her detective story and psychological trauma married, creating an intense crime/suspense novel with a twist: attention would be paid, not only to the procedures followed by police, but also to the emotional and physical struggles the victim of violence would encounter. Clues for real recovery would be revealed as the story unfolded.
Thus was born The Witness, the first of a series of novels set in London, involving the Metropolitan Police, and exploring the themes of trauma and recovery. Research trips happily necessitated traveling to London repeatedly, where she met with active and retired officers from the Metropolitan Police Service, questioned a Crown Prosecution Service solicitor about the judicial process, witnessed several Crown Court trials, absorbed London's sights and sounds, and accustomed her ear to the cadence of the Queen's English.
Following each journey, she returned to north Texas, where she and her husband became permanent residents. They are now members of Spring Valley United Methodist Church. Naomi sings in the Chancel Choir and is an active Stephen Minister. She shares her home with two cats, Big Ben and Clemmie, and a rabbit, the only Bentley she will ever own.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 28, 2013
I have read every version of the 63 drafts of this novel. I am so proud of my wife's book. I think others will be similarly moved.
January 6, 2013
Nothing like starting 2013 out with a BANG! I loved this book--it was brilliant!
The characters we're meaningful, relatable and the storyline intense.
I'm always grateful for authors like Kryske who really explore both the psychological and physical side of the protagonists trauma. I loved being witness to Jenny's continual character development through out the book. The book was descriptive, but no overly so, and supporting characters were well written. Nothing was sugar coated or wrapped in a nice box with a shinny ribbon. It was brutal, sad, it made me angry, it made me laugh, I felt dispair and helplessness, but I also felt triumph and love.
This book has inspired me to make my 2013 reading year more meaningful. To find those books that aren't just scratch the surface reads, but ones with more meat and potatoes ;) like 'The Witness.'
I was pleased to learn that "The Witness' is just the beginning, 'The Mission' and 'The Hostage' will be rounding out this amazing series in the future--and I will be anxiously awaiting to exercise my Amazon account!
The characters we're meaningful, relatable and the storyline intense.
I'm always grateful for authors like Kryske who really explore both the psychological and physical side of the protagonists trauma. I loved being witness to Jenny's continual character development through out the book. The book was descriptive, but no overly so, and supporting characters were well written. Nothing was sugar coated or wrapped in a nice box with a shinny ribbon. It was brutal, sad, it made me angry, it made me laugh, I felt dispair and helplessness, but I also felt triumph and love.
This book has inspired me to make my 2013 reading year more meaningful. To find those books that aren't just scratch the surface reads, but ones with more meat and potatoes ;) like 'The Witness.'
I was pleased to learn that "The Witness' is just the beginning, 'The Mission' and 'The Hostage' will be rounding out this amazing series in the future--and I will be anxiously awaiting to exercise my Amazon account!
May 25, 2013
By Mark H. Kelly
Jasper, TN
One of the true treasures of the digital age is uncovering little known and extremely talented novelists on author and e-book websites. Such is the case of Naomi Kryske and her triumphant legal drama, “The Witness.”
Searching for a new read, I saw the title, opened the link and was instantly hooked.
Backed by vast research, readers are drawn into the world of American graduate student, Jenny Jeffries, who suffers a near-fatal abduction and rape in London. Physical and emotional trauma become the norm for the young woman who must replay the details of the crime to the police and legal community, while remaining in hiding as the suspect, with his social standing and wealth, is an omnipresent adversary worthy of Dickens, Conan Doyle and Charles Palliser’s, “The Quincunx.”
Leading and coaxing Jenny from her fragile existence is Detective Chef Inspector Colin Sinclair, a hyper-experienced and kind soul, who balances the requirements of his profession with the knowledge that his victim’s psyche is fragile beyond comprehension.
With rare acumen for character development, pacing and plot twists, Kryske’s “The Witness” is an instant classic. I can’t wait to read her other works, “The Mission,” and “The Hostage.”
Jasper, TN
One of the true treasures of the digital age is uncovering little known and extremely talented novelists on author and e-book websites. Such is the case of Naomi Kryske and her triumphant legal drama, “The Witness.”
Searching for a new read, I saw the title, opened the link and was instantly hooked.
Backed by vast research, readers are drawn into the world of American graduate student, Jenny Jeffries, who suffers a near-fatal abduction and rape in London. Physical and emotional trauma become the norm for the young woman who must replay the details of the crime to the police and legal community, while remaining in hiding as the suspect, with his social standing and wealth, is an omnipresent adversary worthy of Dickens, Conan Doyle and Charles Palliser’s, “The Quincunx.”
Leading and coaxing Jenny from her fragile existence is Detective Chef Inspector Colin Sinclair, a hyper-experienced and kind soul, who balances the requirements of his profession with the knowledge that his victim’s psyche is fragile beyond comprehension.
With rare acumen for character development, pacing and plot twists, Kryske’s “The Witness” is an instant classic. I can’t wait to read her other works, “The Mission,” and “The Hostage.”
February 14, 2014
Had to put this one on "hold" in order to keep up with other books, but now that I've finished it, I'm anxious for her next book! I knew I liked the book when I first started it, and when I was finally able to get back to it, it didn't take me long to finish it ... Very engaging book with a little Christian spin toward the end, which I loved but was not expecting! :)
September 17, 2012
Loved this book!!
July 4, 2023
This was a great read!! I actually sing in church choir with the author, and I’ve always known her writing and storytelling to be top notch when she’s done narrations for services. This knocked it out of the park with a great balance between the point of views from the victim (or the witness, I should say!) and the policemen taking care of her. The growth of the main character from the beginning of the story to the very end was outstanding; I love a strong, resilient female protagonist! Her vulnerability really stood out to me as well. Amazing job, Naomi! ❤️
October 14, 2020
There are some great high points in the narrative but I found the long in-between laboured. A lot of the book felt like a counsellor or Psychologist's commentary. It went some way to develop characters but i didn't find most of it that engaging. A few very exciting moments and twists, just to get apart for my attention span.
The characters were realistically flawed but it felt a little sit-comish at the end when the book's key themes were pulled together.
The characters were realistically flawed but it felt a little sit-comish at the end when the book's key themes were pulled together.
January 15, 2019
Way Too Long
This is a novel that should have been cut in half. There are many scenes that don't move the plot forward. The novel is not about reality, but some other world where only good things happen. It is a book guaranteed to put a reader to sleep.
This is a novel that should have been cut in half. There are many scenes that don't move the plot forward. The novel is not about reality, but some other world where only good things happen. It is a book guaranteed to put a reader to sleep.
December 24, 2016
Good book! The story was compelling and the characters were interesting and well written. I debated between 3 stars and 4, and ultimately went with 3 because of a few reasons. The story needed to wrap up sooner and it felt the author didn't quite know how to end it and did it kind of oddly. The story after the main part ended could have been wrapped up in less than 300 pages. I felt the story of Jenny after the trail wasn't as well planned or thought out and unless the story continues in the authors next book thins will not be finished.
Overall a good book and would recommend
Overall a good book and would recommend
August 10, 2013
Rather slow and redundant finally had to put it down after the trial book went from fair suspense to average romance
July 27, 2014
Had a good story, but 600+ pages, drags.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews