Portrait of Vengeance by Carrie Stuart Parks (Review)

An unsolved case. A tempest of memories. The future’s at stake—and time is running out…

Gwen Marcey has done a good job of keeping the pain of her past boxed up. But as she investigates the case of a missing child in Lapwai, Idaho, details keep surfacing that are eerily similar to her childhood traumas. She doesn’t believe in coincidences. So what’s going on here?

No one knows more about the impact of the past than the Nez Perce people of Lapwai. Gwen finds herself an unwelcome visitor to some, making her investigation even more difficult. The questions keep piling up, but answers are slow in coming—and the clock is ticking for a missing little girl. Meanwhile, her ex-husband back home is threatening to take sole custody of their daughter.

As Gwen’s past and present collide, she’s in a desperate race for the truth. Because only truth will ensure she still has a future.

Unless you live or have lived in the Pacific Northwest, you probably haven’t heard of or been to the small Idaho towns where Carrie Stuart Parks’ fourth Gwen Marcey novel is set. For those of us who do know or have been to towns such as Lapwai, Orofino, or Kamiah, it’s a pleasant surprise to run across them in a story.

What was even more enjoyable about this story was the mystery around Gwen Marcey’s past. In Portrait of Vengeance, Gwen has a probationary position with a new task force and delves into a case of a double homicide with a missing four-year-old. The similarities to what happened to her were too much coincidence for her to leave alone.

I love this character’s sense of humor, her relationship with her best friend, and the fact she doubts herself where her personal life is concerned. She’s usually got it together professionally but when the personal bleeds into her job, it’s hard for her to keep it together. The behind-the-investigation scenes are interesting and engaging, but it’s Gwen’s journey that made this book an emotional and enjoyable read.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.