House of Mirrors

by Debbie Boswell

"“You know what has to be done.”
Jenna quickly looked around. Then, in a low voice she asked, “What good
would come from me committing murder?”
Rosa smiled. “Not you. Me.”
Gordonville has a secret.
Jenna Crandall refused to heed her friend Rosa’s repeated advice
even after being a good daughter failed to stop the years of emotional and
physical abuse at the hands of her mother, Bella, the grand dame of the village.
The shy public relations receptionist with an exceptional talent for art wouldn’t
seek retribution. After she meets Dr. Malachi Chase, a sociology professor who
appreciates her value, Jenna’s self-esteem grows, much to the dislike of her mother.
When Bella physically attacks her one evening, Jenna decides it’s time to take
Rosa’s advice after all...."

587 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 8, 2011

About the author

Debbie Boswell was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She’s a tax accountant, has an Enrolled Agent license (E.A.) and is the owner/manager of Crafts by Grace. Debbie is an avid reader especially of mystery and paranormal, loves going for walks and whenever possible getting together with friends. Of course, she’s always thinking of a new story.

Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hjhEl...

Reviews

[Clifford Browder]

If you like stories of families where coldness and cruelty are rampant, fueling in the victim a smoldering desire for revenge, this is the book for you. If you like tension and mystery and suspense, read this book. If you like to be puzzled, shocked, astonished by a story so gripping that you can't put it down, you'll be glad you read House of Mirrors. This is the story of the Crandalls, a family that the town of Gordonville views as tight-knit, happy and loyal, with Bella, the mother, active in church affairs, while her two older daughters, Lauren and Diane, lead successful lives, Lauren as a prosecuting attorney and Diane as a model. The youngest daughter Jenna, whose fortunes we follow, is a mere receptionist and still lives at home, where her mother dominates her, and her sisters mock and disdain her. The one brother Alan, a successful architect, tries to defend Jenna, but wilts before his mother's fierce will, and the estranged father, Julian, drops in only from time to time, unaware of how desperate Jenna's situation is. Jenna's one friend and confident is the mysterious Rosa, whom the mother and sisters want to keep at a distance, but to whom Jenna looks for comfort and advice, including an offer to wreak violent revenge upon Jenna's persecutors. There is a hint of the Cinderella story here, with Jenna victimized by the (inwardly) ugly mother and sisters, until Prince Charming comes in the form of Dr. Malachi Chase, a sociology professor newly arrived in town, who is immediately attracted to Jenna, who returns his feelings. Bella's immediate dislike of Chase is only the beginning of the opposition he will encounter from the family, whose murky secrets he begins to probe. Violence will indeed erupt, bringing detective Chang on the scene, at which point the reader accompanies him in the gradual discovery of the tangled relationships, unsettling horrors, and disturbing secrets of the family. Get into this story a bit, and it will grab you and make you read through one crisis after another, topped by an astonishing discovery that changes everything. Unfortunately, the manuscript was not properly edited, resulting in erratic punctuation, words omitted, occasional garbled phrases, and other infelicities, but the story will keep you turning the pages anyway. A big read, and one you won't soon forget. Debbie Bosworth is a master storyteller, and she has an incredible story to tell. Read it.