Unresolved Conflicts

A Harriett Markham-Jessie Raynes Case File #2

by Brenda Adcock

*The long awaited sequel to Redress of Grievances* Thomas Wolfe “You can’t go home again,” and most of us know that, but it doesn’t mean wanting to recapture just one good memory about our family isn’t powerful enough to draw us back over and over again. Harriett Markham and her lover, Jess Raines have finally settled into a comfortable relationship together following a harrowing and disturbing case when their peaceful life is interrupted by a plea from a high school friend of Harriett’s, who has been arrested for the murder of a fellow teacher. Their investigation drags them both into a past they’d rather forget and forces them to acknowledge their seemingly perfect life might not be quite so perfect to the rest of their family. Every family has secrets they’d prefer to not share, even with the people they love most. A trip to Harriett’s home town re-opens old wounds for both Harriett and Jess that will either force their families together again or rip them apart forever.

Genres: Lesbian

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2018

About the author

Originally from the Appalachian region of Eastern Tennessee, Brenda now lives in Central Texas, near Austin. She began writing in junior high school where she wrote an admittedly hokey western serial to entertain her friends. Completing her graduate studies in Eastern European history in 1971, she worked as a graphic artist, a public relations specialist for the military and a display advertising specialist until she finally had to admit that her mother might have been right and earned her teaching certification. For the last twenty-plus years she has taught world history and political science.

Brenda and her partner, Cheryl, have four grown children and three grandchildren. Rounding out their home are three temperamental cats and two dogs.

When she is not writing Brenda creates stained glass and shoots pool at her favorite bar. She is looking forward to retirement in 2013 and a move back to Knoxville, Tennesse, and her roots.

Reviews

[J H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completely different from the first book in the series

Book two had much more romance and erotica than book one. Harriet went back to her hometown to defend a close friend from school. It also happened to be near Jess' hometown, who were rivals to Harriet's school. There were family conflicts for both women that had needed to be resolved for over a decade.

There were occasional parts that were overly descriptive. There were also a few confusing internal conflicts, as well as questionable "facts." The relationship took front and center as opposed to the cases/investigations in book one. This novel's investigation didn't seem completely thorough, and there's no real explanation of how the trial was terminated. However, the MCs got their HEA ending.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a long time for this sequel to Redress of Grievances to appear. I don’t know if there will be another, but I certainly hope so. This is another complex well-written mystery seen through the eyes of a defense attorney who is a friend of the accused woman. This time Harriet and Jess are in Harriet’s home town, which is not far from where Jess grew up, so they both know people and have relatives in the area. While this revolves around a murder case, a lot of the book addresses the family issues that come up when a member of the family or small community is lesbian (or gay). Adcock skillfully blended the two story lines into a thoughtful novel.

[susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

💓

It really was hard to put the book down and go to bed. I wanted to know what happened next! Relatable struggles, feelings, and life choices. I definitely recommend this book