CRY NO MORE by Linda Howard
It seems newspapers and television news reports are full these days of stories about abducted children. Therefore Linda Howard's new novel CRY NO MORE is as timely as the latest headline. This book tells the story of one woman's campaign to help find missing children. In a sense she could be described as a female John Walsh.
Howard's story opens in Mexico where David and Milla are living. They are the proud new parents of a son, Justin. David is working as a doctor and Milla is staying at home with her baby. One day when she goes to the market her baby is forcibly stolen from her. From that moment on her life becomes a mission - to find what happened to her son, and to help find other missing children,
The book now jumps forward several years and focuses on Milla and the organization she has founded to help search for and rescue missing children. She and David have long been divorced though he continues to support her. He has remarried and has a new family; Milla has not.
In order to follow a lead about the man who might have kidnapped Justin, Milla hires James Diaz. He is better known as "the Tracker" and he has a reputation of being thorough and dangerous. Together they begin an adventure that puts them both in peril. But when it comes to possibly finding Justin, Milla has no fear.
This story is thoroughly enjoyable. It has suspense, romance and wonderful characters. It is exciting from page one to the final one, and keeps the reader hanging on every word the author delivers. There is also the intense emotional involvement this story about a kidnapped child and the searching parent creates. You can not be unmoved by this story of a mother's love and determination.
Howard has created a story that will fascinate anyone who picks up her book. Milla and "the tracker" are a dynamic duo who compliment each other's best traits, and cover their worst. You hope they will get romantically involved and yet fear that they will. It is to Howard's credit that she keeps this yes/no element of her story going from beginning to end.
If you have ever been touched by an article or news story about a missing child then you will be touched by CRY NO MORE. It is timely, it is involving, and it is good reading.
CRY NO MORE is published by Ballantine Books. It contains 368 pages and sells for $25.95.