Jacob's Ear, Colorado - the Present

After serving time at Tanner County Jail for her part in Joe Hadley's death many years ago, Ivy Griffith is ready to move on with her life with her parents and son, and try to forget all the failures of her past. She is sure of Elam and Carolyn Griffith's love and that of her son, but what about forgiveness and forgetfulness from the rest of the town? Ivy knows that will probably have to be earned, and she is not sure that she can.

She is offered a job at Three Peaks Christian Camp and Conference Center located on land owned by her father, and she is determined to prove herself. Brandon Jones is willing to give her a chance, and his wife, Kelsey, is a friend to her.

Ivy's son, Montana, is very happy to have his mother back. They have their own cabin within the campgrounds. But not everyone is glad to have her back. Her brother, Rusty, certainly isn't and makes no bones about how he feels about her return during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Brandon hires two men from the My Brother's Keeper organization to refurbish cabins currently not in use at the Camp. Don Furman and Rue Kessler have made their own mistakes in the past and are also looking to prove themselves. Ivy and Rue begin a tentative relationship, and he and Montana get along very well.

But there is trouble in the town. Deke and Roscoe, two elderly men who are well liked by everybody, are severely beaten. Jewel Sadler, who runs the best cafe in Jacob's Ear is also beaten. The next elderly victim is not so fortunate. Both she and her nurse-companion are murdered. Every man who has recently come to town is suspect. That includes Rue. Tension and fear cast a pall on the sleepy town covered in snow and Christmas displays.

Sheriff Flint Carter, Lieutenant Bobby Knolls, Jake Compton, Luke Draper, FBI Special Agent Nick Sanchez, and Investigator Buck Lowry add to the richness of this well-told story. An exceptionally wonderful surprise and an exceedingly unpleasant one that no one could have imagined come to light.

NEVER LOOK BACK is about forgiveness, and discovery. It is also about loving oneself enough to forget the past and accept hope for the future. The book puts its money where its mouth is and treats the situations realistically, allowing the gamut of human emotions to play out. Will suspicion outweigh trust? Kathy Herman knows people. She has such a way of letting her characters express themselves without losing the central idea of the story, which is that you can go home again, that a person can use a second chance to make a good life and be a credit to the community. I was moved to tears in places. NEVER LOOK BACK is a treasure and I very much recommend it.

Vi Janaway