As a police officer in Table Rock, Oregon, Leah Radcliff puts her life on the line to help others every day. But at home, Leah’s battling her own personal nightmare: Brad, her abusive husband, a fellow officer, celebrated hero, and beloved son of a powerful prominent family. Brad’s violent outbursts and suspicious activities have left Leah physically and emotionally scarred, until one desperate action to put a stop to his abuse results in deadly consequences.
Though public opinion seems ready to convict Leah, Officer Clint Tanner is one of the few to believe she acted in self-defense. As he works with Leah’s attorney to produce the evidence they need, new truths about Brad’s dark side come to light—and reveal a deep-rooted problem in Table Rock. There are some who have breached their sworn duty to serve and protect . . . and they’ll do anything to keep their secret safe.
My Thoughts
Within a few pages, I was completely enthralled in this title. Breach of Honor feels like it was plucked from some of the most popular headlines of local news stories. The corruption runs deep and to the top. But as always, God prevails! I could easily feel myself sinking into the book as Janice Cantore creates an incredible cast of characters that you begin to feel all of their emotions.
Leah's journey is difficult and not without challenging times, but she is surrounded by a few that help keep her circling the idea of building a relationship with God again. Clint is a very strong ally for her, even putting his own life at risk. Such a devotion to the life he's given to God to use.
I couldn't put this book down. It is easy to follow the police procedural aspects without feeling overwhelmed. Such a wonderful lesson in forgiveness and doing right -- even when it is "wrong" in today's world. Justice through God always wins!
I received a copy for reviewing via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
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Q + A with Janice Cantore
Often, I find myself diving into a book without much thought to how the story became a written piece of art. But by the end of a good novel, I am curious about how the idea developed for an author. I'm excited to share insight from this heart-gripping, emotionally-provoking novel from Janice Cantore!
How do you expect Breach of Honor to resonate with your readers?
In bringing attention to domestic abuse, I hope readers will recognize that it can happen to anyone. The abused are never at fault. I would hope that anyone in an abusive relationship would get out. I hope they would realize that there are resources available to them. But they need to ask for help.
What are you most excited for your readers to experience through reading this novel?
Leah’s rebirth, her rededication to her faith. God is in everything in this life, the good and the bad. For the believer, He works ALL things out for good.
Breach of Honor delves into serious, complicated issues like domestic abuse, wrongful prison sentences, and the obstruction of justice. Can you share some of the real-life experience and research that went into crafting the plot of this novel?
In the late 80s and early 90s, if the abused party did not want to prosecute, there was nothing we could do. Sometimes, to try and defuse the issue, we would arrest the aggressor knowing they would be released the next day if the abused party dropped charges. A lot of women felt trapped; the man was often the breadwinner, and they knew that if he went to jail, they would be on the streets, so they put up with abuse. And if the man was the one being abused, there was shame involved; he would not admit being abused.
Thankfully, the law changed. Sometime in the mid 90s it became possible for the state to be the victim. We could take the primary aggressor to jail whether the abused party wanted the person arrested or not. This took emotion out of it; the concern was making certain that the abuse stopped and the victim was protected. Shelters sprang up for victims, and more resources became available. There was also a lot more education available for first responders to help recognize all forms of abuse, to better equip them to help victims. In the past, women stayed in abusive relationships because they felt there was no way out. Now, there is a lot more help available for women to get out and for abusers to be prosecuted.
As far as people wrongfully convicted of crimes, it’s difficult to find a hard answer to that. Estimates range from 2.3 percent to 6 percent of all convictions. There is no way to know for certain. The use of DNA has been a big help in that area. The sad fact is, when it is proven that someone was wrongfully convicted, it’s generally because of government misconduct. As far as Brad and Leah, their story was drawn by me just asking what-if questions over and over. Sadly, it’s plausible something like that could happen.
What role does faith play in the story?
Ultimately, the story is Leah’s faith journey. She ran away from God when she married Brad. But God never moved. He never lets believers run far. Coming back to faith sustained Leah when she was sent to prison. She realized early on that she would not survive her sentence with nothing to look forward to. Her father’s message that he would always pray for her reignited a faith she’d been running away from.
About the Author
Janice Cantore is a retired Long Beach police officer who now writes suspense novels to keep readers engrossed and leave them inspired. Her twenty-two years of experience on the force lend authenticity to her stories. She has penned twelve novels: the Line of Duty series, the Cold Case Justice series, the Pacific Coast Justice series, Critical Pursuit, Visible Threat, and Breach of Honor.
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