The Savior

by Faye Snowden

Book Overview

A highly successful doctor who managed to escape the mean streets of the ghetto must deal with her past...before it's too late. Brains, ambition and a wealthy benefactor helped Dr. Kendra Hamilton to leave The Pit, the poorest section of Dunhill County, California, for medical school. But when her troubled mother dies of a supposed overdose, Kendra suspects foul play.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0758207492
• ISBN13: 9780758207494
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
• Length: 369 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

A Rousing Read Sure To Please!

Dr. Kendra Hamilton has returned to mend lives in The Pit, Dunhill County's poorest community. When she receives news that her addict mother has died of an overdose, Kendra insists that it was no accident and is forced to seek help from the police, whom she and other residents of The Pit do not trust. Detective Richard T Marvel has it all, a beautiful fiancé, a rising career and plans to place his former life in The Pit completely behind him. Detective Marvel's plans are shattered when the new homicide division he's in charge of is assigned to handle the investigation of Violet Hamilton's death. Kendra and Richard soon discover that a deranged killer is preying on The Pit's less fortunate and must set their differences aside to catch a killer before more souls are lost. The Savior is a skillfully written top notch mystery. Snowden delivers vivid characters, compelling pacing, and riveting surprises. It's a strong study on character driven story telling. The characters are so real, I kept thinking about them long after I finished the last page. A great read!

Mystery Meets Romance

The Savior is a story of three troubled childhood acquaintances, children of drug abusers, who have grown up but are still dealing with baggage from their impoverished and dysfunctional pasts. Suave and debonair, Rich Marvel is now a detective in the newly formed homicide division. He is doing all the "right things" to escape his humble beginning and elevate his social status. He's determined to solidify his position and career by "marrying up," that is, becoming the fiancé of a gorgeous socialite who happens to be the daughter of a local judge. Kendra Hamilton is a dedicated, goodwill physician who operates the free clinic in the worst area of town. She escapes the streets via education when a local philanthropist funded her studies through medical school. When she learns of her mother's death, she immediately suspects foul play and insists that it is investigated as a homicide. Kendra calls upon her benefactor to use his influence to pull strings in City Hall, thereby angering Detective Marvel for going over his head to investigate a seemingly insignificant drug overdose case as a homicide. Tensions rise and memories are relived when the investigation takes Rich back to the old neighborhood that he so desperately wants to escape and forget. When Kendra's suspicions of murder seem valid, a list of suspects is formed. There is no surprise when the neighborhood's biggest drug dealer, Raymond Smalls, is brought in for questioning. However the plot thickens when Raymond is romantically linked to Kendra, romance also blossoms between Rich and Kendra leading to jealousy between Rich and Ray, and a link is established between the victim and cold case files involving the Chief of Police and pregnant, missing, teenaged runaways. The novel was well written with steady pacing. The author handled dialogue well and developed sturdy, but flawed characters with interesting pasts. However, the story seemed a bit elongated, especially when it was obvious (to me) who the culprit was within the first 50 or so pages of the 369 page book. Discovering the culprit's motive was the only impetus for me to keep reading. So the passages following the detective's reasoning skills as he zeroes in on the killer were not that "illuminating" as they should have been. There were aspects that were a bit predictable and overplayed as with the love/hate relationship Rich had with the victim's daughter-turned-suspect, Kendra. Nonetheless, the solid writing along with the handling of the drama and suspense combine to make The Savior a decent offering. Reviewed by Phyllis APOOO BookClub, Nubian Circle Book Club

Great characterizations

The Savior is a mystery/suspense/romance story that involves Dr. Kendra Hamilton, a strong woman whose mother's recent drug-related death has her searching for answers. Because of her mother's demise, Kendra is linked to the ugly parts of a past she's tried to leave behind. She is forced to return to the neighborhood (known as The Pit) in which she was rescued, because examining what is painfully unthinkable will prove to be the key needed to solve the mystery of her mom's death. During the investigation, Kendra butts heads with Richard T. Marvel; engaged to someone else, Rich is good at what he does, but he likes Kendra too, although he tries hard to fight his feelings. As the two of them both come closer to solving the mystery, their fiery relationship proves to be some of the most exciting parts of The Savior. Well-written with great, non-traditional characterizations, The Savior is a satisfying and recommended debut.

The Savior

This is a fantastic book! I don't read a lot of fiction but this was a very easy and fast read. It kept me up late at night just to find out what happened next. If you like mysteries, this is a must read.

Who's killing whom?

There has been a rash of unexplained deaths in The Pit, a drug infested area of Dunhil County, California. Each death is chalked up to a drug overdose, and no one refutes that claim until Violet, the mother of Dr. Kendra Hamilton, turns up dead from an overdose. Kendra refuses to believe her mother overdosed; instead she believes it was murder. Her belief is so strong, it prompts her to call in a few favors to get the local police department to give her mother's death more than the cursory glance it would have normally received. During the course of the investigation, other secrets are revealed which changes the dynamics of everything. Who will be left standing when all the smoke is cleared? Although THE SAVIOR started off a bit slow, it quickly became a captivating read. I often found myself with my mouth agape, because every time I thought I had solved the mystery, another twist was revealed that had me wondering why I didn't figure it out earlier. Whether you're a fan of mystery or not, this is one novel that will keep you up well into the night as you attempt to figure out "whodunit." I'll be keeping my mystery radar on Faye Snowden. She's definitely an author to look out for. Reviewed by Renee Williams of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers