A three year old girl is the only witness after the death of her father and the disappearance of her mother. Dr. Jocelyn Gold finds herself drawn into the case despite her personal misgivings.  Not only is Jocelyn friends with the Leah, the missing mother of Sarah, but she has a past history with FBI agent Sam Pierce. The only clue is Sarah’s frightened reaction to a once-beloved redheaded doll.  With a plethora of redheads potentially involved, can Sam and Jocelyn discover WHAT SARAH SAW?

Margaret Daley is at the top of her game with WHAT SARAH SAW!  The deft character development and skillful build up of the suspense keep the reader on the edge of the seat, anxiously waiting to see what lies ahead.  Please note, however, that WHAT SARAH SAW is the first book of the continuity series, Without a Trace, and thus there are details and mysteries that left unresolved for future books.  Don’t think that WHAT SARAH SAW isn’t a complete story, however, as Margaret Daley ensures readers will delve deeply into the faith, fears, and hopes of her hero and heroine.

The issues of guilt and forgiveness are prominent themes throughout WHAT SARAH SAW.  I found it particularly interesting the way she weaves Jocelyn and Sam’s dedication to doing their jobs in with the overall themes.  The fear of failure and the anguish they both feel over a past death is one that haunts many counselors and law enforcement personnel and Ms. Daley does an excellent job at conveying those emotions.  More importantly, she intertwines how their faith in God helps with the overall healing process and enables them to do their sometimes very difficult jobs.  As a social worker, I find this to be both uplifting and realistic and am very impressed at Margaret Daley’s sensitivity and insight into these issues.

WHAT SARAH SAW is an impressive start to what looks to be a riveting series.  Margaret Daley provides a careful balance of suspense, romance, and inspiration to produce a thought-provoking and uplifting tale of hope in the midst of sorrow.  Beautiful, simply beautiful!

Publisher:  Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense (January 2009)
Series: Without a Trace