Book Review: Reef Dance

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Reef Dance     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
John Decure
Class/Genre:   Mystery
St. Martin’s, Sep 2001, $24.95, 384 pp.

In 1992, J. Shepard is tired of his depressing cases as an attorney for the Los Angeles County Dependency Court Legal project. Each client seems helpless with no hope for the future for himself or herself and their children yet most will do whatever is required of them to keep their children. Still after today’s session with the sovereign of filth, J. looks forward to riding the surf.

However, he is unable to sneak out as planned because he is assigned the media visible case of indigent and ignorant Sue Ellen Randall, who sold her baby. Sue Ellen and her husband want the infant returned, but the foster parents, wealthy with White House connections Corwin and Kitty Danforth refuse to surrender Nathan. J. wants out of the case because it reminds him of his own mother who deserted him thirteen years ago. However, he provides legal services to Sue Ellen. As he digs deeper into the dispute, he begins to believe in the naive innocence of his client.

REEF DANCE is a powerful legal procedural that paints a different perspective on those mothers who sell their children. Readers will feel empathy towards Sue Ellen. However, the Danforths and their attorney are so tundra they are a wipe out, receiving no sympathy. The insight into juvenile dependency courts is breathtaking yet shocking. Readers will enjoy riding the waves with John deCure and hope J. will return in future dramas. However, the audience will feel disappointed that the talented author failed to surf a Saving Isiah type of wave so that the audience would feel genuine empathy towards both parties in the dispute.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner