Book Review: Muskrat Courage

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Muskrat Courage     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Philip Lawson
Class/Genre:   Mystery
St. Martin’s, Jun 2000, $23.95, 288 pp.

Will Keats is an unemployed school counselor, but lives well due to the money he has inherited. Will lives with his significant other Adrienne and her eight-year old daughter Olivia in Tocqueville, Georgia. Will loves Adrienne and seems to care deeply for Olivia. However, he soon learns how much he loves the child too when she is kidnapped. The police are stymied by a lack of clues and no ransom note.

Everyone initially thinks that Adrienne’s former husband Byron committed the act. Byron, who detests Will, has a perfect alibi and passes a lie detector test. Through a few lucky breaks, the police identify and locate the abductor, but find him dead execution style. Olivia remains missing. Acting on an unusual tip from an unlikely source, Will risks his life to go out on his own to rescue his “daughter”.

MUSKRAT COURAGE is a fast paced, moving drama that focuses on the impact a kidnapping has on the remaining family members. The characters are well drawn and likable, making it easy for readers to care what happens to them. As time (and the pages) passes, a growing sense of horror and despair for the safety of Olivia grips the audience. Phillip Lawson tells a superb story that keeps reader interest at the highest levels.

Harriet Klausner

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