Driving to a singing gig, Raina Stewart spots a police officer who seems to be in trouble and decides to involve herself—barely surviving the encounter. Badly injured, she manages to drive the officer to the nearest hospital and promptly passes out. When she wakes up, her memory is fuzzy, and the local police (especially Sergeant Channion Scott, who is assigned to protect her) view Raina as a hero. As the investigation proceeds, however, two things become clear: Raina has disrupted a dangerous gang of gun runners who intend to punish her for her actions, and she and Detective Scott have a crackling romantic attraction.

Raina is a vivid presence throughout THE WITNESS, filled with urgency from the very first page. Author Jordan Standridge does a very good job of convincing the reader that this woman is the sort who would instinctively intervene to save someone’s life. Her recovery from her injuries and developing relationship with Channion as he strives to protect her both emotionally and physically are compelling and authentic.

The sense of danger as Raina slowly recovers her memories and the police close in on the criminals is convincing, but the pacing in THE WITNESS is problematic. The investigation fades into the background for long stretches as Raina and Channion deepen their relationship. This gives the story an unbalanced feeling as it moves from ominous revelations and acts of violence to playful flirting and emotionally charged conversations.

Raina is depicted very clearly as a character. Hers is a charming and fun point of view to follow, but she comes close to being a bit too perfect. Everyone in the story is instantly charmed by her, and everything she does is regarded as noble and brave. Her characterization would benefit from a few flaws, which tend to underscore someone’s attractive qualities. There’s also an odd detail: her ability to sense deer and police nearby, which remains an undeveloped (and distracting) curiosity instead of a meaningful character trait or plot device.

However, THE WITNESS is still buoyed by its core character relationship. Channion and Raina’s burgeoning romance set against the backdrop of danger is consistently interesting and engaging.

Sporting a spirited and vividly portrayed main character and a satisfying romantic angle, Jordan Standridge’s THE WITNESS suffers from some pacing issues that derail the tension.

~ Jeff Somers for IndieReader