Portrait of Vengeance

Title: Portrait of Vengeance

Series: Gwen Marcey #4

Author: Carrie Stuart Parks

Genre: Suspense, Christian Fiction,

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Source: Library

My review:

Wow! What a ride!

I have loved this series. It gives us a fascinating glimpse into what a forensic artist can do. I enjoyed Beth (Gwen's best friend) having a more active role in this story and missed Aynslee (her daughter) being more prominent. Gwen's Great Pyrenees, Winston, is a great addition to this story as well. 

Portrait of Vengeance is the fourth book in the Gwen Marcey series, and I highly recommend reading them in order. This could act as a standalone, but Gwen (and others) refer to things that happened in previous books, especially concerning Gwen's personal life.

I love Gwen! I can appreciate her snark, sass, and oddball sense of humor. I think these traits are part of her coping mechanisms. Gwen has had a series of difficult events happen over the last few years, and her resilience is truly amazing. 

There are many facets to this story. There is fascinating history about the Nez Perce tribe, facts revealed about Gwen's life and the constant search for the murderer/kidnapper. I had a hint of who the bad guy was, but I never saw the twist coming, nor could I have predicted how the story would end. It was incredible.

This appears to be the end of the series, but I am not ready for it to be over. I want to know more about what happens next in Gwen's life. There was a thread left hanging, but sometimes life is that way too.

I highly recommend this book and series to anyone who loves a good suspense novel. I recommend reading the acknowledgments section as well, as it is interesting learning how authors get their ideas for books like this!

★★★★★/5

Synopsis (Goodreads): 

An unsolved case. A tempest of memories. The future’s at stake—and time is running out...

Gwen Marcey has done a good job of keeping the pain of her past boxed up. But as she investigates the case of a missing child in Lapwai, Idaho, details keep surfacing that are eerily similar to her childhood traumas. She doesn’t believe in coincidences. So what’s going on here?

No one knows more about the impact of the past than the Nez Perce people of Lapwai. Gwen finds herself an unwelcome visitor to some, making her investigation even more difficult. The questions keep piling up, but answers are slow in coming—and the clock is ticking for a missing little girl. Meanwhile, her ex-husband back home is threatening to take sole custody of their daughter.

As Gwen’s past and present collide, she’s in a desperate race for the truth. Because only truth will ensure she still has a future.