THE CAMERA’S EYE by Judith Kirscht – Mystery, Family Saga, Pacific Northwest

A peaceful home in the San Juan Islands turns perilous when two women are persecuted by residents who have plenty to hide when The Camera’s Eye is turned on them. Master storyteller Judith Kirscht presents a thrilling mystery with heart, ripe for today’s environment and rich for readers.

Veronica and Charlotte considered themselves unlikely targets of hate crimes, after all, who wouldn’t like two nice white-haired ladies who share a home for economy and company on an island in Washington’s Puget Sound? Both women have tragic family histories which they thought they’d left behind, but trouble never really lies quietly for long.

Veronica has the gift of capturing the truth with her constant companion, Constance, her beloved Nikon camera. When she captures an uncomfortable truth in their new neighborhood, the eye of persecution turns and focuses on her and Charlotte. In The Camera’s Eye, the reader comes face to face with how perception encourages action, and how action can either heal or destroy.

From the beginning scene, Veronica and Charlotte are in jeopardy as a rock is thrown through their window in the middle of the night. Who would do such a thing? With pasts that cultivated their own sets of demons, the friends have their own ideas, and the field is rife with possibilities. However, when the local law enforcement shows up and suggests that their lifestyle is to blame for the attack, the women go on the defense and start their own investigation as to who and why they have suddenly become targets.

This story is not to be confused with a cozy. Kirscht opens the story with violence and forces the reader to examine the many results of hard decisions made with the best intentions, and question philosophies based on the letter of the law rather than on love. It’s a mystery, certainly, but with an unrelenting grip and careful sleuthing that feels more sinister as the plot unfolds.

Rich with superb dialogue and beautifully penned scenes, The Camera’s Eye is typical of Kirscht’s style and readers will be hard-pressed to set this book down. As one event leads to another escalating event, our characters wits and wills are tested as they struggle to make sense of the violent hatred surrounding them and the blatant disregard for their well-being at the hands of the authorities who are supposed to protect them.

A Chicago native and multi-award-winning author, Judith Kirscht makes her home on an island in the Puget Sound in Washington state where she spends her time taking her dogs for walks, discussing dinner plans with friends, and penning her next literary masterpiece. The Camera’s Eye is Kirscht’s fifth novel.

“In a world where too many rocks are thrown at those who represent anything other than the norm in middle-class white America, two friends decide to take matters into their own hands and stand up to the hatred with which they are targeted in order to save their home and ultimately their lives. Hot off the shelf from the literary award-winning author, Judith Kirscht, The Camera’s Eye will challenge the reader to focus on what they believe and how their beliefs inform their actions. A very important book for our times.”