Raina is a complex character who nearly gives up her life to save a police officer she sees on the road. We see the personal side of police officers, who have to confront violence and dysfunction in our communities.  They are often portrayed negatively by many. There are some wonderful multi-layered police officers in the novel whose families are introduced, whose problems we see and whose trauma we feel. To balance, there are some who are misogynists and definitely not role models.  

 

Jordan commented on her portrayal of the police, “I did try to tear back that film covering people's minds and eyes with a few conversations throughout the book and by showing them with their families, their wives, their kids, their histories. They have good days and bad days. They see more evil and violence in a month than most people see in their lifetime…. What they go through does affect them.…I have always wanted my books to be more than just fluff. I not only want to entertain but educate. The least I can do is offer different perspectives to my readers on any given number of subjects.”

 

The reality of the many scenes in police stations and hospitals is due to Jordan’s expert research and well-narrated experience. You feel as if you are in the extremes of emotions that the characters go through. Jordan especially is able to show trauma--its stages, its rippling effects on the individual and those they know and love, the intensity and long-lasting consequences. 

 

One heartwarming way Jordan has Raina deal with trauma is her interactions with her horses, “her kids.”  It is well-known that animals can comfort people; both dogs and horses are used in therapy. A horse lover and former owner, Jordan told me, “The bond between humans and horses can be incredibly tight. Her horses recognize and love her as much as she does them.”

 

Raina’s comfort from her horses reflects Jordan’s own feelings in her novels.  “Animals, horses included, are gifts to us…. Animals have the ability to allow us to be ourselves and not be judged for not being perfect. They simply accept us as we are.”

 

In addition to the tightly wound suspense that captures readers’ attention is the slow-building romance that threads through the plot. The romance is connected to the extremes of behavior seen by the main characters— terrible cruelty and depravity contrasted with bravery at the highest level. We see characters come together because of their connection to the story’s crimes and their eventual solution. “Not everyone can be brave, but everyone should stand up for what is good and right. Evil grows when no one stops it.” This is true in Jordan’s novel and in our world.

 

There is no shortage of bravery in The Witness' heartwarming and heartbreaking scenes. I loved reading every scene in this novel and can’t wait to read Jordan’s other novels.

 

Raina and her bodyguard cop Channion both love grilled cheese, which they call Cheese Toasties, a British word in origin.  I have upgraded the usual American Cheese slapped on white bread to a delicious treat with fabulous cheese and great bread. An all American meal, traditionally paired with the classic tomato soup and a crisp green salad.