When Cain Cannon sees an opportunity to escape his life
behind bars, he doesn't look back and he isn't going to let
anyone stop him. Not even Maggie Ferringer, his hostage,
who's barely more than a bundle of red hair and fear. This
could be the only chance he has to seek justice for the
murder he was wrongly convicted of six years ago. Maggie
just happens to be at the wrong place at the right time. She
is also the perfect hostage; timid, unassuming, and no
trouble. Or so Cain thinks. Neither expected the spark of
desire that could ignite into a love worth fighting for. As
a trained psychologist and marriage counselor, Maggie knows
the symptoms of Stockholm's Syndrome.The longer she's with
Cain, the more convinced she becomes that he's innocent of
the murder of his girlfriend. Together, the two must hunt
down the real killer and prove Cain's innocence. That is if
they can survive the manhunt and Maggie's brothers.
MAGGIE'S MAN was first published in 1997 under Lisa
Gardner's pen name Alicia Scott. It is the first in the
Family Secrets trilogy. The other two delve into the
lives
and secrets of Maggie's brothers, C.J. and Brandon. The
Alicia Scott novels are definitely weighted on the romance
side of the story whereas later Lisa Gardner novels focus on
the suspense plotline. Complex motivations and dark secrets
still remain a trademark Gardner's stories, and MAGGIE'S MAN
in no exception. Here though, it's used to push Maggie and
Cain further apart. I really enjoyed reading MAGGIE'S MAN
not only because of the great romance, but to see how one of
my favorite writers has developed her style over the years.
All the elements of Gardner's stories that I love, like the
dark underbelly of relationships and the complexity of
morality, are in MAGGIE'S MAN as well. It's also fun to see
just how much technology has changed over the years. Written
in a time when payphones could still be found and cellphones
weren't in the hands of most Americans over the age of
twelve, MAGGIE'S MAN is a glimpse into the past that reveals
how technology can be an asset and a hindrance; it all
depends on which side of the law your on!
MAGGIE'S MAN is a lot of fun to read. As a fan of Lisa
Gardner, I loved seeing how her writing style developed and
how the elements that keep me coming back have remained the
same. Her characters are always well-defined and complex
with an edge of darkness around them. Watching them fight
for justice as they find their own inner strength is the
core of her fantastic storytelling.
Three siblings searching for the truth about their
family are about to find more than they bargained for.
When shy and reserved Maggie Ferringer was called for
jury duty, she never expected to be kidnapped by an escaped
convict. But when Cain Cannon, disguised as a prison guard,
pulls a gun, she has no choice but to be taken hostage. Cain
claims that he's innocent of killing his girlfriend six
years ago and now he wants revenge on the people who put him
behind bars.
Soon, Maggie becomes more than just a hostage to Cain.
As they slowly begin to share the secrets of their
respective pasts, Maggie discovers that she wants to fight
for Cain's freedom—because he just might be the kind
of man she could love.