Tree Huggers

by: Judy Nichols

Published by: Zumaya Publications

Reviewed by Stephanie Boyd

Kate Dennison, divorcee and mother of a seven-year-old daughter living in an idyllic southern town, is starting back in the work force for the first time in fifteen years. She has taken a job as a local reporter for the weekly town paper. The first day of Kate’s new job a local mansion is burned to the ground with two people inside, and an environmental terror group is suspected of the arson.

As Kate works to report the news, she is suddenly thrust into the controversy. Someone is threatening Kate, and it appears they don’t want her to report the news. Is a job worth risking her health and the well-being of her family? To complicate matters more, her old boyfriend is back in the picture–the man she thought was too afraid of commitment before. Has Bryan changed and why has he turned up now? Is he somehow involved with this mess?

Tree Huggers starts off with the horror of the mansion being burned down with two men inside, and the action and suspense builds from there. Kate is a great character. She is independent, intelligent, insightful, caring, and idealistic. Throughout the story Kate battles against what others want her to do and what she feels is the right thing to do. The story is filled out with an array of interesting secondary characters, which add depth to the tale. The primary conflict in the story is between what is a healthy concern for the environment and what is a harmful obsession. It is clear from the tale that without a balance, decent people are harmed. But the end of the story also contains an unexpected twist!

Armchair Interviews says: This is a good read for anyone who loves a fine thriller, doesn’t mind an environmental agenda, and enjoys suspense with a quality twist at the end.