“Prey for the Wicked A novel By Sheila Peele-Miller
Sheila Peele-Miller is a storyteller. “Prey for the Wicked” proves it. Janeen, the protagonist, mourns the death of her mother throughout the novel causing her to lose control of your life.
She meets Sheriff Sergeant Adam Sinclair and thinks she’s in love giving him her all. But Adam is not her hero. He has problems as well.
Janeen and Adam’s fire slowly dims.
With no one to turn to in her needs, she gets involved with heavy drugs, alcohol, and worthless men. Finding no satisfaction there, she attempts suicide, twice.
And as if the devil decides to punish Janeen even further, she learns while recovering from an accident during a horseback ride that she is pregnant. She immediately knows it’s Adam’s baby. He denies it, panicking at the thought, telling her to have an abortion, even arranges it. She steadfastly refuses and brings a child into their confused and dismal world.
Janeen tries to clean up her life and take care of her child. Both of Baby Justin’s parents love him much. Someone kidnaps Baby Justin. Their distrust of each other becomes clear when Janeen and Adam accuse each other of killing the child. Sheriff Adam threatens to kill her, telling her to get out of town. She has no doubt that he can kill her and leaves.
Janeen, with nowhere to lay her head, ends up in a fleabag motel in another state, and heads for the nearest liquor store. Again, she gets involved with a worthless critter willing to provide her with drugs and abuses her in the worse way.
As if a gift from heaven, Collette befriends her and tells her the truth about her life. She warns that she must face her problems that drugs, men, and attempt suicides will result in a bad ending to her life.
But there’s more, much more to this novel. Adam comes back into Janeen’s life. Just when you think Janeen and Adam are about to solve their problems, Sheila Peele-Miller writes yet another bizarre twist to the story. I can’t tell you what. You must read this story!
In my humble opinion, the novel could have done without some of the unnecessary words and scenes. Still, it is a good story. I consider it Sheila’s trademark brand personalities, which I’ve learned from reading three of her novels -- “Painted Picture,” “Daylight Coming,” and now “Prey for the Wicked.” My mind tells me a sequel is coming!
I can squeeze out four stars for “Prey for the Wicked.”
Minnie Estelle Miller
Author of “Whispers from the Mirror”
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