THE GRAY ZONE

Author: Daphna Edwards Ziman

Genre: Suspense, Standalone

Published: 2011

Personal Rating: 4/5 (very good)

Format: Book

Yearly Count:  74

From the ARC:

Kelly Jensen was only six years old when she witnessed her mother's murder, for which her father was wrongfully convicted.  Moved from foster home to foster home, Kelly was exposed to abuse, neglect and human trafficking.  By age fifteen she was a runaway, combining her innate intelligence with street smarts to become a chameleon capable of losing herself in every character she impersonated.  Beautiful and bewitching, Kelly used her talents to become the most notorious identity thief in the country.


 Ruggedly handsome defense attorney Jake Brooks finds the enigmatic Kelly Jensen irresistible despite suspecting her of murdering his best friend from law school.  His obsession leads him to risk his own illustrious career in Los Angeles to see that justice is served.  Kelly finds him addictive.  Together, the two uncover a sordid link among immoral foster care parents, high rollers in Vegas, politicians, and the legal system itself.  Kelly ultimately takes fate into her own hands behind closed doors in the gray zone.

In general, this was a very good read. I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense that was tied to chases and time related deadlines. Those kept me on my toes, and I wanted to keep reading. However, the main character herself didn't maintain my loyalty. For the most part I rooted for her, but there was a big part of me that simply didn't like her. I loved her acting talents, though. She kept the suspense alive. Although, there was one big act that I didn't buy - definitely more like a movie scene, but whatever.

Her lawyer, Jake Brooks, never fully captured my heart either (mainly due to one gratuitous act in the beginning of the book), but he grew on me. His devotion to Kelly was way too sudden and seemed dramatic until I realized that yes, on occasion, we do act that way in real life; although, it's often difficult to swallow in fiction.  Go figure! 

The foster care thread throughout the book was enlightening.  It helped me to be more aware of the pitfalls by showing the darker side to the system.  

About the author:  "Daphna is founder and chairperson of Children Uniting Nations, a charity that provides foster children with devoted, non-paid mentors."






My thanks go to Marissa from Greenleaf Book Group Press for sending me this unsolicited ARC.