Back in Kansas by Debra Salonen

Back in Kansasby Anonymous

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May 01, 2001: Setting: California, Kansas, and New York Claudine St. James was on her way back to Kansas to face some of her childhood demons. She had runaway from home at the age of seventeen to escape a physical and verbally abusive stepfather. Now she is returning ten years later to be sure her younger sister isn't receiving the same treatment from him and put the past behind her so she can move on with her new life. She is a former prostitute that now works part time in her best friend's bookstore and lives at the half way house she started for ex-hookers, One Wish House. Bo Lester is an ex-cop, recovering alcoholic turned private investigator, he is hunting for Claudie who has left town without telling her friends where she was going. Also because his feelings go much deeper than just friendship which all she will accept at this point in her life and even Bo knows that friends don't let friends face demons alone. So with the help of his cousin Matt, an FBI agent, he is hot on Claudie's trail. When Bo catches up with Claudie after she has had an emotional visit with her two estranged brothers, he is worried that she will not allow him to help her face her stepfather. Claudie wasn't smiling when she opened the door at her sister's house to find Bo on the steps, she had never had anyone stand by her during the difficult time, so the feelings she has for Bo are frightening her especially when she realizes how very glad she is to see him. BACK IN KANSAS is a book about two people that have pulled themselves up from the gutter and are making a better life for themselves. Claudie's story is hard to read at times because Ms. Salonen doesn't sugar coat her past life making readers wonder how a woman that had sold her body could ever have a normal physical relationship with a man without her past returning to haunt her. Bo handles her past life like it was where it belonged, in the past. When Claudie would tell him dirty things from her past, Bo would come back with a few of his own ghosts. Both have great friends back in California, readers will remember Ren and Sara Bishop from HIS DADDY'S EYES where both Claudie and Bo were secondary characters. Bo's cousin Matt has his own book coming out this summer, hopefully the other two couples will be making an appearance. Debbie Gilbert