Free of Malice

Laura Holland was home alone with her husband Chris away for work – it had never bothered her before but the uneasy sensation she was feeling at bedtime was enough to cause her to slide the flimsy lock at her bedroom door for the first time since they had been living there. The crashing noise of the door opening startled her to wakefulness – her terror at a stranger in the darkness was completely overwhelming. Though she managed to fight him off, her injuries and the recurring nightmares wouldn’t leave her. The effect it was having on her life and their marriage was such that it eventually moved Laura to see a psychologist for help…

Laura was a journalist and the thought was strong within her to write about her experience, but in a hypothetical way – she wanted to find out what would happen to her if she had shot and killed her attacker. She sought the help of criminal defence lawyer Thomas Bennett, who worked in the same building as her therapist. As the story came together, Laura couldn’t lose the feeling that something was wrong. Was she just overly paranoid or was she really in danger? And would the fact that she purchased a gun against the express wishes of her husband help her – or make things a whole lot worse?

Free of Malice by Liz Lazarus is a gripping and intense psychological thriller that had me racing to the end, unable to put it down. A fascinating plot with the inclusion of the hypothetical court scenario, I enjoyed the intrigue very much. Highly recommended.

With thanks to the author via NetGalley for this copy to read in exchange for my honest review.

Free of Malice by Liz Lazarus is a debut thriller that is intriguing and hard to put down. Written in the first person; the storyteller’s feelings and fears are very much front and center and play into all of our fears as women at one time or another in our lives.
Laura Holland is a freelance journalist attacked in her home, at night while her husband is away on business. The would-be rapist retreats as Laura screams and fights, but he tells her he will be back. Laura, at the urging of her husband, tries therapy and then turns her experience into work, writing about what would happen if she had killed her attacker with the help of criminal defense attorney, Thomas Bennett. As the two work together, Laura still has the feeling of being watched and threatened. All the men are suspect until the climax, which was a surprise.
I feel Laura was very realistically portrayed and the other characters were well developed. All the legal ramifications were intriguing to learn and show facts can be spun differently by the prosecution and defense in a court of law. Definitely an author to watch.
Thank you to the author, Liz Lazarus and Net Galley for the free ARC of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

A nightmare......a gripping, suffocating nightmare that presses your bones into the bed and silences the escalating scream in the halls of your throat.

This is the nightly visitor that frequents the mind of Laura Holland. Laura was attacked in her home in the middle of the night by a man who attempted to rape her. Although his ugly intent was not fulfilled, he spat out the words: "You win for now, but don't you forget Sweet Sam."

Laura's husband, Chris, returns from his trip to find his wife shaken to the core. No amount of reassurance on his part can calm her. He suggests that Laura seeks counseling to finally break free of the vicious nightmares and the internal trauma of the attack. In addition, Laura visits an attorney to investigate her rights as a victim of attempted rape. As a journalist, Laura sets out to use her skills to write a hypothetical legal case in regard to the attack.

Now here's where this book separates itself from the many, many others that involve rape/attempted rape. As a human entity, whether a female soul, male soul, or another soul: how truly "safe" are you after an encounter such as this? What are your impressions of your legal rights? What means can you choose to "protect" yourself within the law?

Liz Lazarus has wrapped her arms around this dilemma and won't let go. This is such a smart read with Liz' artistic talent of implementing her main character of Laura to unravel the threads of copious complications. Nothing can be side-stepped. This is real life happening before us through Laura. The horrifying realization of a return visit from the rapist is a reality that haunts and immobilizes the victim. Or does it?

I applaud Liz Lazarus in her debut book and know that we will all be looking forward to what this talented author will present in her next offering. Bravo, Liz!

Your home is your castle, a place to lock the horrors of the world outside and feel safe but how do you ever feel safe again after the illusion is destroyed? Laura Holland is home alone while her husband is working away, it happens quite regular and it hasn't ever been a problem, that is until one night in bed she feels someone is watching her and a fight for her life takes place. When the man with dark skin escapes he leaves her with a terrifying promise, Sam will be back!

Wow! This is a tremendous debut novel by Liz Lazarus. The story is tense and she creates an electrifying atmosphere to keep you on the edge of your seat while you read. I became quite paranoid about every new character in the book that slightly resembled her sketchy description from her ordeal.

The inclusion of the psychiatrist notes were an excellent addition but most of all I loved the way the author weaved how the laws in America view the different ways a person can defend themselves in their own home. This was brilliant. I was totally engrossed. The research that must of gone into this is epic. To say this is a debut novel is just unbelievable, it is excellent, but at the end of the book Liz Lazarus states this novel is based loosely on events in her life, totally breathtaking!

I wish to thank Liz Lazarus for inviting me to read her novel through Netgalley and Mitchell Cove Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

"But if you had shot him, you would be dealing with a lot more than you are today," she replied. "If you killed or even wounded him, there could have other ramifications, don't you think?" It would have been self defense. He attacked me, remember?" "Yes, I know, and I'm not a legal expert, but I believe if you had shot him when he was leaving, you couldn't claim self defense."......

Based on real life experiences of the author, this psychological legal suspense takes place in Atlanta. Journalist Laura Holland is attacked and terrorized in her home. Although she survives the attempted rape she is traumatized. She seeks the help of a therapist who uses a P.T.S.D. therapy to help her. Something new; called E.D.M.R., (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). She does so only at her husband's insistence. Laura has the loving support of Chris in fighting the demons haunting her.

The attackers last words were he'd return. Will he? Will Laura remember enough about that night to help the police catch her attacker? Or will someone close to her be suspect? Was it a stranger after all? She suspects any man who resembles her attacker. But is her memory something to be trusted?

Laura tries from a journalist view to see what would have happened if she had been able to shoot her attacker that night. Would it have been self defense? Maybe not. Laura's therapist, Barbara, also lends a hand with trying to help her piece these questions together, in addition to the therapy. With the help of an attorney, Thomas Bennett, Laura is attempting to put everything together. Where it goes will surprise you. Thomas helps her step by step as if she'd shot her attacker and what might have happened to her. Laura is writing this because she figures that others are just as in the dark as she has been. Thomas resembles her attacker. She suspects him from their first meeting.Could it be that easy? Is it Thomas?

Haunting, scary, and traumatizing to think that this was a parallel true story to an incident in the authors life. There is a fine line between self defense and crossing over a line to illegal. Where is that line? So many suspenseful situations that could have gone so many ways. Kept me guessing until the end. I felt that this was a good indication of what could happen to you if you made that choice to fight back, but who wouldn't try? I read this book in one day because it was so enthralling. I wanted to know who did it! It was a fast paced story line, well written characters. Great ending. I prefer loose ends to be tied up when a book ends. I was certainly not disappointed.

Thank you Netgalley and Mitchell Cove Publishing and Liz Lazarus.

4.5 stars!

“Well-researched” is the term that comes to mind when I reflect on Free of Malice. While reading, I learned much about legal, mental health professional, and law enforcement approaches to assault and self-defense. Interestingly enough, the thriller explores vicitms’ rights and where those rights intersect and/or conflict with an attacker’s rights—and those of any innocent bystanders. As one character expressly communicates, the issue isn’t as cut and dried as one might think. And it’s certainly not like what’s represented on procedural TV shows.

From start to finish, Free of Malice impressed me. Its plot wasn’t quite what I expected from a book of this genre. As such, the premise felt very unique: more intellectual and methodical than action-packed. Frankly, I relished the change of pace; both content and theme gave me a lot to think about.

Conflict and tension are at an all-time high in Free of Malice as everyone becomes a suspect. Add in a likeable, smart main character and probing questions that keep readers turning pages, and the result is a well-rounded novel with real staying power.

So, if you’re in the mood for a thoughtful read with the “whodunit” factor, be sure to put this one on your TBR!

This was a very original premise for a suspense novel. The main character, journalist Laura Holland is home alone while her husband is away on business. Asleep in bed she is woken suddenly by her bolted bedroom door being shattered open to reveal a huge shadow of a man standing there. Although he attacks her viciously Laura is able to scream and fight him off and he flees but chillingly promises to be back one day. Unable to cope with the nightmares and fear of being alone that comes after the attack Laura starts to see a psychotherapist but she also wonders whether she should buy a gun for protection. As a journalist she wonders what the legal ramifications would have been if she had had a gun and shot her attacker and decides this would be a good article to write for a magazine. She enlists the help of Thomas, a criminal lawyer to help walk her through all the steps involved in the US court system in a hypothetical arrest and trial of a woman shooting an attacker as he flees the scene.

The author states that this novel is based on a similar attack on her and she has does a lot of research to find out about how to buy and fire a gun and on the possible outcomes of a trial where a jury must decide if the attacked victim was using the gun in self defence or revenge. She writes very well and her characters are complex and interesting. She really makes us understand how terrifying it was for Laura to go through the trauma of the attack and the ongoing fear and nightmares that she suffered afterwards. Although not strictly a thriller, the end is very suspenseful and works well as a climax to the novel. All in all this is a very assured debut novel and I hope the author will write many more.