The Nyack Villager's Book Talk

Rockland County author, Laura Marie Henion, may just be the next queen of
suspense.
Ms. Henion, a mother of three, writes fast paced romance-mysteries and
has cranked out 3 books in 18 months. Cop's Daughter: The Series-Victoria,
is the third one to hit Pickwick's shelves this 2006-2007-winter season.
All Henion's characters lead edgy, steamy lives and Victoria is no exception.

The book has a shotgun start with Victoria struggling to escape from an
abductor. The heroine is a journalist whose investigative style drives her to
find the killer of her father, police detective Danny Mardullo. Victoria is as fearless
as the men in her life. Her family is populated with police officers, firemen and
marines. Being a young woman doesn't stand in her way of seeing justice served,
even if it means going undercover to romance a man that the FBI suspects of
other crimes.

I found the plot held surprises with homicide detective, Tod Kafrey, who carries
more than a torch for Victoria. I also enjoyed reading about Victoria's family gatherings
replete with quirky relatives.
Cop's Daughter entertains with an exciting but believable plot. Laura Marie Henion packs
a one-two punch on the pages of her newest book. 
 

Reviewed by Zok Knighton for Sensual Reads & Reviews

Reviewed by Dr. Tami Brady for TCM Reviews

Victoria Mardullo wasn’t looking for a relationship. She was still a little love shy from her
last romantic experience. Everyone (including Victoria) had always assumed that Victoria
and Steven Soranno were meant to get married, have a family, and live happily ever after.
But when Steven went on one of his secret missions, everything changed. For months,
no one heard anything about Steven. No one was really sure if he were dead or alive.
Eventually, Victoria had to come to grips with the fact that either Steven was dead or
he just didn’t want anything to do with her.

Victoria had decided to focus on her career, writing for Search and Seizure Magazine.
At the moment, she was working on two particularly important projects: examining
police corruption and finding her father’s killer. As luck would have it, her explorations
would take her right to the killer, into harm’s way, and to the love of her life.

As I started reading the few chapters of Cop’s Daughter: Victoria, I began getting
a little snippy and sarcastic. In my mind, I started a checking list: here’s the love
interest, here’s the killer, and at the end such and such will happen. Then, the
author started to surprise me. I wasn’t so smart after all. Moreover, once these
unexpected events began, I found myself unable to put down the text until I found
out exactly who was who and what would happen at the end of the story.

Reviewed by Astraea for Enchanted Ramblings - 5 Wand Rating

Reviewed by Astraea

Victoria would do anything to find the person that killed her father. As the body count
grows and more suspects appear, is she in over her head or will her undercover
investigation lead her to the truth?This story started out slowly and a little confusing
because the author uses multiple points of view and it took a while for me to care for
the characters. Once the backstory was out of the way and Victoria's investigation gets
under way with full force the action and suspense had me riveted. Even though I had my
suspicions Ms. Henion's multiple points of view and the way the story unfolded kept me
guessing until the very end.

Reviewed by Elise Lyn for Ecataromance - 5 Star Rating

5 Star Rating: "very rare, extraordinary read"

Victoria Mardullo has suffered the past year with the loss of her father, who was
murdered, and the loss of her boyfriend, who went to fight for the Marines and
disappeared. Trying to pick up the pieces, she has two men who desire her - Tod
Kafrey, the officer investigating her father's murder and Bret Collins, a local, not too
scrupulous, businessman. Her family is full of police, fire fighters and military and they
are all not happy with her choice of Bret for a date. They are even more unhappy
when her boyfriend Steven Soranno reappears back from the military and Victoria
refuses to return to him. Well aware that she is not acting normal, her family is
suspicious and knows they must do something for her. Victoria is nothing if not
stubborn and she is determined to find who murdered her father. No one, including her
family and her returned boyfriend, will get in her way, especially now that there appears
to be information coming to light which would smear her father's reputation.

Victoria is the perfect heroine. Strong, capable and determined, she will do whatever is
necessary to bring her father's murderer to justice. She has a warm, loving family if a bit
controlling seeing as most of her family are also members of the police department, fire
fighters or military. In spite of this, she was able to do what she needed to do. Steve's
re-entry into her life was a surprise and both handled it well. Steve's reasons for no
contact were made clear as the story progressed. The conclusion was quite suspenseful
and was not something you would have guessed. From the intriguing beginning to the
nail bitting end, Cop's Daughter: Victoria was fast paced and suspenseful.
This is Ms. Henion's second book and I know I for one will run out and get the next one
right away.
Laura Marie Henion is one to add to you auto buy list.

Reviewed by Elise Lyn for Ecataromance

Reviewed by Beth Ellen McKenzie for MyShelf.com

Cop’s Daughter: Victoria, is the first in a series about women who are, like the author,
the daughters of policemen. In this first dramatic entry, Victoria Mardullo is facing not
only a memorial for her father, Danny, marking a year after his death in the line of
duty, but also the loss of her fiancé in the dunes of the Iraq War. She knows that
the local police force has not given up the search for Danny’s murderer, but she also
is realistic when it comes to over-burdened detectives chasing down a crime that is
a year old. She sets out on her own, using resources made available to her as the
daughter of a town’s beloved family and the skills she has honed as an investigative
reporter.

I enjoyed this book for several reasons. The big ones are that the mystery is very
well crafted and the interpersonal relationships within the Mardullo family. I
suspected the bad guy about mid-way in, but didn’t really believe he did it until he
revealed himself at the end. It kept me guessing, and wasn’t a last-page,
butler-in-the-closet solution either. In almost every big family there is an
incarnation of the characters of Aunt Jane, Uncle Patrick, Brother Peter and
Momma Sherry. Victoria’s responses to each are founded on respect and courtesy,
but personalized by her individualism and grief.

Keeping secrets in an extended family is not the easiest thing to do, and neither is
dating somebody who is not readily accepted by them. Victoria alienates everybody
she loves doing both helping the federal authorities solve her father’s murder and
restore the Mardullo family well-being.

Reviewed by Beth Ellen McKenzie MyShelf.com

Reviewed by Vi Janaway for Romance Reviews Today

River Point and Creek Valley, New York - Present Day

Victoria Mardullo is a writer for the magazine Search and Seizure so she knows
something about researching criminal cases.

Tory's uncle, Patrick Malley, is a police sergeant; her brother Peter is a SWAT
team member, and her brother James is in the Army, stationed in Iraq. And she has
cousins . . . Connor and Brian are also on the police force; Tom is a firefighter, and
Andy is a sheriff. Tory is surrounded by civic-minded relatives, and each is
determined to be her guardian.

Tory's father Danny, the cop she loved best, is dead, and his murder has yet to be
solved. His loss and the mysterious unsolved disappearance of Steven Soranno, the
man she still loves, have made her put up barriers and concentrate on her career.

Detective Tod Kafrey is the investigator of record regarding her father's case. He
would very much like to give aid and comfort to Tory. So would Bret Collins, a Town
Board member who aspires to be Town Supervisor. He is an older man with a poor
political track record, and his fear that his shady dealings will be discovered always
nags at him. With someone like Victoria at his side, he would be much closer to
achieving his goals.

Victoria agrees to help Federal officials gather information that would bring positive
 proof of Collins's illegal activities. There is also the chance that he might know more
about her father's killing, although he is not the prime suspect. Much to her own
distaste and her family's chagrin, Victoria begins dating him. It is not just her brother,
uncle, and cousins who are against her seeing the politician. Detective Kafrey is furious.
Only her mother seems to trust that Victoria knows what she is doing. Because of the
secrecy imposed on her, she cannot tell anyone in the family her reasons for seeing
Collins and she has left herself open to danger. To further complicate matters,
Steven suddenly reappears with secrets of his own, throwing her heart and head
into a tailspin.

Laura Marie Henion manages her stage with smooth finesse. The town of River Point
is alive, peopled with fully developed characters. There are several other dead
 bodies along the way, and the action builds to a crisis so relentlessly one can
almost hear the background music. Everything with the plot works, and the identity
of the killer was certainly unexpected. Fix a glass of ice tea and enjoy. I very much
recommend VICTORIA.

Reviewed by Vi Janaway for Romance Reviews Today
 

Reviewed by Annick for Euro-Reviews

Cop's Daughter: Victoria is a story with a high dosis of suspense in it, a
woman is so overwhelmed with pain and grief that she can't accept what
has happened and tries to handle it in her own way, only her way is extremely
dangerous. And difficult, especially when she finds out who probably killed her
father, the only way to get to him is to seduce him. Laura Marie Henion has
written a book with a high quality level, if you like a good mystery book with
plenty of suspense, stop looking any further, you have found one!

Reviewed by Annick for Euro-Reviews



Reviewed by Jayne for Fallen Angels - 5 Angels Rating!  


 

Rating: 5 Angels

Victoria is dealing with the murder of her father. As a detective, Victoria’s father
was found slain nearly a year ago. Dealing with his death is hard enough, knowing
the killer is still out there is even worse. Victoria has had it with waiting and starts
looking into it herself.

Playing with fire, she is caught in the middle of an investigation. She must risk
hurting her family and those she loves to capture a killer. Murders are piling up
and the killer has just set his eyes on the next victim.

With more twists than a corkscrew, Laura Marie Henion will leave you guessing
until the thrilling conclusion. The intensity of Cop’s Daughter: Victoria makes this
a novel that is difficult to put down. Beware, some may find it difficult to sleep until
this story is completed.

Emotions are easily felt in this gripping read. Characters are brought to life with
such clarity, that it is difficult not to feel as if you know them. Such an ability is
a signature of a truly talented author.

In itself, the storyline presented is rich in detail and is delivered at an effortless pace.
Stopping points are not included for this tale. Overall Cop’s Daughter: Victoria is a
welcome addition to any keepers shelf.

Reviewed by Jayne for Fallen Angels

ENCHANTED REVIEWS 4 1/2 ENCHANTMENTS

If it is suspense you crave, this is the book for you. Rarely have I been kept on the edge of my
seat from such gripping tension and anticipation. Not to mention the sizzling tension and raw
attraction between Grace and Max that simply simmers off the pages. Ms. Henion knows her
craft. She creates a captivating world, and her descriptions will allow the readers to close
 their eyes and connect immediately with her vividly portrayed settings. The twists and
turns in this one sure make it a page-turner.

Zee
Enchanting Reviews



ECATAROMANCE REVIEWS

Reviewer: Debby Guyette 5 STARS

Laura Marie Henion does an excellent job of pulling the reader into this multilayered story where the final
resolution holds nothing but surprises. She realistically portrays Max and Grace, delineating the many
motives that push cops to succeed. Cop’s Daughter: Grace will appeal to readers on many levels
with a high degree of conflict, danger and passion. Laura Marie Henion will keep you immersed
in the pages of another fine story by this talented author.
Be sure and add Cop’s Daughter: Grace to your list. You will not be disappointed.