Discovering Normal

Discovering Normal begins with an action-packed flashback that tosses readers into a roller-coaster ride of a story. Cynthia Henry’s tale has it all - betrayal, revenge, passion, pain and greed all wrapped in a heartbreakingly poignant love story.

Beth’s marriage is a crumbling mess, and even the training that she’s received as a Special Agent for the government can’t stop it from spiraling out of her control. Her husband Chris, also a former Special Agent, can’t figure out what has happened to them; they were once so in love, so in sync and had so utterly completed each other. They were the heroes of the Agency at one time and now even that has fallen apart, leaving them with only the memories of glories long past. Beth takes their kids and leaves, hoping for a new start in a different state.

Then Chris turns up missing, seemingly dead by his own hand; Beth’s every instinct tells her not to believe that what she sees is true. The evil that nearly destroyed Beth’s life is now back for another try at claiming her, this time for keeps. She must come out of retirement, and change from a dependable Minivan Mom into a butt-kicking Super Agent. Can she emerge unscathed and reclaim her life before all is lost?

I loved this story. It has every element necessary for a blockbuster of a read, and Cynthia Henry crafts Discovering Normal with much skill. The cola-drinking villain in this piece is a portrait of true evil; the kind of evil that crushes and obliterates everything in its path, wrecking and mangling lives without a backward glance. Beth and Chris are well-written and likeable, authentic and layered. Kudos to Cynthia Henry on an excellent page-turner!

Reviewed by: Michelle