To Protect the Innocent

Rating:
Summary: Denise's Pieces Reviews
Review: "To Protect The Innocent" is an enthralling look into one person's personal nightmare, a nightmare any parent in the world would dread to face - the disappearance of one's child. Multiple characters and points of view keep this story moving forward at a rapid pace, as does a very well organized story line and plausible dialog.

Dan Forester is a former police detective who has recently changed careers in order to spend more time with his son, Mike. But then Mike suddenly disappears, and unable to deal with the pain of his loss, Dan turns to the bottle. He becomes an alcoholic, but finds new purpose in life after police discover the body of his son. Finally able to overcome his dependence on liquor to get him through his hellish days, Dan goes out . . . posing as a journalist who is writing a book on pedophilia. He becomes a vigilante, meting out justice where he thinks it is due. The thrust of this story, however, is not a black and white issue on pedophilia. It asks the age-old question, is Dan doing what is right by taking the law into his own hands? That is a question each person who reads this riveting story must answer for himself or herself.

Doug Glassman is a pedophile - and this is where author Mills' story takes a unique twist. Part of the tale is told from Glassman's point of view - the guilt he feels, the pain, but also his inability to stop. "To Protect The Innocent" is a fine first book for author Mills, one that offers a look into a sordid and much ignored aspect of modern society.
Denise's Pieces

Rating:
Summary: Denise's Pieces Reviews
Review: "To Protect The Innocent" is an enthralling look into one person's personal nightmare, a nightmare any parent in the world would dread to face - the disappearance of one's child. Multiple characters and points of view keep this story moving forward at a rapid pace, as does a very well organized story line and plausible dialog.

Dan Forester is a former police detective who has recently changed careers in order to spend more time with his son, Mike. But then Mike suddenly disappears, and unable to deal with the pain of his loss, Dan turns to the bottle. He becomes an alcoholic, but finds new purpose in life after police discover the body of his son. Finally able to overcome his dependence on liquor to get him through his hellish days, Dan goes out . . . posing as a journalist who is writing a book on pedophilia. He becomes a vigilante, meting out justice where he thinks it is due. The thrust of this story, however, is not a black and white issue on pedophilia. It asks the age-old question, is Dan doing what is right by taking the law into his own hands? That is a question each person who reads this riveting story must answer for himself or herself.

Doug Glassman is a pedophile - and this is where author Mills' story takes a unique twist. Part of the tale is told from Glassman's point of view - the guilt he feels, the pain, but also his inability to stop. "To Protect The Innocent" is a fine first book for author Mills, one that offers a look into a sordid and much ignored aspect of modern society.
Denise's Pieces

Rating:
Summary: Blether Review
Review: A book to make you think. A book that will stop the heart of any parent. A book about a subject that no one wants to discuss. But it happens. It happened to Dan and Jan Forester. Their son, Mike, was missing. They shared a horror and fear common to parents of missing children and waited fearfully for the phone to ring with the fateful call their son had been found. The heartache they endure will be shared by the reader as each tries to handle their pain. Jan is a nurse and seeks help outside of herself, ending in speaking out about child abuse. While Dan retreats inside himself and seeks to sooth his pain in drink until he too decides to take action and get rid of it. Talented author Mark Locke Mills has tackled a difficult subject and created an interesting, well-written tale that will keep you turning the pages as you follow the lives of two people dealing with a horrid trauma, hoping for an end to their pain. Mr. Mills brings an awareness to the subject of child abuse in many ugly forms and leaves the reader hoping it will one day cease being a reality. Recommended reading for anyone seeking reading material with depth and perception.

Rating:
Summary: Much more than just a "Revenge" thriller
Review: Mills makes a stunning debut in this first novel about pediophilia and murder. I was hooked from the first page, and lost some sleep with this book. Daniel Forester and his wife, Jan, suffer the agonies of the damned when their son, Mike fails to come home after school. When Greg Dawson, as part of the terms of a plea-bargain, leads authorities to Mike's body, and all hope is gone, Dan and Jan each go their own way to fight pediophelia. The moral complexities and issues explored in this thought-provoking story are as real as today's headlines and experienced by many parents and grandparents every day. It's easy to sympathize with Dan in his quest for revenge, disguised as a wish to protect other children. He devises unique punishments for both molesters and sex-traffickers who sell or rent children. Daniel begins to feel a dark cloud hanging over him after each episode. Mike, who was molested and murdered by a pedophile, comes to him in dreams and tries to communicate with Daniel. Dan can't tell what Mike is saying to him, and it's very disturbing, The dreams and the cloud become more intense as Dan carries out his unrelenting mission.

Mills is a master at characterization and the plot is tense and exciting. With a romance thrown in, its a very engrossing read. I guess I saw the ending coming, but that didn't make it have less impact. I'll definitely be watching for more of Mark Locke Mills' work.

Rating:
Summary: Myshelf.com Review
Review: Mills makes a stunning debut in this first novel about pedophilia and murder. I was hooked from the first page, and lost some sleep with this book. Daniel Forester and his wife, Jan, suffer the agonies of the damned when their son, Mike fails to come home after school. When Greg Dawson, as part of the terms of a plea-bargain, leads to authorities to Mike's body, and all hope is gone, Dan and Jan each go their own way to fight pedophilia. The moral complexities and issues explored in this thought-provoking story are as real as today's headlines and experienced by many parents and grandparents everyday. It's easy to sympathize with Dan in his quest for revenge, disguised as a wish to protect other children. He devises unique punishments for both molesters and sex-traffickers who sell or rent children. Daniel begins to feel a dark cloud hanging over him after each episode. Mike, who was molested and murdered by a pedophile, comes to him in dreams and tries to communicate with Daniel. Dan can't tell what Mike is saying to him, and it's very disturbing. The dreams and the cloud become more intense as Dan carries out his unrelenting mission.

Mills is a master at characterization and the plot is tense and exciting. With a romance thrown in, it's a very engrossing read. I guess I saw the ending coming, but that didn't make it have less impact. I'll definitely be watching for more of Mark Locke Mills' work.

Rating:
Summary: Myshelf.com Review
Review: Mills writes a stunning novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Using real-life facts and figures he spins an exciting tale of a father who loses his son to a child molester and goes on a one-man crusade against pedophilia. Throughout the book he wrestles with his conscience over the age-old question of whether the end can ever justify the means and like Kurtz in Conrad's Heart of Darkness he is plagued by the "horror" of his mission. But it is much more than a book about vigilantism. It is an enthralling action/adventure novel full of embracing and insightful information and philosophy. Mills has the courage to explore the heinous and much ignored world of pedophilia and shows us that it is a much more pervasive social problem than most people realize. If you want to be educated and entertained at the same time, To Protect The Innocent is the book for you. But be aware, it is hard to put down and will undoubtedly keep you up nights.

Rating:
Summary: A powerful book and one you will not soon forget!
Review: What does a parent do when their child disappears? Panic sets in. Doubt, worry, fear, frustration, and despair all wreak havoc. Anger might take over, and depression can set in. How does a parent feel when it is discovered that their missing child was sexually abused and murdered? What would you do?
Dan was a cop who left his job to spend more time with his son. He took an investigations desk job in order to work the 9 - 5 shift. He may have made this change in his life just a little too late. When her son Mike disappears, Jan frantically calls Dan for help. His instincts as an ex-cop tell him it is already too late. Jan dives into a deep depression and the strain of the whole tragedy puts their marriage in danger. But really, this danger is just an inkling of what is to come.

Running parallel to this plot is the career of Ross Huggins, an FBI researcher who wants desperately to be doing real fieldwork. He doesn't realize that fieldwork in the crime world of pedophiles is horrendous. Then there is the ongoing story of TV reporter Susan Jensen, who is trying to make her mark in the world be exposing the vile sadness of child rape and profiling pedophiles.

As in life, the plots all merge in the end, and in this case it is all to protect the children, or is it really about revenge? The author has woven the lives of his characters well and the result is a twisted, unique tale that demonstrates an understanding of various human shortfallings and defects, as well as the nicer side of things like marriage, parenting and love. This is a fast paced book that will find you engrossed and tempted to stay up late into the night reading.

"To Protect the Innocent" is a reminder to parents to be mindful of whom their children have contact with. It is also a reminder to us all that while we think our actions and plans are geared to one purpose, we may be fooling ourselves in justifying our feelings. This is a powerful book and one you will not soon forget.