Downfall by Terri Blackstock

The Covington Family can’t seem to catch a break from the bad guys!

In Downfall the Covington’s have moved to Atlanta so that Barbara and Kent can be near each other to explore their feelings for each other. Barbara also was hoping that getting away from their old home would help Emily in her recovery. Unfortunately trouble seems to follow this family wherever they go.

First a bomb is planted under Emily’s car. On the same day a woman is murdered whom Emily knows. Putting the pieces together Emily realizes that a conversation she overheard at work may be unfolding. In a race to save another woman’s life Emily inadvertently sets herself up as a prime suspect in the murders.

In the meantime, Lance is having trouble at school. He isn’t fitting in. Nobody believes that he was a hero in his old hometown. They all make fun of him except for one girl. Alice has troubles of her own with her parents getting ready to divorce. When Alice starts to hang around a known drug dealer Lance once again tries to step in and save a girl’s life. 

With the killer’s acts escalating it is becoming clear that he is determined to ruin the Covington’s lives. What is the connection? Will they be able to stop him before his next target is one of them?

Okay, first off does anyone in this family listen when they are told not to do something? Kent tells Emily to wait for him, does she? NO! Lance is told to stay put, does he? NO! Barbara runs around screeching at everyone to do something instead of allowing the police to do their job and then Kent has to come in and clean up everyone’s mistakes for not listening and doing what they were told. BUT, all of that being said I still LOVED this novel! The suspense is excellent! Even though the behavior of the characters annoyed me sometimes I totally could relate with some of them. If one of my children were thrown in jail I too would be the hysterical mother screeching at someone to do SOMETHING! And what kid is going to stay put when you tell them too when they think they can solve the problem with no harm to themselves? All of them getting into these scrapes adds up to the intensity of the suspense in the novel and keeps the reader turning the pages late into the night. I believe this is the last of the Intervention series. I hope so for the sake of the Covington family as I don’t think they could take any more drama in their lives! 

Intervention by Terri Blackstock

Barbara Covington is desperate to save her daughter from drug addiction. Emily has been in rehab before and has gone right back to the drugs that she craves. Barbara finally stages an intervention. Trish from Road Back Recovery Center arrives to escort Emily to rehab.

When Trish and Emily land in Atlanta Barbara's nightmare begins. Trish is found dead in the parking garage and Emily is missing. Barbara and her son Lance arrive in Atlanta where the police believe that Emily is the one who murdered Trish. Everyone sees Emily as a junkie willing to do anything for her next fix. Only Barbara believes that her daughter is not the cold-blooded killer that everyone believes her to be.

When Barbara receives a text from her daughter saying "mom help me" she is more than convinced that something horrible has happened to her daughter. Frustrated that the police seem to be doing nothing to help find Emily, Barbara is determined to go out on her own and find her no matter where it takes her.

Filled with the anguish and helplessness that a parent must feel when their child sinks into substance abuse the author captures those powerful feelings and emotions in each page of Intervention. At the end of the book Terri Blackstock shares about her own daughter's substance abuse. The feeling of first-hand experience and emotions are apparent throughout the story. The mystery and suspense of Intervention kept me on the edge of my seat. An excellent novel that has me ready to delve into the next book in the series Vicious Cycle.