By Dee Henderson. The O'Malley Series #6. Grade: A+. Stephen O'Malley is a paramedic who has been rescuing people all his life. But he's running now -- from the burden of his profession, from the grief of losing his sister, and from a God he doesn't want to trust. He's run into a mystery. Stolen jewels are turning up in unexpected places, and his friend Meghan is caught in the middle of the trouble. Stephen's about to run into a night he will never forget: a kidnapping, a tornado, and a race to rescue the woman he loves ...This series is a story about 7 people who were orphans. When they were kids, they were all were placed in an orphanage called the Trevor House. When they were legally able they became a family by choice and changed all of their names to O'Malley. There's a U.S. Marshall in the mix, a negotiator, and a paramedic among other professions. The series goes through a mystery in their respective professions as well as leading them to the love of their life.This book is more reflective than the others of the same series. Stephen is processing through his sister's death and exhaustion from his demanding career. He finally takes an open-ended vacation, to the worry of his family, and tries to find what he's looking for. He doesn't find it but he isn't so deattached from the world that he wouldn't come back when there was a major family announcement.When he comes back he starts to deepen his relationship with Meghan. It was an interesting process to see. She refused him at first and he had to deal with the fact that she only wanted to be friends. But he kept looking for inobtrusive ways to convince her. And while that wasn't what finally granted him acceptance he was able to seek after her in a way that didn't make her mad at him.The reason I like this book is its sincerity in dealing with death. Stephen ran from the pain, yes, but we got to see what it was like through his eyes. And this is what makes Dee Henderson such a great author, because in the previous book of this series we were reading the sister Rachel's story, and she didn't run from the pain. Henderson has such a comprehensive insight into the human condition that you can trust her to cover most all of the bases when it comes to a character's person.Another reason I like this book is that the nice and slow pace of the relationship was just right for this story. Henderson likes to switch the point of views she writes in among the different characters. Seeing the story through both Stephen and Meghan's eyes, along with the way Henderson crafted these characters, made you believe they were right for each other. It seemed to be just a really soft but exciting match.The mystery in this story was no dissapointment. There were a couple of twists and a big climax. It wasn't always the forefront but it was always in the back of my mind. And then all of a sudden it was the forefront and I was searching for any clues at how it would end. And then it would fade out again, back in the background.I really applaud Henderson on the way she wrote this book and it's interwoven story line. It flowed seamlessly and with a lot of clairty. I trust this author to give me a good ending but also a good middle and beginning.Originally reviewed at http://the-vault.co.cc/
This is the last book in the O'Malley series (I'm feeling the withdrawal symptoms coming, suggest a new book for me, anyone, quick!) and one of the most touching in terms of the journey of the O'Malley family. It's been about two decades since they made the decision to become a family. Much has changed since then--they've grown up, some have gotten married, others are thinking of settling down, and Jennifer has died. And they're all dealing with that grief in different ways. For Stephen, it is the hardest. He's the only one in the O'Malley clan that has does not believe, and is not sure he wants to. Plus, he is no longer sure he wants to be a paramedic, wants to live with the reality that accidents happen and people may die in his watch. He embarks on a soul-searching journey--part of a last promise to Jennifer--and comes home relaxed and rested, but still empty. It doesn't take him long to realize that what he is looking for cannot be found in the people around him, or by feeding his wanderlust. Between talking to the rest of the O'Malleys, his childhood friend, Meghan, reading Jennifer's Bible and diary, he soon realizes that it's not a certain something that his heart is yearning for, but a certain Someone.As I started the book, I was feeling a little bit anxious about the O'Malleys. The last book had ended on a pretty grim note and there was the fear that the pain and hurt they felt over Jennifer's death would tear them apart instead of bringing them closer to each other (wow, talk about emotional investment over fictional characters)...but the other O'Malleys never gave up on Stephen. They gave him the space he needed to think. Breathe. And then they surrounded him with the love and care that he needed (and possibly didn't know he wanted).It's family stories like this that always has me by the feels. And it's stories like these that I always go back to when I want to read something to inspire me and challenge me.
What do You think about The Rescuer (2005)?
Dee Henderson is one of my all-time favorite authors. Her characters are very believable. In her "O'Malley" series each of the O'Malleys come face-to-face with people who whole-heartedly believe in God. Each O'Malley has their own hangups to deal with in relation to becoming a believer. They all had horrible childhoods with deep scars but through other people around them, they begin to see that God loves them deeply and wants a relationship with each of them. Great books to make you think about what YOU believe God is like and how you share Him with those around you. WONDERFUL READ!! I just finished the 6-book series for the seventh or eighth time!
—Pamela Powell
Stephen gets the final book in the O'Malley series. A lifetime of working as fireman and paramedic, (view spoiler)[and Jennifer's death, (hide spoiler)]
—Hilary
This was the second time I read this book, but the last was so far in the past that it was basically a new story to me. Meghan's story really made me think about people living with blindness, and that we shouldn't take anything for granted. It especially struck me when the book described how she loved to read, and started listening to audiobooks after the accident. I guess that hit me because I love reading and was currently reading, so to try to imagine suddenly not being able to was striking. As with as the O'Malley series a lot of action/drama happens, romance, and of course, a conversion story. Though the preachy parts get old, this is still one of my all time favorite series. You can't help but root for the family.
—Jodi Schiedel-Anderson
