The Healer [Large Print] (Paperback)

Fans of the genre will enjoy it, but it probably won't make their "favorites" list.

The O'Malley family consists of seven brothers and sister, three boys and four girls. Since they were little they had been in the same orphanage and when they got out of the orphanage, they decided to 'adopt' each other, taking the name O'Malley as their family name. They all have very important jobs, Marcus is a U.S. Marshal, Kate a negotiator for hostage situations, botched-up robberies, etc., Jennifer is a doctor, Jack a fireman, Stephen a paramedic, Rachel a trauma psychologist, and Lisa is a forensic pathologist. This story is about Rachel O'Malley, 'the healer'.

Rachel O'Malley by the faith and prayers of her family is now a Christian. But being a trauma psychologist is a tense and stressful job. Working at disasters for the Red Cross, trying to heal the lives of children torn apart by parent's divorces, Rachel finds it hard at times to trust in Jesus to help her let go of the hurt she sees.

Captain Cole Parker, captain of a fire company who has spent the last few years fighting fires and trying to stop arsons. A devout Christian from a young age, Cole sticks by Rachel and helps her through the hard times. It is inevitable that they become closer, even reaching the point of falling in love.

But in the midst of Rachel of having to deal with the fact she might lose her sister Jennifer to cancer, tragedy strikes. When Rachel's sister Lisa O'Malley discovers a murder scene discovered in a flooded community, it is suspected that there may be a second victim. Things become worse when there is gunfire at a local school. Children are injured, children are dead, and what's so terrible is that the shooters were children. But the mystery begins when one of the bullets matches the one which had killed the victim in the flood. And that gun has disappeared. What is going on, how are the two cases connected? Rachel, Cole, and the O'Malley's must race to find the missing gun, before tragedy repeats...

Of all the books, I think that "The Healer" is one of the weakest in the series in that there isn't much of a mystery. I had already guessed much of the plot and most of the guesses were correct. But I must confess, this story is the most emotionally and spiritually touching of all the O'Malley books. From the aftermath of the shooting to Jennifer's sickness, there were moments where I felt like crying. Dee Henderson is a master at letting you get caught up into the story. The characters are likable, and I especially love Cole!

These are five books in the O'Malley Series in order, all highly recommended:
#1 "The Negotiator", Kate O'Malley's story. One of the best of the series.
#2 "The Guardian", Marcus O'Malley's story, the oldest of the O'Malleys. A great love story with an incredibly suspenseful plot!
#3 "The Truth Seeker", Lisa O'Malley's story, very suspenseful!
#4 "The Protector", Jack O'Malley's story, not as good as the previous three books yet still enjoyable.
#5 "The Healer", Rachel O'Malley's story.
#6 "The REscuer", Stephen O'Malley's story. One of the BEST books I've ever read!

Other books by Dee Henderson are:
"Danger in the Shadows", written before "The Negotiator" whose main character is the sister of Kate O'Malley's boyfriend, Sara and Walsh
#1 "True Devotion", the first in the Uncommon Heroes Series tells about the Navy SEALs.
#2 "True Valor", about Navy Pilot Gracie and Air Force Pararescuer Bruce.
#3 "True Honor", the best of the series so far with Navy SEAL Sam 'Cougar' Houston and CIA officer Darcy St. James.