No Good Deed by C.D Bennett

Complex, Gripping, Intriguing

Genres: Contemporary Fiction/Family Drama/Romance/Mystery/Thriller

No Good Deed by C.D. Bennett

Having just recently moved to a place she thought would provide her with peace and quiet, to enjoy the tranquillity of nature in Colorado’s wide open spaces with her horse, Dax and her Border Collie, Luna, Kiya James unwittingly becomes the soul witness to a crime. Not initially having wanted to get involved with the aftermath, she quickly learns that as the only person to have heard or seen anything, she has no option, but is surprised to find that her bond with the young man at the centre of the offence, and the attachment she forms with his family of siblings who are as concerned with safeguarding her wellbeing as much as she is with theirs, leaves her feeling compelled to help. None of them are prepared for how this will change their lives.

My first observation about this book is that this outstanding, fluent and eloquent novel, most definitely deserves a better cover. One that says something about the warmth of this family, blended by fate or gives some clue to the passion that the author obviously had for telling this story. I realise that independent authors don’t always have the money for creative book covers, but I strongly felt the need to communicate this, as I don’t feel it does the narrative justice. The format is easy to read largely owing to the superb writing in every aspect, grammar, spelling, and the chapters are a good length.

When Kiya initially contacts the emergency services she gives a comprehensive description of the scene and it is clear that she has an extensive knowledge of, or experience in working within a healthcare setting, or maybe just having cared for people previously. It was obvious to me from the start that C.D Bennett has done a great deal of research or already has a great deal of knowledge that is not only apparent in this part of the narrative, but that which she has put into other parts of this book. Kiya came across as a very strong character and for the author to transfer this in to the written word enabling it to come across to the reader so profoundly was impressive. It is evident that Kiya is an intelligent woman, with a mind of her own, and doesn’t suffer fools gladly.

The instant bond that Dylan clearly felt for Kiya did make me wonder if he had a concussion and had woken up thinking that she was more to him than simply his saviour. A bit of a ‘While You Were Sleeping’ moment. I thought it unusual for him to be immediately as friendly and tactile with Kiya as he was, and for her to be the same in return, but that may be something to do with me being British and slightly more reserved. However, my British stoic stiff upper lip left me when it came to the steamy scenes. This author really knows how write a love scene….I’ll leave that there.

Looking back on my notes, Hillary is very much led by her emotions. Being very upset in the hospital and then again when she finds herself in a threatening situation with Kiya later on in the story. Just as I was taken aback with how familiar Dylan quickly became with Kiya, I suppose I was equally curious about how Hillary could go from not thinking about a person who she had grown up with as anything other than a friend of her brothers, to falling into that person’s arms as soon as they declare an interest. It all seemed to happen a bit quickly for me. However, I really enjoyed the sisterly connection that the three women swiftly cemented , also, the protective nature with which the McLeary brothers treated their sisters, as Kiya inwardly projected, both a blessing and a curse for their female relatives. It was also notable how sensitive the men seemed to be the women’s needs, as shown when Dylan and Jake decide that it would be best if Hillary and Kiya contact Gretchen to update her on the latest happenings.

The very real dialogue between all of the characters is intelligently and perceptively written, particularly the conversation between Jake and Dylan concerning Kiya and the sisterly boost of assurance that Hilly gives Kiya at a time when it is most needed. They are both extremely articulate, and the level of detail in both the dialogue and descriptive text leaves the reader in no doubt of the compassionate level of emotion between the characters or the depiction of their location

The author’s vivid writing brought forth for me, an image of a vast, clean, expensive looking ranch kitchen in which all the McLeary sibling’s gathered for meals. These scenes for me were at the heart of the story. They were so very touching and heart-warming, to the point that you almost felt like you were with them and could smell the food cooking, seeing the comings and goings of the individual characters along with the humorous, playful and natural banter. The author was able to very effectively communicate how close these people were. I would however, have liked some background on them. The mother was made mention of on a couple of occasions but I would have liked to have known more about their parents. I also felt like I struggled to gauge their’s and Kiya’s ages. That would have given me more a sense of what stage of life they were at. I do like to be able to build a back story to the characters about which I am reading.

The events following the initial incident involving Dylan, the assailants clear intent meant as a warning to Kiya and her new found family are horrifying, especially the first one when Kiya is alone. These are executed well and the drama, plus the emotions of every character are transmitted to the reader with a spectacular degree of clarity and are real ‘edge of your seat’ moments as you are drawn into their world and find yourself increasingly invested in their journeys.

The men involved in the very wrong doings, I was aware of fairly early on or at least suspicious of, so there was no shock factor in terms of the perpetrators. With that said, C.D. Bennett has created an excellently menacing villain. In my head, I think he probably sounded a lot different to how the author had in mind, but I loved ‘playing’ him. He was so wonderfully evil. The dramatic scenes that enfold leading to the conclusion are heart stopping and intense, especially for poor Kiya. I had to remember to breathe. Once again, in this segment of the novel, the descriptive writing was very powerful and brought you right alongside them watching the horrifying events unfold.

The story comes to a satisfying conclusion, particularly with Kiya’s first aid skills being brought to the fore once again, the narrative comes full circle. In this book, C.D Bennett has given us a wonderful tale of love, trust and self discovery, giving the underlying message that a lot of us have probably already found…….the ties that bind, aren’t always blood.