"Proof" by Jordyn Redwood

What if DNA evidence failed to back up every witness's testimony and law enforcement's intuition? Is DNA evidence the end-all it is often viewed as? That's the scientific topic tackled in this medical suspense debut release by real-life medical professional Jordyn Redwood. This isn't a genre I often read, but this author came highly recommended and so I took the chance to read it when it came my way.

ER physician Lilly Reeves is sure of herself and her busy life, until the night she becomes the victim of a serial rapist. The author handles this subject in a tasteful manner, and presents the emotional fall-out realistically. Each of the women claim their attacker had the same startling physical characteristics and a unique tattoo. Lilly is hanging onto her sanity by a thin thread when she is able to visually identify the man, but his DNA is not a match for any of the crime scenes. Sure that there's a way to prove his guilt, Lilly takes the investigation into her own hands and begins following a trail that will bring her unlikely allies in her quest for justice.

Increasingly frustrated by the dead ends of his investigation, detective Nathan Long is eaten up with worry over the serial rapist case. Things are not adding up. When DNA evidence frees the man to whom all other clues point, Nathan is certain he is still the one behind the attacks. Things get a little more complicated when the DNA does match a man with a prior rape conviction in another state. Could he be the perpetrator? The original suspect has disappeared, and so has Dr. Reeves. There are several lives at stake, and a ticking clock, as the story races to its finish.

There were several compelling aspects to this novel. There was certainly lots of medical information, but I never felt like it was overwhelming. The police investigation had an interesting angle by making the partnering detectives differ so strongly on their belief of the identity of the attacker. I thought the faith side of the story was handled well. It was the romance that had me shaking my head. There were two men who were drawn to Lilly, but only one for whom she reached out when she had a need, even at very crucial times. For their part, one of the men seemed to actively avoid being around her, so his romantic interest didn't ring true. It seemed a rather lopsided love triangle, although reader intuition told you she'd end up picking the less likely guy anyway. But in the end there were no guarantees that any of them would survive, as the deadly intent of the criminal came more and more in focus.

I would recommend this book to a specific set of people. Young or sensitive readers would be encouraged to read elsewhere. For myself, I was intrigued and will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.