Banished Threads by Kaylin McFarren

How far would you go to get everything that you want in order to save yourself from living in poverty? Would you sell yourself to someone and go into a marriage as they say of convenience where you sign a contract and live by another person’s rules? Paul Lyons does just that when a rich woman named Sara, tempts him with the lure of money and the ownership of an art gallery. Getting to know them and more about their marriage you begin to understand why neither one really cares about what the other is doing.

Chase Cohen is an interesting character with many flaws and yet at times endearing. A treasure hunter looking to increase his wealth as he and his fiancée Rachel, rethink their thoughts about getting married and decide to travel to England to ask her uncle Paul for his permission to marry this young man. But, things do not go as planned and when arriving in England and at his magnificent home or manor events take an ugly turn.

Getting to know Sara and hearing her deal with her granddaughter Sloan, we learn about some serious family problems and the fact that she is about to be cut off financially from her trust. With a certain amount of money given to her by Paul, Sloan is now on her own until something changes it all. Just why is Sara doing this and what is her real motive for wanting Sloan out of the way has yet to be revealed.

Listening to the banter and arguments between Chase and Rachel and trying to win over her family, you begin to wonder if they are a perfect fit even though she is about to have his child. There is quite a bit of artwork that is on display by an artist named Morris Graves and Rachel when she goes to the gallery sees a piece she wants and hurriedly purchases it before anyone else. Sara is coldhearted and her granddaughter who won’t give an inch or allow her to know that she finally got to her, disappears as does a priceless collection of this artist’s paintings which are stolen during a dinner in honor of Chase and Rachel’s upcoming marriage.

When Sloan’s friend Sky appears at the party and expresses his concern Paul automatically takes over but does not seem to be too concerned about Sloan. Called away to the phone and learning that the very artwork to be viewed at the gallery the next day was stolen his primary concern is no longer Sloan. But, things change and he is taken ill as Chase looks for their personal doctor what he sees when he’s treating Sara is anything but modern medicine.

While Paul is in the hospital Chase takes charge in order to get into good favor with him and hopes to help find Sloan. But, having taken out a new insurance policy just three days prior to the gallery viewing, he might be accused of insurance fraud.

The author then reverts back to the murder in the prologue of someone close to Paul. The death is described through the eyes of the victim Gwen and we hear her voice and see her killer vividly.

Paul who was a best selling writer or novelist now is in charge of a rich art gallery and enjoys the luxury of taking care of his wife Sara’s money and estate. But, Paul disapproves of Chase from the start and when he is supposed to congratulate them at their party Sara instead congrats Paul on the art show and when Chase asks in front of guests for his blessing the answer and the response are anything but what he would want or expect. As the evidence pour in and questions are asked some think that the paintings were stolen by Sloan to get back at Sara for taking away her trust fund. Rude, recalcitrant and spoiled you hear her pleas for help and mercy when the kidnapper is beating her and someone else wants to save her.

When Sloan finally appears and the person holding her says he’s a cop just why did they take her and who turns on her that she would never expect? When the housekeeper Margaret can no longer hold on to a family secret everything that Sloan believed in comes crashing down as she learns the harsh reality about something her grandmother did. Lies, betrayals, family secrets, hate, jealousies and revenge are just the tip of the iceberg that the author brings to light. While Paul says he will help Sloan because someone else gives her up for the theft, can he and Chase turn the tables around before someone else is hurt or killed? With Gwen’s death now in the open and Paul accused of it and secrets about Sara’s three previous husbands come to light you begin to wonder just how dangerous she is and whether what they are saying about her is true.

Rachel is not quite sure what to believe as her old friend Killian hands Sloan over to the police, her car gets stuck in the mud and poor Rachel finds herself smack dab with a psychic whose prediction is unsettling and then face to face with Brandon and Julien the man who kidnapped Sloan. Did Sara really try to kill Paul and her other three husbands? What is Rachel going to do when she learns about her relationship to Sloan and why?

As a treasure hunter who searches for jewels, gold and other things can he use his skills to unravel what happened to Sloan, find the missing artwork and learn who is the real threat?

As your hear Rachel’s voice and her words as she keeps thinking that Chase does not listen to her or what she thinks instead is headstrong and follows his instincts, we begin to wonder just what brought these two together and if they are really a perfect match.

Pasts come into the present and Chase is blamed for the death of Paul’s brother and will not exactly welcome him with open arms. Chase hopes that by the time all is said and done, Paul is out of the hospital and everything goes back to normal, that he will approve of their marriage and feel confident that he can take care of Rachel. But, the police are looking at Paul for the murder of murders of her husbands and Gwen while Chase tries to absolve Sloan.

With Sara firing her staff and as she says cleaning house, Rachel in dire need of rescue and Chase running in many different directions the author has readers wondering if the clock will run out before anyone can save both Sloan and Rachel. Just who is the killer and how did three men really die? What really made Paul sick? As Chase races the clock to find out what happened to Rachel she uses her intuition, intelligence and resourcefulness to try and escape her captors. When the truth comes out as to who is behind the murders, who wants revenge and why she was taken you won’t believe the twists, turns and surprises as a family secret is revealed. Will Sloan realize that it’s time to change her ways and become an adult and see Sky for whom and what he really is and understand his honesty and caring? Will Rachel decide to marry Chase or will she continue to be headstrong and push him away not realizing that he really does care for her in his own special way? What about Paul? Will he decide to remain with Sara or is she the reason Gwen was killed? An ending that leaves readers wondering just what if anything Sara had to do with the murders of her husbands. Memory loss can do a lot to a person and is she losing hers or is she a great actress? As the novel comes to a close you hope that the author will bring Chase back to help solve more cases, find more jewels, go on more treasure hunts and prevent others from becoming Banished Threads in someone’s diabolical plans.

Fran Lewis: Just reviews/MJ Magazine