Vicious Cycle is another great Terri Blackstock story, a follow-up to a previous novel, Intervention. Both of these books deal with the very tough, but very real, issue of drug abuse and its impact on the users and their families. Terri wrote both these books not with just intellectual knowledge of the subject, but from the heart of a mother who has dealt with this very hurtful issue in the life of her own child. That "heart knowledge" comes through in the way Terri brings her characters to life and tells their story in a way that doesn't sugar coat the problems and pain that come with addiction.
Just as her daughter Emily is graduating from a year of rehab from her drug addiction, widowed mother Barbara Covington finds her family caught in the middle of things she never expected. Her teenage son Lance, in a misguided attempt to help a friend, ends up in jail on charges of kidnapping a baby. As Emily also gets involved in helping Jordan, she finds the old cravings tempting her and trying to pull her back into the traps of addiction. Meanwhile, Barbara has turned to Kent Harlan -- the Atlanta policeman who had earlier helped save Emily's life -- for help. Kent flies to Barbara in Missouri to offer his assistance, and they both realize their feelings for each other have grown. The plot becomes more complex and suspenseful as Kent leads an "every minute counts" rush to rescue Lance, Jordan, and Jordan's newborn daughter.
In her masterful writing style, Terri weaves into her story reminders of God's presence and strength and the blessings often taken for granted by families like the Covingtons -- and many others of us. I would definitely recommend this book to any Terri Blackstock fan -- or any soon-to-be Terri Blackstock fan!
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