Book Review: The Courtship Gift

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Courtship Gift     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Julie Parsons
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Psychological Suspense
Simon and Schuster, Mar 2000, $24.00, 304 pp.

Upon returning home from her job at a Dublin museum, a stunned Anna Neale discovers her spouse David dead from an allergic reaction to a bee sting. Though the police believe an accident occurred, Anna questions how the insect got into their home.

Anna begins to learn the truth about David’s other life. He had lovers and even sired a child with another woman. He ran up a large debt that requires her to sell their home. His clients were noted for laundering drug money.

Anna meets Matthew Makepeice, the person who bought her home. He is kind and considerate, and she begins to fall in love with him. They make love together and she becomes pregnant. However, she soon discovers that Matthew is not the compassionate person she thinks he is. As she learns more about her new paramour, she wonders if any male is safe.

THE COURTSHIP GIFT is a chilling well-written psychological drama that readers will immensely enjoy. Anna is a wonderful heroine who has bad luck in her choice of men. David, seen in flashbacks, is an interesting character, but readers will be horrified and fascinated by Matthew. Julie Parsons, author of the acclaimed MARY, MARY, has written a psychological thriller that will receive tremendous acclaim from critics and fans.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner