Northern Waste

Raina Bowen needs to win the race to Gladow Station. The first driver to arrive at the station with their haul wins enough money to keep Raina and her sister Beth safe for years to come. The only problem is that Raina needs a valid trucking license if she's going to jump the line through the pass. Wizard is the man who is supposed to provide her with the license, and he is also the reason she is sitting alone in Bob's Truck Stop trying to look inconspicuous. Unfortunately, all is for naught, for when Wizard arrives, trouble arrives with him.

Wizard is no ordinary trucker, or even an ordinary man for that matter. Raina realizes that almost immediately and initially wonders if he is a simpleton. She is soon disabused of that notion when Wizard clearly shows her he knows what's what and can take care of himself. But because of Wizard, Raina has a big problem. She expected him to give her a legitimate trucking license, not one he stole. Without it, she has no chance of getting to Gladow first. So long money, so long future. Unless...

Dangerous decisions get made when you get boxed into a corner, and Raina was no shrinking violet to begin with. But will her focus change as her relationship with Wizard inexplicably deepens into something wholly unexpected? What happens when an evil from Raina's past makes itself an issue in her present and Wizard is right in the middle of it?

Wow! DRIVEN is a high-octane ride from beginning to end. A wonderful blend of action, adventure, and romance with a little bit of sci-fi thrown in creates a tale that literally leaps from the pages. Raina is a beautiful trucker who can take care of herself. Honed by her father, by fists and fury, to hold her own against anyone, Raina is a force to be reckoned with. But there are other equally deadly individuals inhabiting the frozen north, and Wizard, an assassin, is just such a person. The book jacket barely gives a hint at Wizard's character, but let's just say that he will knock your socks off.

There are several other secondary characters who add background and interest, but this story is all about Raina and Wizard. I so did not want this book to end, but I hold out high hopes for future stories by this author. Eve Kenin might be a relatively new and unknown writer, but absolutely not for long.

The Shomi line is proving to be a standout in the publishing crowd, and DRIVEN drives that point home again.

Kathy Samuels