The Kept - Book Review

Elspeth returns to her secluded farm, after months away working as a midwife, to find that her husband and children had been slaughtered. There had been no warning. No time to react. Her husband still lay in his bed. Hidden in the barn, her twelve-year-old son was the only one left alive but he caught a glimpse of the killers and the red scarves they wore.

With nothing left to keep them at their farm in upstate New York, Elspeth and Caleb set out to seek the killers and avenge the deaths of their family members. Elspeth will have to face her own demons and sins and Caleb will come to understand just who he really is.

Full of dark and unsavory characters, The Kept by James Scott is a thrilling and haunting story of revenge and redemption. Scott has a way of writing that lessens the initial shock of a murder at a seedy brothel or a horrific accident at the ice company yet draws the reader deep into the story until the she feels what the characters feel and sees what the characters see. Then the story becomes lovely in spite of its violence.

Each character is full of surprises that keep them fully human and keep the reader intrigued and unbalanced throughout the novel. The Kept is a marvelous journey worth taking.

The Kept by James Scott is published by Harper and released on January 7, 2014.

**I received a complimentary copy of The Kept in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.**