For No Apparent Reason by S.K. Derban

A focused law student, romance has been absent from Madison's life. She has successfully planned each phase of her life and resigned to the fact that there will be plenty of time for love after she passes the bar exam-that is until the single act of seeking shelter from a spring downpour dramatically alters the course of her life. Madison is lured away from the security of law school into a world where she learns about the destructive nature of greed. Thrust in a maze of money laundering and murder, Madison experiences the value of true friendship and witnesses the healing power of love.


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Meet S.K. Derban:
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, S.K. Derban moved to London within the first three months, and remained in England until the age of five. Her mother, born and raised in the United Kingdom, was involved with the London Royal Ballet Company, and a great fan of the arts. Even after returning to the United States, S.K. Derban's life was filled with a love of the theatre and a passion for British murder mysteries. Her personal travel and missionary adventures also help to transport readers virtually across the globe. 

S.K. Derban has smuggled Bibles into China on five separate occasions, and has been to Israel on seven missionary trips. When writing, she relies on all aspects of her life, from a strong faith in the Lord, to her unique combination of professional experience. The many personal adventures of S.K. Derban are readily apparent as they shine through into her characters.

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My take:

The author did a great job of keeping my attention with this book. The plot was intriguing and a bit different than others I have read. The characters were interesting and believable.

One of my favorite characters was probably Court, the FBI agent. He was quite charming and attractive in many ways. He was focused on his job, and although attracted to Madison, didn't let that take precedence over his responsibility to the case. I would have enjoyed however seeing a little more happening between them during the main part of the book. Madison, the main character, was interesting, but often flirted with danger and she lied alot! It was almost like she justified it based on the reasons such as "the end justifies the means" type attitude. I wasn't too impressed with that, but of course, it helped make the story. Otherwise she's not too bad. I think I actually liked her sister Tara, over Madison herself. Her sister had a good head on her shoulders, was solid in her faith and beliefs, and I loved her homemaking abilities and mothering skills. 

The story wasn't really graphic, although there were some tense scenes - especially during FBI confrontations and interrogations.There were also a couple of places some language is used. One of the things I did appreciate however, was the way the author dealt with Madison's relationship with her boyfriend who had an underlying anger problem, and remaining pure sexually until marriage. The author expressed values that matched my own. 

I think you will enjoy the mystery, intrigue and suspense. The mystery seemed to wrap up before the book was over, so at that point, I kind of wondered what else the author could possibly have to say. But part of the story is the romance taking place and friendships being forged, which we get to watch play out towards the end. Personally, I would have liked to see it all conclude together with maybe some type of epilogue at the end wrapping up the relationship aspect. 

I would recommend this book to older teens and those who enjoy mystery and suspense with a hint of romance. I was provided with a free copy of this book courtesy of the author and not required to review positively. All opinions are my own.