Tilting at Windmills by Geonn Cannon

Publisher:             P.D. Publishing

Claire Lance is a wanted woman, but not in the way she wants to be.  The authorities think that Lance is a rogue cop who killed her lover Elaine.  No one believes what really happened, so she's been moving for over a year trying to avoid being arrested.  FBI Special Agent Faye Mallory is particularly tenacious because she is Elaine's sister and determined to make Lance pay for what happened.  Lance's car breaks down outside of a small Texas town and she is forced to take a job in a local bar to earn the money for the repairs.  Roy Morse isn't a great boss.  He's tied into the local crime community and he abuses his wife Gwen.  In a very short time, Lance is forced to kill two men, including Roy, and finds herself on the run again, this time with Gwen in tow.  As they flee from the police, Roy's gang and Agent Mallory, Lance will find herself forced to confront her past.  Gwen will learn things about herself that will alter her future.

Tilting at Windmills is a fast paced story.  By focusing on Lance's struggle to survive and protect Gwen it allows for a lot of action.  There isn't a great deal of character development, though the flashback sequences of what happened to Lance and Elaine gives greater detail to Claire's character.  The struggle between Lance and Mallory adds another dimension.  It's obvious how much each one is suffering.  The reader will wish they could reach some understanding.

One of the problems with Cannon's books in general is how he writes about lesbians.  It sometimes seems as if he sees them as men in women's skin.  Lance and Mallory could easily be portrayed as male characters.  All Cannon has done is change the gender of the pronouns.  He misses on the emotional bonds that exist between women as part of a relationship.  They may appear to be acting like men, but they aren't thinking or feeling that way.  A point that seems to escape Cannon.

Where Cannon's book is unique is in how he ends the story.  Romances generally follow a formula.  Cannon departs slightly from that formula, which gives the book a refreshing and realistic ending.  It also leaves the characters open for a sequel if he should choose to revisit them.

In all Tilting at Windmills is a quick read that may appeal to action or suspense fans.  There are also enough intimate scenes included to please romance fans.  It's an average book, but fine for a few hours of reading.