A Question of Integrity by Megan Magill

Publisher:           Regal Crest Enterprises

Jess Maddocks doesn’t have an exciting job…usually. She’s very talented at going into a business, finding out what is wrong with its operation and showing a way to fix the problem. It keeps her very busy, which compensates for her lack of a social life. What little spare time she has is spent with her brother Nick practicing their weapons skills for the Medieval reenactment tournements they both enjoy or puttering around in her garden. Everything changes when she is asked to do an investigation at Image Conscious and meets Rosalind Brannigan. 

Jess is used to the hostile environment she finds at the company, but she’s caught by surprise when she responds to the overtures made by Rosalind. Both women are caught in a struggle between professional and personal integrity where they are approaching each other from opposite ends and there is no guarantee that they will meet in the middle. Jess finds herself drawn into a dangerous game of intrigue and blackmail where she will have to use all of her skills to save another person and then herself.

A Question of Integrity is advertised as the first in a new series. The writing flows well, the plot is paced correctly and there are some exciting scenes to keep the reader interested. It isn’t often that a woman gets to be a hero in the 21st century by being able to handle a Medieval sword, but it suits Jess quite well. A one word description of her would definitely be “spunky.” 

There could have been a little more character development, but there is enough to sustain the story and the major characters will probably grow as the series continues. One different aspect to the story is that Jess suffers from a borderline eating disorder that impacts her perceptions of herself. This might seem strange since other characters in the book obviously find her attractive, but it’s very true to life since people who fall into this category often have unrealistic self images. It will be interesting to see if this line is followed in future stories since it’s a topic that isn’t usually dealt with in books, but is very much a part of many women’s lives. 

Magill packs a lot of story into a few pages. It makes for a fast, but full read.

A Question of Courage by Megan Magill

Publisher:          Regal Crest Enterprises

A Question of Courage picks up the story of Jess Maddocks where it left off in Magill's earlier novel A Question of Integrity.  Because Jess refused to help her employer commit a fraud, she's now out of work.  Her friend Grace, who is a veterinarian, is living in Jess's house, which puts stress on Jess.  She would like Grace to be more than a friend, but Jess feels that she is too fat and undesirable to be attractive to someone as wonderful as Grace.  If she could just lose enough weight, even though people say she doesn't need to, maybe Grace would love her.  Her brother Nick provides the answer to several problems when he asks her to come investigate the disappearances of several children from the camp where he has been working.  Jess will be employed as the archery teacher and she'll be in an isolated setting where she can control her food and stick to one of her dangerous diets.  All she has to do is poke around a little and find out what is going on.  She's about to experience two threats to her health, one from people who don't want her investigating the children and the other from her foolish eating habits. Meanwhile, Grace is going to try to convince the woman she already loves that she needs to be more careful about a lot of things.

The best way to describe this book is as a mystery wrapped in a bigger message.  The situation at the camp carries the story from scene to scene, but the really interesting study is Jess herself.  She is a classic example of a woman with low self esteem who fails to see the strengths that others seen in her and instead focuses on an imaginary flaw.  As she progresses to more and more extreme behavior, the reader is given a good picture of the spiral people can put themselves into without knowing it.  The pain that her friends and brother experience as they watch her waste away is very apparent.  The situation at the camp is interesting, but what is happening to Jess is like watching a train wreck in progress.  The question is if she'll solve the mystery before she does irreversible damage to herself.

A Question of Courage is a good sequel, but it also stands alone, so the reader doesn't have to have read the first book.  It's fine for several hours of reading, but occasional pauses may be necessary to keep from screaming in frustration at Jess and what she does to herself.