Being manipulated sucks but can turn you into a hero

Being manipulated sucks, but can turn you into a hero

Okay, I am going to try to write this in such a way that is complete without giving anything away. Such a hard task! This post is inspired by Cassidy, a character that makes up a third of the triple threat team in Lis Wiehl’s novels. She is the crime reporter for Channel Four and decides to make herself more marketable by going to the gym and working out. This character stands out to me, because in real life this is a person that would be used as an example of what not to do. I am not spoiling anything by telling you that when she befriends Elizabeth she is making a life-altering mistake. The book makes it obvious that Elizabeth is not a character that you are going to fall in love with. Her childhood may make you want to cry and it may even make you feel sorry for her. But it will only last briefly – if that long. Elizabeth chooses to befriend Cassidy because she seems like easy prey. Some of the observations that Elizabeth makes are an accurate description of Cassidy. But as we all know, we are never simple creatures. So it should be no surprise that Cassidy isn’t either.

Yes, she is taken for a ride, and yes the manipulation costs her. But given her history, ( I don’t know the full story about Cassidy, but her past is hinted at in Heart of Ice), she is not easily swayed to the side of failure. I that it is quite clever of Wiehls to link three different women together who are after the same thing but operate under three different set of rules. But it was cleverness to show that they also lived their lives by three different set of rules as well. In the end, I am glad to see that Cassidy not only took ownership, but she also took action. Yes, I am sure that there will come a time when Cassidy kicks herself for her naivety, a time when she will go lick her wounds. But at this present moment, she is needed. So she responds.

I am not sure if all of us would react the same way if we were in her situation. In fact, I am not even sure if we should. But, there is always that hope that some of us will.  If you haven’t readHeart of Ice, you definitely should. It was an easy read  as well as engaging. (Doubt that: notice how it didn’t make it to my Current Reading section I finished reading it and writing it before I could even list it.) I’m looking forward to going back to the first two triple threat novels and really meeting the characters. Who knows? My opinion may change.

Always Shine,

Starr K