The Pandora Keys by Jeannie Holloway Marshall

About the book

The Pandora Keys opens with a dark murder scene of a teenage, runaway girl.

Predator eyes blared, then narrowed. "A little rabbit in my trap," he whispered. Powerful forearms supported him as he leaned forward to listen. Small whimpering the only sound. "My demon snake's going to get you, little rabbit." Then, humming some old hymn, he tied her to the four corners of the bed, spread eagle.

Motivations, fears, and emotions have appeal in the psychological dimension in a story of violence, passion, deception and suspense. The characters are forced into circumstances that peel away their protective layers, revealing their true nature to each other, themselves, and to the reader. Brad Warren, a Texas Ranger, and Chris Hamilton, a writer for a travel magazine have history. The Pandora Keys gives an account of renewing this relationship inside the maze of curious events, full of the machinations of criminal intrigue and electric resolution. The plot is driven by how the characters confront organized crime and unbridled power and graft in Washington D.C. Discovery of what is unleashed from the Pandora boxes they open build a fast-paced, intricate story.

Gripped by personal loss and resolute commitment, Brad pursues society's offenders for the redemption of victims and punishment of the guilty. Now, he wants answers to the shadowy secrets of the lockbox in Arizona.

Opening his fist and inspecting the keys as if they had a story to tell... Brad knew one thing was sure: A nest of viperous things had been locked away that the light of day had begun to hatch. An ominous feeling dogged him. He was certain something deadly was set in motion, and it had escaped the box when it was opened.

Chris chooses to challenge fears and issues from her past after overhearing a disturbing phone call. She seeks to strip away Clayton Richard's veneer. A conversation between Richards and prominent politicians at Senator Franklin's home in Washington cement her plans. She has keys to open Richard's safe in his New York City office.

"The press poking around! Suicide, blackmail -- all of this bodes no good. You have virtually bought our way into influential committees, Richards, in exchange for votes going the way we're told... With what's in your safe, we've had no choice but to play by your rules... If this ever snowballs on us, we're dead -- almost as dead as Teller, and maybe not as well off. Just don't forget, my friend," the sound of harsh irony now filling Senator Mott's tone, "we have so very much that binds us."

Chris leaned against the wall, her knees shaking. The disclosures settled on her, weighty, like a liability of heavy clothing in deep water.

The two parts of the storyline merge. The guilty are prosecuted -- the fait accompli. But, a final adversary demands deadly retribution. Chris and Brad's wit and will prevail, order returns. Plans are made for the future. At story's end, a surprise encounter gives Chris unique closure.

About the author

J.H. Marshall, (Dr. Jeannie Holloway Marshall), served as a public school teacher of children in elementary and high school. She has taught at the undergraduate level, as well as graduate courses in several prestigious universities. After numerous years in education, she works as a consultant to school districts, education service centers, and universities, providing staff development for teachers and public school administrators. Publication credits include master thesis, doctoral dissertation, and a number of articles written for professional education journals.

Dr. Marshall, the mother of two children and eight grandchildren, was born in Hondo, Texas and grew up enjoying the land and rivers of the Texas Edward's Plateau. Currently she and her husband, Dr. Gerald Marshall, live on ranch land northwest of Austin, Texas. Her time is filled with education consulting, tending goats, Toby the donkey, and her cat, Samantha, who lets she and her husband live with her. Spare time from writing and caring for an elderly mother, is divided among gardening, oil painting, music, and Grandchildren Camp. Usually four at a time, she and her husband plan activities for the children including exploring creeks and woods, outdoor cookouts, fishing, and swimming in the clear, limestone -- bottom rivers of the Texas Hill Country. It truly is God's Country.