Joylene Nowell Butler

Joylene Nowell Butler's mystery, "Dead Witness," is a heart pounding, visceral story about a mother's love for her three daughters and the impossible decision that faces her: should she endanger her own and her family's lives by testifying to a murder she witnessed?

The primary character, Valerie McCormick, will win your heart. Vulnerable and full of self doubt, she is fiercely strong when her family is threatened. And the antagonists, the deadly DeOlmos brothers, are creepy, charming, and gorgeous - enough to make any sane reader get up and lock the doors.

Ms. Butler, a Canadian native, sets her tale in Seattle; Prince George, Canada; and Los Cabos, Mexico. The story races from one place to another, leaving you gasping with its twists and turns. The delightfully complex plot rivals any police story I've read, and the compelling characters far surpass those usually found in genre fiction.

If you like a dynamic read with remarkable characters, get out and buy Dead Witness.

 

When I pick up a suspense/crime novel, I have certain expectations. I want to get pulled in to the story right away, I want to like the main character a lot and thus care about her fate, and I want to be entertained; that is, I want to feel surprised, scared, angry, amused, shocked and thrilled. Being a normal human being, I want the good guys to win and the bad guys to go down-- they have to either get put away or die, and it's even better if they are thoroughly humiliated and disgraced first. And, being a woman, I enjoy a good love story.
This author fulfilled all my requirements. This story moves very quickly at all the right times, yet also vividly portrays the boredom and frustration of life as a protected witness. Valerie is a very likeable heroine: an orphan who married for security not love, and a mother of three who cares passionately about her kids and especially wants them to have a better life than she did. In terms of the entertainment, it was first rate and made the book difficult to put down. Without giving too much away, the conclusion of the book is very satisfying. And finally, the love story is possibly the best part, because it is not straightforward and at times you wonder if the two characters, who are obviously attracted to each other, are ever going to actually connect!
I strongly recommend this first novel to anyone who wants to read an exciting suspenseful book with a lot of heart. Joylene Butler never talks down to her readers; she is right there with us, leading us through Valerie's adventures in a way that leaves no doubt of her passion for a rivetting, well-told tale.
Review by N. MacFarlane

 

 REVIEW

 

I have never read a book that had me feeling so much like the main character. I could feel her dispair when she went to turn the ignition key. Joylene has a wonderful knack for putting you into the characters shoes. It was so well written, keeping you on the edge of your seat. Anyone wanting a great read from beginning to end should be sure to read this novel.

I would like to know if Joylene has other novels published and if so what are the names of them. If she doesn't, when will she have her next novel published?

I reluctantly reached the end of Dead Witness this afternoon and had to say goodbye to Valerie and Canaday, the two main characters. They are wonderful, as are the plot and the pace and the characterization and the twists. The dialogue is as real as it gets. But yet another reason Dead Witness shines so brightly is the DeOlmos brothers, the bad guys. They're evil but oh so human. Individually, they're scary and believable and sometimes even charming, but there's something about the way they interact and complement each other that makes them all the more realistic and complex and terrifying. Still, it's Valerie who gets my highest praise. What a fascinating mix of vulnerability and strength, naivety and savvy, purity and seductress.

The writing style is crisp and dynamic and consistent, perfect for a thriller. This novel gets all the stars I'm allowed to give it. I loved reading Dead Witness and hated to see it end.

I am not an English major, writer or journalist so please forgive any grammatical errors.... I am an ordinary person who lives in genteel poverty and likes to read. I purchase my books on sale or at rummage/garage sales. So right off the top, I really appreciated being able to download a copy of Dead Witness for only $2.

Now about the story. I liked it. I really liked it. The plot kept moving at a good pace. The initial chapters felt script like but by chapter nine the characters started to become real to me and I was definitely hooked. I would have preferred the main characters to have had their personality traits more exaggerated, bigger than life, more emotional, not so reserved ... so they could jump off the page and into my heart sooner... After all, it's imperfections and contradictions that, for me, make people lovable.

Being from Prince George, it would have been great to have had more action take place in PG, the north and Canada. Alaska would have been my choice for the first safe house. More descriptions of the city and surrounding area would have made me feel I'm traveling in the vehicle or shopping in the store with Valerie & Ed. Not being a writer, I wondered why the names of establishments had to be changed. For example we have five major banks in Canada. Why couldn't the bank scene have been in a real Canadian branch because then I could have visualized RBC with its blue decor or the Bank of Nova Scotia with its red color scheme. Why couldn't UNBC keep its real name?

My bias would have been to have the law enforcement agencies themselves look more competent with bureaucratic bungling and miscommunication something that happens in large organizations rather than appear so ineffective. I also sometimes questioned how easily information could be traced in this story and sure hope it is not true... I want the mounties to always get their man!

And dare I say, I would have liked the sexual thoughts to have been steamier, the attraction deeper, more animalistic and less tame, the sex hotter and more descriptive... this is not real life after all. Given the situation, all the emotions and hormones galloping at warp speed, I think it would have been perfectly natural for a character to have acted totally out of character and lost their societal inhibitions to the moment.... tomorrow may not be a reality for them after all. But this is just one reader's opinions.

All of the above points are minor things. I enjoyed reading the book and was entertained. I want to know when Ms. Butler's next book is coming out. I hope it contains more of Valerie, Canaday, Roth, and Vamozzi. Now that these characters have entered my life, I really hope I get to continue a relationship with them in future books. My secret wish is Canaday moves to Canada, becomes a Canadian citizen...... maybe teams up with Roth to build a very successful investigative firm. Vamozzi's connections are used but ... after a bit .... he is asked to head a branch office in the States and perhaps meets a client that he falls in love with too. Did I mention that I like to read fictional novels? Dead Witness was a very enjoyable read and I want more. I am now a fan.

Watch out for Joylene Nowell Butler. Her first novel, Dead Witness, is a gripping tale of a woman whose life changes forever when she witnesses the leader of a Latin drug cartel murder two FBI agents. The FBI desperately wants Valerie to testify; the drug lord is just as determined to make sure she never does.

It's a rollercoaster ride of chilling plot twists and turns. Butler takes us into the mind and heart of a woman who lost her parents as a child and now loses her children, when the FBI force her into hiding. As she struggles to elude the drug lord and return to her children, she discovers an inner strength that allows her to not only face the demons in her past, but also find romance in a most unlikely place. Butler's writing is fluid and compelling: she evokes each scene with an attention to detail that makes you feel you're actually there.

Plot, pace, characterization and prose: Butler delivers on all counts. Pick up Dead Witness and you won't want to put it down.