For Valorie Dawes, #metoo means
it’s time to #fightback.
Audiences 16+
Length: approx. 375 pages
Read it now!
A rookie policewoman, who was molested as a young girl, pursues a serial child molester, and struggles to control the emotions his misdeeds awake in her.
Valorie Dawes carries a serious emotional scar from being molested in her youth by a family “friend,” a tragedy referred to by family members only as “The Incident.” Her namesake uncle, a well-known Clayton, CT police detective, learned of her ordeal only days before being gunned down in the line of duty. Resolving to continue in his footsteps, she becomes a Clayton policewoman at the age of 22.
But Val’s self-doubts emerge and multiply when she encounters bullying and chauvinism from many of the seasoned male cops in her department. Only her partner, Gil, manages to crack through her veneer of mistrust of men by showing patience, kindness, and confidence in her. Under Gil’s tutelage, Val shows promise as a talented, thoughtful, and quick-thinking street cop, earning praise from her superiors–and continued resistance from old-school line cops, jealous of her quick rise.
But despite Gil’s support, Val becomes increasingly isolated within the department and vilified in the public eye as reckless and incompetent. Complicating matters, a blogger, Paul Peterson, somehow gains inside knowledge about her and is quick to sensationalize her mistakes on his trashy “police-accountability” website.
One of Val’s early mistakes involves getting overpowered in a domestic abuse encounter with a serial child abuser, Richard Harkins, who proves to be both elusive and cruel. His escape haunts her and she spends an increasing amount of her time and energy trying to track him down before he strikes again and subjects any more young girls to the fate Val encountered in her own youth.
Can Valorie overcome the trauma she suffered as a child and stop Harkins from hurting others like her—or will her bottled-up anger lead her to take reckless risks that put the people she loves in greater danger?
Download Chapters 1 and 2 of A Woman of Valor
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What early reviewers are saying about A Woman of Valor:
“…This book had me rooting for the heroine and the people who loved and supported her. She emerged from her horrific past and overcame all odds…During the reading of this book, I was delighted and thankful to find some occasions where my tears just had to come out. In a word: Bravo!”
– Debbie Stanton, Author of The Positive Side of Cancer
“Gary Corbin’s protagonist is believable, real and likeable.”
– Rita Lee Chapman
“First, thanks to the author for writing such a strong female character into this novel. Valorie Dawes is not only a survivor, she is making it her business to help others. … The author takes a great mystery and also adds the harsh reality of what PTSD can do. … I think readers will not only like the mystery, but the woman living through it all.”
– P.S. Winn
“A page-turning plot, filled with vivid characters and intense conflicts…Corbin captures with striking intimacy this complicated female voice, creating an authentic, highly relatable lead character. A brilliant combination of thriller and character study…a powerful, important read.”
– Kate Kort, Author of Glass and Laika
“A Woman of Valor combines action-packed police chases with big-hearted, personal triumphs. As Valorie confronts her past, she approaches each new obstacle with strength and vigor, taking us toward an illustrious, explosive finale. I couldn’t recommend it enough.”
– Independent Book Review
“A solid plot, with a main bad character (who is truly bad) all readers will hate, some lesser unlikeable characters, some intrigue, a hint of romance ), sympathetic characters easy to engage with and root for, and a more than satisfying ending.”