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That's the scenario of Michael Farris's suspenseful new novel, Anonymous Tip. And it's the reason this story is riveting and frightening -- without the sex and violence so prevalent in contemporary fiction.
The story revolves around Gwen Landis, a single mom who finds herself "guilty until proven innocent" when her ex-husband anonymously, and falsely, accuses her of child abuse. Like an eagle descending on its prey, ambitious social worker Donna Corliss swoops in, first strip-searching Gwen's four-year-old daughter Casey, then having her removed from Gwen's home.
What can be more terrifying than that? Plenty, it seems, as malicious government officials manipulate the system to suit their needs and cover their hides. When Corliss and her boss discuss the lawsuit Gwen has filed against them to get her daughter back, we glimpse the depth of their corruption:
"But we go into homes all the time on anonymous tips, and we go in whether or not there is an immediate threat. All we require is a report of child abuse and we go in -- period."
"Of course, we do. But it is far better if we cover our backsides by pleading that we had information suggesting an emergency and I want us to be able to say that we were acting upon the tip of a known, reliable source."
"But the hotline record says otherwise and they will certainly get that record somehow."
"You are absolutely right. They will get the record that is in our computer at the time of their subpoena. Your job is to make sure our computer records reflect an emergency and that tip had better not be anonymous," he thundered.
Thankfully, a handful of people rush to Gwen's aid. Chief among them is Peter Barron, an attorney who offers his services for next to nothing. When Gwen asks why, he stuns her by proclaiming, "I'm a born-again Christian."
She soon realizes that Peter's faith is exhibited not in such statements, but in the way he lives his life, the cases he takes, and what he won't do to win. And winning is anything but assured, as mother and attorney crash against incredible legal roadblocks and limitless deception.
Farris creates a masterful portrait of a judicial system that is as scary as it is real. As an attorney and founder and president of the Home School Legal Defense Association, he has intimate knowledge of the laws surrounding parental rights and children -- and how these laws, in the wrong hands, can be more vicious than a gun. Anyone who has spent time in court or watching proceedings will recognize the legalese and often pompous maneuverings with which Farris endows his characters. This depiction of reality is as chillingly effective as a horror novelist's descriptions of mist-enshrouded tombs and shadowy dungeons.
With Anonymous Tip, Farris has written a fast-paced legal nightmare. His smooth writing, believable characters, and startling forays into our judicial system will have readers flipping pages long into the night.
So take a good look at your kids and consider this: What really scares you?
Robert Liparulo is a freelance reviewer from Colorado Springs, CO.
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