Wishing Makes It So
Marilyn Meredith
Hard Shell Word Factory, Jun 2006,
ISBN: 0759937605

Kenniwick County Social Services Department Social Worker Jocelyn Perigard explains to Alyse and Steven Chrestman that the four year girl they want to adopt has had behavioral problems in the foster homes that she resided in. However, the idealistic young couple, parents of three healthy children (Andrew, Holly and toddler Pammy), wants to do something good for someone else. They chose the troubled Belinda because they believe their successful parenting experience coupled with his background as a social worker and her PH.D and work with preschoolers provide them with the skills to succeed in bringing the child into a loving caring environment.

However, in spite of their good intentions, Belinda proved more than just a handful. At times sweet and innocent, she more often is vindictive, sneaky, and nasty. She takes pleasure in hurting other children and vandalizing other people's property. However, she soon decides that she needs to be the only child in the Chrestman household and considers becoming the only female as she covets her daddy's attention. Mommy knows but daddy seems charmed by the child.

WISHING MAKES IT SO is a deep character study that Dean Koontz would be proud to have written as the suspense grips readers from start to finish. The story line is fast-paced but filled with surprise spins as tension mounts from the moment Belinda enters the Chrestman home and never slows down until her final arrival at the house she called home for awhile. Readers who appreciate a strong tense thriller filled with real people will want to read Marilyn Meredith's superb shocker in which the roads to hell is paved with good intentions while your escort may be a beautiful little girl with a devil of a heart.

Harriet Klausner