Poison Flower

   

Thomas Perry writes a series about Jane Whitefield.  She helps people to disappear. “I’m a guide . . . I show people how to go from places where somebody is trying to kill them to other places where nobody is." Suppose your ex is a cop.  And he has made it clear he is going to kill you.  And the other cops don't believe you.  What would you do? She will help get them new identification and get lost somewhere.  She teaches them to change the way they live and work.  She shows them how to disappear.

Jane doesn't advertise or have a web page.  Someone who knows what she does has to tell the potential runner how to find her. She doesn't charge for her services and frequently fronts the money for desperate people.  Most of the time the runners will pay her back at some vague future time.  When they are settled and earning money and safe, money finds its way to Jane. 

Each of the last few books have seemed to be the last in the series.  After all, she got married and agreed to stop her dangerous calling.  But when desperate people have nowhere to turn, she feels compelled to help out.

In this book, Jane helps James Shelby escape from court where he has been unjustly convicted in the murder of his wife.  The actual murderer set Shelby up so that no one would suspect him.  The rest of the book is a whirlwind of Jane trying to get him safe and then trying to figure who really did it.  That part is assisted by the fact that the murderer is sending people after them the whole time.  So they have to evade the cops and the murderers. 

Jane is captured by them and tortured to get information about where Shelby is going.  Jane is Native American, a Seneca,  and uses the stories of how braves would stay back and fight off groups of  enemy warriors to give his own people time to escape to help her withstand the pain.  Many times this meant being caught and tortured and it was a sign of bravery to be stoic under the torture.

In the course of investigating Jane, they discover there are many people who want to know where she has put past runners.  They are willing to pay a lot to torture the information out of her so they can finish what they started.

Jane escapes and the race is on.  The book is non-stop action and I couldn't put the book down.  I highly recommend this series.  I suggest you start with the first one and read them in order.  This book references past books and while it isn't necessary to read them in order, I always prefer to do that.  There are many places online to find books in order by any author.  I suggest you go right now and get started!