There are books that skillfully handle sensitive topics and there are mysteries that pull things together and totally surprise the reader in the end; rarely are both of these books the same one as is Marie Drake's wonderful Three Rules.

Right from the start I was pulled in, though I was a bit worried about reading the book because of its subject matter. Marie Drake is an amazing writer and makes Hope Wellman someone the reader truly cares about, sympathizes with, admires, but never pities. The reader probably has more faith in Hope than she does herself. Her horrific past has left Hope with lots of doubts and fears, but she is much more mature and ready to handle them than she gives herself credit for in her life.

Besides being a talented writer who makes every page one to turn quickly, Marie Drake also creates fully fleshed out secondary characters and manages to make a highly suspenseful read remain a believable one. What could have been a big problem (having to wrap up many loose threads at the end without making it seem like everything but the kitchen sink had been thrown in) became something even the most jaded mystery reader would not see coming.

I look forward to more fiction from Marie Drake. Deep, well-thought out page turners are hard to come by these days. Three Rules is not only a very sincere and touching read (I love the deep friendship Joey and Hope share) it is an unforgettable one as well. ( )

Review of Three Rules by Marie Drake - April 24, 2015

Reviewed by Author Holly Newhouse for Eternal Book Reviews and Inkspand and Online Book Reviews

The author Marie Drake lives in a small town near Lake Ontario with her husband and children. She is an admirable and inspirational person being a foster parent takes a special kind of person and being a survivor of abuse, I have a feeling she has overcome and broken the cycle within her life and that in itself is extremely admirable. I too am a survivor of Domestic Violence that ended with my two year old twins and myself being shot and barely survived at the hands of my ex-husband and a survivor of rape at 16 years old by a man I looked up to as a big brother. My own journey was long and hard and while I have never been a child abuse victim like Hope was in the story, everything she feels, contemplates, agonizes over and discovers about herself through the course of the story was eerily similar to my own journey to reaching the status of survivor and was like replaying my own past. I too overcame everything that happened to me in my life and am now an activist, marriage and family therapist, and victim traumatologist, trying to help juries to understand that when a victim testifies, they may not act in a way that the jury considers to be stereotypical of a victim and why that is.

Three rules has been written from a place within the heart and soul of our author, this reviewer can see that as plain as day from my own experiences. I deeply commend Marie Drake for using the unique prose that not only conveys the depth of the complexity, abuse victims and survivors go through but in a way that those who have never experienced it can understand as well. For those of us who have, the story can be a big trigger to our own past abuse but it can also be incredibly freeing as we go through the story with Hope and when I say freeing, for me it meant feeling joy over another survivor being able to overcome her abuser's hold on her past, present and future as well as his hold on her memories, emotional and mental states of mind and speaking out to others about it. It reminds me of my own journey and how my steps were similar to Hope's. It is never over for the victim or the survivor, not really. There is no cure all that makes the abuse go away but, with time, love, and a great network of support and respect, it becomes bearable to live with and frees the soul to the point of being able to feel again and most importantly feel happiness in life once again and for the survivor, to find him or herself again as well. Thanks to my past experiences, my training and my profession, I was able to read between the lines and read deeper into the meaning of Hope's story as it might relate to the author as a survivor herself of abuse and was able to do so. I highly admire and commend Author Marie Drake for tackling a very complex issue that is clearly not as black and white as society wants to believe and she tackles it in such a way to not only bring awareness to it but helps others gain to understand that very complexity. I could clearly see just how much of her very soul the author put into the writing of this magnificent fiction story full of suspense and twists and turns the reader won't see coming until it smacks them in the face and I also pray the writing of this story also helped the author to free her own soul a bit as well.

The story is well-written, descriptive in such a way as to give enough for the reader to understand but, not overmuch and leaves the reader to use their imagination and engages them in such a way as to drawn them right into Hope's world and make them believe they are seeing a movie and no longer reading a book and that in itself is an exceptional and natural born talent that many authors struggle to accomplish but for Drake, it seems to come naturally to her. She walks the fine line brilliantly between realism and fiction. The plot and character development are exceptional and the story flows smoothly throughout with it speeding up in some places and slowing back down to some places which also contributes to its ability to hook the reader and keep them hooked in the story until the very end. I was hooked from the first paragraph until the very end. I was drawn to the book especially because it was written by a survivor sister. I want to personally thank Author Marie Drake for her amazing story that is fiction but realistic enough that it could be happening to someone we all know and don't have any idea is happening to them without knowing what signs to look for. I will be recommending this book to my huge network of survivor brothers and sisters so they can experience the twists and turns and the heart breaking story with its empowering ending. I applaud your excellent ability in writing a terrific story and to make it beautifully profound, my survivor sister. God Bless you always and keep you safe from harm forever more.

******Disclosure of Material Connection****** I received a free copy of this book from the author, Marie Drake through Inkspand. I was not required to provide a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16CFR, Part 255.

Marie Drake
Three Rules
Red Bird Digital, 3rd Edition
288 pp. $0.99 on Amazon Kindle and $12.41 on Paperback
http://www.amazon.com/Three-Rules-Marie-Drake…/…/B00F0OO6WO/ ( )

Kudos to the author, Marie Drake, for a wonderfully written novel! She brought so much insight into this very dark and sensitive storyline, and did it in a sensitive and subtle way.

The story opens with a somber scene as the tearful family of Lucas Wellman is saying their last goodbyes around his gravesite. The ceremony seemed rather strange because there was an empty coffin – no body was ever recovered from the accident. But Hope is celebrating her freedom. She is sure Lucas Wellman will never spend a single moment in a peaceful state of eternity. Hope is ready for a future without Lucas. He left his mark on her, but he’ll never be able to hurt her again, and the story unfolds ---

CHARACTERS:

I felt drawn into the world of Hope Wellman. Hope felt like she was a human being unworthy of love and she had no self-esteem. She was haunted by dark and traumatic memories of sexual abuse as a child, and she went through her life feeling depressed, and sometimes questioning her sanity. Hope wrapped herself into a thin shell of artificial happiness.

Lucas Wellman’s misdeeds were unreadable to everyone because of his likeable personality. He was a half brother to Luther Wellman.

Luther Wellman was Hope’s stepfather. He gave Hope his last name, a comfortable home, and a family because he was totally devoted to her mother, Carol.

Joey Bishop was a childhood friend of Hope, and they grew up together. Joey was very comfortable with Hope and eventually their relationship blossoms into more than friendship.

Three Rules has an intense and disturbing storyline with writing that is poignant and filled with emotion. I was pulled into the drama with several scenes that were quite touching and haunting, and for the most part, the characters were well developed. This book had a well-developed plot, compelling characters, and concluded with an exciting crescendo of suspense.

A few negative comments – There were a few grammatical errors, punctuation, etc., but it certainly didn’t deter me from reading on. Also, I never became connected to the characters of Michael and Helena, feeling that they didn’t add much interest to the storyline.

My rating is 4 stars and I’ll certainly be watching for any new books by this very talented author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author as a “first reads winner” from Goodreads. ( )

I received Three Rules from author, Marie Drake, in return for my honest review. Thank you Ms. Drake.

Three Rules is a very good book with multiple plot twists and turns. I was horrified by the monstrous sexual abuse Hope suffered at the hands of a trusting family member. That this actually happens in real life and not just in books/movies is atrocious and unthinkable. I followed Hope's story throughout extremely closely with a very protective eye. I still feel for her. I am very happy to have read Three Wishes; I won't forget about this book for a very long time, if ever. ( )

ull of heart racing suspense! Just when I felt I "knew" who the guilty party was, Marie Drake threw me another curve ball. Then just when I thought I had it again, she hit me with the ultimate whopper! This is just what I like in a suspenseful novel. I dislike when I figure things out before I am even half way done with a book. Marie Drake does not disappoint! I started this book yesterday and was frustrated when I got so tired last night that I had to put the book down and succumb to sleep. First thing after my shower this morning I was back at it and didn't stop till I was done! Very well written. I had read some reviews before I started the book and saw that some folks thought the ending was rushed. I don't know if my copy was a newer one, but I felt the ending flowed well. I cannot wait for Marie Drake to finish her second book! I will be watching for it :-)(less) ( )