She Who Watches    by Patricia Rushford & Harrison James Order:  USA  Can Integrity, 2006 (2006) Paperback      Reviewed by Melissa Parcel Sara Watson is dismayed when she finds that her car was broken into while she was at work. Her husband is in a meeting, so she decides to drive home and take care of calling the insurance company before picking up her daughter at daycare. When Sara arrives home, an intruder attacks and kidnaps her. Her cousin Claire, scheduled for a visit, arrives, soon followed by Sara's husband. Where is Sara? Since Sara is the niece of a state senator who raised her after her own parents died, the case quickly becomes high profile. The FBI is immediately involved, but no one seems to know whether Sara's disappearance is voluntary or due to foul play. Oregon state police officers Mac McAllister and Dana Bennett are peripherally involved at first, but soon begin to run interference with the Native American tribe when threatening letters to the senator are uncovered. Can they find Sara before it's too late? Although this is the fourth in a mystery series featuring Mac McAllister, it easily stands alone. Readers with no prior knowledge of the characters or situations will quickly get into the flow. The authors have a wonderful understanding of police and criminal procedure and the realism makes the story very readable and believable. Mac's and Dana's private lives do play a role in the overall tale, but never take away from the mystery and intrigue. The involvement of the Native American police, and discussions of current events - such as tribal casinos - that threaten to further divide Native American and American cultures make the novel relevant as well as interesting. I hope that Nate, the tribal police officer, becomes a recurring character in the series, because he adds a great deal of depth. As I'm from the Northwest, reading about Oregon locales and landmarks is fascinating and the author does a fantastic job making the setting a part of the story. Although this is a Christian-based mystery, the Christian element is quite subtle and never intrudes on the overall plot. Anyone who enjoys a good police procedural will like She Who Watches. The suspense is quite intense in spots, and the reader is kept guessing as to the identity of the villain(s) until the very end. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews