The Negotiator (The O'Malley Series #1)

The book I ordered came in great condition. It is a great book that I am looking forward to give to a good friend for a gift. The story line is wonderful. Dee Henderson is a gifted writer. Love her books. Clean stories, with a message. Captivating story line.This order came quickly and was shipped from St. Peters, MO. It came packed in a box which fit the product and had b ubble wrap around the book. Very careful packaging. Thank you so much. This was wonderful because the book I received yesterday was shipped from Etna, OH and it was not packaged properly. This was handled so well it has made me feel ok about future orders again. Thank you to the MO. staff who did such a nice job sending it out.

I love the whole O’Malley Series. It is worth reading. I have read the series about 6 times and will read it again.

I love the O'Malley series and have read it over and over again. Henderson's characters are strong and independent. Their struggle with faith is like my own. I love that the family closes in during a hard time and works to help figure out how to make things better.The Negotiator is the first book in the O'Malley series. Each book is written about a member of the family. In the story about Kate, we find out about the dangers she faces being a Negotiator for the Chicago Police Department. The thing that makes Kate so good at her job also is the one thing that puts her in danger. Kate doesn't fear death, or so that is what she projects to the people she is negotiating with. The story starts out quickly with Kate in the middle of a negotiation where lots could go wrong. There is a hostage that wants to play hero. All Kate knows is that the guy has a badge and wants to help. Kate plays it cool and is able to do her job successfully. Dave Richman is an FBI agent who protects people for a living. He soon finds out that Kate needs his protection, the only problem is she continues to put herself in danger.There is another storyline that is woven into all of the O'Malley stories. The youngest sister Jennifer has become a Christian and she has cancer. It is Jennifer's mission to see all her family members come to Christ before she dies. Each story continues the battle that Jennifer wages for her life. As Jennifer sees her family struggle with her cancer, she also sees just how much they love her and will do anything for her.The Negotiator grabs your attention from the first page and then doesn't let go until you have finished the final book. Along the way you will laugh and cry. These characters become a part of your family. I love that Henderson has written each story so that it can stand on its own. If you pick up a different book, you do not feel totally lost if you read the books out of order. There is enough detail for the reader to understand who everyone is in the story, yet the quick review for the reader is not long and drawn out if you already know the details.

After reading (and loving!) Danger in the Shadows, I snatched this book up when I saw it as a free download for Kindle a few weeks ago. It took me just over a day to read, and at one point got so caught up my reading that I exercised for an extra 30 minutes because I forgot it was on the elliptical machine!Kate O'Malley, aka The Negitiator, will capture your attention from the first chapter, where in her job as a Chicago police negotiator, she calmly mediates a crisis involving a man wired with dynamite and hostages in a bank. Also in the bank is FBI agent Dave Richman, brother and protector of Sara from Danger in the Shadows. He, and the reader, cannot walk away from Kate after such an encounter any more than one could successfully eat a single potato chip. When Kate's name becomes attached to a gruesome crime that kills over 200 people, Dave and Kate must work with local and national law enforcement–and Kate's personality-filled brothers and sisters–to sort through Kate's hidden past, connect their disjointed collection of clues, and bring the perpetrator to justice. Told from both Kate and Dave's points of view, along with a few tantalizingly vague scenes from the criminal's POV, The Negotiator will keep you on the edge of your seat from cover to cover.Dee Henderson does a wonderful job in this book telling a complete story while still leaving the reader excited for the rest of the series. All the lose ends in Kate's tale are tied up by the end, which makes the book enjoyable as a stand alone read. However, throughout the story we meet the rest of the O'Malley family and hear snippets of their lives and the backstory that brought them together. I can't wait to download the next book in the series and learn more about this close-knit clan.Although I thoroughly enjoyed this read, I did take one star off for a few minor problems. Occasionally, clunky phrases or odd sentence structure in the midst of otherwise smooth writing provide a jarring reminder that you're reading a book. Also, compared to the brilliant intensity of the opening sequence, the story's denouement feels slightly rushed and unsatisfying. In spite of these small issues, I anticipate reading this book again and am looking forward to the rest of the series!

Except for the missing word in the opening sentence, the plot of this novel began well. As a negotiator, our heroine was extremely interesting, and then the guy from the FBI turned up, and while I was prepared for the romance to come, I certainly wasn't expecting a whole series of digressions into the depths of American Christianity, where, it appeared, our hero could never marry a woman who wasn't as deeply committed a believer as himself and his family. There was heavy questioning, soul-searching, and a miraculous switching on of 'Belief' before the end, all of which made this an overly-long book, and interrupted the flow of the mystery to an unacceptable level.The author may well be writing primarily for readers who already share her beliefs, in which case I have no doubt they loved every minute of every argument within the book, but if she's proselytising, she might consider that this can be done much more effectively without ramming the subject down the reader's throat every few pages. The impression she left with me was one of a rabid, almost fanatical, intolerant, exclusive religion, out to convert the otherwise-damned unbelieving world, and that far outweighed the potentially exceptional writing and mystery plotline.

I actually read this book for the first time about eight years ago, but since I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was about, I snapped it up when it was on offer on Kindle. I knew I enjoyed it the first time around, but I couldn't remember the plot.The Negotiator is an engaging, romantic, suspenseful read. Thankfully, Kate and Dave didn't fall in love at first sight. Instead they had this unusual 'rapport at first sight.' I enjoyed their banter and the dynamics of their relationship. The book focuses a lot on God's character, which I really enjoyed. It was great to delve into Kate's questions alongside her, and it was a good reminder of God's sovereignty and how we don't always understand why He allows certain things to happen.Kate's journey was realistic. As for Kate's personality, she was a bit too fiercely independent at first (in my opinion) but I liked that she could lean on her 'brothers'. Nobody is completely self-sufficient, we all need somebody. I liked the slight vulnerability that she showed towards the end of the book. I liked that Dave loved her but didn't compromise his beliefs. As for Dave being British, I was glad there was a British character at first, but as the book went on he didn't really seem all that British and his being British didn't really add anything to the story. Maybe his British accent was something of a novelty for Kate and was part of his appeal. (EDIT: I have just read Danger in the Shadows, which precedes this book and it explains Dave's British accent. His father was the US Ambassador to England so they're American but have lived in England. Now it all makes sense!!).The conclusion of the book was satisfying. I worked out who the bad guy was before he was revealed to be the bad guy, but rather than this spoiling it for me, I was relieved that it wasn't 'someone else' (trying desperately not to give any spoilers away here!!).The O'Malleys are a lovable bunch. I kind of wish I had three brothers and three sisters now. Thank you Dee Henderson for writing such an enjoyable faith book.

I enjoyed the premise of this book and found the characters well written and largely believable. But... I found the Christian bit very overpowering and in your face and ended up skipping over pages of story that dealt with theological debates of why Kate should believe in God. Far too heavy handed, despite Christianity supposedly being forgiving and accepting Dave could only have an 'evangelical friendship' with Kate, in that he wanted to convert her and couldn't possibly have a relationship with someone who didn't believe!! Really?!! One reviewer states it's not an 'in your face preachy kind of book' - it is!!Having said that, I liked the O'Malley's as a family (not keen when Kate then decides she needs to convert all of them!!) and enjoyed the suspense. The romance was very underplayed, as in they barely touched through the whole book, which could have been better but I would consider reading the rest of the series if they were free like this one was. I'm unlikely to buy them though.

Probably one of the best set of books I have ever read. You become lost in the story and feel like you are involved with this family. You don’t have to be religious to read this collection, the story is gripping and exciting. I have recommended this collection to many people

This was a very readable book, with interesting characters. Unfortunately it was interspersed with very preachy religious passages, spoiling the flow and tone of the book. It was only the interesting story line that kept me reading, otherwise I would have deleted it from my Kindle without finishing it. I have no problem with religion per se, and don't mind reading books that develop religious themes. What I do mind is the feeling that the book is trying to convert me to religion, much as Dave spends the book trying to do with Kate. I am a true believer in everybody being allowed to form their own opinions on all topics, including religion. What sort of Christian won't accept a person for who they are and what they believe, as Dave doesn't seem prepared to do with Kate? If he truly loved her, wouldn't that be enough? I have always thought of Christianity, and in fact all religions, as accepting and forgiving. If there is a God, then wouldn't that God be just enough to know that as long as people live their lives by good moral values, whether they believe or not would not matter. This book should be clearly labelled as Evangelical Christian romantic thriller.