Customer Reviews

Misplaced People

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
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Misplaced People is utterly stunning in its emotional impact, in the depth of the characterizations. C.G. Devise draws you in from the first page, making you feel for these characters, making you root for them.

It is the story of Striker West, an American woman with an outer shell of steel and a fragile soul lying beneath in pieces. Striker is on duty at a London hospital when a woman is brought in after being savagely attacked. The woman is unidentified and alone, and Striker is drawn to the comatose patient. She sits with her when her shift ends and reads to her. This becomes a daily routine until Morien Llewelyn's brother identifies her, and her family decends on the hospital.

This should have ended Strikers compulsion to take care of the woman, but it does not. She becomes obsessed with Morien Llewelyn.

Misplaced People is filled with mystery and intrigue, but ultimately, it is a beautiful love story that really touched me. I loved this book.

Misplaced People by C.G. Devize begins slowly in what I thought would be a laid back romantic mystery, but I was in for quite the adventure with this electrifying romantic thriller.


Striker West is an American living in London and working as a porter in a hospital. There she encounters Morien, who is a comatose patient, whom Striker reads fairy tales to in her free time. Striker becomes infatuated with Morien, and when Morien is released, continues to pursue her. Soon after they formally meet, both get caught up in arson, drug dealing and murder because of a work project that Morien is secretly investigating. Striker and Morien, in an effort to outrun these ruthless criminals, end up at Morien's childhood home in Wales. Thinking that all is over after a major drug bust, the two relax somewhat, but the chase continues, and they barely escape with their lives.

Devize tosses formula out the door with a thoroughly engrossing plot and unusual characters. The descriptions of the events and crimes are so chilling that they gave this reader goose bumps. While Striker is obsessed with getting romantically involved with Morien in the beginning, she soon puts that aside in fear of their lives. This is when the story really gets going, and we cannot turn the pages fast enough. The graphic scenes of London and Wales drop the reader right into the action. We feel like we too are outrunning these cold-blooded thugs, but can't escape. Near the end, just to elevate our blood pressure even more, the author throws in a stunning turn of events.

With Misplaced People, I had to be a little patient. Striker is not very likable in the beginning when she is stalking Morien and having unrealistic romantic fantasies about her, but as her character develops, and the action kicks in, we see the rough around the edges character transform. Once I was drawn in, I was captivated, and I could not put the book down. I highly recommend this book. It was well worth my time.

I love this book. It's one of my favorites. Not only for the deft characterizations, and surprising plot twists, but for the beautiful descriptions and use of language. I do love my non-American English. This story is an absolute pleasure to read from beginning to end.

We are first introduced to Striker West as she reads fairy tales to a woman in a coma, brought in unconscious and attended to by Striker at the London hospital in which she works. The contrasts the author continually draws between Striker's hard-bitten exterior, with brash and sometimes violent reactions, and her gentle and heroic interior are arresting. She is unwillingly drawn to this stranger, and begins to obsess about her, falling into old self-destructive patterns as Morien regains consciousness and is surrounded and cared for by friends and family.

Morien is dealing with her own issues. Used to being strong and independent, she finds herself dealing with serious health consequences resulting from being suddenly, violently attacked and hospitalized. She attempts to go on with her life and work, but her senses of self and safety have been shaken. Enchanted by Striker from the first, she pulls back in confusion as her head and heart war with one another about her immediate trust in this stranger.

It is with a dexterous hand that the author weaves together the tales of these two contrasting women. From the moment they actually meet again, the inexorable connection they feel, through misunderstandings and physical danger, as Morien simultaneously tries to solve the mystery of why she's being targeted, the author builds a very sweet and sensitive relationship between Striker and Morien. They provide solace and acceptance, safety and understanding. It's very endearing and very romantic and also provides some interesting framings of particulars of the human condition.

Plus, behind it all we travel from the dirty alleyways of inner-city London, through concrete tenements and flashy music clubs, to the enchanting countryside of Northern Wales. The setting is almost another character, it's brought to life so marvelously and experienced so acutely by the characters.

Not quite a traditional mystery, but an interesting story, with a well-drawn supporting cast, and brilliantly textured main characters. Well-worth reading if you can get your hands on a copy.

American, Striker West has come to London looking for her mother. She's working as a porter at St. Vincent's hospital when a Jane Doe arrives after being brutally assaulted and is currently comatose.

Striker sits and reads to Jane Doe every day, knowing patients recover faster if folks talk to them. One day Drake appears at the hospital and is able to identify his sister, Morien.

Striker has fallen in love with Morien and begins starting to get closer. Once a connection between the two has been made, there's no parting them.

Join them on the adventure of a lifetime with arson, murder, assaults on both of them and their friends, drugs, and chases from London, England to North Wales.

I recently read `Misplaced People' for the second time - the first being a few years ago - and thoroughly enjoyed it again. Unfortunately, this appears to be the only book published by Devize. This reader wishes her talent had been (will be?) shared more with her fans.

Here, she introduces Morien Llewelen, a woman who has been attacked and is in a coma. Striker West, an American who works at the hospital, is drawn to Morien and reads to her until her family finally discovers where she is. Striker follows the woman after she is discharged from the hospital and they finally meet. As the bond between the women grows stronger, they begin to discover mutual insecurities. Soon, the people who attacked Morien target Striker as well. Between their personal struggles and dealing with the proverbial bad guys, these women truly learn that love conquers all.