Customer Reviews

The Rescuer (The O'Malley Series #6)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Stephen O'Malley was a paramedic. After watching his sister, Jennifer, die of cancer, and seeing all the horrible things his profession sent his way for over ten years, Stephen was running away from everything ... including God.

Meghan "Meg" Delhart had worked in an emergency room of a major hospital until the night a driver ran her car off a bridge and caused her to become blind. She began helping her father in his health clinic in Silverton, Illinois. But life in a small town was not always slow and uneventful. Stolen jewels were turning up in the oddest places. Someone had been walking through her house and going through her things. So she turned to the one person she knew she could trust, the man she had had a crush on since was a teen, Stephen.

***** No one blends family and faith with heart pounding action like Dee Henderson! This author just ROCKS! This book, "The Rescuer", marks the end of the O'Malley Family series. In this story the main characters are Stephen and Meghan, yet many of the other members of the O'Malley clan appear. There is stolen jewelry, fraud, murder, kidnapping, medical traumas, Stephen slowly learning faith, tornados ... the list of actions just go on and on! It is as if the author poured her heart and soul into this story. Perhaps she did, since this is the last. As the reader, I sure did not want this series to end. An awesome ending to a thrilling series. Highly recommended! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

The Rescuer is another great OMalley tale. The book is very well written, though Dee takes a slightly different approach to this novel. In the previous OMalley tales, the villains are kept pretty low-key and mysterious  the reader is working to figure out who-dun-it. In this story, the reader is given the story of the bad guys, as well as the story of Stephen OMalley.

The previous OMalley book, the Healer, kept me pulled in very close  it was an emotional book on several levels. The Rescuer did not pull me in quite the same way. Stephen OMalley is struggling on several levels  hes feels alone (hes the last single OMalley) and hes grieving over the death of his sister. The book had the potential to be very emotional, but it did not seem to me to catch the depth of Stephens struggle.

The book also didnt bring me closure with the whole OMalley clan. It makes me wonder if Henderson is leaving the door open for future OMalley projects, even though this book is slated as the final of the series. I would love it greatly if she would continue to write about the OMalleys. They are a great family, and in several ways model what many families should be.

Those things aside, Henderson gives us an interesting story of three jewelry thieves. She portrays the intensity of crime and distrust among thieves pretty well. The characters face the consequences of their actions that they did not consider early in their turn to crime. We also see how small beginnings become more than one can handle over time. The web becomes tangled so quickly and innocents get caught up in treachery unexpectedly.

The leading lady in this novel is blind. I thought Henderson did a good job, even if it is basic, of showing me what blind people deal with in daily life. She expanded my ability to understand and empathize with blind people.

Please do not read my review in the wrong way  this is an excellent story. But, like the previous OMalley story, this is not the place to begin  read the others first. I hope you enjoy them thoroughly. I certianly have!

I have really enjoyed reading the O'malley series in its entirety over the course of the summer. One of my friends at college who is a christian suggested that I give these books a try because they featured, "a lot of doctors," and delt with a lot more than Christianity.
I am not a Christian and have never bought in to any real religious faith, but I am a premed student so I wanted to see how Henderson painted the medical profession which was the origional reason I decided to give the series a try.
I found myself being drawn in to the plot of the series from the first page of book number one.
I particularly enjoyed reading about Jennifer and felt for her as she battled with cancer. I also enjoyed the messages of the books and came to a new understanding of the importance of friends and family, and exactly what makes people happy and what is important in life.
Jennifer's story though not true inspired me even more to become a doctor because I saw first hand how much she touched her pediatric patients and what her profession and family meant to her.
I also found Henderson's discription of medical settings and professionals to be extremely acuraten and was impressed by that fact. I could clearly picture for instance the gracy area behind Hopkins where the O'malley's spent the day during Jenifer's gruling hospital stays.
I also found myself drawn to Lisa and Stephen and thought that the author did an excellent job of portraying the stresses of practicing medicine in an Urban area.
Although I did not readily except the Christianity in these books I found a great deal to identify with as a person who is not a Christian and thought that Henderson was extremely realistic in her portrait of a family battling cancer and the struggles associated with that reality.
These books are worth reading for anyone who is considering medicine as a career because they offer a different prespective in to the life of a physician and are extremely suspensful and romantic besides. Both Christians and others will be able to identify with these books which present an excellent picture of reality.

Wow! Dee has done it again. This is an excelent book. The Healer made you cry because of their loss, but this one helps you deal with that sorrow, and start again. I love how Dee takes real characters and puts them in situations that are extreme, but gives them real emotions.
This is the last of the O'Malley books and we get to finally meet Stephen. Although I am very dissapointed that this ends the story of the O'Malley, I am looking forward to her next series, The Uncomon Heroes. Take my advice, if you like romance, suspense and a good story, read Dee Henderson!

Dee Henderson, you're an incredible writer, my hat off to you! The sixth book of the O'Malley series, "The Rescuer" is a captivating and thrilling story! And if you've read all the previous books and loved them as much as I do, I'm sure you feel a part of the O'Malley family now!

The O'Malley family consists of seven brothers and sister, three boys and four girls. Since they were little they had been in the same orphanage and when they got out of the orphanage, they decided to 'adopt' each other, taking the name O'Malley as their family name. They all have very important jobs, Marcus is a U.S. Marshal, Kate a negotiator for hostage situations, botched-up robberies, etc., Jennifer is a doctor, Jack a fireman, Stephen a paramedic, Rachel a trauma psychologist, and Lisa is a forensic pathologist. This story is about Stephen O'Malley, 'the rescuer'.

Stephen O'Malley is a paramedic and he has been saving lives and rescuing people all his life. Now he's feeling insecure about himself and his life; his sister Jennifer has died from cancer and he can't come to terms to having to live without her. As for the rest of the O'Malleys, they are all Christians now, are all attached being either married or engaged, and have a sense of peace. Stephen on the other hand feels left out, he hasn't found someone special in his life and can't believe in a God he doesn't want to trust.

Meghan Delhart has had a crush on Stephen since at a very young age. She is blind because of a terrible accident years before. She knows that Stephen is hurting and will do anything to help him. But she also knows she can't become too close to him, she believes in her personal Savior Jesus while Stephen tries to run away from the truth.

Stolen jewels start to turn up at the strangest of places. And it seems that the criminal conspiracy is somehow connected to Meghan. Stephen will go to the greatest of lengths to protect and help her out, and before he knows it, he soon finds himself falling for her. But first he must work out the turmoil in his heart and search for the peace which has been eluding him all these years. Can Jesus Christ be the answer, can Stephen put his trust in the God he has been running away from? But time is running out, the race is on to find out about the jewels before the thieves do.

"The Rescuer" has got to be on of my most favorite of the O'Malley series, including "The Negotiator" and "The Guardian". It's not a real mystery story, but be assured there is a lot of suspense and intrigue! And the love story is an interesting one, Stephen and Meghan have been friends for years but cannot be anything more because of different beliefs. Stephen hasn't been mentioned that much in the previous books but here we get to know a lot about him. I really like his character, he's so believable and sounds like a great person to have as a friend. Meghan is also a good character, Dee Henderson gives us a look at the life of the blind in Meghan. I can highly recommend this book though I suggest you read the series in order. It's too bad this is the last of the series, maybe Dee Henderson will give us more stories on the second generation O'Malleys!

These are five books in the O'Malley Series in order, all highly recommended:
#1 "The Negotiator", Kate O'Malley's story. One of the best of the series.
#2 "The Guardian", Marcus O'Malley's story, the oldest of the O'Malleys. A great love story with an incredibly suspenseful plot!
#3 "The Truth Seeker", Lisa O'Malley's story, very suspenseful!
#4 "The Protector", Jack O'Malley's story, not as good as the previous three books yet still enjoyable.
#5 "The Healer", Rachel O'Malley's story.
#6 "The Rescuer", Stephen O'Malley's story. One of the BEST books I've ever read!

Other books by Dee Henderson are:
"Danger in the Shadows", written before "The Negotiator" whose main character is the sister of Kate O'Malley's boyfriend, Sara and Walsh
#1 "True Devotion", the first in the Uncommon Heroes Series tells about the Navy SEALs.
#2 "True Valor", about Navy Pilot Gracie and Air Force Pararescuer Bruce.
#3 "True Honor", the best of the series so far with Navy SEAL Sam 'Cougar' Houston and CIA officer Darcy St. James.
#4 "True Courage", supposed to be coming out soon. I can't wait! It's all about the FBI and I'm so excited to read it!

Let's face it, Dee Henderson doesn't disappoint. I have recommended her books to at least half a dozen Christian fiction readers at the library where I work, and they all have loved her.

"The Rescuer" was a great book on which to end the series. My only reservation was that she didn't bring in more of the O'Malleys in this wrap-up. Kate was featured a good bit and Jack showed up several times, but it would have been nice to "see" everyone one last time. However, it was nice to see that it was Jennifer's faith that made God present to Stephen, as it had done for the other O'Malleys as well.

They met when they were children in a Chicago orphanage. When they were old enough to leave, they legally change their name to O'Malley and moved into a home together. They were closer than most blood families so that when one of them died, the only member who doesn't have a significant other or is connected to God can't handle the loss. Stephen quits his high-pressure EMT job and heads off for parts unknown, running away from the pain that he can't cope with.

The only person he keeps in touch with is Meghan Delhart, a former trauma nurse who was blinded in an automobile accident five years ago. When Stephen finally returns home he buys a home in Silverton, Illinois, and is practically Meghan's next door neighbor. As he slowly comes to grips with his sister's death, he begins to fall in love with Meghan but she is strong in her faith and won't allow herself to love someone who doesn't share her religious beliefs.

THE RESCUER has to rescue himself and he does so in slow painful steps while his heart is breaking which immediately engages reader empathy. The hero is a good man who has seen so much tragedy in his young life and it is only when he is able to connect to God does he find the peace of mind he has been seeking for years. Dee Henderson has written another enthralling inspirational romance that showcases a character trying to cope with a terrible trauma.

Harriet Klausner

The O'Malley series has been a journey for me. It helped me analyze my faith in so many ways. I almost felt I was joining the O'Malley clan at times as I moved through each book, learning about each person in depth. This is the final book in the series and when the previous book ended, I ached for Stephen. His journey towards God initally took him away from his family. As he found his way back home, he was truly finding his way home to God.

While the mystery of the stolen jewels in a small town intertwined with his budding romance with Meghan moves the story along, at times I felt the stolen jewels was a bit of an annoyance that got in the the way of Stephen's story. The mystery wasn't why I wanted to read this book. I wanted to see how Stephen would find solace and the peace he so desperately was searching for. Would Meg be the one to help him find God and the peace he wanted? Would he once again be able to work as a paramedic? Or would he turn his back on his family and life and run as hard and fast as he could?

Jennifer's gift of her diary and Bible starts to give him the foundation that he needs to find his own sense of peace and calmness. As he stakes a claim in the small town of Silverton, he slowly finds the peace he is looking for. Of course he does this in a climax of tornadoes and a kidnapping but it seemed like the tornadoes path of destruction was much like what Stephen had felt was happening in his life. Only after the tornado had torn through things he loved was he able to see clearly what he wanted from life and God.

The O'Malleys' story is wrapped up nicely with no loose ends. I will miss their fierce devotion and unquestioning love for each other. But I do know I will be ready to read other Dee Henderson books. They have all been consistently well done and I always looked forward to the next book in the series.

I was somewhat disappointed with the Protector and the Healer so it was with mixed feelings that I bought the Rescuer. I liked the 4th and 5th books. I just didn't like them as much as previous installments. In the Rescuer, I feel she is back on track. I have always been interested in Stephen's story from the moment we meet him in the Negotiator. Henderson doesn't disappoint.
Stephen is a complex character, a rescuer who no longer feels capable of rescuing others and in need of being rescued himself. Events in his personal life have left him feeling lost and alone. The only one he can turn to is his long time friend Meghan. Most of the O'Malley novels can be stand alone books, although they are better read in sequence. I don't recommend reading this one out of order. At the very least, readers should finish the Healer before tackling this one. The mystery plot was good also. Each of those has been unique. Henderson does a good job keeping the reader interested even though she tells us who the bad guy is at the beginning.
I only have two problems with this book, and they are minor. The first is nit picky, I admit. However, Meghan, one of the main characters, is blind. Several times Henderson refers to her as "glancing" at somebody before speaking or acting. That jumped out at me. But the biggest complaint was that the book didn't give the "closure" I was looking for in the finale. The other O'Malleys are there in passing, like in other books, but she never really wraps things up. There is nothing to suggest that this is the end to the series. It's just the end of another book.
Other than those minor things, I enjoyed this story very much. I would definitely recommend it to others.

The O'Malley series supposably comes to a close in this book. I got to know Stephen O'Malley in the last chapter of The Healer and knew he was running. Running from God and Jennifer's death. His old friend, Meghan Delhart, is blind and has things that are randomly missing. An earring, some money. She finds a fabulous ring in her piano metronome and realizes the old kind jewelry dealer, who is deceased, Neil, might have a lot of secrets hidden under a loved name. Stephen is trying to find out who is doing this operation of jewelry theft and conterfeit. But, a perilous ending will have you on the edge.

I enjoyed this book, but one of the hardest aspects to overcome was adapting to reading the views of a blind person. I had to focus and visualize her black world, which was fairly difficult. This book gained my respect as I learned how challenging the blind have it.

Good Wrap Up to the Series Ms. Henderson. (Though I don't believe you're finished with the series quite yet!)