February 15, 2015
In her latest inspirational novel, Gilbert (A Woman of Fortune, 2014) tells the topical tale of a woman so moved by the fast-food E. coli deaths that occurred when she was growing up that she pushed herself to earn a doctorate so she could work to ensure food safety. Juliet returns to San Antonio, where her parents live, after her secret lover refers her to a job with the bottled water company at which he is employed. Juliet's father is also in the food safety field. He thinks she is now a sellout, and their discord leads to heartbreak. When a local child dies of E. coli complications and her own assistant's child is hospitalized, Juliet becomes determined to root out the cause of the outbreak. But her boyfriend and boss, who assured her that safety is their top concern, seem to be willing to do anything to ensure the success of a possible merger. As her life falls apart, Juliet finds solace in her mother's faith and in a businessman she believes she can trust.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)