Laurel Dewey writes a hard-edged thriller with plenty of mystery and intrigue in Protector, the story of embittered Denver homicide detective Jane Perry, who uses her psychic instinct to help her get to the bottom of the serious crimes she must face each day.

Perry, a boozing woman with a major chip of her shoulder, is asked to work with a nine-year-old murder witness named Emily to try and uncover what the little girl saw the night her parents were brutally slaughtered. But soon Perry finds herself in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a killer who seems to know more than he should.

Dewey presents a rough-around-the-edges lead character with real problems and emotional dysfunctions and deftly takes us along on the journey as Jane Perry finds her inner strength, despite her own horrific childhood, to help another child. Although Perry’s brutal personality can become a bit grating after awhile, the story weaves enough intrigue and mystery to, despite her often boorish behavior, keep you coming back for more, wanting to solve the crime that plagues her heart and soul.

Protector is a solid, fast-paced story with some flaws but with enough edginess and high energy to keep you turning the pages. Ultimately, it’s a story of a woman coming face to face with her own deepest fears, and the ride is a wild one.