I haven't put Ed in the hospital, yet!

Although he was in medical center at the beginning of Soul Mates, but that was Terry's fault!

The Devil is a Woman:
A review by Matthew White,

Chapter 1:
The story opens with Dr. Jackson rushing through the emergency room to a locked room where his patient awaits. Nice tension here! The only hint of who the patient is having him identified as Jackson’s most important patient.

The next scene Jackson is talking with Virginia trying to find out what happened. The first time I read this I thought the rambling about the dinner and opera plans was because she was distraught. When she left the hospital so willingly I should have known something was up.

I didn’t pick up on anything being amiss outside of Ed’s house as Ginny seemed genuinely concerned for Ed’s well being.

Chapter 2:
Inside the house they look around to see if anything is out of place. Again I didn’t see anything that struck me as odd.

When Ed wakes up yelling “Tay” my eyebrows were raised, and I even looked it up for a clue, just like Ginny.

We find out about Mary’s death and that Ed hasn’t felt well since then. Of course he would be concerned for Ginny feelings. Nice touch there.

I did like the way you portrayed Jackson here, you made him seem much less cold and calculating. I think we were seeing his spiritual side.

Chapter 3:
The first paragraph threw me for a loop, I had no idea what that was about.

The conversation between Ginny and Ed seemed normal at first. The first hint I had that all was not as it should be was Ginny’s concern about the meaning of the word Tay.

The conversation with Alec bowled me over. First that Ed got drunk; that was a shocker. Then finding out that he’s not in love with Ginny, that it’s a marriage of convenience. I felt bad for her at this point.

Chapter 4:
I came up the same answer that Ginny did about Tay. I got worried when she obsessed about it again knowing something wasn’t right.

When Ed wanted to speak to Alec alone I first thought that he was protecting Ginny’s feelings. I was shocked to find out that Ginny had been behind it all along.

The explanations here were perfect as far as the thought processes that Ginny was having. (*shudder*)
 
Chapter 5:
So Ginny sweet talks her way out, that I can believe! Ed’s assessment of the power of those eyes was spot on.

The self questioning here by Ed was also right on the money. I would have done the same thing.

Ed and Alec realize that Ginny will go after Taylor and take steps to stop it. Ginny is captured and Ed reunites with his true love. Wedding bells in his future, but not to Ginny.

Chapter 6:
The truly sad thing about criminal insanity is the person afflicted believes that they have done nothing wrong, and you captured that effect brilliantly here.

We find out not only did Ginny poison Ed but she was also behind Mary’s death.

“Her execution had already been set.” (That line tore my heart out.)

Ed stumbles when he walks out of the cell, but Taylor catches him. Another nice touch.


Closing Thoughts:
Denise this story was brilliantly done! Great work! But it was also the hardest review I’ve ever done because of what Ginny has done and what happens to her. But it was a learning experience for me as well.

In your follow on you may want to tell us what pushed Virginia over the edge. (Assuming that you haven’t already planned it.) The SHADO psychoanalytical tests are quite extensive so I wouldn’t think she came into the organization this way. But some kind of traumatic event could have pushed her over the edge. Something just before she murders Mary, as the tests are conducted on a regular basis. I think that would really add to the believability of the story.