ABIGAIL PADGETT

CHARACTER:	BO BRADLEY
CATEGORY:	CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATOR

Bo Bradley is a child abuse investigator for Child Protective Services in the county of San Diego. She is also living with manic depression. This is one of the most interesting series featuring a woman to appear in some time. Bo is unique, as far as I know, in being a main character with a psychiatric illness. While the sensitive and thorough depiction of Bo would be reason enough to recommend them, these books are also very well written and cleverly plotted, never going for the easy answer or glib characterization.

Child Of Silence
Straw Girl
Turtle Baby
Moonbird Boy
The Dollmaker's Daughters