Spirit of the Straight-edge by Barbara Lakey mini-synopsis an Elsie Sanders novel first in a series of psychological/suspense... 

Decades ago, Clint Eastwood's Man-with-no-name series, gave us a thrill as the common man was taught to induce his own justice. Elsie Sanders gives us that same feeling of empowerment. We relate, feel joyous, at justice served on a plate to the monsters we face daily.

A powerful voice calls to you--come along on my psycho morph-like junket.

The carefully planned gruesome murder of her friend neatly slices her soul removing it from traditional civilized deportment. Elsie is hurled into the vortex of a group for victims of abuse. But now a piece is missing from the puzzle of her mind. She turns to drugs to quiet the screams inside and a second piece is lost. What follows is the plan--her plan to avenge each person in the group, but most of all, her friend. While the avenger does her work she begins her search for the evil man.

Once upon a time: An evil, monstrous man is lured by a beautiful woman into her velvet lair. This is a woman whose heart has become mummified, dulled by first torture, then, disuse. Through twists of fate she believes herself to be Atrophos the avenger goddess--the goddess from the trilogy--she who cuts the thread of life. As in thunderbolts--the story whirls and coils. A small girl-child is abused by parents, doctor, priest. No one to turn to, she and her friend become fused, as if brewed in the same pot. The friend meets the evil man. You see their future, don't you? We all do--but we are powerless to halt it.

Elsie, child-woman, was swallowed by her childhood. As she excavates her way to freedom and justice she passes through mythology and herbalism--discovering the goddess she yearns to be--as in a child's fairytale.

This psychological/suspense series is her journey to wholeness. A perilous journey. Elsie finds justice and maintains her innocence. She survives and helps to build, pull together, the community around her.