Mystery / Thriller
Plot/Idea: Blanchard pens a though-provoking story of resilience, centered on Emma, now an office manager and bookkeeper for her family’s art center. Emma’s years-long struggle to recover from a devastating vehicle accident that left several people dead is heartbreaking to watch, as is her tumultuous relationship with her cousin, Lucy—a wild card who pops back into her life unexpectedly, renaming herself Lyssa, but for all the wrong reasons.
Prose: The prose is efficient and convincing, subtly hinting at the currents that underlie Emma’s fractious relationship with her cousin—and, in many ways, herself.
Originality: Blanchard's finesse for teasing out the complexity of human relationships is a highlight and makes this novel compelling, suffusing the writing with profound depth.
Character/Execution: Emma is a penetrating character, rich with contrast: she is broken and flawed, but at the same time intensely resolute and tenacious. The supporting characters, particularly Jonah and Chaz, are easy to connect with and afford Emma the well-rounded support she so deserves.
Plot/Idea: In this well-plotted military thriller, Ali and Harley are charged with monitoring a potential terrorist in Dearborn, Michigan: Ahad Nabar. As Ahad enacts Hezbollah's plot against America, various other individuals are swept up in the chaos.
Prose: Bultema's writing carries the action forward at an engaging pace; the writing relies too much on narrative 'telling,' however, and dialogue can be clunky.
Originality: Taking inspiration from America's previous encounter's with terrorism, there is a solid backbone of truth in Bultema's writing. Though the storytelling is not always dynamic, Bultema provides verisimilitude and brisk movement throughout.
Character/Execution: Bultema's characterizations are effective, many provided with distinctive traits and varied backgrounds, while the author's familiarity with the subject matter is apparent.
