To save her drug-addict brother, Jules Morrissey invents the ultimate get-rich-quick scheme: she becomes an underground artist named Black Iris who destroys her paintings live on the internet. Easy, right? Well, yes … until a stolen painting and a brutal attack derails her careful planning and leaves her with only seventy-two hours to fix everything before it all goes up in smoke. The countdown is on.
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Keith delivers a dramatic plot with some unforeseen twists at the end that will gratify thriller fans. There are intense trigger scenes, but they’re developed with care and give the protagonist complexity farther along in the novel.
Prose: Keith writes with precision, particularly when crafting tense scenes between characters. Metaphors are well placed and help advance the plot.
Originality: Black Iris boasts an intriguing plot that grasps attention from the start, and the interplay between characters gives this thriller remarkable depth.
Character/Execution: Jules Morrissey, the antithesis of her creation—enigmatic artist Black Iris—is a strongly developed female lead with deep interiority. Her painful experiences resonate, as does her challenging, but relatable, relationship with her brother Mason.
Date Submitted: May 11, 2023
