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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Another great read from a favorite author. Terri Blackstock rarely disappoints, and this standalone is no exception. It grabbed me from the beginning and didn't really slow down. It had bits and pieces that were a little less enjoyable than others, but mostly, I devoured this one in a couple of days. She needs to write faster!
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Murder
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Some books are marathons. Others are a flat-out sprint. Aftermath is the latter: a focused, pulse-pounding, action-packed thriller that will make you wish you could read faster then leave you exhausted, satisfied, yet a bit disappointed it’s all over. If you read many of my reviews, then you’ll know that I love Terri Blackstock but that I felt her last couple of novels lacked focus.
I don’t know if Terri reads my reviews or not, but I feel seen. (I almost hope she doesn’t, because I’m always loathe to publicly criticize someone who I really do like—yet I must also be truthful and honest to my opinions.) Blackstock has taken every criticism I’ve levied and fixed it, crafted a book without bloat, one that doesn’t layer up so many dramatic plots that the story becomes a soap opera, and simply tells a thrilling, barn-burner of a story.
Aftermath is the story of what happens after a bomb blast at a political rally kills a presidential candidate. Dustin Webb, ex-military and current owner of a security company, has just heard about the blast when the cops pull him over with a warrant. The open his trunk and find all the materials necessary to create such an explosion. It’s a setup, but a good one. Reaching into his past, he calls a friend he hasn’t seen since childhood—a friend now a high-powered attorney.
A second storyline involves one of the blast’s survivors and her struggle to make sense of the tragedy. Taylor had gone to the rally/concert with two other friends. She’s the only one who survived. Blackstock captured the chaos of the explosion really well and documents how it affects Taylor’s life and how she becomes obsessed with getting revenge on the killer. Blackstock maybe could have fleshed this storyline out a bit more, but given that my previous criticisms have been “too much,” I feel a bit hypocritical here saying “no more!”
The storylines converge in a powerful fashion that will leave you thinking about how we all jump to certain conclusions, how we all have certain biases, and how certain influences affect our way of thinking. Aftermath is like a drag race. It doesn’t deviate, it doesn’t meander, it doesn’t swerve. It’s a straightforward, simple story that packs a punch. A thrilling novel!
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Enjoyable characters and plot, but took off a star because by the end I was tired of the religious references. I'm a Christian, but did not know this was "Christian fiction" and I don't care for repeated references in my leisure reading.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
This book starts with an explosion. Taylor Reid and her two best friends are attending a political rally to see their favorite band for free. Just as the candidate comes on stage, there is a massive wall of smoke, flames, noise and pressure rolling from the stage. Taylor crawls her way out and then realizes that her friends aren’t with her.
Dustin Webb is one of the owners of a security service. He is a vet with experience in explosives. He is arrested when the police receive an anonymous tip. He calls an old friend, Jamie Powell, who is now a defense attorney for help. Jamie manages to get Dustin released on bail.
Taylor has had mental health issues in the past. When she is grieving for her friends, the mental health issues begin to resurface in rage against Dustin, who she believes is evading justice and she begins to stalk him.
A romance begins to bloom between Jamie and Dustin as they work to clear his name. They also find a shared faith that forms a bond between them. The resolution of the mystery is a surprise and different from what you expect. The story moves quickly from beginning to end. Although Aftermath is a Christian Romance, it is not heavy handed and does not take the attention away from the plot. Recommend for mystery and thriller genres as well as the romance and Christian literature readers.
tense
fast-paced
There's an explosion at a concert venue just as the band is leaving the stage. Security firm owner and Army veteran, Dustin Webb, is accused of causing the explosion. He insists he's innocent and hires his childhood best friend, Jamie, to defend him. Even though they haven't spoken for years, she never questions his innocence, but will she be able to prove it?
I have been a fan of Terri Blackstock's for a while and as usual this book doesn't disappoint. It has revenge, which is something you would expect after such a traumatic event, it has some sweet romance, but nothing too over the top. It also has some closure and understanding, which being a Christian suspense novel, gives some peace to the reader. I would give this book a solid four stars and recommend it to anyone that likes suspense and doesn't mind a bit of Christianity mixed in.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I have been a fan of Terri Blackstock's for a while and as usual this book doesn't disappoint. It has revenge, which is something you would expect after such a traumatic event, it has some sweet romance, but nothing too over the top. It also has some closure and understanding, which being a Christian suspense novel, gives some peace to the reader. I would give this book a solid four stars and recommend it to anyone that likes suspense and doesn't mind a bit of Christianity mixed in.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
mysterious
medium-paced
I read this in one day and I loved every minute of it! I couldn't stop! Terri has done it again! She writes amazing characters who tug at my heartstrings.