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Aftermath focuses on the circumstances after a bomb is detonated at a political rally. Taylor Reed narrowly escapes the blast, but her friends are killed. She struggles to deal with survivor’s guilt. Dustin Webb is pulled over by police, only to find that someone stashed explosives in his trunk. He’s framed for the bombing. Jamie Powell, longtime friend of Dustin, becomes his lawyer. She knows he’s innocent, but the charges are serious, and they don’t have much time to prove Dustin’s innocence.
I’m a fan of the author, and this story is what readers expect from a Terri Blackstock novel. She has a way of creating characters that work their way into your heart, but she doesn’t shy away from the suspense. Aftermath mixes danger and high stakes action with intense emotions during the aftermath of a terrible tragedy. The author tackles the subject of mental health head on, but also shows the characters struggle with grief, overcoming the past, and some serious betrayal. This book sucked me in on page one with the intensity of the bombing, but I couldn’t put it down. I became so invested in the characters and had to keep reading to the very end.
This is definitely high on my list of books to recommend. Terri Blackstock is always a must-read author for me, and with stories like this, I will keep coming back for more.
Overall Rating:
5 stars (I loved it, couldn’t put it down)
Suspense Rating:
5 stars (Non-stop edge-of-your-seat suspense from start to finish)
I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I’m a fan of the author, and this story is what readers expect from a Terri Blackstock novel. She has a way of creating characters that work their way into your heart, but she doesn’t shy away from the suspense. Aftermath mixes danger and high stakes action with intense emotions during the aftermath of a terrible tragedy. The author tackles the subject of mental health head on, but also shows the characters struggle with grief, overcoming the past, and some serious betrayal. This book sucked me in on page one with the intensity of the bombing, but I couldn’t put it down. I became so invested in the characters and had to keep reading to the very end.
This is definitely high on my list of books to recommend. Terri Blackstock is always a must-read author for me, and with stories like this, I will keep coming back for more.
Overall Rating:
5 stars (I loved it, couldn’t put it down)
Suspense Rating:
5 stars (Non-stop edge-of-your-seat suspense from start to finish)
I received an ebook review copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Thank you, Netgalley and the author, for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader's copy of this book. This in no way affects my review, all opinions are my own.
I should have known--Terri Blackstock never disappoints! She is an author who belongs on every Christian fiction reader's list of books to read. In this story, we know that a crime occurs, that Dustin is wrongly accused of the crime, that Taylor in her mentally unstable state which, understandably (!), gets worse as the story progresses has seen something that seems unrelated and trivial but may be the key to unmasking the real culprit, and that Jamie, Dustin's lawyer, is his childhood friend. So, this story is all about putting together the snippets and clues dropped throughout the book to unmask those who are responsible for the bombing and framing Dustin. The story is fast-paced as usual and once again, Terri Blackstock was able to intertwine her story with God and prayer without faith being the main focus of the book, which makes this novel a book that non-Christian readers can enjoy as much as Christian readers. Love it!!
I should have known--Terri Blackstock never disappoints! She is an author who belongs on every Christian fiction reader's list of books to read. In this story, we know that a crime occurs, that Dustin is wrongly accused of the crime, that Taylor in her mentally unstable state which, understandably (!), gets worse as the story progresses has seen something that seems unrelated and trivial but may be the key to unmasking the real culprit, and that Jamie, Dustin's lawyer, is his childhood friend. So, this story is all about putting together the snippets and clues dropped throughout the book to unmask those who are responsible for the bombing and framing Dustin. The story is fast-paced as usual and once again, Terri Blackstock was able to intertwine her story with God and prayer without faith being the main focus of the book, which makes this novel a book that non-Christian readers can enjoy as much as Christian readers. Love it!!
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Whew! What an intense story. You can always count on Terri Blackstock to give serious suspense from beginning to end.
I honestly didn't expect this story to be as fast paced as it was! It was one of those novels where you have to buckle your seatbelt and hold on tight from page 1. We initially meet Taylor and within moments of that meeting her world explodes. She was such an interesting character throughout this book. Like an onion her layers begin to peel back as she lives through a trauma.
Then of course there's Dustin, who came from a hard childhood, dusted himself off to make something of himself, and finds that he's been framed with explosives in his car. And seriously, you just feel for this guy from the moment he's stopped by the police. The more you learn about his childhood, the more you want to defend him.
Just like his childhood friend, Jamie. Good thing he knows a lawyer, eh? I loved this character. She was willing to risk her career because of her belief in Dustin. She's no nonsense and definitely follows her gut. I liked that she wasn't portrayed as cold and hard even though she typically deals with white collar crimes. She's kept her humanity about her.
While we try to follow the lead of bread crumbs the author puts in front of us, we're bombarded with information from all directions. Solving this crime doesn't take long in this book, and I can see how easy it would be to actually trace the truth through following those bread crumbs. Believe it or not, I actually got choked up during one scene in the book and it hit me out of nowhere. I didn't realize I'd become attached to the characters!
The ending of course is intense and had me biting my nails!
*I received and ARC for review. This is my personal opinion.
I honestly didn't expect this story to be as fast paced as it was! It was one of those novels where you have to buckle your seatbelt and hold on tight from page 1. We initially meet Taylor and within moments of that meeting her world explodes. She was such an interesting character throughout this book. Like an onion her layers begin to peel back as she lives through a trauma.
Then of course there's Dustin, who came from a hard childhood, dusted himself off to make something of himself, and finds that he's been framed with explosives in his car. And seriously, you just feel for this guy from the moment he's stopped by the police. The more you learn about his childhood, the more you want to defend him.
Just like his childhood friend, Jamie. Good thing he knows a lawyer, eh? I loved this character. She was willing to risk her career because of her belief in Dustin. She's no nonsense and definitely follows her gut. I liked that she wasn't portrayed as cold and hard even though she typically deals with white collar crimes. She's kept her humanity about her.
While we try to follow the lead of bread crumbs the author puts in front of us, we're bombarded with information from all directions. Solving this crime doesn't take long in this book, and I can see how easy it would be to actually trace the truth through following those bread crumbs. Believe it or not, I actually got choked up during one scene in the book and it hit me out of nowhere. I didn't realize I'd become attached to the characters!
The ending of course is intense and had me biting my nails!
*I received and ARC for review. This is my personal opinion.
Fans of Ms. Blackstock will be delighted in this new offering. Told from the perspective of the accused and the victim, Aftermath has readers burning through the pages. The characters are believable and relatable. The reader will empathize with both the victim and the accused as they walk through the aftermath of the bombing.
The plot centers around the bombing and how one event can affect many people whether an accused suspect or victims or innocent bystanders. Who planted the bomb is the question that weaves through the story and does not become apparent until the last few chapters. Highly recommended for fans of fact-paced thrillers. For readers who enjoy character driven books, give Aftermath a try.
I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas Nelson, in exchange for an honest review.
The plot centers around the bombing and how one event can affect many people whether an accused suspect or victims or innocent bystanders. Who planted the bomb is the question that weaves through the story and does not become apparent until the last few chapters. Highly recommended for fans of fact-paced thrillers. For readers who enjoy character driven books, give Aftermath a try.
I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas Nelson, in exchange for an honest review.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was so good. It was quick to get through and I enjoyed every minute of it. It tells the story of Dustin and his best friend Travis. A tragic bomb goes off at a political rally and all clues lead to Dustin. Dustin knows he didn't do it, and his old flame, attorney Jamie knows he didn't do it either. So who did it?
There was good character development for both Jamie and Travis, but there wasn't much development for Dustin, although he was supposed to be a main character. I feel like there could have been more to be said about him and what happened once he was separated from Jamie as kids. It's like they were separated, and then when he was in trouble he randomly found Jamie again.
There was good character development for both Jamie and Travis, but there wasn't much development for Dustin, although he was supposed to be a main character. I feel like there could have been more to be said about him and what happened once he was separated from Jamie as kids. It's like they were separated, and then when he was in trouble he randomly found Jamie again.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.This is my second time reading a Christian suspense, and I had a great time. It wasn’t preachy. There was mention of prayer and a few bible quotes, but it did not take over the story. Blackstock delivered a suspenseful story riddled with emotions, which enthralled me from start to finish.
The story introduces army veteran Dustin Webb who was arrested and charged for in relation to a bomb explosion at a political rally. An explosion which killed twenty (20) people and injured hundreds. His first call after his arrest was to his childhood friend turned lawyer Jaime Powell. Despite not being in contact with each other for fifteen years, Jaime never hesitated in offering to defend him. Despite the mountain of evidence stacked against him, starting with the explosives found in the trunk of his car, Jaime believed in his innocence. This may prove to be her most difficult case as she races against to clock to find the real perpetrator and prove Dustin’s innocence.
At the centre of the story is an innocent man being framed for an act of terrorism. Then there was Taylor, a survivor, her sanity hanging by a thread, who suffers from survivor’s guilt. She wants justice for her friends who died in the explosion, even if meant taking matters in her own hands.
The author pulled me into the lives of the characters, and in doing so elicited feelings of empathy for them, the villain included. The story gave me a glimpse in to Dustin and Jaime’s past. I also got a look into the villain’s life and the reason for his actions. I may not have agreed with the actions, but I understood the reasons. However, I had a hard time with his decision to frame someone else.
Although classified as a romantic suspense, the romance was negligible. While reading I sensed the chemistry which existed between Dustin and Jaime. However, they never acknowledged their feelings for each other until the end. The mystery as to whom was behind framing Dustin was easily solved. However, it did not take away from my enjoyment of the story. Taylor and her quest for justice kept me on the edge of my seat and had me flipping the pages.
Besides the suspense, Aftermath also had some heartbreaking moments that would likely make readers shed a tear or two.
To conclude, Aftermath was a riveting tale, which would appeal to readers of suspense stories.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading
The story introduces army veteran Dustin Webb who was arrested and charged for in relation to a bomb explosion at a political rally. An explosion which killed twenty (20) people and injured hundreds. His first call after his arrest was to his childhood friend turned lawyer Jaime Powell. Despite not being in contact with each other for fifteen years, Jaime never hesitated in offering to defend him. Despite the mountain of evidence stacked against him, starting with the explosives found in the trunk of his car, Jaime believed in his innocence. This may prove to be her most difficult case as she races against to clock to find the real perpetrator and prove Dustin’s innocence.
At the centre of the story is an innocent man being framed for an act of terrorism. Then there was Taylor, a survivor, her sanity hanging by a thread, who suffers from survivor’s guilt. She wants justice for her friends who died in the explosion, even if meant taking matters in her own hands.
The author pulled me into the lives of the characters, and in doing so elicited feelings of empathy for them, the villain included. The story gave me a glimpse in to Dustin and Jaime’s past. I also got a look into the villain’s life and the reason for his actions. I may not have agreed with the actions, but I understood the reasons. However, I had a hard time with his decision to frame someone else.
Although classified as a romantic suspense, the romance was negligible. While reading I sensed the chemistry which existed between Dustin and Jaime. However, they never acknowledged their feelings for each other until the end. The mystery as to whom was behind framing Dustin was easily solved. However, it did not take away from my enjoyment of the story. Taylor and her quest for justice kept me on the edge of my seat and had me flipping the pages.
Besides the suspense, Aftermath also had some heartbreaking moments that would likely make readers shed a tear or two.
To conclude, Aftermath was a riveting tale, which would appeal to readers of suspense stories.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Moderate: Terminal illness
Minor: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts
This is another home run by Terri Blackstock! It had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end and I loved everything about it! The story, the characters, the betray. All of it was perfect! I also loved the short chapters! Definitely checkout this book!