Aftermath

I always enjoy Blackstock's writing this one was no exception. Her short chapters really add to a pleasant reading experience for me and I get through her books quickly. I really enjoyed Jaime's and Dustin's storyline. I found Taylor's a little less fulfilling. A quick paced, simple to follow, easy to read suspense.

Aftermath starts with a bang-literally. A bomb goes off at a rock concert-slash-political rally, and there are multiple fatalities. We see the explosion, then we see Dustin Webb being pulled over and arrested for having four boxes of explosives in his trunk. He calls lawyer Jamie Powell, the girl next door in his teenage years, because he's going to need help. Jamie finds circumstantial evidence that suggests Dustin is innocent, but that's not enough to clear him. \\n\\nAftermath was a fast-paced novel that I read in a day. It was hard to put down, which is always the sign of an entertaining novel. Well, it's what I look for. I want novels that I have to drag myself away from. I certainly don't want the opposite, novels that I can't bring myself to pick up because the main character or the plot simply hasn't engaged me. \\n\\nIn hindsight, there were a few bugs. Taylor didn't seem relevant to the central plot question, and I'm over using medical expenses as a central conflict in US-set fiction. I also didn't see the need for Jamie and Dustin's entire life histories as soon as they were introduced. Perhaps Aftermath shouldn't work. The fact it does is testament to Terri Blackstock's ability to pull the reader with excellent writing and compelling situations. It is also good to see a strong yet subtle Christian message. Overall, Aftermath is a solid Christian suspense novel, but isn't Blackstock's best. \\nThanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free book for…

This book literally starts with a bang when an explosion goes off at a political rally. Taylor and her besties only went because they wanted to see their favourite band open the gig, but now Taylor has to deal with the aftermath. Her OCD had been under control, but she's in danger of spiralling down again as she becomes obsessed with bringing those responsible to justice. \\n\\nMeanwhile, Dustin Webb is pulled over by the police and found to have explosives linked to the bombing in his car. He calls the one person he's been avoiding for years, his childhood friend Jamie Powell who is now a lawyer. She believes he's innocent, but can they convince others and find the real culprit before it's too late?\\n\\nI enjoyed this romantic thriller from Terri Blackstock. Dustin and Jamie are both likable characters, and you can feel for them as they battle the tide against them. Taylor's OCD adds another dimension to the story. It wasn't too hard to work out who set Dustin up; and Jamie and Dustin also work it out early, so that took some of the tension out for me. However, I still thought the way it played out was interesting. The romance is a little lighter on, compared to some of Blackstock's other books, but I still enjoyed it. The faith element was also interesting, as Jamie and Dustin had to work through issues that had been blocking them from going forward. \\n\\nThank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me with a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.…