Divergent Style Shows Strength As Storyteller. The singular best thing I can say about this book is that with its dramatic departure from the style and tone of the author's previous book The House With The Cypress Trees it truly shows just how great of a storyteller she is. This particular book is a drama with few laughs and a fair amount of heartbreak going back over two decades, with its overall story solidly rooted in the travails of the MeToo movement and anti-Big Pharma activism. For many, the reader's own thoughts on those two subjects will largely determine how you feel about the book, but speaking as someone who was leery of the book when I noticed it was diving towards MeToo stuff it actually turned out to be a solid, well balanced tale. Very much recommended. ( )

This fast paced thriller is quite a timely story in light of the Me Too Movement. There is much to think about here. Not only rape and assault on women but about the power of drug companies. It is BIG business and tremendous money makers. When there is that much money involved there is bound to be corruption. And this kind of corruption can be life threatening.

What if your rapist of many years ago suddenly appeared as your new boss in your workplace?

Husband and wife, Emma and Aidan Shephard are both worried about their jobs. They work for Davis & Parsons, a pharmaceutical company, and the owner is planning to sell. The buyer is Avias Global, which is set to merge with D&P. And guess what? The president of the company is Richard Stoker, Emma’s rapist, who left her suffering and dying in a cold stairwell. There is no doubt in Emma’s mind that this is the football hero who brutally attacked her at Westview, more than two decades earlier.

All she had to do was report it. After all, she had a rape kit, severe bruising and cuts as evidence. But, the powers at Westview, including the dean, dismissed Emma’s assault claims back then. She didn’t even have the support of the police force. If the football star’s reputation was damaged it would endanger the building of a multimillion dollar sports arena. That is much more important.

Not surprisingly, Emma has never shared this information with her husband, Aidan. The physical scars are gone but the mental hurt has never faded.

Now is Emma’s chance to get revenge. Emma focuses her clever plan on the new drug called Parozex, an antipsychotic drug Richard wants fast-tracked to FDA approval despite potentially fatal side effects. The side effects can easily be buried in the fine print. Who reads that stuff anyway?!

Emma looks for dirt on the new boss and uncovers a surprising link to her former college roomie, Shannon, as well as Emma’s boyfriend at Westview, Jeff.

Richard’s scheme to get Parozex fast tracked to the market is definitely unethical, but with employees scared of losing their jobs and Aidan getting chummy with Richard, convincing others won’t be easy for Emma.

Emma’s Westview story is heartbreaking. She often blames herself for Richard’s vicious assault and is psychologically incapable of using stairs, as the attack took place in a stairwell. Yet Emma is strong and she does persevere even as she stumbles. So, is it wrong when she involves her teen daughter, Sophie, for her hacking skills to dredge up info on Richard? That’s a biggie because now her daughter is in grave danger.

There’s compelling suspense, especially near the end, and surprising plot twists.

The book does highlight Emma’s triumphs, such as the support she receives from and provides for another rape survivor.

A work of fiction that reads like an all true story in our society. ( )

Twenty-one years ago, Emma Shephard was sexually assaulted and forced to leave college. Her rapist, Richard, was a big man on campus and the star football player so the school didn't even listen to her and tried to convince her that it was all her fault. Twenty one years later she has a loving husband and a daughter ready to go away to college. She has never told her husband about the assault. Emma and Aidan are both in executive positions at the same company. When the company is bought out, her whole world falls apart when she finds out the new owner is the man who raped her 21 years earlier. Her husband thinks that he is a great guy and a fantastic business man and keeps praising him while at the same time Emma is quietly falling apart. Her feeling soon turn to anger as she begins to plan revenge on Richard for ruining her life.

Will Emma get her revenge or will the actions in the past threaten her husband and daughter and the life that they've built. Will Emma be able to make the right decisions so that her family can find happiness in their future? Will her marriage survive her secrets from the past?

This book is not only a real page turner but the main character Emma is so well written that you feel like her friend. I could feel her pain and anger as she had to make decisions to save her family. Unfortunately, this book is based on stories that are happening every day at colleges and workplaces around the country.

Thanks to the author for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own. ( )