This was very hard to put down and sucked me in. Loved the mystery, the action/thriller, and the love story. Win all the way around.

By the time I was done, I honestly had to pause and take a little bit to process this one before writing my review as, and after, I finished the book. There were so many things to unpack and contemplate, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about pieces of it, which doesn’t happen often for me. If a book can do that, that’s a really great book in my view. I love to think and consider and mull things over; to be challenged. And this book, as is typical of Charles Martin’s books, did that for me.

The characters of Joe and Pockets were fantastic and relatable. I loved them both. The character development was excellent with both of them, although I would have loved more of Pockets in the story but I get that Joe was supposed to be the more forefront character, and Pockets, a mystery.

The concept of brokenness and sacrifice were beautifully described and lived out in Joe’s and Pockets’ relationship. It was a well laid out portrayal of what that can look like in a very unconventional, but compelling way. And the drug addiction piece of that was also done well, I felt. It’s not an easy subject, nor is it a simple one, in both who it affects and how much of a grip it has on the addicted. Joe’s miscarriages were also heartbreaking and realistic, from my perspective as someone who’s been thru it.

The only part in this that was a little bit of a hesitation for me on the story was the court scene at the end. I get there needed to be a come-to-Jesus point of answers and explanation by then, but felt a little unrealistic to happen that way to me.

Really well written and will probably still be chewing on it for awhile. Well done.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.