Fiction Review: Since We Fell

In July, my husband and I took a long road trip out to Oklahoma for my father-in-law's funeral. We hadn't been able to travel in several years since we've been caring for him, so despite the sad circumstances, it was good to be on the road again! We have a big backlog of thriller audio books (his favorite and what we like to listen to together in the car) from these past years, so we chose Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane for the trip. This psychological suspense novel kept us engrossed and made the miles fly by!

Rachel works hard to achieve her career goals: on-air reporter for a major news station in Boston. She is finally doing what she has long dreamed of, reporting on hard-hitting news stories that matter. At the peak of her career, she is sent to Haiti to report on the devastating earthquakes there. Over an extended stay, she breaks the cardinal rule of reporting and gets personally involved. Her heart goes out to the people there suffering--and especially the girls and women--not only from the earthquake's destruction but also from the looting, rape, and assault that is rampant. Worse, she is furious that people in the U.S. don't seem to be paying attention. One day, on air, she has a complete break-down that abruptly ends her career. Forever changed by what she saw and experienced there, Rachel returns home with severe PTSD and becomes a shut-in, terrified of leaving her apartment. Eventually, she reconnects with a man she's known for years, and they marry. Rachel is still very fragile and limited, but her new husband treats her like gold and is incredibly loving and supportive. He cares for Rachel while gradually helping her to overcome her fears and venture out again. This idyllic marriage shatters one day when Rachel sees something that changes everything and makes her re-evaluate everything she thought she knew. As her world crumbles around her, Rachel must find the inner strength to decide what to do to move forward.

That seems like a detailed description, but it's really only the set-up, in the first half of the novel, for a twisty thriller-like plot with surprises around every corner! Like many Dennis Lehane novels, this one starts slowly, providing lots of character development and background so that the reader comes to know Rachel well, before the action starts. Then, the last third of the novel moves at breakneck speed, with plenty of action, nonstop secrets and surprises, and lots of suspense. Award-winning narrator Julia Whelan does a great job embodying Rachel. My husband is usually pretty good at guessing the twists in suspense and thriller stories (an annoying trait when watching movies together), but we were both shocked by some of what unspooled here, as the plot twists came one after another. Since We Fell is a captivating thrill ride that kept us rapt.

432 pages, Ecco

HarperAudio

This book fits in the following 2022 Reading Challenges:

Big Book Summer Challenge

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

 

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Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible.

 

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