Drawn from Life

April 22, 2024
Blanchard delivers a twisty thriller and memorable cast in this spirited debut. After Emma Harnett suffers a car accident that kills three people and leaves her with a permanent brain injury, her guilt is overwhelming, despite the fact that the police ruled it all an accident. Fast forward eight years and Emma, now the bookkeeper and occasional artist’s model for Stonefall Art Center, has established a new rhythm in her life—a rhythm that falls apart when her abrasive cousin Lucy returns to town, dredging up the pair’s destructive history and throwing Emma into chaos.
Lucy, who has now reinvented herself as Lyssa Morales, is quick to pledge love for her family as the reason she’s come back, but it soon becomes obvious to Emma that Lyssa is short on money and willing to do anything to get it. The stakes increase even more when vandals attack the art center and Emma receives threatening mail, sparking a worry that the two incidents are somehow connected. As Emma races to connect the dots, Blanchard skillfully layers suspense and red herrings throughout, keeping the story humming with muscular prose and deft characterizations.
Readers will sympathize with Emma—whose brain injury often causes her to utter unintended malapropisms—and love the supportive group of people in her life, including her former physical therapist, Jonah, her father, Frank (who is dealing with the effects of long COVID), and handyman Chaz, whose devotion to Emma and relationship to her accident comes as an explosive surprise. Emma’s essential goodness shines through as she tackles her guilt, misguided as it may be, and readers will love to hate Lyssa, whose questionable moral compass powers the story, resulting in a satisfying—and jolting—dénouement. Blanchard’s prowess in storytelling and expert delivery of suspenseful set ups will delight thriller buffs.
Takeaway: Expertly plotted thriller powered by twisty suspense and memorable characters.
Comparable Titles: Mary Higgins Clark, Ashley Farley.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A