<strong>Caveat #1:</strong> This title toured via Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours (PICT), of which I am a partner, back in May 2021. Due to ethical issues, I can not post my review to any retail sites because we received a fee to organize the tour and it could be construed that I was paid for this review, which is not the case. I received a complimentary review copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
<strong>Caveat #2:</strong> This is the first book that I have read by this author.

During the tour, there were rave reviews one after the other and it was then that I knew that one of these days I would read this book. Well...that day has come!!!

Ms. Blackstock pulled me in from the very first pages to the last word. I was so engrossed with the plot and the characters that I felt as if I was one with the story. I was so immersed in the story that I had trouble putting it down and read it in 2 days.

The narrative had me actually feeling an array of emotions throughout. The story was captivating!!!

Now the hard part, which is trying to figure out why this is the first book that I have read by this author. It looks like I have a lot of catching up to do with reading all of her other books!

Romance, old flames, and suspense combine to form a story that you can’t put down Open the book and step in.
Many thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Classic Terri Blackstock. Suspenseful. Mysterious. Many twists and turns. Action packed. Intriguing characters. Five stars.

AFTERMATH tells you the sad story of three friends attending a concert when a bomb goes off and only one of them survives. Move onto an unknown character getting stopped by police on an anonymous tip, only to find explosives in his car boot. Enter the lawyer, a child from his youth, determined to prove his innocence.

This was an interesting story, with strong characters who moved the story along. The pacing was very good, giving enough action and suspense whilst not overloading the reader. Unfortunately, I felt the big bad and the situation about the why's and whatnot's was a bit too predictable. Knowing this was set in America, and knowing how expensive healthcare is, it certainly did not come as a surprise, nor did his actions afterwards.

This is a Christian Fiction novel so be prepared for an emphasis on God, what is right and wrong, and the possibility of an afterlife.

On the whole, this was a good story that I enjoyed, but there wasn't anything that really surprised me. If you like Christian Fiction and Suspense, then I can definitely recommend this one.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!

This is my favorite author and I couldn't wait to read this book!! This is a page turner, suspense thriller that you won't put down until you finish the last page. It is a short read (I say that mostly because you will open the book and then not put it down until you finish. When reading this time flies because you are so into the story.)

When Taylor and her friends go to an event and an explosion happens there, only she makes it out. Are her friends alive? are they trapped? What happened? Taylor is determined to find out and also filled with guilt of why she survived but her friends didn't. When an arrest is made and Dustin is charged for the crime, he has only one person to call, Jamie..... Jamie is dealing with his only life problems and will he sacrifice is family issues to help Dustin? How does Taylor tie into Dustin and Jamie? Can Dustin prove his innocents? Will Jamie be able to help? Will Taylor find out the who, what, where and why? READ THIS BOOK!!! It is amazing and makes you want more!

In Aftermath, when a concert and political rally is bombed, and Dustin Webb is arrested for the crime, his first call is to Jamie Powell, his childhood friend who grew up to be an attorney. Jamie is shocked to get a call from Dustin after so many years of silence. She knows him well enough to know that he couldn’t have committed the crime. As the two track down all the evidence they need to clear his name, feelings begin to resurface. But a grieving survivor of the bombing might take justice into her own hands and end their relationship before it has a chance to begin.

I enjoyed Aftermath. It was full of action and suspense. I thought Dustin and Jamie were both well developed characters. I liked that faith played a role in the story, and I appreciate that it was a clean romance.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I thought Aftermath was very well written. I enjoyed the romance and suspense. Aftermath des show how confusing mental illness can be as one of the characters has a distorted view of reality due to OCD. I enjoy the depth that Terri Blackstock brings to her books.
So grab a beverage and curl up for an intriguing read.
I was given a copy of this book with no expectations. All thoughts are my own.

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.

Aftermath 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.

In hindsight, there were a few bugs. Taylor (who witnessed the bombing) bugged me as a character, in that she didn’t seem relevant to the central plot question: was Dustin innocent, and would Jamie be able to provide it? As it turned out, Taylor wasn’t necessary, in that Dustin, Jamie, and the police could have found the truth without her.

Next, I am totally over novels where the motive is the character needing money for medical expenses because they (or their parent/spouse/child) is ill. I know it’s all too common in the USA. But it has become a cliché form of tension and conflict, to the point where we visit a sick person in hospital and I wonder if astronomical healthcare costs are going to be the evildoer’s motive.

I also didn’t see the need for Jamie and Dustin’s entire life histories as soon as they were introduced. I’d say it was boring and unnecessary, except that I skimmed most of it and didn’t feel I missed anything. I guess it’s a case of how established bestselling authors can get away with things newer authors can’t. When I checked, it was only a few pages each. It just felt like longer because it was distracting from the main story.

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. Both Jamie and Dustin are Christians, and one character seriously questions the concept of faith during a time of personal trial. I liked that (even if this was the only character development seen in the novel’s short timespan.

Overall, Aftermath is a solid Christian suspense novel, but isn’t Blackstock’s best. Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free book for review.

Three friends attend a political rally mainly to hear a band not the speaker. There is an explosion and only one survives who wants to seek revenge on the killer of her friends.

When police stop Dustin Webb with a warrant to search his trunk, he knows there’s been a mistake. He’s former military and owns a security firm. But he’s horrified when the officers find explosives, and he can’t fathom how they got there. Criminal attorney Jamie Powell was Dustin’s best friend growing up. They haven’t spoken since he left for basic training, but she’s the first person he thinks of when he’s arrested. Jamie knows she’s putting her career on the line by defending an accused terrorist, but she’d never abandon him. Someone is framing Dustin to take the fall for shocking acts of violence . . . but why?

Terri Blackstock had me hooked on her books when I read If I Run for my book club and had to read the next one and wait not so patiently for the third one to come out. So when I saw this on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it and was not disappointed. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book that kept you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end with a conclusion that was nail biting!

Imagine going to a concert with your friends, and suddenly the arena is rocked by an explosion. Terri Blackstock opens Aftermath with that scenario, and the action builds from there. Ex-military and security firm owner Dustin Webb is pulled over by the police who ask to search his trunk where they find explosives, and Webb has no idea how they got there. He enlists the help of a lawyer and childhood friend, Jamie Powell, to defend him against the criminal charges. Who was responsible, and what was the motive? Blackstock has once again created a masterful suspense novel filled with romance, forgiveness, and human emotion.

A bomb goes off and things just keep twisting and turning from beginning to end! Terri Blackstock is known for writing amazing books! This had so many emotions that kept you on your toes.

Aftermath is Terry Blackstock's latest suspense and it doesn't disappoint! Taylor Reid is attending a political rally with friends when she becomes the only survivor among the 4 of them to survive a bombing. The bombing is pinned on Dustin Webb and he calls his old friend Jamie Powell to help him prove his innocence.
Both storylines of the aftermath of the bombing are strong and the reader will be anxious to find the true story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley, but all review are my own.

Everyone needs a friend like Jaime Powell.
How many friends would come to your defense after not speaking for fifteen years? How many friends would represent you when you’re a suspect in a bombing that killed a third-party presidential candidate… and twenty-six other people, AND you’re found with a trunk full of explosives?
Jamie did all these things and more for childhood friend and first crush, Austin Webb, in this slow-build Christian suspense.
Dustin’s life freefall when an anonymous tip leads to his arrest moments after a bombing. Though hesitant at first, Dustin calls the one person who’s always believed in him, knowing he’s got some tough questions to face about his fifteen-year absence.
An intriguing plot that’s as much character analysis as it is suspense, Aftermath focuses on relationships.
A man of faith, Dustin’s relationship with God, gives him the courage to face the notoriety of being a suspected domestic terrorist while trying to support his best friend and business partner, Travis Grey, whose wife is losing her battle against leukemia. He’ll also have to explain to Jamie why the troubled young boy who lived next door never looked back after joining the military.
Jamie’s faith has fallen by the wayside since losing her husband to a drug overdose, but Dustin’s case along with meeting Travis’ wife, Crystal, leads her to reach out to God in prayer and reconnect.
Learning the truth behind the bombing brings Dustin relief and pain, but his relief is short-lived when the police don’t believe him and the bomber won’t confess. And he doesn’t know that a young woman who survived the bombing but lost two good friends is stalking him, determined to get her own brand of justice.
Jamie and Dustin are likable characters in this well-written read where religion is not a weapon but a comfort.
Enjoy!

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. This book was absolutely amazing. I could not put it down. It is so nice to read a thriller without all of the curse words. The story focuses on Dustin and Jamie. They grew up together and Dustin joined the army and Jamie went on to marry someone else and have a child with him. Years later, Dustin is pulled over by the police who search his car and find explosives in it. Dustin has no idea how they got there.
Dustin uses his one phone call to contact Jamie after all these years, who is now an attorney. She agrees to represent him. Twists and surprises, very good book.

Aftermath by Terri Blackstock

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
_______________________________________________________________________________
Story Notes

Terri Blackstock takes us on a fast-paced journey through what happens after the explosion of a bomb at a political rally and all the consequences of making the wrong choices.

How many times have we seen footage of the tragedy of a bombing at a public place on the news? No matter how many times I see that, I feel just a hint of the incredible pain and loss that people that are part of that terrible situation are feeling. Terri Blackstock takes readers inside the tragedy and how it affects both those directly and indirectly involved. Taylor Reid is a young woman attending a political rally that is mostly a concert to draw in undecided voters. She and her best friends are thrilled to be so close to their favorite band and are happily taking videos and selfies when the unthinkable happens - a bomb goes off under the stage. Terrified and unable to see what is happening, Taylor fights her way out of the concert hall and onto the street outside. She soon realizes that her friends have not come out with her and determines to go look for them. She's prevented by medical and police authorities from getting back inside and calls her sister for help. Harper soon finds a way to get Taylor to the right detective to hear her story and then directs her to the hospital to wait for updates about her friends. But that is just the beginning of the nightmare for Taylor, who has been diagnosed with severe OCD and mental instability induced by stress. Across town, a man named Dustin Webb has been pulled over by police following an anonymous tip that he is carrying explosives. They place him under arrest and in his shocked state he calls the only person he knows that might help him, Jamie Powell. A bit startled by receiving a phone call from her childhood best friend who hasn't spoken to her in years, Jaime listens in horror to the news that Dustin has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism. A criminal defense attorney, she determines to take his case and ensure he doesn't get railroaded into a wrongful conviction. Jaime quickly finds evidence to prove that Dustin is innocent but the DA refuses to drop the charges until another suspect is found and proven guilty. Thus begins a race against time to find out what's going on and why someone would want to harm so many people. And if they don't find answers soon, there might be even more people in danger from another attack. Taylor is also searching for answers and promises herself she will find the truth, no matter what the cost to herself. But her mental state might prevent her from seeing truth right in front of her. Both of the these investigations alongside the official ones will bring to light a plot that spans farther than anyone dreamed and if it is fleshed out, a lot more people will lose their lives.
As you see, this is a fantastic plot with some complex characters. I loved the clear research that happened to create the situations involved. I also like that Taylor was given a pretty major role in the story. It's not often we see those with mental difficulties be the hero - however misguided they might be. It gave the story a unique quality and a look at what a person who survive such a tragedy might go through physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I definitely recommend this story for those who enjoy crime drama and suspense; it will certainly keep you engaged the entire book. Looking forward to what will come next from Terri!!

I received this temporary complimentary E-book from Thomas Nelson Fiction via NetGalley in order to provide a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

Aftermath is a wonderfully written story about three friends that go to a Libertarian Candidate rally. Although they don't go for the candidate, they go to hear the band that is hired to play at the rally. They have been taking selfies and videos to share from their time at the rally. As soon as the band is done they leave the stage as the candidate comes on stage. All of a sudden there is a huge blast from the stage. Taylor, one of the three friends, gets up from the ground and leaves the area and runs to her car. She calms down slightly and starts to text and call her friends repeatedly but they don't answer. Still on an adrenaline high from the explosion she decides to go back and look for her friends. She leaves a note on the car in case they return while she is gone. Meanwhile Dustin Webb gets pulled over by the police after an anonymous tip that he is responsible for the blast. He calls childhood friend, now an attorney, Jamie Powell for help. Jamie believes Dustin when he tells her what has happened and meets him at the police station. She will use all of her resources and everything in her power to save Dustin.

This is my first time reading a Christian suspense. I really enjoyed the story. It wasn't overly religious, but it had the right amount of faith written into the story.

The perfect length for reading on a lazy Saturday, Aftermath blends suspense, faith, and romance into a story I didn't want to put down.

Told from the perspectives of four people whose lives were rocked by an explosion at the political rally Dustin was framed for, the story held its sway over me to the very end. The main characters, Dustin and Jamie, were all that I hoped they would be. Despite not having had any contact with each other since they were teenagers and close friends, they fell naturally back into a friendly relationship. In fact, I loved the way Jamie knew Dustin was innocent even though the evidence had been stacked against him, and the way she fought so desperately to clear his name.

I was intrigued by Taylor's story as well. She suffered from extreme trauma, which drove her back into the obsessive behavior she had left behind her. It was so fascinating to see her perspective, motivations, and the way she saw the world. While I would have liked to have learned more about what happened to her next, I didn't feel the story was incomplete because of where things were left.

There is a strong faith element to Aftermath. I was so touched by the realization Jamie had of the way her prayer life had become a series of short requests instead of a deep communion with Jesus. And by Dustin's faith that remained strong despite his stint in jail. In fact, the sweet way he was able to use the very thing that kept him sane through that night to encourage another hurting soul was beautiful.

Readers who enjoy faith-filled suspense that uses mystery more than fear as the driving motivation will want to read Aftermath.

The suspense starts right from the beginning, an explosion. What happened and why? A man is pulled over with explosives in his car but does that make him guilty?
Will God listen to your pleas and help guide you?
These are just a few questions you'll be asking yourself as you read this.
This is definitely a must read.

Aftermath
by Terri Blackstock
Thomas Nelson--FICTION
Thomas Nelson
Christian | Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 11 May 2021



I am reviewing a copy of Aftermath through Thomas Nelson Fiction and Netgalley:



When three best friend attend a concert, only one makes it out alive.


Dustin Webb is found with a trunk full of evidence. When police stop Dustin Webb with a warrant to search his trunk, he knows there’s been a mistake. He’s former military and owns a security firm. But he’s horrified when the officers find explosives, and he can’t fathom how they got there.






Jamie Powell is a criminal attorney who will risk anything including her career to prove her friend Dustin’s innocence.





Jamie Powell was Dustin were best friends growing up. They haven’t spoken since he left for basic training, but she’s the first person he thinks of when he’s arrested. Jamie understand she’s putting her career in jeopardy by defending defending an accused terrorist, but she’d never abandon him. Someone is framing Dustin to take the fall for shocking acts of violence. But why is he being framed? Who would want to do this to him?


Find out in Aftermath!




I give Aftermath five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I'm not surprised at all to say that Terri Blackstock did it again! I have loved ever book she has written. I appreciate that she has the ability to write a good suspense novel and is able to keep it clean! Well done!