Publication Date: April 22, 2022
Ruby Draker has found new strength and is ready to move on after Felix Szabo devastated the Draker estate in Nice, France. Three Drakers are dead leaving Ruby in grief and with thoughts of revenge. The Drakers are a family built of survivors; each rescued from Felix Szabo, a psychopath, who sought to murder his former agents at the CIA whom he believed betrayed him. The Drakers’ sole mission is to stop Szabo from adding more victims to his list, and although he also perished during the invasion, his legacy continues to haunt them. When the Drakers learn that Robert Draker, presumed dead since the shoot-out at Robert’s farmhouse, may be alive and at a rehab clinic in Portland, Maine, the Drakers know it could be a setup, but they have no choice but to try to nd him and bring Robert home.
Shocked that Robert may be alive, the family head from France to America to find him. It’s only when they arrive in the west that they realize finding Robert won’t be as easy as they thought. Szabo has found a way to terrorize the Draker family, even after death. His outstanding debt with a Corsican crime family means the Drakers must now find and deliver a shipment of plutonium, which will likely be used by terrorists to create a nuclear bomb, to get Robert back. As Ruby struggles with the decision to save her brother or North America, she must also evade the CIA, who are trying to stop the Drakers from delivering the plutonium.
Sequels can be somewhat tricky, especially when the first book makes a solid impact with a fresh storyline. However, author Marianne Scott successfully builds on the momentum in Shadows in the Aftermath, the follow-up to Finding Ruby Draker.
Having completed the first book just a few days prior to starting the new one, the events were still fresh for me as a reader. To set the stage, a young woman wakes up after a family tragedy with a new face, a new life, and new family members. The first installment focuses on Ruby’s transition as she embraces the changes and evolves into a strong fighter trying to help in taking down the man who had initially targeted her family.
After a fiery ending, Ruby and her surviving new family members try to move on, only to be haunted by the legacy of that evil man. They end up in the crosshairs of a crime family as they attempt a dangerous task that threatens national security. It’s a race against time to see who will end up on top.
Just like in the first installment, the characters are compelling. While Ruby has shed much of her earlier insecurity, her challenges now are much more involved, especially since she doesn’t have all her beloved team members at her side.
Shadows in the Aftermath provides a sense of closure that I didn’t realize I was missing at the end of the first book. However, it became clear that the Drakers weren’t quite finished telling their story. Even now that the dust appears to have settled, perhaps there might be an opportunity to check in with the family again in the future.
Marianne Scott is the Canadian author of four mystery thrillers and is currently finishing an edit on her fourth novel, a murder mystery. She has a BA and a Diploma in Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, CA. She studied creative writing through Conestoga College and Humber College. She enjoys writing workshops such as those offered by Brian Henry, publisher of the blog, Quick Brown Fox, and One Lit Place, a writers’ hub by creator/editor Jenna Kalinsky. She has an author’s website and blog is the president of The Cambridge Writers’ Collective and is a member of the Guelph Genre Writers. In September of 2018, she completed a fourth-year course in Writing Fiction at the University of Guelph under the expert teaching of Lawrence Hill. Her novels, Finding Ruby Draker and Shadows in the Aftermath are self-published. She is actively seeking representation to break into the traditional publishing world with her third and fourth novels.
June 6 –Mystery Review Crew – book spotlight of FINDING RUBY DRAKER / author interview / giveaway
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June 16 – The Momma Spot – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER / giveaway
June 17 – Novels Alive – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH
June 20 – Kam’s Place – book spotlight of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH
June 21 – Mystery Review Crew – book spotlight of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / guest post / giveaway
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June 22 – Literary Flits – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / giveaway
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June 23 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER / giveaway
June 23 – My Fictional Oasis – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / giveaway
June 24 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / giveaway
June 24 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / giveaway
June 27 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / author interview / giveaway
June 28 –The Page Ladies – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH
June 28 – She Just Loves Books – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / giveaway
June 29 – @booking.with.janelle – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH
June 30 – StoreyBook Reviews – book review of FINDING RUBY DRAKER / giveaway
June 30 – The Momma Spot – book review of SHADOWS IN THE AFTERMATH / giveaway
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