Emotionally wrought, and with an abundance of twists and turns, The Guilty One is a character-driven novel of suspense that explores the true nature of guilt.

The Guilty One by Bill Schweigart: 9781639102464 The Guilty One by Bill Schweigart: 9781639102464

A volcanic eruption is quite another, for, as the journalist who does a framing voice-over narration for Brooks’ latest puts it, when Mount Rainier popped its cork, “it was the psychological aspect, the hyperbole-fueled hysteria that had ended up killing the most people.When she made it out alive and became wheelchair-bound, he thought he could finally be her first choice.

Lisa Ballantyne: The Guilty One | Book Review | The Skinny Lisa Ballantyne: The Guilty One | Book Review | The Skinny

I did not love all the characters, and sometimes they got a bit annoying, which is the only reason this is not a five-star read for me. The character of Cal Farrell is well-drawn, and readers will empathize with his struggle to come to terms with his hero status and his memory loss. The denouement was weak though, beginning with the constant alternation between the perpetrator's first and last name. The story shifts between the events leading up to the mass shooting and the present day, creating a sense of suspense and intrigue.When Daniel arrives, Minnie tries to mold the disturbed and violent young boy into a man and eventually earns his respect, but years later, as a grown attorney, he and Minnie have parted ways and he no longer speaks to the woman who saved him.