Ashes to Ashes by Deborah Sawyer is a fascinating story set against the wake of September 11, 2001, a novel that is brilliantly summarized in the subtitle: On September 11, 2001, when the Twin Towers fell, where most people saw tragedy, one man saw an opportunity. Jack Albertson is a successful financial who comes in late for a meeting at the World Trade Center, but just in time to grab an unexpected opportunity that morning of September 1. While his friends and family consider him dead, he assumes the identity of someone else and begins the journey towards crafting a new life. Becoming Hal Jacobs, he moves on to be an Oscar-nominated screenwriter. Everything changes when Haley, Albertson’s daughter from a previous relationship now working as an adult-film actress recognizes him. The conflict escalates when new revelations show that the real Hal Jacobs didn’t actually down in the 9/11 attack. What follows is a twisty tale that puts readers on the edge of their seats.

Deborah Sawyer’s novel is a twisty tale that is intelligently plotted, suspenseful, and intriguing. The setting that explores the historical and tragic moment following the 9/11 attack on the twin towers is well-crafted. The author writes scenes that are focused and compelling, exploring details that remind readers of everyday life while following the adventure of a protagonist involved in identity theft. This is a thriller that is emotionally rich and that features characters with psychological depth. The intricate plot and the dazzling prose are amongst the elements that set this story apart, establishing it as a work that is fit for Motion Pictures. Deborah Sawyer presents a consistent narrative style while ensuring that the divergent plot points never fail to engage readers and the trickiness in the plot makes the story as irresistible as the opportunity that arrests the interest of the protagonist. Ashes to Ashes is an enthralling novel that has great lessons for contemporary readers when it comes to identity theft and intrigue.