Pivot Point

Pivot Point by Tess Manchester is an adrenaline-fueled thriller that follows Blake Everhart, a committed U.S. Marshal who hasn’t fully recovered from the murder of her brother that took place seven years ago. haunted by her brother’s murder seven years ago. Robert Canton is a dangerous criminal, a fugitive who is at large, leaving bodies behind him, including an entire family. Now Blake is determined to stop him, and the fugitive takes her across the storm-ravaged Tennessee, through flooded streets, dense forests, and treacherous mountain roads. Each attempt to capture Canton is thwarted by his cunning and aid from corrupt insiders. But Blake is equally relentless as she races against time, experiencing a phenomenon that makes her question her sanity. It’s like time resets in her mind. Can she outwit Canton and her fractured perception and stop him from murdering more innocent people?

This is one of the best thrillers I have read this year, with a well-paced and tangled plot. Tess Manchester writes in beautiful prose and has the ability to make characters enjoyable. I had the feeling I had known these characters somewhere, because they are hugely believable. Blake’s trauma is skillfully explored, and her relationship with Dr. Naomi Preston brings a new level of realism into the story. Manchester masterfully explores themes of trauma, redemption, and the nature of time itself. The characters are detailed: Blake is tough and haunted, struggles with guilt and her obsession with justice; Naomi Preston is a compassionate doctor with a mysterious past; and Canton is the villain who raises the stakes and amplifies the conflict. The worldbuilding captured my interest, and the small-town Tennessee with its quaint markets, foggy parks, and dangerous mountain passes sucked me in. Pivot Point is a masterful work, a winner for fans of action-packed thrillers with memorable characters.