Review of: Burden of Proof
Four-time Christy award-winning author Bunn (Outbreak, Unscripted) has penned another riveting best-seller with this action suspense novel. 55-year-old Ethan Barrett has a month to live after being diagnosed with terminal cancer [p. 10]. He is filled with regrets over prioritizing his pride and the resulting selfish choices that led him through a life filled with broken relationships, failure, and loneliness [p. 21]. He remembers the final conversation – an argument – he had with his brother Adrian before he was murdered thirty-five years ago [p. 43]. As he takes his last kayak paddle, Ethan is surprised to find Adrian’s widow, Sonya, standing with his grown niece at the pier. They announce that Sonya, a neurobiologist, has developed the technology to travel back in time, and they ask Ethan to help save Adrian’s life by doing so, even though going back in time will result in his own imminent death [p. 21]. Ethan, having nothing left to lose, welcomes the opportunity to exchange his life for his brother’s and is sent back to 1985 to try to prevent Adrian’s murder and re-chart the course of history [p. 27]. As he races against the clock to uncover the identity of the enemy and stop the pending attack, he also seizes the chance to make better decisions and treat others with compassion and generosity [p. 110]. Bunn’s imaginative tale is brilliantly plotted, with sharp writing and an accelerating pace. What makes this work exemplary however is the poignancy of the narration that manages never to detract from the action but rather weaves a subtle cautionary message to readers. A beautiful story of tragedy and redemption, smartly executed.
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