Absolutely Superb

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris is a powerful contemporary novel that will tear your emotions to pieces. It is a departure from B.A. Paris’ usual genre of psychological thrillers but the tension still grips the reader. I think it is her best novel to date, and I have loved all her books.

The novel begins near the end of the action before stepping backwards in time by twenty four hours and then moving forwards hour by hour. This device means the reader is immediately questioning from the start. We want to know what has happened, why and how?

The focus of the novel is a family. The action is told from two alternating points of view of the parents and in the first person. We become intimately acquainted with them both. Surprisingly, as I am female, I resonated more with the father in the story as I ‘shared’ his dilemma.

The novel is about love. It is a love that radiates from the novel. It is a love that desires to protect. And it is a love that will be tested to the limits.

Secrets are a huge burden. Sooner or later they will come out and the consequences must be faced.

The Dilemma was such a powerful read. I read it with heart racing and heightened emotions. It consumed my every waking thought… so much so that I found myself thinking of the events as ‘real’ to me! The novel has ended but the love and the pain live on within my heart, as the characters became my ‘friends.’ It was a superb read.

I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

JULIA WILSON