Damage by Caitlin Wahrer Blog Tour

 I love books (no surprises there).

What I really love are books that make you think. You don't just read them, you feel as though you are in the story too, trying to figure out just what has happened/is happening. The ones where you feel yourself making predictions about what might happen next.

The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer is one of those novels.

Tony has always looked out for his younger brother, Nick. So when he's called to a hospital bed where Nick is lying battered and bruised after a violent sexual assault, his protective instincts flare, and a white-hot rage begins to build.

As a small-town New England lawyer, Tony's wife, Julia, has cases involving kids all the time. When Detective Rice gets assigned to this one, Julia feels they're in good hands. Especially because she senses that Rice, too, understands how things can quickly get complicated. Very complicated.

After all, one moment Nick was having a drink with a handsome stranger; the next, he was at the center of an investigation threatening to tear not only him, but his entire family, apart. And now his attacker, out on bail, is disputing Nick's version of what happened.

As Julia tries to help her brother-in-law, she sees Tony's desire for revenge, to fix things for Nick, getting out of control. Tony is starting to scare her. And before long, she finds herself asking: does she really know what her husband is capable of? Or of what she herself is?

*Trigger Warning*

The main subject matter of this story is male rape. Not something I can say I've ever read about in previous stories but unfortunately it is something that happens more often than most of us probably realise.

Switching between two timelines, the tale begins with Detective Rice - who appears to be dying from cancer - make a request that Julia, the sister-in-law of a rape victim (Nick) visit him at home as he wants to discuss Nick’s case. This is a case that he worked tirelessly on in 2015 but it appears that he didn't he's reached a different conclusion as opposed to the original verdict.

When a small-town family is pushed to the brink, how far will they go to protect one of their own? 

This is what I'd describe as a gentle psychological thriller. Even though the crime itself is brutal, the way the author has approached it is done with care and sensitivity.

We know the crime, we even know who committed the horrendous act, what we are slowly being made aware of is the damage caused in the aftermath.

Emotional doesn't seem to be a big enough word to describe what happens next. As we progress through the events of the past it becomes clear just how traumatic everything has ben. Not just for the victim but for their family too.

I was left wondering just how I might feel/cope if I had to face a similar situation.

Exploring elements of doubt, tragedy, suspense, and justice, The Damage is an all-consuming read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer.

This isn't an easy read.

But I guess it almost feels like a necessary read. Highlighting the fact that crimes don't just happen to you, the knock on effects are unimaginable.

The strength shown by all involved is immeasurable.

There is a slow, methodical pace to this tale. 

Making it powerful, tense and most importantly honest. I felt as though this was a book that was well researched, there was a lot of attention to detail and there was a raw intensity throughout the whole books.

An edgy, propulsive read about what we will do in the name of love and blood.

This is a debut novel that packs a punch.

Expertly executed, this is a story that lingers with you long after you've finished reading it.

Join the rest of the blog tour to find out more about The Damage: