Book Review: Blindspot
Reviewed by David Steven Rappoport
Maggie Smith (no relation to the recently deceased English actress) has written a complex and compelling page turner, Blindspot. The novel is a true thriller, menacing and relentless, offering more twists than a Chubby Checker dance party. It is a finalist for the 14th annual Chicago Writers Association Book of the Year Award.
Rachel Matthews is a work-obsessed single mother who is an Assistant District Attorney in Milwaukee. Life is going well for Rachel. She is successful both at home and at work. She’s up for a coveted promotion. She has no time for, and little interest in, a social life, but manages to be a functional parent to her teen daughter, Charley.
Then everything changes. A stranger sends a lavish bouquet with a macabre message and leaves a disturbing video on Rachel’s doorstep. She finds herself victimized by a stalker. Teaming up with a former classmate turned private investigator, she wades through old case files, searching for someone harboring a grudge. When she finally discovers who it is and brings down the wrath of justice upon the perpetrator, she barely avoids disastrous consequences to herself.
Blindspot has many charms. Although the novel is set in a large Midwestern city rather than a tiny English village, in a limited way the book is an homage to a masterpiece of British crime fiction. (I can’t tell you which one without giving away Smith’s plot). This adds to the enjoyability. It’s also pleasant to see a woman at the heart of a thriller. Rachel Matthews isn’t the first woman to find herself in fictional peril, but thrillers are generally written by and about men. Male-oriented crime fiction often emphasizes violence, while Smith takes a more interpersonal approach. Some of the most compelling sections of the novel focus on Rachel’s relationship with her daughter. This book will appeal to the reader who enjoys character relationships and likes their cat and mouse to outthink each other rather than settle their differences with claws.
Blindspot misses little in its visual field. The reader looking for an entertaining book in the crime genre can safely approach it with eyes wide open.
