POWER SURGE

A businesswoman goes to drastic lengths to protect her family from a dangerous male-supremacy group in this debut thriller.

CC Crane has built a successful Pennsylvania marketing firm, but she’s encountered sexism and sexual harassment from men throughout her career, and they’ve never faced any consequences for their actions. By the time she’s a grandmother, she’s had enough, and she pays strangers she finds on the dark web to concoct career-ending scandals for some offenders—or, in some cases, murder them and make it look like an accident. Despite CC’s diligent precautions, someone begins harassing and then physically threatening her youngest adult daughter, Scottie, a sexual assault prevention specialist. CC suspects that male-supremacist group Reclaim Our Authority and Rights is spearheading the intimidation; to dismantle this frighteningly powerful organization, she’ll have to get her own hands dirty. Meanwhile, Luke Baxter is convinced that his father, one of CC’s targets, didn’t commit suicide and vows to identify the killer. As Luke takes a look at who’d want revenge against his misogynist dad, he gets precariously close to CC. Qnert’s thriller examines timely subject matter. Not all readers will agree with CC’s belief that there’s no other option than to “force” change through violence. However, readers certainly won’t sympathize with her targets; indeed, most of the male characters are repugnant and despicable, including Luke. Some secondary players receive absorbing subplots, as when Andi Stone links her boss, CC, to a string of fatal accidents. Qnert’s tight dialogue and succinct chapters are appealing, and suspense effectively creeps in as people shadow Scottie and Luke inches toward CC. Qnert highlights discrimination and harassment throughout, and the ending effectively drives her message home in an unforgettable manner.

A compelling novel with a dynamic female protagonist who heroically fights toxic masculinity.