THE TURNING POINT

In Blackwood’s thriller, the target of a worldwide sex-trafficking ring and her two new allies aim to turn the tables on their pursuers and spark a worldwide revolution.

At first, Judy Ruono seems to be a guileless 20-something, while the seemingly omnipotent Foundation is portrayed as a many-tentacled organization that enslaves young women as part of their plans to blackmail powerful figures around the world. However, it soon becomes clear that the Foundation isn’t the unassailable juggernaut it seems to be, and that Judy’s no pushover. Although she’s initially fooled by the Foundation’s promises of an overseas acting gig, it isn’t long before she begins to unravel the awful truth about “Panomnes Productions” and the “Gartfoil Agency.” She’s helped in this endeavor by a couple of new acquaintances with whom she bonds after surviving a murder attempt: former lawyer James Torquil Graham and his friend Roddy, both from Scotland. The trio are undeniably brave and resourceful, but they aren’t superheroes; Blackwood pointedly renders them as ordinary folks. Indeed, they effectively embody one of the novel’s central themes: that ordinary people can be powerful when push comes to shove. This is developed further when Judy moves beyond the goal of her own liberation and sets out to champion other victims of the wealthy Foundation. In many ways, Blackwood delivers a revenge fantasy that feels well suited to the present day, despite its future setting. It’s too often bogged down by unwieldy lines, however, as in this late sketch of a major villain: “He had an air that denied any possibility of reform, but only of stunned acceptance for a while with the pretence of cooperation with humanity before, in time, another means might present itself for taking revenge on society for whatever were its faults in his eyes.” Still, the adventure remains engaging, largely due to the lively interplay between Judy, James, and Roddy, and the triumphant glee they find in taking on corrupt and dangerous institutions.

An often-entertaining adventure story about fighting back and settling scores.