 |
Conjure the image of a stranger, a mesmerizing and beautiful one at that, who washes ashore in critical condition. When she comes to after an extended coma, she has no recollection of her identity. In another character’s reality, tragedy strikes deep with the loss of his true love, sending an otherwise successful man into a tailspin with no real end in sight and no real faith in the institution of love. Though the events seemingly have no connection, they are connected in every way and form the crux of a narrative that revolves around the dichotomy of fire—the fire of passion and love but also the fire of revenge, retribution, and justice.
Chris, a successful Wall Street banker, becomes the conduit for Borak to unravel multiple storylines, and it is precisely in his ability to tell multiple stories and fuse them into one inevitable collision course that Borak truly excels. A brooding Chris is at the beach when he runs into a girl named Arielle and her faithful companion, Abbey. It is not lost on Chris that her appearance—and disappearance—just seems so convenient, and when he meets Marisa Flores at a party where he intends to spend time with Arielle, the plot takes off at a breakneck speed. Where Chris is smitten by Marisa’s familiar presence, another side story is unfolding with the determined Detective Ramos being utterly miffed by the strange lady and her dog who seemingly resurrected Marisa. Still, he remains steadfast in his resolve to uncover the truth of Marisa Flores.
Though the plot revolves around Chris’ burgeoning passion with Marisa and how he sees his dead love, Theresa, in her, Borak adds a unique dimension of magical realism that strikes a strong resemblance thematically to the surreal nature of Salvador Dali's works, best captured in the artist's The Persistence of Memory. The stranger that assumes the name of Maria Torres has an uncanny memory, mirroring that of Chris’ Theresa, and in the process of spiritual messengers and guardian angels, a deeper battle is brewing that involves prominent drug cartels, foreshadowing an imminent bloodbath.
At the center of the narrative is an appreciation for the characters’ deep faith, so strong that the divine must intervene and conspire against evil forces. In the darkest of moments, faith is the light that seeps through and provides the hope to show good souls the way out, to end heartache, and to provide companionship to two humans whose destinies hold the fate and betterment of society.
Overall, the depth of the characters is highly intriguing. and their humanness creates a relatability factor that will undoubtedly endear them to readers. With every treacherous turn the characters encounter, the level of investment in the characters and their role within the created world reaches its peak. By putting characters in pretty much no-win positions and seeing their enduring qualities, Borak continues to raise the stakes as well as the anticipation of what could happen, imbuing the work with an exhilarating dynamic that yields a page-turner that is an electric combination of suspense and action.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review