Review: Blown - Nolon King

Review: Blown - Nolon King - May 2022

As a devoted thriller fan always hunting for that next adrenaline fix, I stumbled upon "Blown" while doing my usual late-night Kindle scroll. The cover practically screamed "edge factor," and honestly, I'm a sucker for a great cover . Little did I know I was about to embark on a white-knuckle journey that would keep me up as I read the ebook in one sitting!

Nolon King introduces us to Alison, a character whose moral compass doesn't just point north—it's practically welded there. This is a woman who side-eyes people taking Panadol for a headache, so when she's summoned to her daughter's school over a weed incident, her world begins to fracture. But that's just the appetizer to her catastrophe banquet. Returning home to find her husband Tom murdered? That's the main course of chaos that Nolon King serves up with brutal efficiency.

What follows is a masterclass in "how quickly can a normal life implode." The revelation that her charming husband Tom was actually knee-deep in the drug trade (and drowning in debt) hits like a freight train—both for Alison and for us readers. Nolon King doesn't just pull the rug out; he sets it on fire and dances around the flames.

The police's suspicion that Alison was complicit adds another delicious layer of tension. But it's when her daughter receives threats that the book truly finds its savage heart. Watching Alison transform from anti-drug crusader to reluctant dealer while simultaneously working as a DEA informant creates the kind of cognitive dissonance that makes for addictive reading.

The moral complexity here is what elevates "Blown" above standard thriller fare. How far would any of us go to protect our children? The line between right and wrong becomes as blurry as my vision at 2am, desperately trying to finish "just one more chapter."

For fellow thriller junkies needing a fix of something fast-paced yet surprisingly thoughtful, "Blown" delivers the goods. Just don't start it on a work night—you've been warned!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/431IFxu