Category: book review

Murder, suspense and mystery collide in The Schwarzschild Radius by Gustavo Florentin.

About The Schwarzschild Radius

Rachel is an eighteen year old Columbia University student who descends into the worlds of runaways and predators to find her sister, Olivia, who has suddenly disappeared. After trying to follow Olivia steps, Rachel finds herself obtaining a job in the adult industry, the same one Olivia worked prior to her disappearance. She discovers that Olivia had begun to perform private shows in the homes of her rich clients. Rachel discovers her sister has been abducted by a murderer who auctions the deaths of the young girls in an eBay of agony. As she closes in on the murderer, Rachel becomes his next target.

About Gustavo Florentin

Gustavo Florentin was born in Queens, New York and received his Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He spent a decade in the defense industry working on the F-14 fighter jet and classified electronics projects. He then moved on to the financial sector in New York where he is currently a network engineer. His passions include the violin, travelling to exotic places and exploring world-wide conspiracies. He lives in New Jersey where he is working on his third novel.

My Thoughts

I wanted to start of by saying this is a very intense book but will not be suited to all people. It is graphic at times and discusses topics of an adult nature. The criminal aspect of the novel while interesting (kind of like a Criminal Minds episode) but is much more graphic due to the nature of the book. It is definitely geared towards an older target group so please keep that in mind if you are looking for a book for teens and older youth. It can be at times hard to read due to the gruesome criminal activity.

I love a good suspense and The Schwarzschild Radius delivers that to the fullest. Gustavo Florentin has an excellent way of building up the story and keeping you guessing in every direction. There were several times in the novel where I had thought I had figured out the murderer but each time I was wrong. He throws in several twists to the story and I love how he brings in the relationship between Olivia and her sister (whom she only recently discovered) in Thailand. It adds a whole new element of suspense and mystery to the novel.

While at times I was frustrated and angry with Rachel for the choices she makes in order to find her sister, I also admire her courage and strength in doing so. She makes poor choices in order to solve the mystery and at many times is told by authorities to keep herself safe and let them handle it but yet she still perseveres. She is a strong, bright young woman but her life could have been made much harder. The lives of Olivia and her sister in Thailand are struggles that many women face. Her sister is Thailand is sold and forced to work in an industry against her will. She will do anything to escape her life.

Again, while the book can be gruesome at times Gustavo keeps those  moments brief and to the point. It is still a great read that many will enjoy.

Rating: 4/5

The Giveaway!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.