Dark Blossom

by Neel Mullick

Rupa Publications 2019
214 pages     Fiction

Sam and his therapist Cynthia are each fighting their own demons. Sam has just lost his wife and son in a car accident. Cynthia has divorced her abusive husband and is struggling to maintain a relationship with her uncommunicative teenage daughter, Lily. The relationship between client and therapist is told through the words of the therapist, and early on, it is easy to see that the relationship is going to include some drama. The reader is exposed to what is happening in Cynthia's life, but not so much about Sam's life other than his interactions with Cynthia and Lily.

The mystery of the death of Sam's family develops slowly while the reader becomes enmeshed in the drama between Cynthia and Lily, Cynthia and Sam, and Sam and Lily. We begin to think that Sam is falling for Cynthia and that this book might end up being a romance, even though the reader entered the novel thinking it is going to be a mystery. But oh, just when you think it is a indeed romance, a twist in the plot begins to emerge, and the reader is in for a bit of a shock.

There is an OMG factor to the novel that holds the reader's attention until the conclusion, which, frankly, left me scratching my head and having to go back to reread and refigure the relationships. Dark Blossom sucks you in and holds you fast.

In many ways, it is easy to see that Dark Blossom is the first novel for Neel Mullick, a businessman and entrepreneur. There is a minimum of plot development with few subplots. Additionally, the character Sam is not very well developed. I would have liked a broader definition of Sam's marriage and his career. One little thing that bugged me was that the author used British English spellings even though the book takes place in New York City. Although a small thing, the spelling made the setting lose some of its authenticity.

It will be interesting to see how Mullick's career as a writer develops. He offers a contest for Dark Blossom readers and will donate half of the book's royalties to a children's charity. Here is his website. He calls himself a "geek turned storyteller." Love it! By the way, the title of the book only comes clear at the book's closing. Another aha moment!