Book Review: Rian Field by Krista Wagner

Job 7:4 (NIV)
"When I lie down I say, 'When shall I arise?' But the night continues, and I am continually tossing until dawn."

Overview:

Mysterious...until the very end!

Rian Field is living her dream as a Marine Biologist, but when she is attacked by a shark, it triggers memories from the past and changes her understanding of her present world. After surviving the shark attack, Rian Field continues her work at the Institute, determined to continue living her routine life. But as she attempts to cope with her growing post-traumatic stress outbreaks, she is plagued both by memories of an earlier trauma and a sudden onslaught of mysterious and ominous events. She soon finds herself immersed in an inescapable danger as she suspects that her former assailant is still threatening her life--and it may be someone close to her; more disconcerting, though, is the growing certainty that the trauma is somehow connected to the shark attack, compelling Rian to uncover the truth of her past and discover who is after her.

My Personal Review:

Rian Field is the second novel written by Krista Wagner. Her first novel, Intent published by TouchPoint Press in August of 2014 is a suspenseful read with many surprising twists and turns that create a great adventure for the mystery thrill seeker. This latest work released in January 2016, by CreateSpace, a DBA of On-Demand Publishing, LLC fits into the same genre of fictional mystery & suspense.

What I loved most about Rian Field is that it teaches the reader about an increasingly prevalent disorder called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Mayo Clinic defines it this way:

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that is triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

The main character, Rian Field, suffers with this illness from a previous event in her life. Throughout the story, the reader gets to tag along inside her thoughts. The narrative is done in such a way to allow the reader to endure the mayhem inside of Rian's head. The thinking and repetitive circling of paranoia, night terrors, physical symptoms and unrelenting emotional trauma from this disorder are communicated in an informative manner without feeling the sensation of reading a text book. In addition, there is enough intrigue to keep the reader guessing and confused as to where the action will go next and from whom it will be initiated.

The author has a skillful ability to bring a compassionate look at this dreadful phenomenon.

Throughout the work the main character undergoes some therapy for PTSD which sheds light on some of the techniques for treating the illness. In addition to the emotional treatment with counseling sessions and the physical attention to a medical model for stabilization, Wagner touches on the spiritual realm as well. The hidden treasure found unobtrusively towards the middle of this book is the prevailing message that prayer has the ultimate power to break chains of fear, confusion, guilt, mistrust and deceit. Don't miss out on that nugget of truth! 

Anytime a book is able to entertain, inform, keep the reader engaged and give hope, it gets a stamp of approval from me. If you have a special interest in PTSD or you love to devour a good suspense novel, you will definitely enjoy this work. My only recommendation is that you do not read this one at the beach!!