Chilling, atmospheric, visceral, emotional and absolutely grips from the start! It'll make you take a sharp in-take of breath!

Set between 2019 and 2015; Detective John Rice is on the case and Nick is the victim of a sexual assault. Tony Hall is his brother, who along with his wife, Julia want to protect him. Tony and Julia have their relationship issues and what's happened to Nick furthers that stress.

This in a way tells an important story with a deep subject matter - it shows a young man being sexually assaulted and both brothers being damaged, not just by this, but the book also hints at the sort of man their father is. It shows their raw emotion and reaction, which is so heartrendering. This is all handled with realism and sensitivity, especially when it comes to Nick meeting Lisa who questions him. It's a very moving book with the way the characters interact with each other and how they are affected by the secrets that spiral through the book.

The level of high intensity is consistent throughout the book. As much as it is an emotionally affecting read, it is powerful and so much so, it's quite hard to put down. It magically draws the attention in, even though the subject matters within it are hard ones. 

There are twists and turns as a result of so much damage being caused to people, that are deeper and darker than expected and that grip ferociously to the very end as the effects are huge and cause behaviours to spiral out of control.

Bookmark and Stages

This is a really good debut novel by Caitlin Wahrer.
Damage is a hared read at times due to the subject matter. Nick is the victim of a violent sexual assault whilst at college. It’s good to see authors acknowledging that men are victims of rape to. This book also shows what effect this offence has on the family and friends as well as the victim.
I’m usually not a fan of a book being a slow burner but I’m glad that this one was because it needed to be due to the subject matter.

Thank you to NetGalley the publisher and the author for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review

What a story! A very hard hitting subject that everyone is aware of, but isn't massively talked about.

The characters are very easy to buy into, the story is amazing yet horrific at points. And the support you will show for your family shows no bounds!

On a snowy day in Maine, a woman drives up to a house. She is clearly dreading what's to come. Inside is ex detective John Rice. He is dying and wants to talk to her before he goes, We are then taken back into the past to find out how they know each other. The woman, Julia, is the sister-in-law of Nick, a young man who was brutally raped by a man he met in a bar. Rice was in charge of the investigation. We are then taken through the aftermath of the rape looking at it from the POVs of Julia, her husband Tony, Nick and Rice.

I thought this book was very well written. The characters are all very well portrayed and we see clearly how they develop through the story. The dilemmas associated with rape cases are covered with sensitivity as are the effects it has on a victim and their family. I couldn't put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.