Using West Texas as a backdrop, Nina Blakeman has penned a suspenseful psychological thriller. Faye Brady is thirty and perceives life via the books she’s read. Growing up without a father contributes to her falling in love with the first man who resembles a father figure, her mentor, Dr. Todd Davis, in spite her mother’s protests. Dr. Todd Davis is a well-respected pharmaceutical researcher. He’s handsome, confident, intelligent, but it’s the baggage he carries that concerns Madeline Brady, Faye’s mother. Years ago, Todd had a relationship with Annette Dolce. Annette is the dysfunctional mother of Todd’s twin girls — Ella and Emma — who have totally different personalities; Emma takes after her mother and Ella after her father. There's nothing like a woman scorned. When Todd announces his intentions to marry Faye, Annette Dolce feels betrayed and she and Emma don’t make a secret of their displeasure. But it is not until a local lifestyle magazine publishes an article about the newlywed couple and their daughters that Annette flies off the handle.

The Blow-Up Man by Nina Blakeman is a fast paced, suspense filled story. Though some parts of the story are hard to read because of their vivid description of child abuse, the author did an extraordinary job with the scenery, character development, and plot. I enjoyed the book very much. The twists and turns, and the fact that even secondary characters were developed enough to give the reader an opinion about each one of them, kept the pages turning. I would recommend it to anyone who likes realistic premises.

The Blow-up Man, the first book by new author Nina Blakeman, is a story that readers won't soon forget. The epitome of a story of woman scorned, this book climbs into the depths of madness and jealousy. Annette Dolce is the above named woman scorned, and she is seething with anger against the father of her twin daughters, Dr. Todd Davis. Todd is successful as a pharmaceutical researcher, and has found love with a new woman in his life, the much younger Faye Brady, one of his students. Annette is determined that their relationship will not be successful, and her obsession becomes extreme, even dangerous. Will Annette finally snap and commit the ultimate crime in order to satisfy her taste for vengeance? Only time, and The Blow-up Man will tell!

The Blow-up Man is an extremely dark, entertaining read. Debut author Nina Blakeman has created a story with more twists than a roller coaster, and her readers might very well feel as if they are on one when they are reading this. Any reader who enjoys a great work of fiction with a lot of psychological thrills and chills should absolutely pick up this book as soon as they can. I can confidently give this book a very high rating. I hope that author Nina Blakeman is already hard at work on her second novel. If it's anything like The Blow-up Man, it will be absolutely be worth reading. I, for one, will be watching carefully for more from this very promising new author!

The Blow-up Man by Nina Blakeman is a psychological thriller with sophisticated, genuinely flawed characters that readers will adore. Faye Brady has grown up without a father and her mother hasn’t been very involved in her life. So, most of what she knows is from books. Perhaps because of the absence of a father figure she falls hard for her mentor, Dr. Todd Davis, a man far older than her. She got her Ph.D. under his guidance. He is a well-known researcher in the field of pharmaceutical sciences. Todd has a pleasant personality, he is an experienced man, and possesses a powerful intellect, qualities that Faye adores in him. But is he the right man for her? Madeline Brady, Faye’s mother, is worried about her daughter’s relationship with Todd.

Nina Blakeman is a great writer and she explores the psyche of fatherless women and the psychological implications of what it means for a girl to grow up without a father in their life. The characters are deftly handled and it is interesting to see how the author creates backgrounds that justify the personalities of the characters. The story has powerful psychological underpinnings and the characters are relatable; they are flawed in a genuine kind of way. In great and beautiful prose, the author explores the minds of the characters, and exposes the tensions in human nature, keeping real. The Blow-up Man is emotionally rattling and psychologically exciting, a great story for fans of thrillers.