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THE VULNERABLE by Ed DeJesus

THE VULNERABLE

by Ed DeJesus

Pub Date: April 1st, 2025
ISBN: 9781644568095
Publisher: Indies United Publishing House, LLC

DeJesus’ thriller threads together personal tragedy, domestic terrorism, and systemic violence in a rapidly escalating plot.

In the thick of a Massachusetts winter, a young woman disappears under suspicious circumstances. Her bloodied car is discovered outside a suburban home, triggering a chain of events that spirals from domestic drama into something far darker and more dangerous. A pregnant woman, her paramedic husband, and a reclusive environmental engineer all find themselves entangled in the fallout, each forced to calculate what they’re willing to risk for the people they love. With rotating perspectives and a timeline that moves fluidly between days and locations, the skillfully wrought narrative builds suspense without sacrificing character depth. One early description—“An open box and a white plastic bag full of linen were smeared with blood”—sets the tone for what follows: a tightly wound exploration of violence, accountability, and vulnerability in all its forms. DeJesus excels at grounding high-stakes tension in personal histories. Abuse, grief, addiction, and climate anxiety thread through the lives of his characters, making their choices feel urgent and tragically believable. A subplot involving a meltdown at a hardware store that goes viral offers both comic absurdity and a sobering look at the speed of online judgment; “Depot Dan,” as the man involved is dubbed, is skewered on social media within hours. Meanwhile, his missing girlfriend’s past (including a restraining order and an alleged sexual assault) suggests far more sinister forces at play. The dialogue snaps with regional flair, and the settings, from snow-cloaked driveways to sunlit Florida condos, are rendered with just enough detail to feel lived-in. While a few scenes veer into melodrama, the pacing is strong and the emotional beats land. A police investigation drives the plot forward, but it’s the human cost of silence and survival that leaves the deepest impression.

Gripping, timely, and unafraid to confront uncomfortable truths, this is a thriller that lingers well beyond its final page.