REAP THE WIND

A hurricane stands between a man and his pregnant fiancee in Burcat’s thriller.

Josh Goldberg, an environmental lawyer stuck at a boring conference in Houston, hopes to escape back to his hotel room to be with his pregnant fiancee, Keisha Jones. He didn’t account for a hurricane (of a magnitude that could only be caused by climate change) disrupting his plans completely. Keisha doesn’t want to be stuck in Houston if the baby comes early and decides to leave early to go back to Philadelphia. Josh’s regular driver, Abdul Mohammed, takes Keisha to the airport, but they have an accident en route, and Abdul worries for Keisha’s health. Keisha insists on going to the airport anyway, and, while she does make it onto the plane, the flight changes course to stop in Cincinnati, with all other flights out canceled because of the storm. Back at the hotel that’s hosting the conference, Josh learns that Geoff Roberts, his friend at their law firm, is possibly leaving for another job and a higher paycheck. Josh’s concern grows after he doesn’t hear from Keisha for a while, and he begins calling hospitals near the airport. He finally makes the decision to leave Houston by car and drive to Cincinnati through the hurricane. He’s joined by Geoff—and manipulated into also including his terrible boss, Diane Scanlon, who has other ideas in mind for Josh. In Burcat’s thriller, the entire environment serves as the danger that threatens the intrepid hero. (“The freight train roar was intense and a huge amount of debris continued to whip the windshield. It was like being inside a car wash with those scrubbers slapping the windows. The only difference was these were made out of rocks and branches.”) Josh is a determined and courageous character with human flaws, and his concern for Keisha drives the story and creates compelling stakes. The fast-paced story features unexpected turns and quirky characters. But though the ending is heartwarming to a degree, it’s also not completely satisfying.

An exciting adventure with memorable characters.