At Shutter Speed

by Rebecca Burrell

In the click of a shutter, #Resistance becomes more than just a hashtag.

Pass the bar exam. Convince someone—anyone—in the Egyptian government to admit they’ve imprisoned your husband. Don’t lose your mind. For fledgling human rights attorney Leah Cahill, the past six months have been a trial by fire, ever since Matty, a respected but troubled war photojournalist, disappeared during a crackdown in Cairo.

Leah, the daughter of a civil rights icon, grew up wanting to change the world; Matty was the one who showed her she could. Though frustrated by the US government’s new fondness for dictators, she persists, until a leaked email reveals a crumbling democracy far closer to home.

Risking her own freedom, she gains proof Matty’s being detained at a U.S. ‘black site’, stemming from his work covering the refugee crisis in Syria. Armed with his photo archives, Leah plunges into their past together, a love story spanning three continents. She uncovers secrets involving Matty’s missionary childhood, her own refugee caseload, and the only story the deeply principled reporter ever agreed to bury. It’s what got him captured—and what might still get him killed. With Leah’s last chance to save him slipping away, Matty’s biggest secret may be one he’s willing to die to protect.

353 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2018

Reviews

[Chris Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very compelling read, consistent with current events. Fast paced and well balanced between political and personal stories. Excellent use of time jumps to fill in the plot puzzle pieces. Beautifully designed cover.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I did like this book. I liked it enough to read another one by this author. What I was a bit disappointed with is that the beginning started out strong but it did not stay that way through most of the rest of the story.

Matty's voice was strong and resonated with me more than Leah's. While, I did appreciate Leah not letting the disappearance of Matty go unsolved; I found her to still hold back some and therefore her voice was more timid than Matty's. Yet, what I really liked was Matty's voice when the story would flash to the past about how he met Leah. A lot of the past was Matty talking to Leah as if to explain how he was so lucky to have met her and have her in his life. This helped me to grow closer to these two as a couple and as people.

Towards the ending, the story did pick up speed. I just wished that it had been this way the whole way through the story. Yet as I stated I did enjoy this book.

[Margaret Tidwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Pump Up Your Book in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

At Shutter Speed by Rebecca Burrell was an interesting book.  I was left wondering how often stuff like this really happens because I have no doubt that our government does do stuff like this but that isn’t what this review is on.  This is the first book I have read by this author and I will for sure be picking up more books by her in the future.  This book did take me awhile to get through because I really had to pay attention to what was going on so that I didn’t get lost.  It wasn’t hard to follow per say but it did skip around the time periods and characters, so I just had to make sure that I knew would was talking and when the events were taking place.  I fell in love with Leah and Matty right from the start and I felt so bad for both throughout the book.  I loved watching Leah do everything that she could to find her husband and that she never let anything stop her.  If you love books that have strong female leads I know you will love this book just know that it may take a little while to read because you really have to pay attention to what is going on, so you don’t get lost

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed At Shutter Speed. It is a story of war, politics, ethics, and freedom of the press. It really made me think about the refugee crisis and our government response or lack of response. Also how truly dangerous being a reporter is during these conflicts. Made it more real because it was framed in a story. Our world should be less dangerous now, but it isn't. Our world is becoming increasingly more adversarial and it should not be. Thought-provoking.

[Polly Krize · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Leah Cahill, civil rights attorney, is searching for her husband, Matty, a journalist who had been investigating the refugee crisis in Syria. Uncovering many truths about both herself and her husband, Leah must use all of her intuitive and investigative skills to get to her husband.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good read. Easily able to pull you in. Loved the pace of this book. Easy to follow and doesn't jump around. Looking forward to reading more from this author!

[Leigh Manfredi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, thought-provoking read
Highly recommend

[Debi Samuels · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 to be fair. This was not nearly as gritty as I wanted it to be. It read a bit like an NCIS episode and I realize it's quite a difficult subject but I didn't feel drawn in. I felt like I was watching it rather than actually in the action which to me means the book wasn't immersive enough. I definitely didn't see most of the plot coming but it felt muddled at the end and got very difficult to follow who was on what side and which. I loved the ending. It was heartfelt, real, and realistic in that he is changed by his experiences forever. I thought Matty's character was very well developed but didn't feel the same about Leah. Maybe because I struggled to empathize with her a little, she seemed poorly cut out for what she went through and honestly if it was real I would have expected her to cut and run long before. It wasn't a bad book, but I can't say I would read it again.