By Christine Yunn-Yu Sun
Published in June 2023, Some Shall Break is the second instalment in Australian author Ellie Marney’s “None Shall Sleep Sequence”.
The story takes place three months after the explosive events at the end of None Shall Sleep.
It brings Emma and Travis, both in their late teens, back to work as partners in the FBI hunt for a new serial killer in Pittsburgh.
When all evidence points back to Daniel Huxton, the serial killer from whom Emma escaped three years earlier, all parties involved in the new case realise they have a copycat on the loose.
Emma is forced to revisit her past traumas, memories so horrific and painful that they might finally break her.
Yet she is determined no one else should suffer from what she did.
So returns Simon, one of the country’s most infamous serial killers.
The highly intelligent and manipulative 20-year-old has been assisting the FBI with insights on the psychological profiles of mass murderers.
But, for this particular case, what terrible price does Emma have to pay? And what kind of impact will it have on her relationship with Travis?
This much anticipated story is full of breathtaking tension and chilling suspense.
Once again the FBI and their associated law enforcement departments have underestimated the young people they work with – not just Emma, Travis and Simon, but also a wild card that no one sees coming.
Meanwhile, we cannot help but admire the author’s deliberate omission of details about Emma’s past in None Shall Sleep.
Without that careful arrangement, Some Shall Break would not have been such a powerful and profound exploration of complex themes such as trauma, guilt, survival, and the purpose of life.
Also present are the themes of love and loyalty, which are delicately investigated in the connection between Emma and Travis, as well as in the relationship between Simon and his twin sister Kristin.
Emma is a survivor in every imaginable sense, but this does not and should not require her to be emotionally and psychologically indestructible.
The author treads cautiously while illustrating Emma’s state of mind, showcasing her resilience and determination but also highlighting the vital importance of seeking professional help and understanding the fact that victims of violent and/or sexual crimes are never at fault for the harm that befell them.
The following sentiment from Emma is particularly outstanding: “There’s a seemingly bottomless reserve of these grasping, hungry men. These pathetic, selfish men, who feel entitled to take what they want with no regard for anyone else, and without consequences. She knows them so well, and she doesn’t want to anymore. Doesn’t want to listen to their bullshit. Doesn’t care about their psychology and their monologues, their histories or excuses… She just wants them gone.”
The book’s ending is explosive, an absolute cliffhanger that makes the third and final instalment in the “None Shall Sleep Sequence” urgently necessary.
A closure will mean a final showdown between Emma and Travis and their archenemy Simon!
Highly recommended.
