Review: That Which Remains: Rouse by M. Tess Ossenelli

Diving deeper into a deadly mystery and the tragic ends we go to for the truth, That Which Remains: Rouse by M. Tess Ossenelli is an impressive second piece of this thrilling series.

Evan’s grief at his sister’s murder has driven him to dark and desperate corners, places he had tried to leave behind, even as his life is lit up with the hope of new love with Laci. The foundations of this future are anything but stable, as neither can free themselves from the horrors of the past.

Evan is relentless in his search for a transplant option and a cure for Laci, and in his hunt for those responsible for Tess’ abduction and murder. His haunting dreams continue to make him fear the future, frightened of the love he seems so desperate to share with Laci, in addition to his terror at the prospect of losing her or pushing her away.

However, he isn’t the only one suffering the unbearable weight of nightmares, and Laci’s mental state opens the door for plenty of thematic exploration. Despite juggling so many variables, threats, and emotions, Evan holds himself together in heroic fashion, and Ossennelli doesn’t demand that readers suspend their disbelief too often. The characters are fully formed, flawed, desperate, and deeply authentic. The interactions between Laci and Evan are especially compelling and passionate, and the tightly interwoven secrets and dangers are even more cleverly crafted in this second book in the series.

The conflicted surgeon at the heart of this story has grown since his rage-fueled vengeance-seeking in the first book, but there are plenty of other battles raging around this fascinating protagonist. Evan’s deepening relationship with David and the criminal elements helping him avenge Tess’ death gets even more complex, and while Evan’s hands are needed for an off-the-books mob boss surgery, it might not be enough to keep him alive, especially once it’s discovered that his hands can take lives as easily as save them, offering a twisted new element to the story.

There are occasional paragraphs and passages of narration that feel extraneous: “I forced my meandering thoughts aside for the time, not wanting to appear distracted. Then I quickly sought a topic to move the conversation along.” Ossennelli doesn’t always trust readers to understand the emotional stakes she establishes in a given scene, and instead leads readers through a particular moment or scene shift. In terms of the language itself, there are repetitive descriptions and overuse of adverbs that affect the flow. There are other basic errors as well, including misspelled words and misplaced commas, but those slips are rare, and not overly distracting.

Generally, the writing is crisp, sharp, and exciting, while the swirling motives and surgical bursts of action will keep readers on their toes until the very end. With more books planned for this series, Ossennelli does well in wrapping up some key elements of the plot, but leaves plenty of tantalizing loose threads for the next installment.