A Shot at Mercy


Fiction - Realistic
200 Pages
Reviewed on 12/31/2019
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Tim grew up in Syracuse, New York. He currently resides in Maryland where he teaches English, Creative Writing, Film, and Theatre on the middle school level. At the insistence of his own students, he began writing seriously in 2014. He credits his love for story to his mother, who spent countless hours reading to him and his siblings when they were growing up. Growing up, he devoured the literary works of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Piers Anthony, and many others. Mysteries, thrillers, and fantasies are among the genres he most frequently reads. When he's not writing, he's reading, teaching, camping, or at a live music concert.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Deborah Lloyd for Readers' Favorite

The consequences of substance addictions – opioids, prescribed medications, alcohol – are well-portrayed in this contemporary novel. The focus is on how these addictions affect the Wasson family – father, Emmitt; mother, Maggie; and their daughter, Lindsay. On baby Lindsay’s Baptism day in 1994, Emmitt volunteered to work an evening shift at the soda plant. Unfortunately, he was severely injured. He was a recovering alcoholic, and pain medications posed a new threat to his sobriety. Over the next two and a half decades, these struggles, along with his daughter’s drug use, demonstrate the many challenges of these destructive behaviors. Author Timothy R. Baldwin has written a realistic, heartrending story in Bloodshot. How one family – along with supportive friends and counselors – deals with the many issues associated with addiction is an intriguing study.

One interesting aspect is how the physical, mental/emotional and spiritual aspects of recovery from addictive behaviors are described. Emmitt’s physical injury is difficult and painful; yet, pain medications are given to a recovering alcoholic. Dealing with the death of a loved one is another challenge for those in recovery. How faith is intertwined with recovery is also addressed in this book in a down-to-earth manner. The generational aspects are also portrayed when Lindsay begins the life of a substance abuser. The author has portrayed all these challenges in ways that will be relatable to those suffering from addictions, and the people who love them. In Bloodshot, by Timothy R. Baldwin, the complexities of addictions are clearly portrayed. With the current day crisis of addictive behaviors, this book will be helpful to many.