Selfies

Gabriel Gilbert | English, 2017

“Brutally honest,” “guilty indulgence” and “inventive” all describe Gabriel Gilbert’s debut novel, Selfies. The characters narrate this literary adult thriller, each one dangerously blind to the other’s truest nature. Carinda Campbell, a streetwise southern woman, seeks refuge in the wake of her ex-husband’s white collar crimes. Online, she captures the interest of Ray Welles, former Marine and tech entrepreneur, who has just left a soulless marriage and battles traumas old and new. Their explosive chemistry distracts from their children, ex’s, and careers. Between the heat and wealth of Boca Raton and the hard but humble wards of Milwaukee, Gilbert’s mastery of psychology and technology gradually expose his cast’s many secrets, lies, and personal demons. While Carinda and Ray enjoy a brief, tender respite from reality, dark clouds form with the all-too-easy abuse of law. Selfies’ many tensions and complexities finally unleash the perfect storm. Who will survive and at what cost?