Short Book Review: A Romance Writer's Murder Confession

The Ghost Writer, by Alessandra Torre (Thomas & Mercer)

I first met Alessandra Torre through InkersCon, which offers in-person and virtual conferences for writers, mostly but not exclusively self-published romance writers. I found the virtual events energizing and worthwhile, in no small part due to Alessandra’s passion and knowledge. She often references her own work, comprising romance, contemporary fiction, and suspense/thriller (as A. R. Torre), so I decided to check it out. I knew she could teach (and organize!), but was this an instance of “those who cannot do, teach”? The answer was a resounding “No!” The Ghost Writer came out in 2017 and falls under the loose category of “domestic thriller.” It’s a gripping page-turner fired by the obsession of the narrator, a romance novelist named Helena Ross. At the beginning, Helena lets us know that she is dying (from cancer for which she inexplicably refuses to undergo treatment), that she is an utter perfectionist who cannot tolerate frailty in either herself or others (like her agent or her rival to the title Queen of Romance), and that, in her words, her final book is not a novel but a confession. If that isn’t enough, she has only three months to live, and every day the cancer steals more energy and focus. The only thing to do is hire a ghost writer, and the most likely—the only viable candidate—is her rival. This description falls far short of Helena’s vivid, idiosyncratic voice, the steadily increasing dramatic tension, the whiplash turns and revelations, and the ultimately satisfying if tragic ending.

Torre doesn’t pull any punches; she plays fair with the reader every step of the way in both what she hides, what she reveals, and how she creates one delusional “down the rabbithole” path after another. The book is an exemplar of precisely timed, nuanced details, superb handling of dramatic tension, and compelling emotions.

Reprint: What Can We Do After NoKings?

 

10 effective things citizens can do to make change in addition to attending a protest

A crowd gathered for a “No Kings” protest on October 18, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. Hasan Akbas/Anadolu via Getty Images

Shelley Inglis, Rutgers University

What happens now?

That may well be the question being asked by “No Kings” protesters, who marched, rallied and danced all over the nation on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.

Pro-democracy groups had aimed to encourage large numbers of Americans to demonstrate that “together we are choosing democracy.” They were successful, with crowds turning out for demonstrations in thousands of cities and towns from Anchorage to Miami.

And while multiple GOP leaders had attacked the planned demonstrations, describing them as “hate America” rallies, political science scholars and national security experts agree that the current U.S. administration’s actions are indeed placing the world’s oldest continuous constitutional republic in jeopardy.

Once a democracy starts to erode, it can be difficult to reverse the trend. Only 42% of democracies affected by autocratization – a transformation in governance that erodes democratic safeguards – since 1994 have rebounded after a democratic breakdown, according to Swedish research institute V-Dem.

Often termed “democratic backsliding,” such periods involve government-led changes to rules and norms to weaken individual freedoms and undermine or eliminate checks on power exercised by independent institutions, both governmental and non-governmental.

Democracies that have suffered setbacks vary widely, from Hungary to Brazil. As a longterm practitioner of democracy-building overseas, I know that none of these countries rival the United States’ constitutional traditions, federalist system, economic wealth, military discipline, and vibrant independent media, academia and nonprofit organizations.

Even so, practices used globally to fight democratic backsliding or topple autocracies can be instructive.

In a nutshell: Nonviolent resistance is based on noncooperation with autocratic actions. It has proven more effective in toppling autocracies than violent, armed struggle.

But it requires more than street demonstrations.

One pro-democracy organization helps train people to use video to document abuses by government.

Tactics used by pro-democracy movements

So, what does it take for democracies to bounce back from periods of autocratic rule?

Broad-scale, coordinated mobilization of a sufficient percentage of the population against autocratic takeover and for a renewed democratic future is necessary for success.

That momentum can be challenging to generate. Would-be autocrats create environments of fear and powerlessness, using intimidation, overwhelming force or political and legal attacks, and other coercive tactics to force acquiescence and chill democratic pushback.

Autocrats can’t succeed alone. They rely on what scholars call “pillars of support” – a range of government institutions, security forces, business and other sectors in society to obey their will and even bolster their power grabs.

However, everyone in society has power to erode autocratic support in various ways. While individual efforts are important, collective action increases impact and mitigates the risks of reprisals for standing up to individuals or organizations.

Here are some of the tactics used by those movements across the world:

1. Refuse unlawful, corrupt demands