Question I

[Jonetta]

Tom believes he’s sighted an international terrorist known as The Merchant in Baldwin’s Bridge. Most people are skeptical, thinking it’s a product of his brain injury. Were you? What made you believe him, or not?

[Robin]

When I first read this book (several years ago), I believed that Tom knew what he was talking about. He was an expert on this particular terrorist and even knew how the Merchant moved.

I can understand most people being skeptical. I would question how someone could change their appearance so drastically that he couldn't be identified. I'm sure it can be done, but I don't think that is what most people would believe.

[Anita]

Like Robin, I've read the book before, but I believed, even back then, that Tom had definitely seen The Merchant and the threat was real. Tom was back on duty after his time in the hospital and he still had headaches and was short tempered, but he never had paranoid episodes.

[Joanne Farley]

I was not sceptical at all - but that was because it would have been a quick book if it was not real. I really felt that Brockmann dealt with Tom's struggle with being able to believe what he was seeing really well.

[Sharon]

I agree, I wasn't skeptical at all. Regardless of the brain injury, Tom knew his job and what he saw. So many people were trying to convince Tom that his brain injury was making him see things which made him question himself.

I agree with Joanne. Brockmann did an excellent job showing the side effects of brain injuries.

[Jonetta]

I believed Tom, too, the first time I read this book because brain injury or not, it was clear that his instincts were great. He wouldn’t have conjured up The Merchant as a fantasy.

During this reread, I looked for clues that might have made me more skeptical but my original impression held strong, especially on audio.