In The Rule of Thirds, the third (and, alas, the final) book in the Annie Hawkins series, author Jeannée Sacken again draws upon her experience as an international photojournalist to heighten the reality she creates. Annie is a veteran photojournalist who’s been embedded during wars around the world. She returns to Afghanistan with a crew from TNN to document the Taliban’s takeover of the country after the US and its allies precipitously bail out. Phinneas Cerelli, with whom she now has a well-established relationship, is angry at her hard-headedness and his own inability to adequately protect her, but long ago he promised he’d never interfere with her professional decisions. Annie continues to suppress her PTSD. Though in therapy, none of the treatments have “taken.” Her daughter, now in her twenties, is as strong-willed as her mother, and plans a trip to Kabul as a gofer for another news team. Knowing the dangers that lie in Kabul, Annie advises Mel to stay home—which results in the complete disintegration of their relationship at a time when each could have used the other’s support as they face the dangers in Afghanistan.
Like Sacken’s Behind the Lens and Double Exposure, I could not put The Rule of Threes down, though, knowing it is the last in this series, I tried to stretch it out. Having spent time in Afghanistan during my own stint as an international travel photographer, I identified strongly with Annie. Sacken’s vivid descriptions of people, places, foods, and the experience of taking photographs are authentic. She is true to the customs and religion of Afghans, sympathetic to their plight but wary of the effects of the Taliban and ISIS on the country. Annie herself is an extraordinarily strong female protagonist, one to be reckoned with by those who underestimate her drive and stamina. The other characters are convincing, multifaceted, and evolve over time, revealing layers that must be peeled away to reveal the truth. I confess I found an unexpected new “book boyfriend”—Finn Cerelli—and enjoyed Annie and Cerelli’s slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance. I am disappointed that this series has ended.
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The Rule of Thirds (Ten16 Press, October 3, 2023) is available through:
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You can find my reviews of the earlier Annie Hawkins books here and here.
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