Blood Sugar

Blood Sugar is the first fiction novel by author, Sascha Rothchild, previously known for her memoir How to Get Divorced by 30 and a plethora of television and movie scripts, for companies like Fox, Dreamworks, and NBC.

Ruby is a psychologist, dedicated to helping her patients overcome their emotional struggles and trauma. Married to a wonderfully awkward man named Jason, Ruby is happy, secure and satisfied with her life. But the one big secret Ruby is keeping from everyone is this- Ruby has killed people. Ruby does not identify as a sociopath, in fact, she is the opposite- she feels empathy and sympathy, can develop positive relationships with others, and adores all animals. Her “victims” all deserved it, in one way or the other. But when Jason dies unexpectedly in their bed, soon Ruby’s crimes come to light and are turned against her in a heartbreaking way as the police try and prove that Ruby was somehow behind the murder of her husband. After years of keeping her past safe, can Ruby avoid prosecution now that she is, actually, innocent?

Blood Sugar is a riveting, intense novel with an incredibly likable and unexpected heroine. She was someone I immediately connected with and although she makes it no secret that she has killed people, Ruby still somehow manages to be completely charming and relatable. Ruby has the tenacity and the charismatic personality that reminded me of Dexter (from the formerly-on-HBO TV series, “Dexter”) and, strangely, Blood Sugar also takes place in Miami (mostly). That city sure has its fair share of serial killers.

The novel is told completely by Ruby, some chapters of the novel speaking of her present, and some speaking of her past (when she committed her crimes). Each chapter is labeled and flows well, clearly marking the distinction between past and present. The reader is given sensible and rational reasons for Ruby’s past actions, while exhibiting Ruby’s current life as a successful (and empathetic) psychologist.

Every minute of the legal investigation leading up to Ruby’s trial was intense and gripping. I was pulled into Rothchild’s suspense-fueled plot, as Ruby’s case built (and then fell) in rising crescendos. There is no doubt in my mind that Rothchild is a writer, even if this is her first official fiction novel. She has a knack for developing complex characters, well-developed plots and she makes sure she hits all the emotional buttons while she’s at it. Although this novel came to a deeply satisfying conclusion, I desperately wanted more Ruby, as I loved every ounce of her character. I have no doubt this will not be Rothchild’s last foray into fiction, and I cannot wait to gobble up her next novel.