The Fulcrum
A Novel
A fortunate couple is tapped to help fight against climate change in the idealized romantic thriller The Fulcrum.
In Michael Decter’s romantic thriller The Fulcrum, an academic couple is tasked with safeguarding against climate change.
Matthew, a learned climate advocate, returns from Canada to the US. Once home, he focuses on his romance with Mary Louise, a fellow academic. Matthew served on the jury for a murder trial, leaving him with post-traumatic stress, and Mary lost her former partner; together, they heal.
After the pair get reacquainted, they meet with famed Harvard Professor O’Connell, who gifts a home and new opportunities to further their careers and educations. The gift comes with a condition, though: that they fulfill O’Connell’s last wish of saving the world from impending climate disaster. Alongside Matthew and Mary Louise’s love story, a tense mission unfolds when a deadly hurricane bound for Miami confirms their worst fears.
For much of its length, the novel centers the couple’s everyday lives, tracing their mutual affection as their ideal lives fall into place. Professor O’Connell’s connections and influence make their way easy: She helps Mary Louise find a path to publication for her newest book, and she offers Matthew a chance to start pursuing his doctorate again. Indeed, O’Connell shares her home, her friendship, and her taste for rare books, fine dining, and expensive wines, making for an initially idyllic tale. Even Matthew and Mary Louise’s climate work is pleasant: They are introduced to scientists, advocates, and top minds as they set up their foundation, finding their way through dinner parties and opportunities to mingle with high society. Such segments slow the book’s progression.
Matthew and Mary Louise’s story holds more interest once their Irish family histories and traumatic pasts are revealed, adding tension to their tale. A subplot following Matthew’s intervention in the business of a mysterious criminal stalking a young woman over her past dealings in Ireland changes the book’s tone, as does a confrontation with the criminal later. However, this tension is undercut by O’Connell’s intervention, resulting in a too-tidy resolution.
The news of the Miami hurricane returns suspense to the tale, with Matthew and Mary Louise thrust into action. They announce to the world that their studies indeed tell the truth as the storm is projected to wipe the city off of the map. Follow-up meetings with army and government officials to plan a mass evacuation lead to harrowing scenes and an action-heavy conclusion.
In the romantic thriller The Fulcrum, lucky lovers work to bring awareness to the dangers of climate change.
Reviewed by
Brandon Pawlicki
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
