This review comes to us from horror author and freelance writer Jena Brown. She's provided a quick synopsis of Exposure below for those who have not read it; you'll find her full review after the block.
Navajo forensic photographer Rita Todacheene is at a crossroads. After years of hiding her ability to see the ghosts of murder victims, her colleagues at the Albuquerque PD have found out — and no longer trust her because of it. Well, both that and her insistence on serving justice… even if it means turning on one of their own.
If all that weren’t bad enough, her caseload keeps growing — extending now into the city of Gallup, where violent crime is five times the national average. When its citizens realize there’s a serial killer prowling their streets, they turn to Rita: possibly the only person who can help them find someone so elusive, they might as well be a ghost. As the real ghosts pile up, Rita struggles to keep them at a distance — before they shatter her entirely.
In Ramona Emerson’s debut novel Shutter (longlisted for the National Book Award in 2022), we were introduced to Rita and her gift. Though it isn’t crucial to read the first in order to enjoy her second, the story is deeper and offers far more insight into Rita and her struggles if you do.
Emerson focuses entirely on Rita in Shutter, weaving in her past with her present in alternating chapters, so readers gain a full understanding of Rita’s ability and how dangerous it can truly be. While I do think the first book lends so much more to the sequel, Emerson writes for both the return reader and those brand-new to her books, giving us just the right amount of context before plunging us into this new mystery.
One of my favorite elements of Shutter was how Emerson moved between two storylines in two different periods of time. There was a heartbreaking inevitability to Rita’s present that was written into her past, lending gravity to what otherwise might have been a typical paranormal crime story. I was delighted to find that Emerson does the same in Exposure — only this time, the perspective alternates between Rita and a serial killer.
It’s an escalation in both tone and danger, perfectly elevating the tension in the story. In Exposure, Rita is still reeling from the events at the end of Shutter; In some ways, she is stronger and more assured than ever, and in others, she’s far more vulnerable than she’s ever been. The ghosts are more present, their demands louder, and from the start, you can’t help but worry that Rita will be swallowed by their collective need for justice and revenge.
Meanwhile, on the other side, we get to know a killer. It takes a lot of skill to paint someone so sinister through a sympathetic lens, but I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the tragic life of Father Gabriel.
This understanding doesn’t make his actions forgivable; if anything, it makes them worse. Too often, we get villains painted in cold, calculated hues. They’re nefarious and cruel, making them easy to hate. But real-world evil exists in shadowy corners and shades of gray, making it much harder to pin down. Father Gabriel shows us how complicated human nature can be; he’s a man devoted to love, yet he cannot see the hateful ways that drive him.
This depiction of a killer might be unsettling for some. But that’s what is so enthralling about Emerson’s writing. Her prose is hypnotic — a balm to the horrifying events she recreates in agonizing detail. But while the scenes themselves can be graphic, there’s a distance to them. Rita positions them through her lens, putting the camera between her and the crimes.
And perhaps that’s why the ghosts are there. They force us to see beyond the photographs, beyond the clinical investigation. They give Rita the impetus she needs to focus on herself, finally allowing herself the space to heal.
But Rita isn’t the only one who’s haunted. Neither Rita nor Father Gabriel can escape the ghosts that drive them — only where one is an unexplained gift, the other is born of trauma and driven by a twisted perspective. In other words: both Rita and Father Gabriel are at the mercy of their ghosts, but how they choose to pursue justice leads them down different paths with very different ends.
It’s in these differences that the truth of their afflictions lies. One is burdened by the weight of the deaths; the other finds freedom in them.
Rita and Father Gabriel are both searching for peace, for a way to quiet the relentless presences demanding their help. There is a beauty in this juxtaposition between the two; Emerson examines how trauma shapes and scars, and how profoundly it can shade one’s perspective. But more importantly, the contrast between these characters shows the powerful difference that love can make — and how devastating it is when love is taken away.
Another interesting aspect of the alternating storylines is the influence of faith and culture. While some of this relies on having read Shutter, in which Rita’s history unfolds in more detail, the impact of her family and personal history on her life is apparent in Exposure as well.
Both Rita and Father Gabriel attempt to use prayer to handle their ghosts. But it isn’t simply belief that makes these prayers effective — it’s the community that surrounds them. While they both have people of faith in their lives, Rita has willingness and faith to be lifted up by those around her. She chooses to trust, even when that openness has worked against her in the past. And that makes all the difference in the world.
This aspect of community comes into play time and time again throughout Rita’s storyline. Emerson’s own experience as a Diné woman is woven into the rich layers of her character; she doesn’t offer detailed explanations of Navajo culture, but rather, sprinkles them into almost every page — light dustings of corn pollen that tangle in the words.
She draws the scent of the rooms, captures the suction of the mud, and brings the biting wind on the way to the pharmacy to life. The picture Emerson paints is not a photograph, capturing an image as her protagonist does. Rather, it draws the reader into a warm home on a cold day and shows them the love that lives inside.
As with any good sequel, we continue to get to know not just Rita, but some favorites from Shutter and some new characters as well. Emerson creates characters who feel like people you might see at the store. They’re varied and complex — and given the atmosphere of violence and corruption in the book, you can’t help but worry about them in the story.
Leaning into the reality of our world, sometimes the good ones die and the bad ones survive. But Emerson is never gratuitous; nothing is wasted or done for theatrics in her narratives. This is a glimpse of the real world — one that can be immersed in beauty and, at the same time, colored in pain.
As mentioned before, I highly recommend reading Shutter before dipping into Exposure. Rita is a character you can’t help but fall in love with. Her tenacity and strength in the face of unthinkable horrors isn’t just about enduring them; it’s about finding justice against all odds and overcoming atrocity with her compassion intact.
The ghosts aren’t always kind. They aren’t always good people. But exposing the truth is still important — even if it’s an ugly truth no one wants to hear. Maybe even especially so.
Exposure won’t be for everyone. This is a novel about terrible crimes. They’re graphic and distressing, covering everything from children being murdered to criminals getting their throats slashed. The violence is there for a reason: to be documented and witnessed. But for some readers, it might be too much. You should know your tolerance before diving in.
That said, if you can handle the blood and gore, Exposure is a unique crime story that I found compulsive and addictive. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves complex narratives tackling both the good and evil sides of humanity, and I can’t wait for the next installment to be released.
About the author
Jena Brown grew up playing make-believe in the Nevada desert, where her love for skeletons and harsh landscapes solidified. In addition to freelance writing, Jena blogs at www.jenabrownwrites.com. When she isn’t imagining deadly worlds, she and her husband keep busy being bossed around the Las Vegas desert by their two chihuahuas.
