Tag: thriller

Monthly Features – November 2025

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The Amalfi Secret by Dean Reineking and Catherine Reineking

I received a copy of this book from the authors in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: When Gabe Roslo arrives in Amalfi, Italy, a long-awaited reunion with his grandparents takes a tragic turn. His beloved grandfather is dead—and a cryptic diary left behind is Gabe’s only clue to the mystery surrounding his sudden death. But what starts as a personal tragedy quickly spirals into a high-stakes international puzzle.

Teaming up with Anna, a resourceful Roman local, Gabe follows a trail of hidden truths that stretches from the stunning Amalfi coast to the corridors of global power. Secret codes, powerful enemies, and a legacy of deception pull them into a world where nothing is as it seems. With each twist, they are forced to question their allies and uncover dark secrets that could shift the global balance of power.

But as the walls close in, Gabe and Anna must risk everything to expose the truth before it’s buried forever. Will they decipher the mystery and reveal the sinister forces at play? Or will they become the next victims of The Amalfi Secret?
Perfect for fans of Dan Brown and Robert Ludlum, The Amalfi Secret is a pulse-pounding thriller that will keep you guessing until the final, breathtaking twist.

Summary: Overall, The Amalfi Secret is a richly layered political and historical thriller that blends mystery, faith, and love against a vivid European backdrop. It’s ideal for readers who enjoy intelligent thrillers, religious or historical mysteries, dual-timeline narratives, and character-driven suspense. 

See the full review here: The Amalfi Secret
Purchase here

Blade Rider by Jaime A. Sevilla

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: In a future where stars map the last frontier and infinite space paves the road to dreams, Raven stands at the precipice of her world. In a vibrant, multi-species society filled with possibilities, she yearns to fly amongst the stars as an Air Ranger, an elite group of space pilots that navigate the cosmos and safeguard the world.

There’s only one catch: females aren’t allowed.

As Raven gets closer to her aspirations and learns what it takes to join them, she discovers lasting friendships,  new challenges, and what it ultimately means to be a ranger.

Can Raven push beyond the boundaries of societal norms and break through the stratosphere of glass ceilings, or will her star-filled quest for acceptance remain out of reach? Join her on this high-stakes,  interstellar ride and experience her exciting journey as she blazes her own path amongst the stars.

Based on the musical by Jaime A. Sevilla, “Blade Rider” spins an electrifying and poignant tale of courage, determination, and the relentless pursuit of dreams.

Summary: Blade Rider is perfect for readers who love hopeful science fiction, YA adventure, and music-infused storytelling. Think Ender’s Game if it had a soundtrack and a heroine who refuses to take no for an answer. Sevilla’s background as a composer gives the book a cinematic flow: every chapter feels scored.

For anyone who ever dreamed of flying — or just fighting for the chance to try — Blade Rider delivers that spark. 

See the full review here: Blade Rider
Purchase here

 

The Gift by Eva Barber

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Emery travels through the dark dimension guided by dark shadows. She drops into a black hole and plummets into a desolate land that she believes is thousands of years in the past. She has to rely on her instincts to survive and her unwavering spirit to endure the harsh conditions.

A tribal chief’s daughter, Visla, finds her after she ingests poisonous berries and saves her life. Their friendship blossoms as they discover they share similar traits and both mourn the loss of their mothers.

Emery learns of the existence of the “bad people” whose description matches that of her mother. She sets out on a mission to find them. Visla leaves the tribe after learning her father held secrets from her. She joins Emery in her quest, which also becomes hers. But the “bad people” find them first, imprison Emery, and threaten to change Visla into a “superior” being against her will.

Emery escapes her prison using her powers and finds herself in a bizarre underground city with advanced technology outpacing the Stone Age. In her quest to find Visla, she befriends two beings whose humanity she questions. A brother and sister help her for reasons they do not fully understand. Emery’s presence cast doubts on their lives. They begin to suspect it is imposed on them by powerful “superior” beings. Looming over their quest to find Visla is the fear of change inflicted on those who rebel.

Captured again by the enigmatic “bad people”, Emery finds unexpected help from an unfathomable being whose identity further deepens the mystery surrounding her.

In the strange gray city, she stumbles on an artifact that shatters her understanding of the world around her and deepens the mystery further, implicating her mother in humanity’s most atrocious acts performed in the name of progress and survival. To find the answers, she forgoes the safety of the world on the surface and dives back into the underground, discovering more secrets and meeting the Masters—the superior beings with unmatched cruelty and depravity.

She barely escapes with her life, with even more questions, but with a budding understanding of what she has to do to get the answers and continue with her mission. If she’s going to save humanity, she’ll have to make choices that weigh losing what is most precious to her against the world’s survival.

Summary: Overall, The Gift  is a genre-bending blend of science fiction, fantasy, and metaphysical adventure, perfect for readers who enjoy character-driven journeys, time travel, and philosophical explorations of love, purpose, and destiny. Think The Time Traveler’s Wife meets Interstellar, with a touch of spiritual myth. It’s beautifully written and emotionally charged, ideal for fans of romantic sci-fi, cosmic or multiverse fiction, and stories where imagination meets heart. 

See the full review here: The Gift
Purchase here

 

Review: The Amalfi Secret by Dean and Catherine Reineking

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

Synopsis:

When Gabe Roslo arrives in Amalfi, Italy, a long-awaited reunion with his grandparents takes a tragic turn. His beloved grandfather is dead—and a cryptic diary left behind is Gabe’s only clue to the mystery surrounding his sudden death. But what starts as a personal tragedy quickly spirals into a high-stakes international puzzle.

Teaming up with Anna, a resourceful Roman local, Gabe follows a trail of hidden truths that stretches from the stunning Amalfi coast to the corridors of global power. Secret codes, powerful enemies, and a legacy of deception pull them into a world where nothing is as it seems. With each twist, they are forced to question their allies and uncover dark secrets that could shift the global balance of power.

But as the walls close in, Gabe and Anna must risk everything to expose the truth before it’s buried forever. Will they decipher the mystery and reveal the sinister forces at play? Or will they become the next victims of The Amalfi Secret?
Perfect for fans of Dan Brown and Robert Ludlum, The Amalfi Secret is a pulse-pounding thriller that will keep you guessing until the final, breathtaking twist.

Favorite Lines:

“She was slight of stature and frail to look at, but he knew from experience that she had an inner strength that would get her through almost any trial.”

“The Italians sure have style. Only  here would someone wear black leather driving gloves.”

“We Italians are more concerned with beauty than perfection.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Amalfi Secret is the kind of thriller that sneaks up on you. It starts quietly, almost cinematically, and before you realize it, you’ve been swept into a world of prophecies, politics, and secrets buried deep in the marble corridors of history. The story moves between the present and the past with a rhythm that feels effortless, and even when the stakes climb, the authors manage to keep the human element right where it belongs—at the center. What surprised me most wasn’t the espionage or the religious intrigue, but the emotion underneath it all. It’s a story about love, legacy, and how far people will go to protect the truth.

There’s a gravity to the writing that reminds me of old-school political thrillers, but with more heart. Gabe Roslo is not your typical hero; he’s quietly capable, haunted, and deeply loyal. His grief feels genuine, and his need for answers pulls you along as much as the mystery itself. The story’s backdrop—the cliffs of Amalfi, the solemn air of Rome, the shadowed corners of the Vatican—adds an atmospheric beauty to the unfolding tension. You can almost smell the sea salt and espresso as danger closes in.

I also appreciated that the authors didn’t rush the reveal. They take their time, letting secrets drip out through journal entries, coded mirrors, and the wary exchanges between friends who might not be what they seem. Every conversation feels loaded, every clue slightly out of reach. The pacing builds slowly but deliberately. And just when you think you understand the scope of the story, it widens again—to global conspiracies, ancient orders, and moral choices that test faith and loyalty.

This isn’t just a novel about espionage or religion—it’s about the spaces between them. About belief turned dangerous, power wrapped in prophecy, and how history never stays buried for long. It’s a slow burn that rewards patience and curiosity, a blend of The Da Vinci Code’s intrigue with All the Light We Cannot See’s emotional depth. If you like stories that balance intellect with heart, this one lingers after you close the book.

Summary:

Overall, The Amalfi Secret is a richly layered political and historical thriller that blends mystery, faith, and love against a vivid European backdrop. It’s ideal for readers who enjoy intelligent thrillers, religious or historical mysteries, dual-timeline narratives, and character-driven suspense. Happy reading!

Check out The Amalfi Secret here!

 

Review: Pigeon-Blood Red by Ed Duncan

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Synopsis:

For underworld enforcer Richard “Rico” Sanders, it seemed like an ordinary job: retrieve his gangster boss’s stolen goods, and teach the person responsible a lesson.

But the chase quickly goes sideways and takes Rico from the mean streets of Chicago to sunny Honolulu. There, the hardened hit man finds himself in uncharted territory, when innocent bystanders are accidentally embroiled in a crime.

As Rico pursues his new targets, hunter and prey develop an unlikely respect for one another.

Soon, he is faced with a momentous decision: follow his orders to kill the very people who have won his admiration, or refuse and endanger the life of the woman he loves?

Favorite Lines:

“If you were in a fight for your life against hopeless odds and could pick just one person to help even them out, he would be your choice every time.”

“You remind me a little of myself before I smartened up.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Pigeon-Blood Red begins like a crime story you think you already know — a lost item, a hitman, a debt gone bad — but Ed Duncan turns it into something surprisingly human. Beneath the violence and deception runs a quiet thread of loyalty, fear, and the tiny sparks of conscience that survive even in people who’ve long given up pretending to be good.

The story follows Rico — a disciplined, unflinching enforcer whose calm masks something almost noble — and Robert McDuffie, a desperate gambler who makes one very bad choice: stealing a necklace worth far more than his life. It’s a story built on momentum — one thing going wrong after another, until everything comes crashing down.

What I liked most is how Duncan writes violence without glamorizing it. His sentences are clean and deliberate, as if his characters are trying to convince themselves that control is still possible. But there’s always something cracking beneath the surface — a conscience, a flicker of guilt, or maybe just exhaustion.

The pacing works—sharp dialogue, short scenes, no filler. You can tell Duncan knows this world, but he never overexplains it. I finished it in a single sitting and wanted to keep going, which is all you can really ask from a crime novel.

If you like your crime fiction with heart — not sentimental, but human — this one will surprise you. It’s about how easy it is to cross a line, and how hard it is to come back once you do.

Summary:

Overall, Pigeon-Blood Red is a fast-moving crime thriller that digs into the choices people make when survival is the only goal left. It’s not just about gangsters or stolen jewels — it’s about what happens when morality and necessity collide. It’s a story for readers who like their thrillers grounded in realism, where the danger feels as psychological as it does physical. Happy reading!

Check out Pigeon-Blood Red here!

 

Review: Wooden Dolls Game by Ivonne Hoyos

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Synopsis:

In a game of life and dolls, Mary Jane Crowell struggles to find a peaceful life for everyone, free from chaos and drama. The Crowells raised her non-identical twins, Mary Jane and Antonia, in a fair way with no distinctions or preferences. Somehow, even when kids come from the same family they can grow with opposite personalities.

Moving to a new place means to make many decisions like the color of a room wall, a simple game of chance makes Mary Jane victorious for the pink room. This triggers a dark feeling in her sister, and she decides to give a touch of black in revenge. As teenegars they grow appart and are too different. Mary Jane is a good example at school, with good grades and the student who will give the graduation speech. On the contrary, Antonia doesn’t have a chance to graduate, consumes drugs and is an agressive girl.

An unusual set of wooden dolls comes to Mary Jane and she discovers the magic of dolls, and that by recreating the last episodes of her life she can rewind time and fix all problems triggered by her sister. A series of travels in time teaches her a final lesson that is not in her hands to change destiny and that clock hands don’t stop actions triggered by peoples’ intrinsic nature. They always detonate heaven itself or irrevocable chaos.

Favorite Lines:

“Time is an inexistent physical dimension; it is well used by ones and wasted by others. Nevertheless, time is not as dangerous as human nature. It is so powerful that even if time could be rewound, clock hands won’t stop actions triggered by peoples’ intrinsic nature. They always detonate either heaven itself or irrevocable chaos.”

“Somehow, it is being said that hard lessons are not always a way to strengthen character, but to trigger frustration.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

What begins as a tender domestic tale—a family moving into a new home, twin sisters finding their first sense of individuality—slowly evolves into something darker, stranger, and impossible to forget. Wooden Dolls Game is a haunting psychological thriller about childhood envy, love, identity, and the kind of family wounds that don’t fully heal, even when everyone pretends they have.

Hoyos captures the fragile tension between innocence and obsession through Mary Jane and Antonia Crowell, twin sisters whose bond fractures over something as simple—and as symbolic—as the color of a bedroom. The early chapters feel deceptively calm, filled with family rituals, cardboard boxes, and small joys, until the wooden dolls enter the story and turn playtime into prophecy.

This is a novel that thrives on atmosphere. There’s an eerie domestic stillness beneath every scene: a family dinner, a fairground, a painted wall. Hoyos writes with cinematic precision; you can feel the weight of the paintbrush in Antonia’s hand, the splinters of the wooden dolls, the tension building between sisters who love and resent each other in equal measure.

While the dialogue at times leans simple—true to its child narrators—the psychological undercurrent is chillingly mature. The novel’s real horror is not in the supernatural, but in how jealousy and love can coexist in the same heartbeat. The “game” isn’t just about dolls; it’s about control, inheritance, and the ways trauma rewinds time in our minds, forcing us to relive what we can’t forgive.

Readers who enjoyed Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn will find echoes here: the fragile domestic world turning on itself, sisterhood as both salvation and curse. This book lingers—not because of what it shows you, but because of what it makes you remember.

Summary:

Overall, at its heart, Wooden Dolls Game is about the things families try to hide — the arguments, the comparisons, the moments when love feels unfair. It’s a story for readers who like their fiction a little unsettling and deeply human.

Fans of psychological dramas, dark family fiction, and slow-burn suspense will connect most with this one. It’s not a horror story in the traditional sense, but it’s full of dread in the quiet, ordinary moments. Happy reading!

Check out Wooden Dolls Game here!

 

Review: Unborn by Eva Barber

~ likelystory18 ~ 3 Comments

Synopsis:

Olesya was not born like other people but was found in the Siberian Forest by a couple unable to have children. Plagued by mysterious visions and dreams, she struggles to fit into a society both as a socially inept but brilliant child and as she becomes part of a research team to discover the nature of dark matter. The findings of this discovery never make it to the scientific community as the project leader goes missing and the physics lab blows up, destroyed by a powerful foe with seemingly noble intentions.

Seattle detectives question Olesya in connection with the explosion and the disappearance of her boss. She becomes a person of interest until she herself goes missing. From her kidnappers, she learns that her parents, knowing she lacked a belly button, suspected she was created by the Russian government as part of a scientific experiment, and emigrated to the USA to hide and protect her. She also learns she possesses powers related to dark matter and of the existence of a brother held captive since his discovery by the Russian government. Even though she suspects her kidnappers’ interest in her and their motivations aren’t so noble, she joins them in rescuing her brother. Catastrophic world events following the successful rescue force her to continue working with her foes to save the world from destruction.

While working to save the world, Olesya experiences a moral dilemma and becomes someone she never thought she’d be—a mother. Olesya learns of mysterious chambers scattered around the world, and her visions return to haunt her, until she opens the chambers and learns their secrets, wishing she hadn’t. Now she faces the heart-wrenching realization that she must travel into a dark dimension to save the world from self-destruction. Worse yet, her daughter, Emery, is the key to humanity’s salvation and must follow her mother once she becomes an adult because she is the only being who can travel where no one else can to restore balance to the universe and return with an extraordinary gift for humanity. But powerful entities have reasons to keep the gift away from humanity and will do anything to stop her.

Favorite Lines:

“Being different is not something you should be ashamed of. It’s something you should be proud of.”

“For years now, her hope had lain buried deep inside, waiting for the right moment to awaken.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Eva Barber writes Unborn with an eerie tenderness that makes the strange feel familiar, the impossible feel almost believable. It’s a novel that mixes the beauty of myth with the sharp edges of science, and it does so without ever losing sight of its humanity.

The story begins in a Russian forest, where a baby is found alone and impossibly alive. Her name is Olesya. She’s perfect — except she doesn’t have a belly button. That single detail feels small at first, but Barber builds the entire story around it. What does it mean to be created instead of born? To belong to a family, but not to the natural order that defines one? Those questions stay at the heart of Unborn, even as the story stretches across centuries, countries, and dimensions.

What I loved most is how the book keeps its balance — it’s dark without being bleak, intelligent without ever becoming cold. The writing feels cinematic, full of quiet tension and visual detail: candlelight against snow, the hum of a laboratory, a mother’s hand trembling as she holds something she can’t quite understand. And yet, under all of that, the story is deeply emotional. It’s about motherhood, creation, and the lengths we’ll go to protect what we love — even when we’re not sure what it really is.

By the time I reached the end, I realized that Unborn isn’t really about science or the supernatural. It’s about inheritance — what we carry from those who came before, and what we unknowingly pass on. It’s about the ache of being human in a world that keeps asking us to prove we exist.

Summary:

Overall, Unborn is a haunting, beautiful story about science, motherhood, and the unknowable threads that connect us. It’s the kind of book that lingers quietly after you’ve finished it — the kind that leaves you wondering whether what you just read was speculative fiction or something closer to a modern myth.

If you like stories that mix atmosphere and emotion — think The Time Traveler’s Wife, Never Let Me Go, or The Daughter of Doctor Moreau — you’ll find something to love here. It’s for readers who enjoy a story that makes you think and feel at the same time; readers who don’t mind when mystery lingers even after the answers come. Happy reading!

Check out Unborn here!

 

Review: The Collectors by Richard A. Danzig

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Synopsis:

The Collectors is the third book in the award winning Chance Cormac legal thriller series. The first two books “Facts Are Stubborn Things” and “Punch Line” are both best sellers on Amazon.

Chance is retained by a client who believes that he has been the victim of fraud when he purchased a valuable abstract painting that may be a forgery. Chance soon learns that both the painting and his client, might not be what they seem.

Chance is then summoned to Costa Rica to help Damian and JR who are caught up in the black market of selling human organs. Facing police corruption and danger, it may be too late to help to save his friends.

Favorite Lines:

“Art is meant to be seen. A painting in a vault is like a flower growing underground.”

“I learned early on that one of the keys to success is to always delegate responsibility to the most capable person.”

“I’m the luck one. A dream job doing the two things I love most – looking at art and making money.”

“I think if she wants it, it’s the best lesson in life. To work hard at something you love, to build confidence and self-esteem. Learn to win and learn to lose. Laugh because it’s only a game.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Richard A. Danzig’s The Collectors is a fast-paced thriller set at the intersection of the art world and organized crime, following Chance, and a cast of allies and enemies as they navigate stolen masterpieces, criminal networks, and personal codes of loyalty. 

What drew me into The Collectors right away was its mix of adrenaline and atmosphere. This isn’t just a story about stolen art—it’s about survival, identity, and the ways people justify the choices they make when life pushes them to the edge. From the early combat fight scenes, to the moments of quiet reflection on scars—both physical and emotional—the book doesn’t let you forget that its characters are people who have already paid heavy prices.

The art-world angle was particularly fascinating. Paintings aren’t just commodities here—they’re symbols of power, greed, and memory. Beauty becomes dangerous when hidden, hoarded, or traded like currency, and Danzig captures that tension with sharp precision.

At the same time, the book is driven by relationships. Family promises sit alongside the betrayals and shifting loyalties of the criminal underworld. These contrasts give the novel depth. It isn’t just about art forgery or organized crime—it’s about what people decide is worth protecting, and what they’re willing to sacrifice along the way.

By the time the story edges toward its conclusion, it becomes clear that the heart of The Collectors isn’t the money, the fame, or even the paintings. That’s what stayed with me. For all its action, the novel lingers because it asks readers to think about what truly matters when everything else can be bought or stolen.

Summary:

Combining gritty action with meditations on beauty, family, and survival, The Collectors delivers both suspense and heart—reminding us that beneath the heists and betrayals, the real stakes are love, trust, and what it means to protect what’s yours. It’s a story that entertains, but it also lingers after the final page, asking bigger questions about what we value and protect when the world demands compromise. Readers who enjoy thrillers, contemporary fiction, and character driven crime novels may enjoy this book. Happy reading!

Check out The Collectors  here!

 

Review: Hunting the Red Fox by W. Kenneth Tyler Jr.

~ likelystory18 ~ 2 Comments

Synopsis:

This is the story of Perry Barnes, a multi-talented man who made one bad teenage mistake in the weeks leading up to his high school graduation in 1942. On a lark he “borrowed” some jewelry that wasn’t technically his. The local judge took it personally and gave Perry the choice of an assignment to a newly formed Army special operations unit at the start of World War II or go to jail for 15 years. As a result he winds up being trained by the United States government in the skills and arts of sabotage, killing, self-preservation, espionage and ultimately how to be a first class jewel thief.

Along the way he finds himself in the movie business in the Hollywood of the 1950’s, then uses his immense physical skills in pursuit of excellence as a journeyman golfer on the PGA tour of that era with the likes of Ben Hogan, Jimmy Demaret and Arnold Palmer. Before the adventure is over Perry has stolen the world famous Mecklenburg Diamond from a known jewel thief, worth a fortune, with the intention of returning it to the authorities for love, of all things.

All the while he is befriended by the most bewildering array of characters, some real, some not, who add marvelous vignettes of clever humor, situational intrigue, and steamy romance as he earnestly pursues the one goal he covets most: finding true love, martial companionship and family.

Favorite Lines:

“In short, he was both a Man’s Man and a Ladies Man in the old sense of those terms.”

“She was clearly befuddled and exasperated, which caused her face to display the most marvelous oxymoronic look of sensual wholesomeness. I think I was smitten.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

W. Kenneth Tyler, Jr.’s Hunting the Red Fox is a story that doesn’t just entertain—it invites you to sit down at the table, pour a bourbon, and listen in as secrets are slowly, almost reluctantly, unveiled. What begins as a casual meeting between Roger Mace, an amateur writer and golf enthusiast, and the magnetic Perry Barnes, an aging Southern gentleman with a silky drawl, unfolds into a sweeping tale of love, regret, mischief, and the kind of life you almost can’t believe anyone actually lived.

Tyler has a gift for pacing. Just as you think you’ve settled into a charming yarn about golf in the 1950s, the ground shifts—suddenly you’re in the middle of jewel heists, military intrigue, and confessions that leave you wondering how much of Perry’s story is truth and how much is performance. And that’s the real hook: Perry himself. He’s equal parts con man and philosopher, hustler and gentleman, a character who charms both the reader and his would-be chronicler, Roger.

The book also strikes an interesting balance between humor and weight. One minute you’re laughing at Roger’s painfully awkward attempts at interviewing, and the next you’re drawn into Perry’s memories of loss, survival, and the choices that haunt him even at eighty-two. By the time the so-called “Red Fox” begins to reveal himself, you realize this isn’t just a story about golf or crime or even redemption—it’s about how an ordinary man’s life can intersect with history in the most unexpected ways.

It’s a long, winding tale, but Tyler knows how to keep you listening. Like Roger himself, you come away unsure whether Perry Barnes is telling you the whole truth, but convinced that you’ve been given a gift in hearing his story at all.

Summary:

Overall, Hunting the Red Fox blends memoir-style storytelling with novelistic suspense, leaving readers to weigh for themselves whether Perry Barnes was simply a man with colorful tales or a true “Red Fox” whose life was stranger than fiction. Readers who enjoy historical fiction thrillers full of suspense, espionage, and memoir-style narratives may enjoy this book. Happy reading!

Check out Hunting the Red Fox here!

 

Review: The Regression Strain by Kevin Hwang

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Synopsis:

Nobody’s safe when the inner beast awakens…

Dr. Peter Palma joins the medical team of the Paradise to treat passengers for minor ailments as the cruise ship sails across the Atlantic. But he soon discovers that something foul is festering under the veneer of leisure. Deep in the bowels of the ship, a vile affliction pits loved ones against each other and shatters the bonds of civil society. The brig fills with felons, the morgue with bodies, and the vacation becomes a nightmare.

One by one, the chaos claims Peter’s allies. His mentor spirals into madness and the security chief fights a losing battle against anarchy. No help comes from the captain, who has an ego bigger than the ocean.

With the ship racing toward an unprepared New York, the fate of humanity hinges on Peter’s deteriorating judgment. But he’s hallucinating and delirious…and sometimes primal urges are impossible to resist.

The Regression Strain is a fast-paced medical thriller laced with psychological suspense, perfect for fans of Michael Crichton and Blake Crouch.

Favorite Lines:

“Right back into it, then. He was a kid on a roller coaster cresting the first big incline—the moment before the bottom fell out. He opened the closet and confronted his uniform. Sure, he’d paid for the ride, but that didn’t make it any less stomach-churning.”

“Funny how standards eroded in the face of devastation.”

“The holes in his memory were filling in like groundwater welling up in the paw prints of a rabid raccoon. Muddy and random.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

What starts as a slow simmer quickly boils over in The Regression Strain, Kevin Hwang’s debut that’s equal parts medical mystery, psychological spiral, and pandemic-era existential horror. It’s not a long book, but it’s the kind that lingers—creeping into your thoughts days after you’ve closed it.

The story follows Dr. Peter Palma caught in the chaos of a rapidly spreading fungal pandemic. But Hwang doesn’t just want to tell a virus-outbreak story. He wants to pick at your nerves. The plot slips between sanity, and reality in a way that’s deliberately disorienting. Think fever dream with a med school vocabulary. And I mean that as a compliment.

What makes this novel hum is the way Hwang blends scientific precision with narrative messiness. There’s an almost surgical attention to detail in the clinical scenes—no surprise, given Hwang’s background in medicine—but it never feels like a lecture. Instead, the book immerses you in the  high-stakes environment of a cruise ship in the midst of a mysterious illness, only to pull the rug out with unsettling shifts in tone and perception. At times, I questioned whether what I was reading was happening at all—much like the narrator himself. It’s a risky move, but it works.

Stylistically, it won’t be for everyone. The prose can be clipped and clinical one moment, then rush into sensory overload the next. It’s intentional and immersive, but it can make for a slightly uneven reading experience. That said, if you’re the kind of reader who doesn’t mind being dropped into the deep end—without floaties—there’s a lot to appreciate here.

Emotionally, The Regression Strain taps into something very now. The anxiety of being overeducated but powerless. The loneliness of a pandemic. The slow erosion of certainty. It’s not a comforting read, but it’s a relatable one, especially if you’ve ever tried to logic your way through a crisis and come out the other side more confused than when you started.

Summary:

Overall, is it horror? Sci-fi? Psychological drama? Honestly, it’s all of the above and then some. Hwang doesn’t seem interested in coloring within genre lines, and that’s part of the fun. The Regression Strain is sharp, strange, and surprisingly affecting. It’s not your typical outbreak story—It’s weirder (in a good way), smarter, and a bit sadder.

Can we also take a minute to acknowledge that Hwang is a whole father and doctor and still somehow found time to write this masterpiece, I am in awe! If you like horror, suspense, action, medical mysteries, sci-fi, and/or thrillers then this book could be for you. Happy reading!

Check out The Regression Strain here!

 

Monthly Features – June 2025

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A Song at Dead Man’s Cove by Ana Yudin

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Never turn your back on the ocean…

2023. Another person has disappeared at Dead Man’s Cove in coastal Washington. Jaded from her job at the historic Irving Hotel, Zarya wanders to the scene of the tragedy. She has heard her Russian mother’s tales of rusalki—vengeful spirits that have died unclean deaths near a body of water—and never paid them much attention. But now, on a misty headland beside an abandoned lighthouse, Zarya locks eyes with the rusalka and is chosen to be the next victim. She must unearth the siren’s tragedy before Rusalka Week, a period in early summer when water-spirits roam freely on land.

1850. Josephine has just joined her newlywed husband in Washington, in the lighthouse erected by local businessman Hurley Irving. Marriage is not quite what she expected, and her melancholia grows over the course of the winter. The medic prescribes pregnancy as the antidote. What he doesn’t realize is how far Josephine is willing to go in order to become a mother.

The Gothic horror novel follows two protagonists, a modern-day misanthrope who fears intimacy and a woman in the Victorian era who thinks stealing love will make her whole. But how long can a person hide from love, and can love really be taken by force?

Summary: A Song at Dead Man’s Cove is a mesmerizing, multilayered ghost story that manages to be both otherworldly and deeply human. Ana Yudin delivers a narrative that is as much about ancestral trauma and unspoken truths as it is about sirens and shipwrecks. It’s a tale of women silenced by history—singing now through salt and shadow to be heard.

Highly recommended for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Erin Morgenstern, and readers who crave gothic atmosphere with a feminist edge.

See the full review here: A Song at Dead Man’s Cove
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With Time to Kill by Frank Ferrari

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Everyone deserves a second chance, but how far would you go for one?

In the gritty streets of Edinburgh, Garry Plumb is about to find out. Living life on the periphery, never fitting in and always on his own, Garry’s world opens up when he meets Billy, the peculiar bus driver who has been watching him. Billy knows exactly how it feels to be ignored and his influence on Garry is immediate.

For the first time, Garry knows what it means to have his very own best friend. But this friendship is unlike any other, as Billy reveals how Garry can fix his entire life by changing his past.

But when the DCI John Waters, a relentless detective hunting a clever serial killer, enters Garry’s life, their friendship is put to the ultimate test.

Garry is willing to do anything for a second chance at life but, after meeting Billy, he has to ask would he kill for it?

This dark and captivating tale of self-discovery, murder and redemption will keep readers on the edge of their seats. With Time to Book One, a perfect blend of Scottish crime and sci-fi thriller, will leave you wanting more.

Summary: Overall, With Time to Kill is a gleefully dark mash-up of police procedural, serial-killer horror, and high-concept time travel. If you like your thrillers smart, Scottish, and just a little bit unhinged, clear an evening—you’ll race through this and immediately want the sequel.

See the full review here: With Time to Kill
Purchase here

 

The People Who Paint Rocks by Michael Stewart Hansen

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: The People Who Paint Rocks is a multi-generational horror epic that transcends the boundaries of its genre. What begins as a period horror/drama in 1910 Santa Fe evolves into a chilling supernatural thriller by 1975, where a pregnant nurse and a detective tormented by spiritual doubt race to stop an evil older than memory. A moody, unsettling, and unrelentingly atmospheric work that grips the reader from the first page and refuses to let go.

The opening act is steeped in Western gothic, introducing us to Albert McCord, a grieving husband and father seeking revenge on the wolf that took his family. But the creature he hunts is no ordinary predator—it is the origin of something far more terrifying. Hansen cleverly seeds this early chapter with themes of loss, legacy, and the illusion of control. Albert’s struggle is both physical and existential, as he fends off his late wife’s scheming family while unknowingly chasing a malevolent force that will haunt generations to come.

Fast-forward to 1975, and the novel pivots into psychological horror, following Charlie, a pregnant nurse caught in a web of ritualistic murders, and Alonzo, a detective whose beliefs are unraveling. This shift is not jarring but deliberate, echoing the disjointed sense of time that defines much of the book’s unsettling tone. The narrative connection between Albert and the events six decades later becomes a dark thread pulling the characters toward an inevitable confrontation.

Summary: Overall, The People Who Paint Rocks is a gritty, big-hearted mash-up of western, creature feature, and generational ghost story. Come for the demon wolf and six-gun showdowns, stay for the way Hansen turns painted pebbles into the creepiest grave markers this side of Stephen King country. It’s messy, mean, and—when the sun finally comes up over Red Rocks—oddly hopeful.

See the full review here: The People Who Paint Rocks
Purchase here

 

Review: Deadly Vision by T.D. Severin

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Synopsis:

A revolutionary medical breakthrough. A technology, so advanced, people will kill to prevent its discovery. Dr. Taylor Abrahms, rising above his troubled past, is an expert in the burgeoning field of Medical Virtual Reality. A gifted researcher, he’s created an experimental fusion of virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and microsurgery that will revolutionize the way surgery is performed. With the Virtual Heart Project (VHP), Taylor can enter a virtual recreation of his patient’s beating heart and perform critical, life-saving surgery entirely within the realm of virtual reality. But in the political war zone of San Francisco University Medical Center, not everyone is thrilled. With a health care crisis threatening to bankrupt the nation, advanced biotechnology is a flashpoint in health care reform. Taylor’s research is scapegoated and he finds himself caught between warring factions in medicine and politics that will do anything to shut his project down, a battle that rages all the way to an upcoming Presidential election. Soon, Taylor finds himself the target of nonstop attacks: the destruction of his career, scientific sabotage, and murder, as those associated with the Virtual Heart Project are killed, one by one. Fighting for his medical career and eventually his life, Deadly Vision tells the tale of Taylor’s battle against overwhelming odds, political machinations, sabotage and murder, to bring this modern technology to reality and save the life of someone he loves.

Favorite Lines:

“Face time was a powerful currency in power-hungry Washington.”

“Blind idealism is a death sentence, Taylor.”

“Taylor didn’t think he’d ever get used to how amazing it was, to be standing inside a beating heart.”

My Opinion:

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Todd Severin’s Deadly Vision tees up a Silicon-Valley whistle-blower murder, a bleeding-edge medical breakthrough, and a scorched-earth U.S. Senate race—then fires the starting gun on page one. The plot bounces between Dr. Taylor Abrahms, an earnest ER resident refining a “Virtual Heart” laser-surgery platform, and Senator Randolph McIntyre, a savvy populist who smells political gold in attacking Big Tech. Their collision course is set the moment a frantic programmer is gunned down on his way to the Justice Department, and the tension never really lets up.

Characters drive the fun. Abrahms is the sort of bright-eyed idealist who still believes science can change the world if you just work hard enough, while McIntyre is a back-slapping master of the photo-op who weaponises public fear with chilling ease. The supporting cast pops off the page too—think caffeine-fueled coders, hospital lifers who can fillet a budget request with two sharp questions, and money-men who treat venture capital like live ammunition.

What makes the thriller click is how grounded the breakthrough tech feels. Severin layers in the grant meetings, committee approvals, and cost-benefit knife fights that usually get hand-waved in this genre. When Abrahms finally demo-drives his digital heart, it’s exhilarating and utterly believable—but you can feel lobbyists and bureaucrats waiting to pounce the second something misfires.

Beneath the chase scenes and Senate hearings lurks a real ethical debate: how far should medicine bend to politics, and who actually benefits when it does? Severin lets those questions simmer without slowing the pace. A couple of late-book twists flirt with movie-villain bombast, yet the breathless energy carries them over the line and straight into a satisfyingly tense finale.

Summary:

Overall, Deadly Vision is a big, crunchy page-turner for anyone who likes their techno-thrillers wired with hospital monitors and Beltway intrigue. Expect smart science, messy conspiracies, and a hero stubborn enough to keep swinging even when the stakes jump from research funding to national security. Happy reading!

Check out Deadly Vision here!