Tag Archives: Thriller

Transhuman (Zack Wilder Thriller: Fulcrum 4) by NJ Croft-review

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Transhuman (Zack Wilder Thriller: The Fulcrum 4) by NJ Croft-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 27, 2024

Transhumanism: The quest to transcend human limitations through cutting-edge technologies.

Who wants to live forever?

FBI Special Agent Zack Wilder, a man with a dark past and a dangerous secret, is about to find out.

When an attempted assassination and forced medical leave coincide with a request to help find his ex-wife’s missing sister, Zack heads to San Francisco. He soon discovers Chloe is not the only person missing—numerous homeless people have taken part in drug trials and never been seen again.

The trail leads to the Athanasia Foundation, a powerful group of scientists and wealthy elites obsessed with cheating death and unconcerned about the collateral damage. Zack must navigate a labyrinth of unscrupulous experiments that span the globe and threaten the very fabric of humanity: genetic modification, cryogenics, consciousness uploading…
The more he digs, the darker the secrets he unveils, and the more bodies he uncovers.

Now someone is getting desperate. Zack has no interest in living forever but it’s a race against time to see who dies first—and he’s determined it won’t be him.

•••••

REVIEW:TRANSHUMAN is the fourth instalment in NJ Croft’s contemporary, adult ZACK WILDER THRILLER: THE FULCRUM suspense, sci-fi thriller focusing on thirty-four year old, former US Army Ranger turned FBI Special Agent Zack Wilder.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise including graphic violence and death, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

SOME BACKGROUND: The Fulcrum is a ‘clandestine’ organization that has remained hidden from society for hundreds of years, an organization that hopes to maintain order in a world precariously balancing between chaos and harmony.

WHAT IS TRANSHUMAN?: According to the Oxford dictionary the belief or theory that the human race can evolve beyond its current physical and mental limitations, especially by means of science and technology.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including FBI Agent Zack Wilder TRANSHUMAN follows in the wake of Zack Wilder’s leave of absence from the FBI. Always a bit of a rogue agent, Zack finds himself suspended, for the lack of a better term, but when his ex-wife calls saying her younger sister has gone missing, Zack knows his time off will be spent hunting for the people involved. Zack’s investigation begins to spiral when our hero discovers several missing homeless people may have unwittingly become part of a group whose lives have been forfeited in the name of immortality, and Zack may be the next victim on the list. Always acting on his own, without the permission of the those in charge, Zack focuses on the reality of what is happening, and why danger is present at every turn. Not only has Zack disobeyed the his superiors at the FBI but the Fulcrum Organization is none too pleased with our story line hero.

The secondary and supporting characters are interesting and charismatic. We are reintroduced to Zack’s ex-wife Sarah, and his former FBI Partner Special Agent Kelsey Taylor; Zack’s handler at Fulcrum Lazarus, Fulcrum agent Kienan Reynolds, as well as Zack’s brother Senator Peter MacNally. The requisite evil has many faces.

TRANSHUMAN is a story of power, money and control; of life and death; of immortality and sustainability; of betrayal and vengeance; of cryogenics, cybernetics, science and more. The premise is detailed, complex and intriguing; the characters are determined, desperate, dangerous and powerful.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
The Fulcrum
Water
Deepfake

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Haven’t read the series? 

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Book two WATER is ONLY 99¢ or £0.99 

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Book three DEEPFAKE is only 99¢ or £0.99 

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Mind Games by Nora Roberts – a Review

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Mind Games by Nora Roberts – a Review

 

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Description:
As they do each June, the Foxes have driven the winding roads of Appalachia to drop off their children for a two-week stay at their grandmother’s. Here, twelve-year-old Thea can run free and breathe in the smells of pine and fresh bread and Grammie’s handmade candles. But as her parents head back to suburban Virginia, they have no idea they’re about to cross paths with a ticking time bomb.

Back in Kentucky, Thea and her grandmother Lucy both awaken from the same nightmare. And though the two have never discussed the special kind of sight they share, they know as soon as their tearful eyes meet that something terrible has happened.

The kids will be staying with Grammie now in Redbud Hollow, and thanks to Thea’s vision, their parents’ killer will spend his life in supermax. Over time, Thea will make friends, build a career, find love. But that ability to see into minds and souls still lurks within her, and though Grammie calls it a gift, it feels more like a curse―because the inmate who shattered her childhood has the same ability. Thea can hear his twisted thoughts and witness his evil acts from miles away. He knows it, and hungers for vengeance. A long, silent battle will be waged between them―and eventually bring them face to face, and head to head…

 

 

Review:

Mind Games by Nora Roberts is a fantastic standalone suspenseful novel, that had me unable to put the book down.   No surprise, as Nora Roberts/JD Robb never fails to disappoint.  With school out for the summer, the Fox family travels to Kentucky, so that the kids (12 year old Thea and 10 year old Rem) can spend two weeks with their Grandmother Lucy.  They love being there with the animals, gardens, mountains, and their Grammie.  Their mother and father return home to Virginia, giving them their own vacation; which leads them into a terrible tragedy about to happen. 

Thea awakens from a nightmare, as she saw her parents murdered, and she runs to her grandmother, only to realize that she saw the same nightmare. They both share a gift that is part of the female women in their family, which have the ability to see unique sights. Thea remembers everything about that nightmare, including the killer.  The kids will be staying with Grammie now in Redbud Hollow, and thanks to Thea’s vision, the man who killed their parents has been captured and will spend the rest of his life in prison, with no parole.  Thea learns quickly that the killer also has the same gift, using his gift to tie himself to her; which over 15 years becomes a continual mental battle between the two of them. Thea’s gift is very strong, which allows her to help two detectives to find a missing girl.  Both of those detectives will come to Thea over the years asking for her help.

Thea was a fantastic heroine, as she was smart, strong, dedicated and determined to be one stop ahead of Riggs.  I loved her relationship with Lucy (her grandmother) and Rem (her brother).  It was heartwarming to see how they always there supported each other, including Lucy’s two older sons. All the characters were great, including her best friend Maddy.  Ty (a well-known musician) came into the picture about half way through with his young son, Bray; and in a short time, they both had strong feelings for each other. I loved Bunt, Thea’s dog. & his love of Bray. 

Thea was very good at her designing her own video games, getting hired by a firm to create those video games.  She manages to stop Riggs attempts to get through to her, but she wants a life without this evil villain, who always is trying to get into her head.  Thea decides to create a different kind of final game, just for him, as she knows how to mentally deal with him and closing his mind forever.

Mine Games is a fascinating and suspenseful story, that deals with drama, family, murder, psychic abilities, evil villain and romance. Once again, Nora Roberts gives us a fantastic story that has us unable to put the book down from start to finish.  Mind Games was so very well written by Nora Roberts.  You need to read this book, as it was great.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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The Hunter’s Daughter by Nicola Solvinic – a Review

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The Hunter’s Daughter by Nicola Solvinic – a Review

 

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Description:
A hypnotic, sinister debut mystery about a seemingly good cop who is secretly the daughter of a notorious serial killer.

Anna Koray escaped her father’s darkness long ago. When she was a girl, her childhood memories were sealed away from her conscious mind by a controversial hypnosis treatment. She’s now a decorated sheriff’s lieutenant serving a rural county, conducting an ordinary life far from her father’s shadow.

When Anna kills a man in the line of duty, her suppressed memories return. She dreams of her beloved father, his hands red with blood, surrounded by flower-decked corpses he had sacrificed to the god of the forest.

To Anna’s horror, a serial killer emerges who is copying her father – and who knows who she really is. Is her father still alive, or is this the work of another? Will the killer expose her, destroying everything she has built for herself? Does she want him to?

But as she haunts the forest, using her father’s tricks to the hunt the killer, will she find what she needs most…or lose herself in the gathering darkness?

 

 

Review:

The Hunter’s Daughter by Nicola Solvinic is an exciting debut thriller. I did not know what to expect, when I started reading this book; but this turned out to be a fantastic story that kept me on the edge of my seat. I am also amazed that this is Nicola Solvinic’s debut, and I will be checking her out in the future.  Well done.

Anna Koray, our heroine, manage to escape her father being a serial killer (Forest Strangler) many years ago. When he was imprisoned, her mother gave her up for adoption, and a psychiatrist helped seal (hypnosis) away from her mind the terrible memories. Anna was adopted, with a new name and loved her new family; when she is older, she became a decorated police lieutenant.

The story begins when Anna, off duty, responds to a domestic assault call, since she was nearby. Anna finds herself in the middle of an assault, and ends up killing the man in the line of duty; with her suffering serious injuries. While in recovery, some of those suppressed memories of her father return. When a number of women turn up murdered, a serial killer using the same copycat MO of her father emerges.  Though this is decades later, she begins to remember much of the past, as Anna tries to interview those who were victims, as well as her estranged mother, who abandoned her. Anna also begins to get cell phone messages revealing that he knows who she is, her father’s daughter (Elena). Anna is deep into trying to solve the case, especially to keep her real identity a secret, which would threaten everything she has built. 

What follows is an exciting, intense, suspenseful story with so many twists and turns along the way, which kept me unable to put the book down.  I will not give any spoilers, as this is a book you need to read from start to finish.  When Anna’s memories slowly return, we get to see her relationship with her father, as well as her mother, and eventually finding out at such a young age that her father a killer.

The Hunter’s Daughter was an excellent psychological thriller, that was captivating and haunting, keeping us guessing. The Hunter’s Daughter was a wild ride throughout, and so very well written by Nicola Solvinic. I am amazed how this is Solvinic’s debut novel.  I suggest you read The Hunter’s Daughter, as this was a fantastic read. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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The Daughter Between Them by Alretha Thomas – a Review

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The Daughter Between Them by Alretha Thomas – a Review

 

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Description:
Two mothers. One missing daughter. One life-changing secret.

In 2019, Leslie Graham is within arm’s reach of her goal to become the news editor at the Dancing Hills Times. At thirty-five, she has it all—a promising career and a close relationship with her two teenage girls, Rhonda and Jillian. But when an old enemy from her past resurfaces, threatening to reveal life-changing information about one of her daughters, Leslie does everything in her power to keep her world from crashing down.

A decade earlier, in 2009, Barbara Morris’s seven-year-old daughter, Nancy, goes missing in Queens, New York. Barbara and her husband frantically search for her. But all is not as it seems in the disappearance of Nancy Morris, and Barbara may not be the innocent victim she’s painted herself to be. After ten years of her life spiraling out of control and Nancy still missing, Barbara decides to head to Dancing Hills, believing she’ll find the answers she’s looking for. Barbara and Leslie’s worlds will collide there, and the secrets of the past will finally be revealed.

 

Review:

The Daughter Between Them begins in 2019 with Leslie Graham deep in thought while she is going through things in her office at the Dancing Hills Times. She is on the verge of becoming the first African American news editor at the paper, something which she has worked towards for quite a while. She then receives a phone call from the Dancing Hills police department concerning her two daughters, Jillian and Rhonda.

Once Leslie arrives at the police station, she finds out that her girls were involved in an accident and thankfully are okay. However, it was no accident. The girls say that the car came out of nowhere and plowed into their car then took off without stopping. Leslie cannot help but wonder as things continue to happen if her past may be catching up with her.

Barbara Morris has a daughter who goes missing in 2009. She and her husband try to present a united front when looking for their daughter, but things are not at all what they seem. Barbara’s past has caught up with her present and will have a profound affect on not only her future, but Leslie’s.

The Daughter Between Them is another wonderfully written book by Alretha Thomas. The characters are beautifully written and multidimensional, and the world building is second to none. The twists and turns keep you turning the pages because just when you think you know what has happened, or about to happen, you find out you are close………but no cigar. If you are a fan of suspense, you will not go wrong with this one. I have been lucky enough to have the privilege of reviewing Mrs. Thomas’s books for several years now and have never been disappointed once. I do believe, though, that this one may be my favorite. Well done, Alretha Thomas! Very, very well done!

Reviewed by Vickie

Copy supplied for Review

 

 

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FOREST OF LIES (Alexis Forrest FBI Mystery Thriller)by Kate Gable

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FOREST OF LIES (Alexis Forrest FBI Mystery Thriller 4) by Kate Gable-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 30, 2024

Forensic psychologist and FBI agent Alexis Forrest returns in her most chilling case yet. Set against the backdrop of Broken Hill, the small New England town where she grew up, she now faces her darkest challenge: a fourteen-year-old boy doesn’t show up to school after spending the night with his father and stepmother.
Meanwhile, Alexis receives a sinister note threatening her and her family from the serial killer who took her sister’s life.
Together with her old flame and partner Mitch, a bookstore and coffee shop owner, Alexis embarks on a race against time to protect her loved ones and capture the predator who always seems to be one step ahead.
Amidst the chaos, Alexis grapples with haunting questions: Is the missing boy just a teenage runaway or a victim of the serial killer who haunts this area?
When a fire consumes her father’s mobile home, Alexis finds herself in the path of the murderer who’s been the source of her nightmares since she was a teen.
The only difference is that now she knows his name.

•••••

REVIEW: FOREST OF LIES is the fourth instalment in Kate Gable’s contemporary, adult ALEXIS FORREST FBI MYSTERY THRILLER series focusing on thirty year old, FBI Agent/ forensic psychologist Alexis Forrest.

SOME BACKGROUND: Twenty years earlier, Alexis’ older sister Maddie was abducted and murdered, destroying the Forrest family in the process. With her return to Broken Hill to investigate a series of similar abductions, Alexis will reconnect with family, and the man who once held her heart.

Told from dual first person perspective (Alexis Forrest / Killer) and third person (Peter) FOREST OF LIES follows two paths: the ongoing search for a serial killer, and the disappearance of a fourteen year old boy. Alexis Forrest is on leave from the FBI as she endeavors to help the Broken Hill police in the wake of a potential serial killer but as Alexis continues to investigate a decades old series of disappearances and murders, the small town Broken Hill is not immune to the smaller but no less heart breaking cases of kidnappings and murder. When a fourteen year old boy goes missing, his parents’ separation and divorce take center stage but as Alexis digs deeper, help from an unlikely source points the finger at an unlikely suspect.

Meanwhile, the serial killer continues to taunt our story line heroine, leaving personal messages and threats involving family and friends. Refusing to give up, Alexis and her boyfriend Mitch journey to where it all may have started, discovering a killer’s reputation goes back decades and years.

FOREST OF LIES is a story of family and betrayal, madness and murder, obsession and delusion. The fast paced premise is suspenseful and dramatic; the characters are determined and dynamic; the romance continues in the face of threats against our story line couple.

Reading Order and Previous reviews
Forest of Silence
Forest of Shadows
Forest of Secrets

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Novus Dies (The Posterity Doctrine 1) by Schalk Holloway-review

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Novus Dies (The Posterity Doctrine 1) by Schalk Holloway-review & excerpt

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The year is 2364. Robotics and advanced communication technology is failing inexplicably. As if in concert, hostile militant factions are adapting and attacking faster than which the Collective—the preeminent society of the age—can respond.

The epicentre is the Durban Reclamation Zone. After a frightening robot on human attack, husband and wife operator team, Kate and Monty Park, are tasked to investigate. Like all members of the Special Task Force, the Park’s are decorated and retired warfighters with proven track records, and usually only called in when security operations might need heavy hitters.

When the investigation starts unfolding at neck breaking speed, the Parks quickly find themselves outside the Collective perimeter, in areas of the metro that have been long forgotten, or that few even knew existed. To make matters worse, they notice subtle signs that their squad of security robots might be going rogue and they begin to question whether they can trust the hardware that they rely on to protect them.

Assets are destroyed, lives are lost, and before long the military is placed on standby. Throughout the upheaval and chaos, one thing becomes certain: what Kate and Monty Park discover in the next 72 hours will usher humanity into a new era.

••••••

REVIEW: NOVUS DIES is the first instalment in Schalk Holloway’s adult THE POSTERITY DOCTRINE sci-fi, action series set in the year 2364.

Told from omniscient dual third person perspectives (Kate and Monty Park) NOVUS DIES is set in a futuristic time period in which artificial intelligence aka AI has evolved into a sentient collective, and their directive may ultimately be to control the human populations. In the early test stages, small anomolies catch the attention of the people in charge but the danger to the human population may be a threat to them all. As a squadron commander, Kate Park will quickly discover that her trio of bots have a mindset of their own, a mindset that may be targeting our story line heroine.

NOVUS DIES is set in a detailed, complex and multi-layered world of possibilities including AI, SI, cyborgenics, sentience, and loss of control. Think Star Trek ‘cyborgs’ meets I,Robot, wherein the ‘collective’, although of one mind, are individuating, acclimating and evolving into something more. NOVUS DIES is an entertaining, interesting and though provoking story of what if and how.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

A flush, covert panel sits at eye level, not far from the apartment’s
front door. To its right are the rec room’s manual light buttons.
Electronics are dark, and every wall opening is sealed by perfectly
fabricated doors and blackout windows. The space is silent—
mandated as such to allow for optimal sleep.
When the Deep Space Atomic Clock broadcasts its second daily
timestamp, Collective society on the 20/35 longitudinal resets to
00:00.
1
Novus Dies
The Otto home automation unit pings its update server from a
back-box behind the left panel. The update package checks out
against the header and security data, and the unit accepts the update
without question. It places all active services into its autonomic
bank and then reboots so fast that no human would have noticed the
downtime. Back online, it retrieves all active services from the
bank, and then switches all the lights in the apartment to full
luminance.
‘What the!’ comes a loud shout from the master bedroom.
The rec room’s newly cataloged furniture and art speak of
contemporary bachelorhood—a spartan and sleek aesthetic, with the
man now stumbling through the doorway the only item that’s
seemingly out of place.
The man shields his eyes with his palms and goes to stand in the
center of the room. Squinting against the brightness, he drops his
hands from his face and flicks one wrist a couple of times. When
nothing happens, he repeats the procedure in different directions:
first to his left, then to his right, and eventually he turns around and
flicks his wrist in the direction he came from. Still there’s no
response.
He starts searching for something and, eventually finding the
half-forgotten manual light buttons next to the Otto’s panel, pumps
them with all the vehemence his exhausted and hungover self can
muster.
At last the Otto switches all the lights off again and the man
lumbers back to his room, mumbling incoherently. When he’s
halfway there, the Otto again switches on all the lights and the man
groans as he arches his back and tugs at his hair. When he starts
moving back toward the manual buttons, the home automation unit
2
Schalk Holloway
quickly switches all the lights off again. The man’s arms shoot out
like a tightrope walker fighting off a wobble, and then he freezes.
The Otto switches all the lights on and off three times in quick
succession.
Furious, the man speeds back to his room, picks up his comms
unit, and seats it in his right ear. ‘Otto, who can I call about this
malfunction?’ The Otto rattles off a few options, but before long the
unit’s gender-neutral robotic drone gets on the man’s nerves and he
arches his back again and claws at his chest. ‘Just call the building
rep!’
Before the call connects, the Otto starts strobing the lights on
and off, and the man rushes back to the rec room, hoping to find
something to vent his frustration on. The Otto doesn’t tell him, but it
hasn’t called the rep. Instead, it found the correct dial tone in the
wild and is merely repeating it incessantly over the man’s comms.
The man lets the Otto cycle through a host of other contacts, only to
get the same grating dial tone with each attempt


 

Schalk Holloway is a subject literature author in the fields of Christian ministry, as well as professional combatives instruction. His first book, ‘Die Groot Storie’, was traditionally published by Struik Christian Media (CSM is the preeminent publisher for Christian books in South Africa), and can be found on the shelves of most South African chain bookstores. ‘The Maul Book’, co-authored by Gavin Coleman, as well as his ‘Schalk’s Little Book Series’, can be found on Amazon. 
In 2022 Schalk suffered a severe injury leading to multiple surgeries and a long period of recovery. Subsequently, he retired from certain instructional and operational environments. He is now enjoying an independent career as novelist. His first novels, ‘The Brooklyn Saga’, are a crossover between psychological thriller and realistic fiction. These books draw inspiration from his extensive experience running interventions and operations in at-risk communities. Schalk is currently working on more titles for his ‘Little Book Series’ as well as the hard and military scifi series, ‘The Posterity Doctrine’.  
Neurodivergence and C/PTSD themes feature strongly in in all Schalk’s tales.
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The Reaper Follows by Heather Graham – a Review

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The Reaper Follows by Heather Graham – a Review

 

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Description:
Death comes for everyone.

Deep in the Florida Everglades, the body of a woman is discovered in pieces, presumably ravaged by an alligator. Upon closer inspection, it’s determined no animal could make such perfectly precise cuts. Only a blade could do that. Wielded by a human. Soon, dozens of oil drums emerge amid the river of grass. Each one packed to the brim with body parts.

FDLE special agent Amy Larson and her partner, FBI special agent Hunter Forrest, share a bad feeling that extends beyond the horrifying nature of the grim discovery. They’ve seen this kind of sadistic killing before, and when a small beige horse is discovered at the bottom of one of the barrels, they know exactly what it means. The fourth horseman of the apocalypse rides a pale horse—and his name is Death.

With so many bodies to identify, connecting one victim to the next is easier said than done. But finding a pattern in the chaos might be the only way Amy and Hunter can zero in on the killer, testing their skills as agents—and their relationship—like never before. And when the disturbing trail of clues signals these slayings are just the beginning, the agents will have to return to where it all started before it’s too late. The apocalypse is coming, and Hunter and Amy have only one chance to stop it, even if it means sacrificing each other.

 

 

Review:

The Reaper Follows by Heather Graham is the 4th book in her Amy Larson & Hunter Forest FBI series. When bodies start turning up in the Florida Everglades, dozens of oil drums emerge filled with body parts.  They have seen this kind of killing before, and when a small beige horse is found in one of the barrels: they know what it means. Both continue their investigation into a series of crimes linked to the four horsemen in the Book of Revelations; the 4th one meaning death. FDLE special agent Amy Larson and her partner, FBI special agent Hunter Forrest, with both of them on this case since the beginning. This final book brings us to the final horseman and mastermind; who rides a pale horse. Amy and Hunter know they are close to finding the mastermind, who is killing so many people, especially in the Everglades.

Though we do not know who is the killer until near the end, we know he considers himself the archangel, and brainwashes his followers; then when they are no longer needed, he kills them.  The mastermind (archangel) is a manipulator who manages to sway people to his cause. Sadly, many of these deluded cult followers take their own lives.  I will say that half way through the I did suspect who the killer was.

I really liked the duo of Amy and Hunter, as in this 4th book, they are both planning to marry, once this case is solved.   Amy is an amazing tough and fearless detective, who pushes herself to exhaustion, even when her superiors force her to get sleep and rest.  Hunter being FBI, and closely working with all the agents that have gathered where the bodies have been found; he is also determined to protect Amy at any cost.  As noted previously, they both made a great team.  The romance between Amy and Hunter was sweet, as it was spread throughout the book. I really liked so many of the agents and secondary characters, who all played major parts in this conclusion; Aiden, Sabrina, Mickey, Jimmy, and so many wonderful team members. They all made a great team, working hard together to solve the case.  

The Reaper Follows was an intense, suspenseful, haunting, dangerous story that kept us unable to put the book down; especially in the last quarter of the book when Amy’s life was in danger and she knew who the killer was.  The story was a great plot, fantastic characters, and the murders were gruesome.  The Reaper Follows was so very well written by Heather Graham, who once again gives us a fabulous murder mystery.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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CENTAURI’S SHADOW by Ross Garner-Review & Guest Post

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CENTAURI’S SHADOW by Ross Garner-Review and Guest Post

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 8, 2024

‘Eight years ago they sent a single ship to test our defences. Now they’re building an armada.’

Cole grew up in the shadow of grief. Kyoko grew up in the shadow of war. Two pilots, separated by time, set out on parallel journeys to Proxima Centauri. What they find could be the start of something new. What they bring with them could be the end of all we know.

In this sweeping science fiction debut from Ross Garner, readers will find an Earth that is transformed by fear of an imminent invasion; a space station in orbit that acts as a gateway to other worlds; a Martian colony with all of the threat and violence of the Old West; and a distant star where answers can be found.

What is ‘the signal’? A greeting, or a threat?

••••

REVIEW: CENTAURI’S SHADOW by Ross Garner is an adult, science fiction thriller focusing on a potential war on the horizon with an alien race.

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Cole and Kyoko), focusing on two timelines, CENTAURI’S SHADOW follows in the wake of a message from space possibly signifying a senscient lifeform from beyond the sun but the UNSA’s (United Nations Space Agency) first attempt to circumnavigate the sun, ends in disaster, and years later, the sole remaining survivor, volunteers to set a plan into motion, to reach the Centauri system, in an effort to complete the original mission.

Meanwhile, several decades into the future, Earth and its’ colony on Mars have been attacked by an unknown enemy, and Kyoko and her crew of fighter pilots is tasked with ending all future attacks but Kyoko will quickly discover that all is not well on her voyage towards the end.

The characters are numerous, determined, dynamic and often lost. Mars is not so much a respite from Earth, but a virtual imprisonment for those who have been forgotten or have no direction home.

CENTAURI’S SHADOW is a detailed, complex and intriguing story of what ifs and whys. Humans have not learned from the past, and the past is gearing to repeat itself over and over again. Every generation or two fights for power and control, and in this, vengeance and greed lead to another war that no one will win.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Click HERE to read the first chapter of CENTAURI’S SHADOW by Ross Garner

The Wright Flyer to Apollo 11

By Ross Garner

In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made history as the inventors and pilots of the Wright Flyer: the first airplane. Of the first four test flights, the most successful was the last: covering a distance of 260 metres.  

Just 66 years later, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins flew Apollo 11 a distance of 953,054 miles. They landed on the moon, and returned safely.

There aren’t many people who lived through both events. A person born in the United States in the 1880s had a life expectancy of just 40 years. But there were some: a miraculous few who experienced first hand the transition from the Old West to the Space Age.

What was their reaction to this dramatic change in our technological capability? Did they feel like time travellers, leaving the world of the horse and wagon behind in favour of rockets and satellites?

It was this idea that led to the writing of Centauri’s Shadow, my first novel.

I imagined an astronaut, setting out alone to visit our closest star: Proxima Centauri. The journey would take him 40 trillion kilometres away from Earth. With today’s technology, it would take 70,000 years.

He would need to be frozen somehow, waiting to be reawakened on arrival.

And how might his home planet have changed while he slept?

If humankind’s technology could shift from a flimsy biplane to a rocket-fuelled spaceship in just 66 years, how might it evolve over 70,000 years?

It seemed reasonable to conclude that our technology would continue to improve. That the journey time would shrink from 70,000 years, to something more manageable.

By the time our astronaut arrived, Proxima Centauri could be home to millions of people: living in spaceships, space stations, and on other worlds.

I thought about this astronaut: sacrificing his life on Earth to be the first great explorer to visit another star, only to find that the journey had been pointless. The time, wasted. The sacrifice, meaningless.

And I decided to turn this idea into a book.

The story of Centauri’s Shadow evolved in the writing. The astronaut in question became Cole Anderson, and he journeys to Proxima Centauri not with a traditional rocket but with the use of solar sails: a method of propulsion that already exists and uses the pressure from solar radiation to gain speed.

With a bit of science fiction fudgery, the journey time was reduced to 30 years: allowing for a stronger emotional tie to Cole’s life and relationships back home. But the core concept remained, including the themes of time and sacrifice.

And the original idea lingers in the novel in another major way: the notion of the Old West, complete with saloons, brothels, missionaries and violence, re-emerged in the form of the first martian colony.

It took me 10 years in total to finish the story. A rather damning reflection of my ability to get things done when compared to the accomplishments of those who followed in the steps of the Wright brothers.

But I came to have sympathy for Cole, with all his faults. He did his best to find his way, as we all do.

Readers can make up their own minds whether it was worth it.

Centauri’s Shadow is available now on Amazon (US / UK / Canada)

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