stories in and

Toxic Effects

Toxic Effects by Joel Shulkin, MD

Don't forget to be afraid. Neuropsychiatrist Cristina Silva cannot escape her past. The voice in her head of her former identity won’t let her. Cristina also can’t quite manage to force herself to forget the ex-boyfriend she dumped: handsome police detective Gary Wilson. Soon after beginning her new job at the Longwood Memory Center, Cristina receives a startling phone call from her contact at the FBI: an assassin is crisscrossing the country, killing anyone connected to the now-defunct pharmaceutical company ReMind—people like Cristina. The shadowy criminal enterprise Zero Dark is back. Indeed, an assassin is tracking Cristina, a literal femme fatale known as Dama Branca. Like Cristina, DB’s memory was robbed by Zero Dark. Transfixed by the brilliant doctor, DB’s unsure what’s preventing her from killing Cristina. DB has memory glitches and longs to interpret them. Whether or not these have to do with Cristina, she doesn’t know, but she senses their fates are entwined—with any luck, not fatally. Danger lurks in the shadows. Cristina’s spurned lover, Wilson, is investigating the suspicious deaths of local teens, convinced they’re not accidents. Before their bewildering ends, all the victims exhibit bizarre behavior, and there are now terrified whispers among their friends of a hooded boogeyman called Sack Man. One exceptional young man, Reggie Horne, is clearly in the middle of this bedlam. Wilson vows to prevent Sack Man from claiming Reggie as his next casualty. And when Cristina’s in danger, Wilson is never far away. Just as it becomes apparent their two stories are entangled, the peril shoots sky-high. With at least one killer in their wake, they must quickly determine what’s real and what’s not. Unlocking Cristina’s memories could save many lives—her own included.


Adverse Effects

Adverse Effects by Joel Shulkin, MD

Determined to help her amnesiac patients recover their lives, Boston psychiatrist Cristina Silva is achieving near-miraculous results by prescribing Recognate, a revolutionary new memory-recovery drug now in trials. She understands her patients’ suffering better than most, because she’s lost her memories, too. Desperate to become herself again, she pops the same experimental drug she prescribes to her patients. And, like them, she remembers a little more each day. Until one of her patients, a successful accountant, jumps from an eight-story window to his death. And as Cristina’s memories return, with them come violent visions and an incessant voice in her head. Maybe the drug isn’t safe after all. But discontinuing it would mean forgetting everything she’s recalled and losing herself. Then an enigmatic, possibly dangerous man appears at Cristina’s bus stop. He seems to know more about her life than she does and says she holds a secret that puts her life in danger. Perilously balanced between an unknown past and a terrifying future, if she wants to survive, Cristina must stay on the medication and unlock those memories before it’s too late—even if the adverse effects of the drug could destroy her.


The Earl's Assassin

The Earl's Assassin by Kyro Dean

In a game of kill or be killed, a reformed assassin is at a serious disadvantage. **** Reviewers say about Rogue Royals: "Delicious dialogue." "So much fun." "I can't wait for more!" **** Rana Maathornefurer is the last assassin of the gods—scratch that—former assassin. But keeping her sapphire blade at her side is harder than it looks when she is forced to join with persnickety and rude Lord Sheffield in a business deal they both desperately need to work. Add in an assassin who is hot on Phillip's trail—though she can't for the life of her figure out why—and Rana finds herself in a comically ridiculous dance to keep him alive while wanting to kill him—at least until she no longer needs him. When sneaking feelings that could get her killed catch her off-guard, however, she realizes the charade can't last. With everything she cares about falling into deadly chaos, Rana must decide what is most important. Will she be the person Lord Sheffield wishes her to be and risk him dying? Or will she become the monster she's always been to save his life?


To Spy a Star (Agent Renault Adventures)

To Spy a Star (Agent Renault Adventures) by Jonathan Nevair

One star can break a galaxy. Agent Renault plays cloak and dagger against her most formidable opponent yet – a ruthless and cunning expert at cards and more deadly arts besides. Her mission: retrieve a stolen asset known as the Star Eye. Aided by her eccentric agency team and armed with state-of-the-art gadgets, she races to solve a devious conspiracy and bring down her elusive foe. But a specter haunts the agency’s halls, whispering secrets from its past. Allies and enemies alike wear masks in the espionage game. Lilline must decide who to trust if she hopes to take down a sinister and vengeful mastermind before a wave of terror crashes across the stars. TO SPY A STAR: a fast, fun, and furiously entertaining standalone spy-fi adventure.


Secrets of PEACE

Secrets of PEACE by T.A. Hernandez

SPSFC 2023

Nearly 30 years ago, the PEACE Project rose from the ruins of a global war to take power over a new America. Providing stability in exchange for absolute authority, the Project controls every aspect of citizens' lives through each of its five units: Protect Enforce Advance Control Eliminate Raised in the Project since infancy, eighteen-year-old Zira has been trained as an assassin under the stern guidance of unit E-2's Chairman Ryku. After she makes a careless mistake on an assignment, the chairman partners her with Jared, the best operative in her unit. Their partnership transforms into friendship as they work together and learn to rely on each other. But when misinformation causes a solo mission to backfire, Zira's deepest loyalties and strongest relationships are tested in a place where even a hint of doubt can be perceived as treason. The life she knows is falling apart, and nothing will ever look the same again.


The Pharaoh's Curse

The Pharaoh's Curse by Kyro Dean

There was a reason the assassins always won in the end. Why her family always died. He was smarter than her, whoever he was. More prepared. A mongoose to her cobra. And it didn’t matter how hard she fought back, how hard she bit. In the end, he’d eat her up. Zarina Nefartari is the last descendant of the ancient queens. As novel and grand as a royal heritage sounds, descending from a line of queens has only ever brought her trouble. She is, after all, a descendant of the sun god who can’t bear to see its light without getting migraines and who needs colored lenses just to stand in its rays. The laughing gods were cruel like that. Not to mention the assassin that has been hunting her family for millennia. The begrudging family of killers has been the end of every one of her female ancestors since the great queen herself--and they're coming for her next. To make matters worse, her god-appointed bodyguard since birth, Farak, does not reciprocate her growing feelings. Too bound to his godly oath, he has committed to forsaking love and protecting her at all costs. Unsatisfied with the lot the fates have dealt her, Zarina wants more than anything to free them both from the curse of an early death. She leaves her life of hiding to solve the mystery that has shaded her family for two-thousand years, hoping that if she takes fate into her own hands and fights back against the assassin, Farak's allegiance will change. The problem? Lord Richard DeClare: an over-excited Brittanian Aegyptologist who finds her absolutely mesmerizing--and who reveals her identity to all of Aegyptus. With the mysterious assassin hot on her newly-announced trail, a street lord who wants her dead so he can steal her family's treasure, and that pesky Britannian who happens to possess the resources she needs, Zarina is thrown into a foray of chaos that threatens to kill her at every turn. Now, she must use her colored lenses to solve the clues in the tunnels and tombs of her family's legacy to figure out who the assassin is and why they've wanted her family dead since Queen Nefertari's reign over two millennia ago. Deep in the heart of an alternate-history Egypt, Zarina must learn what matters more--family or fate--and how much control she has over a life ruled by the gods.


Our Man in Mbabane

Our Man in Mbabane by K. E. Karl

A government job. Raucous parties and love affairs. Gunrunning at the weekends. What could go wrong? The Mission Impossible assignment from Nelson Mandela's organization was straightforward: Frank George was to go to Swaziland, get a job, and smuggle weapons into South Africa for the fight against apartheid. Based on a true story, Our Man in Mbabane follows Frank's gunrunning exploits supporting the African National Congress in the late 1970s. In between harrowing escapades, he banters with friends and has two turbulent romances, all while learning of the daily indignities and horrors of apartheid. This historical espionage thriller will have you on the edge of your seat one moment and laughing the next as Frank shifts between ANC missions, romantic affairs, and boisterous social outings.


Stellar Instinct (Agent Renault Adventures)

Stellar Instinct (Agent Renault Adventures) by Jonathan Nevair

Indie Recs Indie

When galactic danger calls, Agent Renault answers. Strange signals pulse from an icy planet in a remote star system. Enter Lilline Renault, GAM-OPs secret agent extraordinaire. To ordinary citizens she's Keely Larkin, an adventure company guide with a flair for the daring and a penchant for writing trite poetry. When the mission uncovers a terrifying link between high-tech entertainment and ancient cosmic forces, Lilline leaps into action. Verses flow as she rockets through space, dons cunning disguises, and infiltrates enemy territory with an arsenal of secret gadgets. To solve the mystery behind a dastardly plan means beating a mastermind at his own game. Lilline will need her best weapon to stand a fighting chance: her instinct. STELLAR INSTINCT: a fast, fun, and furiously entertaining standalone spy-fi adventure.


Agent G: Assassin

Agent G: Assassin by C.T. Phipps

FROM THE BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF THE RULES OF SUPERVILLAINY: Agent G, now going by the name Case, thought he'd won. He'd exposed his former employers, shared Black Technology with the world, and killed the man who'd started it all. Unfortunately, history slows for no man. After a volcanic eruption decimates the United States, G spends the next decade witnessing humanity rebuild itself into a corporate-run dystopia. Preferring to the be the boot rather than the ant, Case has become a powerful executive in the new cyberpunk world. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean he's immune to his past. Contacted by the only woman he ever loved, Case finds himself once more embroiled in a conspiracy to take what little the public has left. Now he has to decide whether to save what remains of the world or rule it


Agent G: Saboteur

Agent G: Saboteur by C.T. Phipps

FROM THE BEST SELLING AUTHOR OF THE SUPERVILLAINY SAGA: Agent G has left the service of the International Refugee Society, the world's biggest provider of murder for hire, in order to work for the US government. Unfortunately, they are sending him after his former employers, and they know him as well as he knows them. The clock is ticking, though, until the Society's remaining leadership starts eliminating their opponents and attempts to seize control of the presidency. A traitor is also providing them with all the information they need to survive until their puppet is in power. Will G and his allies survive the purge? Sometimes it doesn't pay to be a cyborg spy.


Subversion

Subversion by Ruhi Parikh

IT IS THE YEAR 2064, and Washington, D.C., is divided into the Rich and the Poor. The Rich bathe in their luxuries and chastise those that they believe are below them. And the Poor have been forced to endure their morbid lives ever since the end of the nationwide war, with no light seeming to peer at the end of the tunnel. As quiet and respectful as they are, they also resent every nook and cranny of D.C., of the haughty Rich, and of the self-imposed President Remington who is willing to do whatever it takes to bring the country out of its everlasting economic despair. And as much as they want to rebel and fight for a better life, they know they will be shot and killed if they dared to do so. Blaire Cohen is a nineteen-year-old Poor woman who despises how the Poor are treated daily. She and her family labor for the government, mining from the crack of dawn to dusk. Everyday she dreams of escaping the atrocious city with her family, willing to give them the life they deserve. But that is until she gets kidnapped by a mystifying organization determined to destroy the treacherous government . . . and determined for her to join, too. Blaire begins to embark on a life oozing with the unknown. Dangerous decisions are present at every corner she encounters, and she must choose wisely, for the wrong one will lead to imminent consequences. Perfect for fans of Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth, book one of this heart-pounding dystopian series will have you at the edge of your seat until the very last page. Disclaimer: This novel includes intense action, violence, and language that may be sensitive to some readers. Please read with caution.


The Smallest War

The Smallest War by Mark Sheehan

“Shit, General,” Hank said, leaning forward. “US Armorers could put a gun in the hand of Jesus. Small War ain’t going to happen.” Small War is the United Nations’ best kept secret: the end of conventional warfare. Acting in self-interest, the United States’ military buries it. Oil—enough to build a superpower—is discovered by the United States, only for Russia to lay claim. The United States threatens war, but a resurgent Russia ruthlessly executes a play years in the making. Dominos fall: a fire the size of England, a bloody naval skirmish, breath-taking political manipulation. Small War will decide who exploits the oil. Unprepared, the United States exhumes its Small War capability and staggers into a contest of hunter and prey: five relentless rounds of pursuit by any means necessary, winner takes all. Press-ganged into the fray, Danny “The Beef” Wellington joins his two teammates, Kimimela Thunderhawk and Matt Balthazar, planning to do just enough to stay alive, but there’s a hitch. A traitor lurks, and only Danny can tip the balance to give the United States a fighting chance. Full of unrelenting cat-and-mouse, rapid-fire action and characters pushed to their limits, this book is perfect for fans of I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes, Ice Station by Matthew Reilly and Inferno by Dan Brown. If you can catch a breath, you’re not reading The Smallest War. Get it now!


Agent G: Infiltrator

Agent G: Infiltrator by C.T. Phipps

FROM THE BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF THE SUPERVILLAINY SAGA: “Black Technology has made murder a billion dollar industry.” The International Refugee Society has twenty-six cybernetically enhanced “Letters,” and for the right price, they’ll eliminate anyone. They’ve given up their families and their memories for ten years of service with the promise of a life of luxury awaiting them. Agent G is one of these “Letters,” but clues to his past are starting to emerge while he’s on a dangerous mission to infiltrate the Society’s most dangerous competitor. In the midst of all the violence, subterfuge, and deceit, he’ll need to keep his wits about him and trust sparingly. After all if an organization will kill for money, what would they do to keep the truth hidden?


Secrets Of The Volkovs

Secrets Of The Volkovs by Ellie Jay

Disappearances, deaths, threats... The local police are beginning to suspect all these crimes are linked. They're being committed by the sinister and mysterious Volkov family. There's just one problem: They can't prove it. In order to take down the Volkovs and put a stop to these crimes, they call in a young, ambitious policeman, Antonin Jelennski. Antonin travels hundreds of miles, leaving his fiancee behind, to go undercover and infiltrate the Volkovs' organisation. He pins down incriminating evidence, but he finds far more than they ever expected. Can he expose the dark secrets of the Volkovs and stop their crimes before it's too late?


Untitled Spy Story: A Novel

Untitled Spy Story: A Novel by Aaron C Cross

SFFOasis

Sometimes you're in the right place at the right time. Sometimes someone ends up getting shot and you're on the run with your brother, the girl you want to sleep with, the girl your brother wants to sleep with, and the guy that slept with your girlfriend. Sometimes that ends up with a whole lot of mescal being consumed and hallucinating dance sequences. Sometimes that ends up with the Secretary of State wanting you dead. For Will Texas, sometime is now.


The Release

The Release by Alistair Moore

Revenge is a dirty word, but what would you do if you met your child's killer? Bennie lives hand-to-mouth in a little bedsit, spending his days avoiding the unsavoury people who wander about his building. All changes one day, when he agrees to help a bereaved father find a small piece of information in exchange for a sum of money which could change Bennie's life forever. As he explores a stark urban underworld to dig into the past of a boy who became a killer, Bennie tests his wits to the limits, makes an unexpected friend, and risks his life to find the answers he needs.


Privilege: A Trilogy

Privilege: A Trilogy by Bharat Krishnan

SPFBO7 WriteHive Book Club

In this epic saga about privilege and power, Rakshan Baliga will have to choose between the American Dream… and his own. New York’s drug problem is Rakshan's solution. Getting his hands on a super drug called WP could earn him glory, power, and a chance to win back his ex. But stealing it from the Top 1% is costly, and if Rakshan isn’t careful he’ll pay with his life. Discover how Rakshan’s journey sets off a chain of events that changes his city, his country… and the world. This OwnVoices political thriller is perfect for fans of Ocean’s 11 and House of Cards.


Sanction: A Spy Thriller

Sanction: A Spy Thriller by William Hunter

While in England on an unsanctioned assignment, Sean Garrett witnesses the shooting of a distinguished Cambridge professor by elite contract killer David Laurent. With his cover blown, Garrett is on the run from an assassin desperate to erase his tracks, and authorities who believe he is responsible for the murder. Banastre Montjoy, a burned-out head of section at the Secret Intelligence Service, is in a race himself to discover if the scholar's death is linked to a bombing of the London Underground a year earlier. Montjoy's nemesis, the power-hungry and scheming Berwyn Rees, seeks to drum his rival out of MI6, while maneuvering to become deputy chief. With time running out, SOG operators are sent in by the CIA to locate and extract Garrett. As Laurent, MI5, and Scotland Yard close in on their target, Montjoy uncovers a devastating secret, one that someone inside the British government has sought to keep buried since World War II.


The Opener (Expatriate Underworld Book 1)

The Opener (Expatriate Underworld Book 1) by John Triptych

Abandoning a recession-plagued America for the easy money of Southeast Asia's lucrative but highly illegal investment scam industry, Don Rouse must navigate through a sordid world of drug addicts, deviants, prostitutes and professional con men in order to achieve his lifelong dream of making it big. But his world is suddenly turned upside down when the police show up and his boss goes missing. After a chance meeting with the alluring but enigmatic Jessica, Don is plunged into a high stakes mystery that could very well put an end to his criminal career and perhaps even his life. From the fleshpots of Bangkok to the gritty streets of Manila, John Triptych’s debut novel sheds a new light on the little known world of international organized crime. Recommended for mature readers.


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