Category: reviews

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When will you guess the big twist?

My new psychological thriller, Where the Night Takes Us, begins with the following proviso.

Psychological thrillers with underdogs facing tough odds and dark, daring twists. That’s my jam and peanut butter on sourdough bread. I hope they are your kind of fiction, too. If you like Mindhunter, you’ll love this.

Bonuses:
1. The ebook is deeply discounted for a limited time. (Also available in paperback and hardcover.)
2. You’ll find trenchant and fun conversation starters for your book club in the back.
3. There are lots of twists and turns along the way, but when will you guess the big twist?

CLICK HERE FOR KILLER SUSPENSE IN MONTANA!

Here’s the book blurb:

Thriller cover

Dr. Simon Fethullah’s weapon was his mind. It is also his torment.

As a forensic psychiatrist working with the FBI, Simon’s testimony helped to convict the Rainy Day Cannibal. After taking a bullet for his trouble, Simon retreats to the wilds of Montana to hide and to heal with his loving wife Carla and Stefano, their massive dog. The good doctor seeks peace, but murderers have long memories. When the President’s Press Secretary is assassinated, a serial killer’s dreams become our nightmares.

Though caged, prison walls cannot contain Rainy Day’s ambitions. The madman has a loyal following and a vendetta that demands a terrible price. When threatening postcards find their way to Simon’s door, it’s clear that dangerous people know how to find him, and they are coming for blood.

The Fear-Death Series features suspenseful thrillers centered on Dr. Simon Fethullah, a complex, haunted character whose love for his wife, Carla, balances him. Simon’s kind of like Dr. Gregory House, but with House hunting serial killers instead of disease. (Also, everybody loves Stefano.)

I’ve been getting lots of lovely feedback on Where the Night Takes Us. Here are a few snippets about the psychological thriller with a big twist:

It is one of those wonderful books where the reader is totally immersed in the story, unaware of their surroundings, going right along beside the characters and almost smelling the fresh brewed coffee in the story. Every part was plausible. It takes the reader through a full range of emotions which a couple of times provoked me to put the book down and digest what I’d read. This five star book is a good stand alone book but the moment I finished it I was eager for a sequel. I’m sure it will be five star too!

I got completely lost in the story. I also found myself wiping away tears and, then, a few pages later, laughing out loud at Simon’s dry, sarcastic humor. This is the first of Mr. Chute’s work that I have read, but it won’t be the last. I can’t wait to read the next in this series. I highly recommend it to fans of serial killers and psychological thrillers. 

The plot twists kept me hooked throughout, whilst the suspense built chapter by chapter. Simon is a complex and realistic character, and I liked the dynamic between him and his wife in the narrative. The wild and isolated setting also added to the overall suspenseful feeling of the storyline. If this was on the tv I would have been watching it from behind a cushion!

I enjoyed the idea that the entire story was a journal and the reader was experiencing it after the fact as the character, Simon, had experienced it. Chute knows how to put little details in to have the reader go mad with questions until he finally decides to take pity and explain. Its an excellent tactic and I am here for it!

More News: The sequel is already available!

Murdered girls get headlines. Missing girls get forgotten.

A bullet drove Dr. Simon Fethullah out of the FBI. A grieving mother’s plea to find her missing daughter drags the brilliant forensic psychiatrist from his solitude. The cops blew the case, the trail’s gone cold, and Simon’s still haunted by his wife’s death. What he uncovers will test his training, his sanity, and the ghosts that refuse to let him go.

With his massive dog and a sharp-tongued driver named Paloma as his unlikely partners, he packs up his RV and heads into the Texas heat. To find the girl, Simon’s search will take him deep into the City of the Dead. When the boundary between reality and delusion blurs, Simon’s mind becomes the most dangerous terrain.

CLICK HERE TO SOLVE A STRANGE MYSTERY IN TEXAS!


The first review is in from Canada!

The suspense in this story is outstandingly well written. There are lovely shots of humour that provide moments of relief when things get too dark, and, as always, readers can expect unexpected developments.

This is another five-star novel from Robert Chazz Chute.

Cane Corso dog.

Stefano, the Cane Corso doggie says…well, nothing. He’s a dog.
But if he could speak, he’d say these thrillers put movies in your head.

AVAILABLE NOW in paperback, hardcover, and ebook!

Extra hint: These novels make great gifts! Feel free to buy in bulk. 🙂

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Fight for Books and Revive Reading Culture

I’m worried about literacy. We don’t have enough of it. Too many people either don’t read, obsess over social media, or scan summaries instead of experiencing the immersion of pulling a book and getting movies in their minds. Fewer people make the time or have the patience to enjoy a book, and that’s bad for our brains. It’s bad for all of us.

I’m going to recommend three books. (I wrote two of them.)

One of books I’m enjoying recently is Anthony Hopkins ‘ autobiography, We Did OK, Kid. (If you listen to the audiobook, Kenneth Brannaugh narrates, and his voice work is, as you’d expect, excellent.) Hopkins reminded me of his role in 84 Charing Cross Road. Last night, I ran across the book and I bought it immediately.

This slim volume is an ode to a bygone time when books were valued so much more by many more people. It’s an epistolary story wherein a very literate and funny woman in New York has a back-and-forth with a bookseller in London, England. Beginning in 1949, she requests used books only they can procure to her satisfaction. If you love books, you’ll love the movie and the book.

As soon as I found it at the bookstore, I had to buy a latte and dig in immediately. It’s a funny, plotless book with an unambitious premise. It’s not about dark forces taking over the galaxy. It’s just letters back and forth by bibliophiles who, incidentally, will never meet in person.

And to be honest, I choked up a little. 84 Charing Cross Road takes place in hard times. It’s a time I never lived in, yet I’m nostalgic for: A time when more people loved books, discussed books, and fiction and non-fiction were more centered in the culture. Your phone is full of vitriol. Push back on the brain rot. Reject rage bait that seeks to anger you for clicks. Choose media that informs, entertains, and enriches.

How do we fight forces pushing literacy down? Read books. Make it normal to discuss books. Review books. Support authors. Join a book club. Don’t fall for censorship. Read banned books. Frequent your local library and little libraries. Read to your kids. Put down the phone more and pick up books instead. Make reading ubiquitous again. I don’t know how much we’ll improve literacy, but at least we can try to hold the line and not let reading fall by the wayside completely.

The next book I recommend is mine, and it’s on sale now.

It’s release week for my new psychological thriller, Where the Night Takes Us.

Dr. Simon Fethullah was the FBI profiler who put the Rainy Day Cannibal away. The cannibal’s back, and the madman coming for Simon and his family. Find out more about the plot here.

Or, even better, just do this:

BUY NOW for just 99 cents!

Another recommendation:

I have entered Endemic for the Booklife Prize. Endemic won the North Street Book Prize in 2022, so I’m hopeful. Part of the deal is that I received a review from a Booklife critic. Here’s what they had to say:

Title: Endemic
Author: Robert Chazz Chute
Genre: Fiction/Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror
Audience: Adult
Word Count: 99876

Assessment:

Plot: Set in a post-apocalyptic world, Robert Chazz Chute’s science fiction follows Ovid as she navigates a transformed society and searches for her place within it. Chute creates a believable setting that gives the story a strong sense of possibility and danger. Fans of apocalyptic fiction and detailed world-building will find much to enjoy.

Prose: Robert Chazz Chute opens in medias res, with Ovid on the streets of New York after a virus has ravaged the city and much of the world. For anyone who lived through COVID-19, the premise carries an unsettling echo of reality: a city under lockdown that emerges permanently changed. Chute’s vivid descriptions give this altered world a strong sense of place, while its specialized jargon reflects the communities that have formed without leaving readers struggling to understand them.

Originality: Chute gives the story its own identity through its attention to group dynamics and the communities that emerge after disaster. Its vision of a world that remains recognizable yet has been permanently altered makes Endemic a strong addition to post-apocalyptic science fiction.

Character Execution: For fans of science fiction and end-of-the-world stories, much of the appeal lies in seeing how people adapt when the rules of ordinary life disappear. Chute portrays the community Ovid must navigate with impressive detail, while making her survival something readers will genuinely root for. Her encounters and conflicts with the people around her reveal how this new world is changing her, making Ovid a memorable protagonist.

GET ENDEMIC NOW

~ Thanks for being a reader! I’m Robert Chazz Chute, the suspense writer who works from a blanket fort in Other London. It would help me immensely if you let me entertain you. Enjoy my books for hours of twisty fun. Books make great gifts, so buy in bulk. 😉

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Like thrillers? Read this one before everyone else.

Where the Night Takes Us is a gripping psychological thriller that releases on September 14, but you don’t have to wait. ARCs (advance review copies) are now available to download.

What is the novel about?

Dr. Simon Fethullah’s weapon was his mind. It is also his torment. 

As a forensic psychiatrist working with the FBI, Simon’s testimony helped to convict the Rainy Day Cannibal. After taking a bullet for his trouble, Simon retreats to the wilds of Montana to hide and to heal with his loving wife Carla and Stefano, their massive dog. The good doctor seeks peace, but murderers have long memories. When the President’s Press Secretary is assassinated, a serial killer’s dreams become our nightmares. 

Though caged, prison walls cannot contain Rainy Day’s ambitions. The madman has a loyal following and a vendetta that demands a terrible price. When threatening postcards find their way to Simon’s door, it’s clear that dangerous people know how to find him, and they are coming for blood.

Why You Might Love Where the Night Takes Us


Why authors give away free copies

Book sales platforms are getting inundated with AI slop. It’s estimated that between 3,000 and 4,000 books are uploaded to Amazon every day. There’s been an alarmingly sharp increase in the number of new books published due to the extensive use of AI.

Note: I do not use AI to write my books, nor is AI used in the creation of my covers and graphics.

To get the attention of the sales algorithms, I need reviews on my work, preferably during the first couple of weeks after the novel’s release.

Here’s how to get your ARC:

Please fill out the short form at this link:

Where the Night Takes Us ARC form


All ARC readers who are accepted will receive a Bookfunnel link to download a digital copy. Enjoy your summer beach read! Thank you!

~ I’m Robert Chazz Chute, the winner of fifteen writing awards. I pen suspenseful thrillers and apocalyptic epics from my blanket fort in Other London.

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Spider-Noir, Reviews, and What’s Next?

There is a line from Spider-Noir that I found especially fun. Do I need to add spoiler alert here? Relax. It’s memorable, but minor.

A guy comes to a PI’s office asking him to follow his wife to catch her cheating. He shows a picture of said wife to the PI (played with great glee by Nic Cage). This woman is absolutely gorgeous. The PI looks back and forth from the picture to the man. Sorry, but he’s not gorgeous, and that’s the point.

With perfect, world-weary delivery, Nic asks, “Are you a wealthy man, sir?”

“No.”

“Possessed of a keen wit?”

(Close-up on the not-gorgeous man’s face.) Baffled, he answers, “Huh?”

It’s a small moment, but it is funny. Good acting. Solid writing.

I sometimes wonder about character actors, though. How do those casting calls go? “Hey, uglies, we got a role for ya!”

And what about the very elderly cast as the soon-to-be dead in medical dramas? Do these actors call up their children and grandchildren and say, “The casting director took one look at me and said, ‘No makeup needed! You look half-dead already! I’m on the next season of The Pitt!”

It’s brutal. Or maybe it just acknowledges the vicissitudes of life (and death). What self-confidence they must have! Or self-acceptance. Or devotion to and love for the art? Are they mentally healthy? Is it simply the desperate need for a paycheck?

Given what I do, I should understand the impulse better. After all, I get book reviews. Most of my reviews are happy ones from satisfied readers. I go back and read those occasionally when I feel down. Some days, those keep me going.

The nasty ones, though? I don’t have to return to. I remember them verbatim. Like the reviewer who, several times, wrote, “Fluff you, Chazz!”

That person obviously meant, “Fuck you,” but her intent was undermined by her twee use of the word fluffing. As a euphemism, it’s not the threat she thinks it is.

Then there was the guy who wrote, “I see this author is Canadian. I certainly hope he stays there.” No worries, mate. I wouldn’t dream of coming anywhere near you. Book reviews aren’t a venue for personal attacks. Don’t fight me. Fight with your family at the dinner table like you usually do.

(In case you missed it, I’m not telling anyone what kind of review they should write. I’m merely saying what shouldn’t be controversial: Don’t be an asshole.)

This morning I saw an Instagram post from an author who made an interesting observation. Thoughtful critiques and bad reviews are part of the deal. But what’s with those reviewers who don’t like any book? They review plenty, but the ratings they give never rise above a one or two-star. The Instagram author asked, “Why do you read? It seems like you don’t enjoy it at all.”

Maybe some mean reviewers are jealous writers. (Of course, it’s entirely possible they could be right some of the time, too.) Or perhaps, as the popular saying goes, “The cruelty is the point.”

Some reviews feel performative, an attempt to demonstrate vast intellectual superiority. Like this gem: “Well, actually, the black plague was great for the average European peasant.”

Tee-hee. What fun!

If a book has zero negative reviews, it hasn’t reached a wide audience. Plenty of people who were never the target demographic are eager to decree, “This book is the end of literature,” or a similar maximalist claim. Too few people say, “It’s not for me.” Too many say, “I didn’t enjoy this and no one else should, either.”

No matter, though. I persist. Maybe I can relate to those character actors. I keep going because this is not just my job. It’s my purpose. Publishing can be scary, but the day-to-day of the writing life is fun. In daring to try to entertain others, I am entertained. I focus on writing the next book, what happens in the next paragraph, and polishing the next line.

Anybody who tries to do anything will encounter Negative Nellies who don’t know how to express themselves constructively. Or they’re just mean. The failure is not found in falling short of pleasing everyone. The failure is in not continuing to try.

To creators and doers everywhere:

It’s okay.

You’re okay.

Keep going.

Next is a powerful word.

~ I’m Robert Chazz Chute, your friendly neighborhood suspense writer. My next two thrillers come out in September. In the meantime, I’ve got plenty of novels and collections for you to read and (I hope) enjoy. Send your thoughts, feelings, and death threats to expartepress@gmail.com



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The Publishers Weekly Review of Vengeance Is Hers

This is a big deal for me.

Chute’s thought-provoking crime thriller tells the story of Molly Jergins, a bright, restless teenager who grows up in the small town of Poeticule Bay, Maine, a tight-knit, picturesque village floundering and long dominated by a single powerful family. When Keith Faun, the town’s hockey star and the son of its most influential businessman, brutally assaults a younger boy and escapes punishment, Molly finds herself consumed with revenge fantasies. Her petty pranks soon escalate into a campaign to drive the Fauns out of town: she sabotages their family business and publicly damages their credibility, with each act calculated to chip away not only at their sense of untouchability but also the broader community that enables it.

At its core, this novel is an exploration of the insular dynamics unique to small towns—blind loyalty to old families, unthinking hostility toward outsiders, and reflexive protection afforded to their golden boys. What stands out most are not the creative revenge sequences but the way cruelty is normalized: a principal who dismisses violence, a sheriff more concerned with reelection than law enforcement, neighbors who carry on like it’s business as usual. Here, Chute (author of Endemic) pushes readers to consider whether such institutions can really be trusted with justice—or if it falls to individuals to enforce it.

This ethical dilemma is embodied most clearly in Molly herself. While she obviously cares about fairness, her obsessive tendencies leave readers questioning whether she is driven by justice or simply by her power to deliver it. The story’s pace sometimes falters under the sheer number of revenge plots, with these convoluted sequences limiting Molly’s character development—but she remains a complex, morally gray protagonist who readers will want to follow, if only to see how far she will go. Overall, those who are drawn to dark small-town noir will enjoy the clarity with which this gripping tale examines power and complicity.

Takeaway: Dark small-town thriller examining the blurred line between justice and obsession.

Comparable Titles: Gillian Flynn; Paula Hawkins.

Available on Amazon.

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Publishers Weekly Review of Vengeance Is Hers

(This is a big deal to me.)

Chute’s thought-provoking crime thriller tells the story of Molly Jergins, a bright, restless teenager who grows up in the small town of Poeticule Bay, Maine, a tight-knit, picturesque village floundering and long dominated by a single powerful family. When Keith Faun, the town’s hockey star and the son of its most influential businessman, brutally assaults a younger boy and escapes punishment, Molly finds herself consumed with revenge fantasies. Her petty pranks soon escalate into a campaign to drive the Fauns out of town: she sabotages their family business and publicly damages their credibility, with each act calculated to chip away not only at their sense of untouchability but also the broader community that enables it.

At its core, this novel is an exploration of the insular dynamics unique to small towns—blind loyalty to old families, unthinking hostility toward outsiders, and reflexive protection afforded to their golden boys. What stands out most are not the creative revenge sequences but the way cruelty is normalized: a principal who dismisses violence, a sheriff more concerned with reelection than law enforcement, neighbors who carry on like it’s business as usual. Here, Chute (author of Endemic) pushes readers to consider whether such institutions can really be trusted with justice—or if it falls to individuals to enforce it.

This ethical dilemma is embodied most clearly in Molly herself. While she obviously cares about fairness, her obsessive tendencies leave readers questioning whether she is driven by justice or simply by her power to deliver it. The story’s pace sometimes falters under the sheer number of revenge plots, with these convoluted sequences limiting Molly’s character development—but she remains a complex, morally gray protagonist who readers will want to follow, if only to see how far she will go. Overall, those who are drawn to dark small-town noir will enjoy the clarity with which this gripping tale examines power and complicity.

Takeaway: Dark small-town thriller examining the blurred line between justice and obsession.

Comparable Titles: Gillian Flynn; Paula Hawkins.

My book got a Publishers Weekly review!

Click here to be taken straight to your country’s Amazon store for a great tale of revenge.

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Have you reviewed yet? Please do!

Here’s how to leave a quick review on Amazon:

Just in case you’re not sure how, it’s easy, free, and helps me immensely:

  1. It doesn’t have to be long.
  2. Please, no spoilers. You don’t have to recount the plot at all.
  3. Just a brief paragraph of your opinion is plenty.
  4. Let others know how the story made you felt while reading the novel.

    And that’s really it! Fast and uncomplicated.

    Here’s where to find the button you’re looking for:

On Amazon, click the book you want to review.
Scroll down to the box that reads:
“Write a customer review” and there you go! Done like dinner!

Bonus points:

It’s not required, but if you want to post a picture of the book, or of you holding the book, that gets more attention.

A video gets even more attention if you’re so disposed, but again, it’s not required.

Examples:

Hint:

Of all my work, Vengeance Is Hers is the most recent and needs more reviews. Thanks!