Tag: thriller

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New Publishers Weekly Rave Review of Endemic!

Getting a good review from Publishers Weekly is a big deal. Getting a rave review feels amazing. When Amazon sabotaged my launch of Endemic, the pandemic was raging, and I was in a lot of pain that could only be fixed with eight pounds of titanium and ceramic implants in my hips. I was pretty down. Endemic has won several awards (the best and biggest was the North Street Book Prize). My hips are now fixed, I’m pain-free, and writing consistently again. A review from PW is icing on the literary cake. The PW review of Vengeance Is Hers appears in print mid-October, and PW’s review of Endemic is coming at the end of October.

THE PUBLISHERS WEEKLY REVIEW OF ENDEMIC

Chute is no stranger to dystopian fiction, and he uses Covid-19 as inspiration for this adroit thriller, reimagining New York City as an anarchic, post-pandemic fortress where the remnants of humanity are both brutally vicious and quietly resilient. Introverted and riddled with anxiety, Ovid Fairweather keeps her head down. She maintains a secret rooftop garden, trading produce for the necessities of survival—and small luxuries. Once a book editor, Ovid is the unlikely heroine of her own life, but this existence has cracked her protective shell, and she’s no longer willing to bow to oppressors.

Ovid’s first-person narration captures the bizarre banality of post-apocalyptic life, accompanied by the “voice in my head that spoke like a tough British man.” That wry running commentary plays out against marauders roaming the city streets and looting whomever they please. Everything is scarce (especially trustworthy people), but Ovid would rather fight in New York than flee to safety in Maine, where her cruel father beckons. She’s a protagonist who’s haunted by memories of being belittled and bullied but refuses to accept her past reactions in her present circumstances; when someone who knew Ovid before the pandemic threatens to destroy everything she’s built, she decides it’s no longer enough to outrun her past—she must kill the person she used to be.

While ratcheting up tension with the Memory Keepers, who impose a new level of tyranny and violence, Chute (Our Zombie Hours) keeps the plot focused on Ovid’s evolution. Along with the everyday terrors outside, she hears echoes from past therapy sessions and tries to piece together her fractured identity. But to move forward, Ovid must unleash a long-suppressed part of herself and commit acts she’s only read about in books. The virus in Endemic is a potent force eroding the underpinnings of society, but Chute celebrates the humans who, left to fend for themselves, decide that meek doesn’t mean powerless.

Takeaway: Pandemic ravages NYC but brings reticent woman roaring back to life.

Comparable Titles: Ling Ma’s Severance, Sequoia Nagamatsu’s How High We Go in the Dark.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Writing Life Update

My wife and daughter are currently enjoying the sunny south of France and mocking me with photos of croissants. They sent me pictures of amazing views of Monaco and Nice, sure, BUT LOOK AT THOSE CROISSANTS!

Meanwhile, I am at home in rainy Other London, cocooning on a stay-at-home writing retreat. I start each day with a long writing session. I’m holding back on spending time on new Vocab Menace videos (just for ten days) to focus on the vaunted Work in Progress. I’m not sure where this thriller is going yet, but I’m enjoying the ride. I’m aiming for 65,000 words (or so). Lately, I’ve been writing BIG HONKIN’ TOMES, so I’m aiming for something that’s delicious but less intimidating to readers who are looking for a quick adventure between the sheets (sheets of paper, you pervs)!

Originally, I’d planned nothing but marathon writing sessions. Thing is, after a few hours at it from the early morning, I need to recharge. It’s turned into an unexpectedly eventful week in the off-writing hours. Yesterday, I had a coffee date and caught up with a fellow writer. I’m reading more, too.

I’ve been riding my bike and hitting the gym for one to two hours a day, cleaned the house, rented a carpet cleaner for the basement carpet, and got a chipped tooth fixed. In the past, I’ve chipped teeth sparring. That was exciting. How I did it this time, I have no idea, but it was expensive and less exciting. Tomorrow, I get to hang out with Russ (my favorite Mennonite, wise sage, and beta reader extraordinaire).

After today’s writing session, I’m spending the day with my son. Archery time is booked after catching up over lunch. I’ll take him for an exciting trip to a grocery store and maybe some temporary tattoos to freak out She Who Must Be Obeyed upon her return from France. I also slept on her side of the bed. She’ll hate that. Vengeance shall be mine!

And she better goddamn well bring me back a croissant. I mean, jeez! Look at those beauties!

There’s still time to work on another chapter. I’m on it. Have a week! (And read and review my books!)

~ Robert

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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!

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Long Story Short: Better Days Ahead

About Better Days Ahead

Deborah Goodwin wakes up in her tiny basement apartment in Toronto. It seems like it’s going to be just another day in her anonymous corporate job chained to a desk. But something is wrong with her cell phone. The device tells Deborah to power down and turn it back on to “reset.” But it’s not just the phone that is reset. It’s Deborah and the world.

To get peace, first there must be chaos.

This short story is for subscribers only. Subscribe and I will send you a link to the Bookfunnel landing page. You can download the short story or read it in your browser. Enjoy!

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Sometimes, you can ignore the best writing advice.

Everybody’s best writing advice was, “Never kill a dog in your story.” Then along came John Wick, and even that tried-and-true nugget was thrown out the window. To tremendous success, I might add. This reinforces (for the umptimillionth time) that William Goldman was right. “Nobody knows anything.”

Solid writing advice was passed on to me from a film producer:

“If it plays, it plays.”

Some things will work, and some things won’t. When it comes to fiction, often we don’t find out what works best until it’s tested in the marketplace. In The Night Man, truth be told, I killed off some dogs, but I hedged my bets. I saved a couple who became integral to the story.

But what’s the story?

In The Night Man, Easy Jack is a wounded veteran with a bum knee and a bad dad. When he returns home to Orion, Michigan, he plans to go back to training guard dogs. Unfortunately, he discovers the town has a long memory of his past deeds and his high school sweetheart is in deep trouble. Worse, dirty cops pull him into a billionaire’s bomb plot.

But how do you make the hard turn acceptable to animal lovers?

I love dogs. I get the aversion, but I did a few things in this thriller to make the conflict more palatable.

  1. It’s not gratuitous. I don’t care for gore, so the worst stuff happens out of the hero’s (and the reader’s) view.
  2. It makes sense for the plot. I didn’t throw it in there for shock value alone.
  3. This loss ups the stakes and steels the protagonist’s spine.
  4. There is revenge and redemption to be had following the hero’s loss.
  5. Two treasured dogs survive and are an ongoing presence through the thriller’s twists and turns.

    So, you love dogs. I love dogs. Trust me, you’re in good hands when you decide to try The Night Man.

    FIND OUT MORE AFTER THE JUMP:

Your universal Amazon link: https://books2read.com/u/3RMPDx

The bad guys have money, power, and a jet packed with explosives. To make his stand, our hero is armed with quick wit and a Smith and Wesson. Easy Jack also has a loyal German Shepherd named Sophie by his side. To combat the shady side of small-town America, this wounded Army Ranger will have to enter the darkness he hoped to leave behind.

From the author of the Hit Man Series comes a killer thriller. The Night Man won first prize in the genre category at the Hollywood Book Festival!

“You’re guaranteed a mighty fine read.” ~ Claude Bouchard, USA Today Bestselling author of the Vigilante Series.

Easy Jack isn’t a bad guy, but to survive, he will have to act like one.

Returning home after serving his country, Ernest “Easy” Jack hoped his family’s reputation had been forgotten. No such luck in Lake Orion. Small towns have long memories. Grudges run deep. Worse, his high school sweetheart is trapped in an abusive marriage. Family bonds, love, and loyalty will be tested when a sociopathic billionaire and a dirty cop conspire to use Easy in a deadly bomb plot.

Escape is unlikely. Easy’s odds are not even.

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Attention Book Reviewers and Smart, Sexy People!

Vengeance Is Hers is free July 8 – 12 on Amazon

Amazon Prime Days start tomorrow and the e-book of Vengeance Is Hers is free from July 8 – 12. Once I have more reviews, I can promote it more effectively, so I appreciate your reviews very much. Cheers!

Here’s why you should get excited

This is not a guide for aspiring vigilantes, but it might inspire you!

Welcome to Poeticule Bay, Maine, a village where justice is scarce, and secrets have deadly consequences. When a gay student is brutally attacked and exiled from his home, the police turn a blind eye. Fueled by rage, Molly Jergins launches a relentless campaign against the school bully and his sinister family.

As Molly’s quest for retaliation spirals into chaos, the lines between hero and villain blur. To hunt monsters, must she become the very thing she despises? In the end, will revenge prove the best success?

Click here to read Vengeance Is Hers

Before you go:

Did you know I’m on Substack? I regularly post stories and videos there sharing anecdotes from real life, my reading life, and the writing life.

I have things to say! You can become a paid subscriber if you want to support my work, but that is optional and, honestly, most of what I post is completely free to everyone. Hopefully, you’ll also find it funny/thoughtful/entertaining/whatever-floats-your-neural-boat. Only the sexiest and most intelligent people opt in for my braingasms. Confirm you are sexy and intelligent by joining.

Click here for my Substack profile, you smart, sexy thing!


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The first review of Vengeance Is Hers

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Chute’s best.

Reviewed in Canada on June 29, 2025

Vengeance is Hers is set in the fictional town of Poeticule Bay, Maine, a community inspired by the author’s Nova Scotia upbringing. The story begins with a morally satisfying act of revenge, but as Molly grows into adulthood and pursues a life in academia, her motivations become more complex and unsettling.

This is a noir-tinged character study that spans more than a decade, exploring adult themes and emotional loss. A late twist surprised me, yet it felt exactly right.

I read this as a beta reader but received no compensation other than the pleasure of engaging with a smart, gripping novel. I highly recommend it.

(Thank you to ARC reader extraordinaire, Russell! I certainly appreciate it!)