by Kathleen Costa
& C. G. Abbot

This week we are reviewing a new thriller by C.G. Abbot aka Avery Daniels. We also have an interesting guest post by her about her trip into the thriller/suspense genre. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy (we are only giving away ebooks this week in honor of Earth Day) of The Society, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

The Society: Elizabeth Grant Thriller by C. G. Abbot
Review by Kathleen Costa

It had been over a year, but the nightmares were back…visceral and terrifying. But it’s the vision, the hallucination, that was the most disturbing. Elizabeth has returned to her grandparent’s home in Cyprus, Mississippi, where she’d spent so many summers and met her very best friend, Loralie. But seven years ago Loralie had gone missing, and Elizabeth dismissed that the first vision of her beaten and bloodied friend was an illustration of her death. But, being back home, the vision of her friend has returned, and a stranger has appeared with her own vision of Loralie…she’s dead, and Elizabeth is in grave danger.

Loralie had become privy to sensitive, extremely important documents that cost her life. The General of The Society for a Restored America believes the information had fallen into Elizabeth’s hands, and if revealed, could thwart his plans and expose infiltrators. Not finding the documents is an upsetting “loose end” that has led to murder and close surveillance of Elizabeth over the past few years. But the plan has been put into action, horrifying events have occurred, the intricate frame job irrefutable, and infiltrators set in law enforcement, government, and…the White House? “It’s important you don’t trust just anyone,” Elizabeth had been warned. There’s Sheriff Jake Craig, convict Rance Hunter, freelance reporter Juanita Alvarez, and FBI Malcom Alexander, someone Loralie said could be trusted. Elizabeth undertakes a dangerous journey, and everything we hold dear is in jeopardy. Is it too late to stop it?

The Society earns 5+/5 Secret Subversions…Clever, Thrilling, Totally Engaging!

It isn’t the destination, they say, it’s the journey, and C.G. Abbot has penned a most thrilling journey…engaging, intense, oddly contemporary with just the right amount of the paranormal. Using Elizabeth’s ability to see dead people isn’t juvenile hocus-pocus, but treated with seamless realism. Abbot employs a third-person narrative, and although it’s not my favorite, it is perfect to put readers on the outside “watching” the drama unfold. There are a lot of chapters, but they’re easy to read, concise, full of vivid description, and highlight one of the characters, their thoughts, feelings, and their part in the intricate drama. Readers learn many of the answers…who, what, and why. We know, they don’t, which intensifies the dramatic sense to a nail-biting conclusion. I was so engaged I even yelled at the book a couple of times. “Watch out!” “No…don’t trust him!” The underlying theme of an organization infiltrating all levels of society and orchestrating a secret coup has some interesting parallels with history as well as current events. We read in history of movements taking over a country under one unifying idea of them vs us, and today we see several fringe groups rising center stage in American politics. This thriller paints that dark realization, but provides the “silver lining” of perseverance and heroes here and beyond the veil. I was not much of an avid thriller fan until now. This is one that cannot be missed! I highly recommend this book…it is excellent!

Be a Big Fan!
C. G. Abbot is the real name of cozy author Avery Daniels who pens the Resort to Murder series: Iced, Nailed, Spiked, and soon to be released this year Arrowed. The four books focus on the delightful Julienne LaMere, an event coordinator and manger in training at an upscale hotel, who finds Karma checks in with tragic murderous consequences.

Become a Big Avery Daniels Fan!
Facebook – Avery Daniels Author
Website – Avery Daniels

Kathleen Costa is a long-time resident of the Central Valley, and although born in Idaho, she considers herself a “California Girl.” Graduating from CSU-Sacramento, she is a 35+ year veteran teacher having taught in grades 1-8 in schools from Sacramento to Los Angeles to Stockton to Lodi. Currently Kathleen is enjoying her retirement revitalizing hobbies along with exploring writing, reading for pleasure, and spending 24/7 with her husband.

How The Society Almost Got Thrown Out
By C.G. Abbot

The Elizabeth Grant thriller, The Society, was nearly one of those manuscripts that sat in the drawer gathering dust. It started nearly fifteen years ago, and the plot and concept evolved over the years. Initially, I wanted to use repressed memories slowly surfacing to reveal the secret society and conspiracy. Over the years that changed to a very reluctant young woman who sees ghosts. Her ability isn’t welcome, and she fears it is a myriad of other problems from mental illness to a brain tumor. Once that element settled in, I was writing in earnest.

As part of my author journey, I joined a critique group and scenes/concepts were challenged. I learned what worked and what needed work. I grew as a writer, and the plot was strengthened as a result. I gained support for my story, which became key later. But, I took a side trip and wrote not just one, but three cozy mysteries under a pen name since they were very different styles. Even though The Society was back-burnered, I was still working on it and the first draft was three-fourths done when history stepped in.

C.G. Abbot

For the first time in modern history, the KKK openly endorsed a presidential candidate, and it didn’t adversely hurt the candidate’s campaign. Doubts assailed me that my book I’d spent years growing and working on was now passé. Who would believe you needed a secret society to enact a white nationalist agenda when it seemed you could openly run? I feared my carefully cultivated book that I deeply wanted to see completed and published was now too dated.

That’s when my fellow writers and critique partners continued to encourage me to finish the last chapters and plow through the edits. They persisted through my waffling and doubts until I relented. Rather than my plot being dated, I realized it was actually very timely and “ripped from the headlines” without my intending to make it that way.

The Society almost didn’t get finished, let alone published. Looking back, I am so grateful for all the persistent encouragement to finish the book I had spent years laboring over.

To enter to win an ebook copy of The Society, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “society,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen April 20 2019. U.S. residents only for the print copy. If entering via comment please include your email address. You can read our privacy statement here if you like. PLEASE STATE IN ENTRY WHETHER YOU WANT PRINT OR KINDLE & which book you want.

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