The Suicide Tree

The Suicide Tree, Shayla Raquel, Curiouser Editing LLC, 2018

Set a few years from now, Knox Kevel is a young man who is on his way to prison for computer hacking. His parents, both famous scientists, were given the task of finding a cure for the deadly Raven Virus. They were successful, but refused to give the cure to anyone. It led to protests worldwide, rampant conspiracy theories and their deaths in a mysterious explosion that destroyed their lab.

Knox is saved from prison by a mysterious man named Arlo. He gets the charges dropped in exchange for Knox's computer expertise. When Arlo was a child, he was the subject of a brain experiment, with the reluctant consent of his parents. It caused the creation of several alternate personalities, not all of them nice people. Arlo does not remember the name of the experimenter, but he wants Knox's help to find that person.

The focus shifts to southern Italy. Maybe one of Arlo's "alters" (other personalities) remembers the name of the experimenter. The "bad guy" is eventually found; does the person agree to give up quietly? Does Arlo get the effect reversed? Does Knox find out exactly how his parents died?

This is a really good present-day thriller, with a little bit of science fiction included. It has everything a reader needs, including good storytelling, good characters, a little romance and a plot that will keep the reader guessing until the end. This is well worth checking out.