Kathy BellBesprekingen

Mystery surrounds Adya Jordan. She may look like a forty-year-old wife and mother, but her past holds a deeper, and much longer story. This story begins its revelations when her car is struck by another in a traffic accident and she awakens in the hospital. But she finds that she is now fourteen years old. Struggling to discover why she is young again, catapulted back to her younger days, she explores her world and journals her memories.
Telling all of her experiences would ruin the surprise! Suffice it to say that she finds a home in a company called Three Eleven. The leaders of this company are just like her, sent back from the end of a different lifetime, but all male. The company, nonexistent in the reality she remembers, is bent on discovering a great and cataclysmic mystery, occurring on November 11, 2011, unless they can all find out what it is and prevent it.
This story took me less than two days to read because it was so well-written! Events flowed seamlessly and one adventure lead to the next. I was always wondering what would happen on the next page. The concept of the cataclysm and its solution was fascinating, and Kathy Bell thought a lot about every aspect of the scientific approach to preventing the end of the world. She also threw in a dash of magic with the supernatural occurrences witch drove Adya toward salvation.
The character of Adya was loving and emotionally real, but I think it was a mistake for the author to create her with no flaws. Adya never made a gross error. She had no idiosyncrasies. Not only that, but she always knew everything and was always right. If it weren't for her warmth, I would have disliked the character for being a preachy know-it-all. The only thing that saved her for me was her fervor for humanity, her fellowmen, and her own children. She would have been one of my favorite characters ever if she had managed to get dressed down or say the wrong thing. Heck, if she hadn't known everything about everything all the time that would have done it. She didn't even burn the steaks at her barbecue! Toward the middle of the book I wanted to put a frog in her bed or tie her shoelaces together or something. A feeling of sympathy for her faults and a sense of shared humiliation would have made me love Adya Jordan.
That was really the only thing I would change about this book! Adya was still a pretty awesome lady and the story was a super-duper page-turner! I really appreciated the classiness with which Kathy treated the more intimate moments of the plot, too. Sexiness was preserved but trashiness was not included.The action was well-timed and the plot was smooth as butter.
Now I really need to get the next book, Evolussion! You will too if you read Regression. Just do it. You know you want to!

What a pleasure to watch Ms. Bell burgeon so delightfully as a dramatist and wordsmith. While her first Infinion Series offering, Regression, was markedly entertaining, smart, and vivid, and bespoke of a natural and estimable talent, Evolussion is worlds better (pun slightly intended!). Leaner and meaner, Kathy finds her stride and tenaciously holds onto it. The result is a sophisticated campfire tale, told by an increasing rarity: a bard. And a smart one.

In this, the second Infinion novel, we're deposited into Kathy's oligarchical world of alternate timelines, maverick physics, and Earth-destroying asteroids 26 years after Regression ends. Awesomely enough, the story we're catapulted into takes a completely different track than we ever could have expected. New, fourth-generation species of humans, Jovian alien structures, Native American polytheism, and DNA engineering are just a few of the savory surprises in store. As with the themes, the characters are developed in surprising ways, as well. Evolussion brings us deeper and more believable personalities than Regression did. In fact, I found myself occasionally feeling a mild irritation with Kathy that this or that character did such-and-such. And then, I realized his meant that Kathy was succeeding, in glorious fashion, in making her characters believable.

As a female, mathematics-degreed lover of science, I'm always pleased to come across women who fearlessly conceptualize, and successfully communicate, alternate worlds. In the tradition of Anne McCaffrey, P.D. James, and Margaret Atwood, Ms. Bell deliciously assaults us right away with her fictional world, only to back it up throughout the story with accurate and forward-thinking science. However, unlike some writers -- both men and women -- who write fantastic fiction, Kathy never gets bogged down in scientific detail to the point that characterizations and storyline are sacrificed. Like I said, she's a smart bard.

At the end of Evolussion, we still don't know the fate of the planet, and have at least as many unanswered questions than we did at the end of Regression, although we can see some seemingly unrelated story lines coming together. I can't wait until Part 3 of the Infinion series, to see if Kathy is going to pull off what she's started. Something tells me she will.

In this first book of the Infinion series, Adya Jordan, a forty year old woman and the mother of six children, wakes from a coma to find herself in her former fourteen year old body, her husband and children a far-off memory. She discovers to her dismay that she is in a different `timeline' and woke from an accident that she has no memory of. No one around her is aware of her regression except for the elite from the mysterious Three Eleven Corporation.

I was immediately taken with this novel when I read the blurb for it. This is the sort of science fiction that appeals to me. Part of that appeal stems from the `what if' factor. There are all sorts of questions that can't be answered, but are fun to ask anyway: What if I'd been born earlier than the year I was born in? Later? What if my parents hadn't met the day they had? Would they have gotten to know each other if they'd met another day? What if I hadn't gone to the same school as my husband? I might have met him regardless since I already knew him slightly through a mutual friend. Regression asks all of those questions plus many others I've never thought of before. The plot of this novel starts almost at the first page and the action doesn't stop. I enjoyed how the Three Eleven Company is portrayed almost as a living, breathing character and has a sinister, foreboding feeling to it. The author did a great job drawing the reader into the atmosphere of Three Eleven.

Adya is a very likeable main character. I think part of her attraction is that she does not make poor choices or (for the most part and in my opinion!) does not exercise unusually bad judgment. Nothing ruins a book for me more than a character who continually frustrates! So, despite looking like a fourteen-year-old, Adya displays the life experience and maturity of an older woman. I kept that image in my head while reading and found it an interesting perspective. She deals with all sorts of new situations and people - but what stuck out the most was the patriarchal and condescending nature of the big corporation.

The plot, action and characters of this novel do not disappoint. However, I think that the book could have used more editing. For a finished book there were a few typos that should have been corrected. Other than that, I really enjoyed this novel and plan on reading the next book in the series, Evolussion. Anyone who enjoyed reading Replay by Ken Grimwood or The Children of Men by P. D. James would also enjoy Regression.

Regression, by Kathy Bell

A rabid fan of tales about dystopian societies and apocalypse, I found both with Regression, the first book in a three-part series called Infinion. Our tale begins with a bang; we are immediately given tantalizing scintillas of information, suggesting cataclysm on Earth, mad scientists, and my favorite sci-fi art, a General Screwing Around With Physics. Now, when I
discover a new author I'm reading is going to be Screwing Around With Physics, I'm immediately put on guard; will she be conservative in her use of rigorously defined terms? Will he embarrass himself and the sci-fi genre? While Kathy's goal with Regression isn't a hard sci-fi novel, I
was relieved and grateful that her General Screwing Around With Physics throughout the book was successful: trenchant to the overall story, well-studied, and crafted not to fly flagrantly against currently known physical laws. In the vein of Ursula K. LeGuin, Linda Nagata, and others,
Bell proves that women can understand and successfully employ hard science; a talent that is certainly at a premium in the industry.

The story involves a handful of sub-plots progressing at the same time. This is handled adeptly by Bell, and the sub-plots continually morph effortlessly from parallel story lines to convergence, and back again. Just when you think that, certainly, what just happened could not fit evenly into the story line... it does.

Ms. Bell's challenge will be to enrich her character dialog. There were many times during Regression in which I found the conversation between characters to be stilted, predictable, and cliche. Despite decent
character development, the dialog issue threatened to banish the characters to unidimensional knock-offs. Luckily, this threat wasn't realized, and I see huge improvements in Evolussion.

Kathy Bell is a masterful storyteller; almost against your will, you're compelled to read this book. You really, *really* want to find out what happens; not only to Earth, but to the characters you've grown fond of. Regardless of any faults you may find (which are few), this book is the
equivalent of a grand and intricate campfire story, that immerses one into an alternate reality that doesn't malign the reader's intelligence.

In summation: Hurry up with the third installment, Kath. :)½

40 year old Adya Davies has it all: a loving husband, six healthy and happy children, a Doctorate in Child Development, and the ability to stay at home and raise her children full-time. When she and her infant daughter Hope leave her parent’s house to run a quick errand on November 11, 2011, disaster strikes in the form of an out-of-control SUV aiming straight for their vehicle. When Adya wakes up in the hospital, her whole world is changed.

Adya finds herself 14 year old Adya Jordan again, in the year 1985. Nobody knows anything about her husband and children, and everyone believes her memories of her adult life are just side effects of her head injury. But Adya knows she is no normal 14 year old. She still has the knowledge and memories of her 40 year old self, and she is determined to figure out what has happened to her. She begins to keep a journal to record her memories and to give her a place to vent her frustration and confusion.

On her first day of high school, Adya is asked a question in her technology class that points her in the right direction for finding the answers she seeks: What does “11, 11, 11” mean to you? To everyone else around her, Three Eleven is the name of the largest technology company in the world. To Adya, Three Eleven is the date that her old life abruptly ended, 11/11/11. A quick phone call to the toll-free number she is given in response to her answer heralds the beginning of Adya’s new life as a Three Eleven intern, and the start of her real quest to discover what happened to her and the reasons behind its happening. She meets others like herself who have been “regressed” and have now devoted their lives to finding out why. Little do any of them know that 14 year old Adya, the only female to regress, not only holds the key to unraveling the whole mystery but is also the solution to their ultimate plight.

I really enjoyed this book. I’ve read many other time-travel books, but the story line of this one is unique. Although the book started out a bit slowly for me, I soon found myself captivated with the story, unwilling to put it down, and even wondering about it and forming conjectures of what would happen next when I was not reading it. Anyone who enjoys reading science fiction and time travel stories will find this book to be enthralling and full of surprises. It'a a great beginning to a promising trilogy, and I, for one, am eager to get my hands on Book 2, Evolussion! I give Regression 4 stars.

I've always been excited when a new science fiction book comes off the press and into the book stores. The Infinion series is no exception. Evolussion continues the story of the characters begun in Regression. The sequel picks up the story 26 years after the end of the first novel and takes a different direction than the reader might expect. As the story develops, even the bad guys have something to say that helps the reader better understand the motivation of the opposition to Three Eleven... Mrs. Bell has done a great job with her flawed and very human characters... and, as with her first novel, leaves me wanting more.

The characters from the first novel whom we loved to hate (Alex and Stew) show a different side in this sequel, and as I began to understand their motivations better, I even started to like them just a little bit, though I am not certain if they would ever have earned my trust. Adya Jordan (aka Dawn Ingram) has matured in the interval between the first and second novels, but has retained her lovable characteristics nevertheless. The Three Eleven executives have also changed in their attitudes toward Dawn...

In the continuing story arc, the crisis gains momentum. Not too much is resolved here, and yet more questions are raised. Evolussion is clearly not the starting point for the Infinion series and should not be read as a stand alone. There is much in Regression that the reader needs to understand before reading Evolussion. Thus, I recommed the series as a whole, but start reading at the beginning; Regression first, then Evolussion, and finish with the as-yet unpublished conclusion of this exciting trilogy. Since November 11, 2011 is such an important date in this series, I suspect the climax to the series will probably be published around that date (hopefully a little before). I'm on the edge of my seat now...

Evolussion was provided to me free by the author/publisher in PDF format in exchange for this review. This review has been simultaneously published on Dragon Views and LibraryThing.

I read the first book in this series on a Kindle download whim and was more than pleasantly surprised--one never knows what one will turn up in Amazon's "bargain bin." So I was pretty excited to win an advance copy of the second book in the series.

I didn't remember a ton of details from the first book, just broad strokes, so I was a little lost when I started the book--and if I hadn't read the first book, I would've been really lost, so let that be a warning to anyone who wishes to jump into the series in the middle. I dislike series that repeat everything important in every book (Dresden Files, I'm talking about you), but I had to read a little further than I was comfortable with in this one to get my bearings.

Overall, I think Bell has done a great job of creating an interesting world and story, and many lessons in unintended consequences. The books are enjoyable, and take the reader in a direction at the end of the second book that I would never have guessed at when I started reading them. If you like alternate worlds or conspiracy theories or mysteries, this series could be for you.½

Love, love, love, love, love this book and am anxiously awaiting Evolussion! I feel like all the other books I read between now and October 10th are just going to be fillers.

A strong female lead, real science mixed in with speculation and a mysterious voice in the form of a journal from the future kept my interest in Regression, book one of a time-travel, alternate reality trilogy by new author Kathy Bell.

The story opens in November, 2011. Adya, a 40 year old wife and mother is in a car accident. She wakes up in the hospital suffering from a head injury to find that the year is 1985 and she is 14 years old. Her memories of 2011 are so vivid she can't believe she has imagined the future. Has her consciousness traveled back in time, or is this all a dream?

Adya soon realizes that things are not the same in this 1985 timeline. Some of the differences are subtle and some are striking. Computer technology and transportation have advanced significantly. Is she in an alternate reality or had someone altered the timeline and for what purpose? She is determined to find answers but it will not be easy to disguise the experiences of a 40 year old mind in a 14 year old body.

Every few chapters we read the diary entries of Nicholas Weaver, written from the future. In his cryptic messages we learn that there will be some type of global disaster which will be devastating to the human race and that he is responsible for Adya being sent back in time.

This is a great story with an original concept and a twist in the time-travel genre. It's not a typical time machine story and avoids the paradoxes and traps that time travel stories often fall into. The use of hard science such as DNA and genetics added realism to the story while the journal entries gave it a touch of mystery.

It's refreshing to read science fiction with a strong female lead character. At times Adya can be a bit too strong and preachy causing some parts of the book to drag a little while she makes her point, but this is part of the person she is. Overall I found her character to be well developed, possibly at the expense of the other characters, a few of which I would have liked to get to know a little better. The dialog got a little choppy at times and didn't always flow well but don't let the author's style stop you from giving this book a chance.

The ending resolved a few of the plot lines but left many questions unanswered for part two of the trilogy. The next book, Evolussion, will be published later this year and I am looking forward to reading it.½

The story is very unique and will definitely keep you reading!! A group of people are sent back to an alternate timeline to stave off the inevitable disaster in the future. Adya doesn't seem to fit into the group of regresses at first, but soon becomes a very important figure for the future.

Some scenes were unnecessarily awkward and I felt that the actions scenes were hurried though. Didn't get me as excited as I felt they should.
The characters needed more individuality. I felt that they were all basically the same character just with a different name (except Adya).
And Gil Bates? Really?

I'll definitely be looking for the sequel in the future!!!

40 year-old Adya, mother of 6, is involved in a traffic accident on November 11, 2011. Hours later, she awakes in a hospital bed asking for her daughter. When she is fully awake, Adya discovers that she has regressed into her own younger self. She is 14 years old and single.

There's surprise after surprise as Adya learns to cope with the way things are now and attempts to discover the reason she is here and learn how to cope with a group of other regressees who seem to be hostile and resentful toward Adya. How does Adya cope with the new, alternate reality she has awoken into...? Naturally, Adya is full of questions, and this first novel in a new series answers some of them.

While alternate realities are nothing new, Kathy Bell takes the old story-line, twisting and turning it in new and exciting ways. Regression grabs the reader and does not let go, staying in one's thoughts even after finishing the last page. Regression is not a "quick and fluffy" read, but is full of thought-provoking concepts. This is the kind of novel I look for and eagerly await. I'll be interested in the remaining books to the series.

Recommended to readers age 16 and up who want something more than a quick and easy read. This review has been simultaneously posted on Dragonviews and Library Thing. I received the First Canadian Digital edition free from the publisher via the LibraryThing Member Giveaway program in exchange for this review, however I like this book enough to purchase a signed copy of the paper back edition from Northern Sanctum Press.

Regression does have its own unique spin on time travel books, both by multiplying the number of people involved and hiding why time travel was needed. I was caught up in Adya's quest for herself and truth, while trying to keep some touch with her family as well. I hope she gets more emotional support in future books, as this book is successfully taking her old one away.

I received this from the Member Giveaways program and I only just realized I hadn't posted my review here. I REALLY enjoyed this book. I didn't think I would, but amazingly I did. Some of the content was a little questionable for a younger audience, but I really hope this author continues to write so I can continue to read her fabulous work.

Regression was a really good book, i finished it in about 3 hours or so. The plot was well thought out, and the ideas were new and really interesting. The end leaves you with questions, and it makes you really want the next book to come out, when ever that is, and want it to come out quickly. It is filled with both heartbreak, and love, sorrow and happiness, and i really enjoyed it. Thank you Kathy for writing it!

Regression is a speculative fiction book that is accessible to people who are not already fans of the genre. It does not need to have muscle-bound barbarians or wavy-haired galactic princes on the cover, nor does it need minimalist art or any sort of Art Nouveau gracing the cover to appeal to readers who would normally avoid speculative fiction. The cover, as it is, says it all.

When Adya, a mother of six, gets into a car accident on the 11th day of November in 2011. She wakes up in a hospital, and nobody seems to be answering her questions, especially the big one: "Where's my baby?"

There is no baby. Adya is a 14-year-old girl, but she has such vivid memories of being a 40-year-old woman. It's her past, though, 1985. Things are different, but she can't quite place her finger on it.

When she gets into school, instead of seeing the clunk behemoths of computers that should have been there in '85, she's faced with sleek computers, a technology more advanced that should be in this era. These computers are a gift from the Three Eleven corporation. When using a computer, she is prompted, "What does Three Eleven mean to you?" To her, it's a date. The end of the world.

She's given a number to call, and given an internship to the Three Eleven corporation, a loosely connected series of ivory towers manned by individuals who have, like her, awoken in their past bodies with vivid memories of adulthood. They're all working on two things (a) to make the world a better place using 21st century knowledge, and (b) to prevent or mitigate whatever this catastrophe that happened/will happen in 2011.

Adya must find her niche in this sea of other regressees, all men, and prove her worth to them.

My enjoyment of this book was more during the first half than the second half. The plot took an unexpected turn, and I wasn't ready to turn with it. That may just be me.

Kathy Bell, the author presented several ideas, some of which I agreed with, others I disagreed with, and others I really had no opinion of.

She criticizes the hype surrounding global warming, which is one of those topics I have no strong opinion towards (though, for the past two years in Houston, it's snowed...).

She also criticized the use of technology for entertainment, which made her utopian future/past/thing seem very, very boring, and overly-repressive. Likewise, the group that wanted unfettered access to the technology were also terrorists, which didn't say much for the Maker/Open Source community in this alternate 1985. Because of these two factors, I felt that Bell's attitude towards video games (which have given us some cheap and easy training tools for various careers) is low, and her opinion of Open Source/If-you-can't-open-it-you-don't-own-it to be even lower.

Of course, she doesn't make it very clear that Three Eleven are "the good guys," while Anvolussion (the pro-free-culture anarchist terrorists) are the "bad guys," (though, they do cause some collateral damage and casualties), so maybe I'm wrong on her attitudes.

I thought the concepts presented in the book were interesting though, and it's comforting to see someone else take an interest in the Base-2 (computer code) to Base-4 (DNA) comparison I've been toting since college.

You'll probably like this book more if you already have an affinity for speculative fiction, but you won't feel alienated if you've never before picked up anything with space ships or dragons on the cover.

Regression is part of a larger series, and I, for one, do look forward to the next volume, if at least to answer the questions introduced here.½

Regression is the debut novel of Kathy Bell (Canadian author) and published by Northern Sanctum Press.

This book is appropriate for who loves catastrophic subject, genetics; in a nutshell is a book about how could we save the world?

Adya Jordan (the girl-woman who lived twice, or three times: in the last pages as Dawn Ingram) with the help of a big company (Three Eleven) found out she is the woman who will rescue the mankind from extinction.
Every three chapters the story takes a break and catches up with the journal of Nicholas Weaver, the last survivor of the human race.

The prose is readable and you can either read the whole book, or read it skipping the Adya’s journey in the Island Three Eleven headquarters from page 81 to page 179 (very boring), or read the Nicholas Weaver’s journal only.

Regression looks more like a movie plot than a book (I would suggest the actress Gong Li as Adya): minor characters are just outlined and the connection between the several parts of the book are not linear but abrupt. Maybe in a movie these inconsistencies can be exceeded.

The background of Adya is not original: Adya means Mother Earth, associated with fertility, aura; this conception has been idolized in many societies through the centuries.

From the description I expected a book like The Road by Cormac McCarthy but my first impression was: finally I’ve learned how to grill a steak! (Adya teaches you, see page 141), and nothing else.
I liked just the Weaver’s journal where I found the McCarthy’s soul.

I recommend this book in this reading/watching sequence: first: Regression; second: The Year of the Flood by M. Atwood; third: I am Legend (the movie); fourth: The Road by C. McCarthy and the last but not the least Blade Runner (the movie).

“In any case, time is not a thing that passes, said Pilar: it’s a sea on which you float” (The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood).

An interesting twist to the time-travel theme. It reminds me a bit of Ken Grimwood's Replay and I enjoyed that novel too. The idea of reliving my own past - with full knowledge of the entire life I've just lived thru - is an alluring idea. If I could go back and relive my exact life starting from 14 years old - what would I do differently?

In regression - that theme is here along with more complicated issues. After our lead, Adya, experiences a car crash she wakes up in hospital not a housewife with 7 children in her mid 40's but in her 14 year old body back in time. I felt the grief along with her over losing her children - having all she had ripped from her and thrust back to a time in her life when none of this has happened and no one to share this with.

As the story progresses and we discover links to Adya's future also living in her past I am intrigued! Here we move further into a sci-fi genre and I enjoyed all the implications it posed.

While applauding her peers attempts at making a better world I also found it unsettling the control they were able to achieve using their fore-knowledge of the future. I still ponder over whether it is a good thing or not their monopoly in this revamped timeline.

I look forward to future novels from this author and would love to see this novel up on the big screen. I found it very easy to imagine it as a movie.

Spoiler alert!!!

The book starts well. A 40 year old mother of six is in a car accident and wakes up in the life she lived as a 14 year old but with all her memories of her family and education. It turns out certain smart people are regressed to give them some time to figure out a way to avoid a catastrophic event. She decides to hide the fact that she is a genius with multiple degrees in several areas of study, she just tells them she is a stay at home mother. Her submissive ways ruin the book for me. I kept wanting to shake her and tell her to use her brains.

I hate to give such a negative review and normally I love science fiction but couldn't recommend this book to anyone, least of all a teenager who is tempted to dumb down so the boys like her.

A group of people have been sent back in time to 1985 to try and save the world from a disaster set to happen in 2011. The main character, Adya Jordan, is fourteen again when she awakens after a car accident, but misses her husband and six kids. She joins a powerful company of regressees, those people from the future, and together they word toward saving the world.

The plot of the story is really original, I love time travel novels and have not seen many use the regression device the author uses. The story ends with a lead in to another novel so is part of a series. I thought the author did a good job developing the main character, but could have given more development to the supporting characters, especially Peter, Adya's love interest. He seemed to get little description considering how important he become to her.

(Book review for English Class)

Adya Jordan wakes up after a terrible car accident, thinking that she was forty and the year was 2011 but finding she is 14 and it is 1985. She is not the only person who knows the future, and she joins a group of scientists who run a company called Three Eleven which is trying to save the world from a future disaster.

The story reads like a movie, with a lot of dialogue and fast action. Sometimes I wanted things to slow down but most of the time I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Being of the science fiction genre, the science part was pretty easy for me to understand as a h9igh school student. I think it would appeal to anyone from age about 11 and up, although sometimes the language might be a bit confusing. I do recommend it for anyone who likes science fiction.

Absolutely the best book that I have read in some time. Once you get into the plot, you cannot put the book down. A real page turner, with plenty of twists. The science is awesome! A definite read!½

WOW, contemporary fiction meets sci fi. the author, kathy bell, really did her research for this story. she backs up the story line with a lot of facts, at least i think they are scientific fact. makes the book more believable. the main character, adya, is highly intelligent and yet very down to earth, easy to relate to. the last 10 pages were a little to much genetics for my taste, but i can see why it is necassary to the plot. it didn't change my opinion. i couldn't put the book down.½

Regression has an interesting concept and decent plotting, but the characters are rather unbelievable as individuals and as a group. The characterization problems detract from the rest of the book and make it less than what it could be. Most disappointing is the lack of social commentary, relevant to today, that the best books in this genre provide.

Full review can be read here.½

I have waited a week after reading the book Regression, before I drafted this brief review. I usually write a review immediately after finishing a book, but this book left me with a sense of anticipation, which meant it has taken me a while to think through my reactions. Thank you for letting me receive an early copy. The small Canadian publisher, Northern Sanctum, should be pleased with this book from a new writer.
Overall I enjoyed this book, but I also have some mixed feelings. On the one hand, it is an easy read, the writer holds your attention because you want to discover what it is all about. On the other hand, some of the twists and the preoccupation with self of the main character are annoying.
The storyline is strong and the connections between characters are well thought out. Some of the explanations for why things are happening seem overdone. The main character also seems to be somewhat void of emotions which turned me off.
I wonder, if the sex was cut out, would it make a better book for teenage girls? I think its worth reading, so give it a go. The next installment is due out in October 2010.

Kathy Bell's strength is definitely plot - she's created an addictive and fast-paced plot with a very interesting concept. It was very hard to put down, and the twists kept coming!

Though I did enjoy the story and look forward to the sequel (I hate cliffhangers!), I felt some of the minor characters were slightly inconsistent in their behaviour, and the dialogue didn't always feel natural. It sometimes felt like the characters were forced to act differently in order to move the plot along. I would like to see the author get a little more creative in finding ways to disclose information throughout her future novels.

From a story line standpoint, I'll give it 5 stars, however because the writing and characterization could use some improvement, I'll give it 3.