Blog Tour & Review: The Faithful by S.M. Freedman

For Agent Josh Metcalf, memories are ghosts. They are blood-soaked backpacks and the smell of strawberry Chap Stick. Josh is haunted by a little girl who went missing his first summer on the force. Decades later his search has become an obsession, and he's pinned the photos of hundreds of missing children to his wall of tears. All the children had psychic abilities. All the cases went cold -- with no witnesses, no useful tips, and no children ever recovered. Until a woman gets injured trying to stop an abduction, and Josh comes face to face with his personal ghost.

For Rowan Wilson, a meteorite hunter for NASA's Spaceguard program, memories are lies. The childhood she thought she knew has been erased, leaving a black hole in its place. New recollections are flaring to life: men dressed like priests, a ranch in the mountains, mind control, and rape. Each new memory draws her closer to one of the other missing children, Sumner Macey; and to I Fidele, the underground organization for whom kidnapping is just the beginning.

For Sumner, memories have become weapons. He's sharpened each of his with surgical precision: the ranch, the doctrine, the mind-wash, and the murders. He's eager to slice at the black sludge pumping through I Fidele's heart, desperate to cripple those who stole his childhood.

To I Fidele, non-psychics are cockroaches in need of extermination, an inferior species destroying the earth. They're ready to enforce eugenics on a global scale. If they succeed, only those faithful to their doctrine will survive. Crossing several genres, The Faithful will appeal to anyone who enjoys supernatural mysteries; high-tech, edge-of-your-seat suspense flavored with paranormal elements; thrillers involving psychics, occult and high stakes action/adventure; tied up with a depth and humor usually reserved for works of literary fiction.

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S.M. Freedman is a top-ranked Amazon author in the Mystery, Thriller and Suspense
categories, and a member of the WorldWiseWriters group. She lives in Vancouver with
her husband, two children and a giant orange cat.

She studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, and spent
years as a private investigator and business owner.

Inspired by authors of many different genres (favorites include Sue Grafton, Diana
Gabaldon, Jodi Picoult, Stephen King, Justin Cronin, Suzanne Collins and Lawrence Hill,
to name a few) she eventually turned back to her first love: writing.

The Faithful, a paperback and kindle Amazon Bestseller in both the US and the UK, and
a Quarter Finalist in the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, is her debut novel.
She's currently working on the sequel.

Author Website | Facebook | Twitter

This book is fantastic!!!WOW. The characters are gritty and raw, the story is fast paced and exciting.  It's the kind of book that keeps you so engaged, that when you're forced to put the book down, it's all you can think about until you're able to pick it up again.  And even when you're finished, it's the kind of story that sticks with you.  

The author is incredibly talented.  She has definitely done her research, and it shows throughout the book.  I especially liked the "paranormal" aspect and how she wove it in to the storyline.  I am definitely looking forward to reading more thrilling stories from her!  

Rating: 5 stars 

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  All conclusions reached are my own.