Free audiobook short story, Crossing the Line, by Declan Conner

New mystery crime story uploaded to my YouTube channel, Title Crossing the Line. If you enjoy the story, please like and subscribe to the YT channel I am building to encourage me to upload more. This one has a female MC detective, with female and male voices and a storyboard of images to match the story. Ideal to listen to on a short commute, or during a lunch break.

FREE audiobook short story. Who am I – Mystery crime thriller by Declan Conner.

Ideal to listen to during a lunch break or on a short commute, this original story uploaded to YouTube includes a visual storyboard of images and GIFs If you enjoy the story, please like and subscribe to the YouTube channel for more stores to come.

FREE audiobook short story. The End or a New Dawn. Post-apocalyptic – speculative fiction thriller by Declan Conner.

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Editorial Review of The Denverines: Ashes to Ashes, by Declan Conner – Post-apocalyptic – Dystopian Thriller

This editorial review posted on ebook fairs by Sharlene Almond praises the book for its intense and gripping dystopian world and its relatable main character, Jack Cole. The reviewer recommends the book for those looking for a thrilling and immersive read.

Click the link to Amazon. Enrolled in Kindle Unlimited. Available as an eBook, print book.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CDXZ2J1W

A dystopian world filled with savagery, drought, and environmental catastrophes. Jack Cole’s life is ripped into shreds when everything he loves is snatched away. Left with no options, he undertakes a relentlessly brutal journey to rescue his family in a world that anyone could be his enemy.

Jack Cole is not your average father, surviving in a post-apocalyptic world where the land is barren, and one must hunt for the meagre food and other supplies that is out there. Trying to stay off-the-grid, Jack’s little farm and budding family are soon to be targeted by the brutal government that dictates this new world.

When tragedy strikes, Jack must undertake a precarious journey through stark landscape ravaged by drought, desolate towns with sparse survivors, hunters with sadistic motives, and the Denverines that rule the land with ruthlessness.

The narrative is from the first-person point-of-view. The events reading as though you are a part of Jack’s journey, he is talking directly to you. When a catastrophic event occurs, a connection to how he is feeling is quickly established.  The desolation, the hopelessness, the fragility of the world is a continuous backdrop to Jack’s journey.

Although Jack is the focus, the narrative switches to the sadistic president Amanda Jackson, and Lora Cole. The juxtaposition of those in power, and those at their mercy provides a stark reality. Justice does not exist, the dystopian world of the hunters and the hunted, those in power, and those fighting just to survive.

Motives, the stakes and consequences of failure are clearly set out for both protagonists and antagonists, while still leaving a mystery yet to be solved as Jack progresses through his journey.

Disaster after disaster is heaped upon Jack, these events are intelligently used to demonstrate Jack’s personality, his resolve to never give up – and his progression from a man reluctant to use violence, to a capable leader that realizes that sometimes violence is necessary.

The author vividly portrays the kind of world the characters live in – from the lack of rain, to everything dying, the ground so hot during the day that it cannot be walked on, and waiting until dusk to venture out to scavenge for food and supplies. The story is instantly filled with suspense, risk, and the stakes are set high.

Similes and creative adjectives are used to portray emotions, the brutal landscape, and the hostility that Jack constantly faces. There are no long expositions, the author provides just enough detail throughout the story so that the reader can focus on what is going to happen next, instead of telling what previously happened.

The author has incorporated many theories that people are concerned about because of climate change, government authoritarianism, widespread pollution, and religious persecution – resulting in a desolate wasteland that both humans and beasts struggle to survive in, and reproduction is a rare commodity…

There are some scenes that cover sensitive themes like abuse and sexual assault; however, the scenes are not detailed; they are used to establish a deeper connection with the characters.

Like the rest of the story, the ending was exceptionally executed, with well thought-out twists and turns that left me smiling at the end. The suspense continued from start to finish.

For those that enjoy post- apocalyptic dystopian thrillers like ‘The Last of Us’, and books like ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Maze Runner’.

 I give this book 5 out of 5 stars due to the brutally suspenseful plot, and excellent character arcs.