From the Book Description:
Lethal mistakes during a secret experiment drive scientists insane and plunge their therapist into a frightening search for the truth—and a dangerous fight for her life.
As the cries of a volatile patient in the psychiatric ward of Sinai General haunt therapist Alexandra Kraig, she realizes something terrifying has happened at the Complex. Mistakes have occurred there, mistakes that have changed him.
When Alex’s closest friend, also a scientist at the Complex, develops deeply disturbing behavior, she becomes determined to uncover the truth about the particle physics experiment hidden deep within the Complex walls, a project her missing father warned against many years before.
With her friend on the brink of madness, Alex resurrects her father’s research, infiltrates the Complex and races to halt the experiment’s destructive force. A dark element has another plan, hijacking the system, intensifying an already looming catastrophe, and propelling the Complex toward implosion. With time running out, Alex joins forces with the very scientists that created this monstrous experiment. Battling the enemy and the machine, Alex faces a ticking clock as she struggles to find the answer buried somewhere in her father’s secrets; an answer she desperately needs if she is to save her own life, and the lives of thousands more.
My take:
As I read this intriguing story, I never knew what to expect next. On the face of it, the foundation seems absurd, but that is the real strength of the author’s genius. As the story grows, expanding to reveal a cast with diverse backgrounds and interests, the premise of interconnection that underlies the universe becomes all the more plausible.
Researchers blinded by their ambitions to unlock the mysteries of the universe begin to unlock a secret dating back to the first moments of creation exposing themselves to unknown dangers. The author does a fantastic job tying the characters, their friendships and their occupations to the major conflict while exposing the elements of good and evil within their natures as well as their internal battles to maintain balance and protect what each holds dear. The result is an intense drama that evolves from page to page leaving the reader in doubt to the outcome.
I found the ending surprising but also satisfying. Also, there is enough room for a sequel, which I would certainly read. I look forward to more captivating stories from this debut author.
About the Author:
Growing up in Michigan, Joanna was an avid reader at a young age. Her wild imagination led her sixth grade teacher to encourage her to become a writer. Instead, she aspired to be like Dr. Joyce Brothers. Upon completing her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan, she moved to North Carolina and led a successful career as a psychotherapist for adults and children, with specific expertise in trauma treatment. But, her love for books and writing never left her.
Inspired by Stephen Hawking’s A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME, Gary Zukav’s THE DANCING WU LI MASTERS, and any ancient spiritual or religious text she could find, she became fascinated with particle physics, the purpose of life and the need for a story that illustrated how intertwined we all really are. Eventually, her craving for an action-adventure set inside a place like CERN led to the creation of Sinai Unhinged.
Additionally, because where there is darkness, there must also be light, her romantic holiday screenplay, A CRYSTAL CHRISTMAS, has been optioned by Citizen Skull Productions.
In her spare time, she and her husband can be found traveling up and down the southeast coast in any season, even the hot and steamy summer. More information can be found at her website.
Book Links: Amazon – Pandamoon Publishing
The One & Only Elgon 