Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

Pearl Blackwood, a waitress in a fine dining restaurant falls hard for the charismatic Christopher McKinney, employed in the Alternative Reality sector at Jolvix – simply put, he is an expert in deepfake technology. But as she gets to know him better, certain behaviors do raise her suspicions, making her more than a little uncomfortable. Eventually, he proudly declares that he is a “psychopath” and according to him all psychopaths need not necessarily be criminals.

“They paint this picture of the psychopath like every one of us is a deranged serial killer—but most are just ordinary guys like me. Nothing to be scared of. Just a brain that works differently than others. It’s like depression or anxiety or anything else.”

Pearl finds herself inexorably drawn to him and despite her misgivings, she embarks on a relationship with him, moving in with him with her daughter also partnering with him on a business venture (a dream of hers he is helping come true!). Now, what could go wrong? Lies, obsession, mind games and manipulation and much more than Pearl could have ever imagined. She needs to get out with her daughter but at what cost? Knowing Christopher, he isn’t going to make it easy.

Absorbing atmospheric narratives, crisp writing and surprise twists are what we have come to expect from Faith Gardner and with Pearl in Deep she does not disappoint. Though Amen Maxine remains my favorite (closely followed by What January Remembers), Pearl in Deep is an impressive addition to Faith Gardner’s fascinating The Jolvix Episodes series. Though the setting of her stories are futuristic (I’m still in the market for a flying feather duster!), her themes are relatable and relevant in that she addresses issues related to how our dependence on technology can be used against us. Pearl’s choices are questionable and at times I wanted to shake her. But you can’t help but sympathize with her and fear for her as she tries to save herself and her daughter. Christopher really creeped me out and his deepfake antics were scary, to say the least, and a bit too real. Gardner really knows how to craft a gripping tale! What draws me to her work is her perfect combination of sci-fi and futuristic elements, which never get too overwhelming and psychological tension which makes for a gripping read every time. I can’t wait to read more of her work in the future.

Many thanks to Faith Gardner, Mirror House Press and NetGalley for the much-appreciated digital ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book is due to be released on February 23, 2023.

this book was a decent read! It had light suspense, intrigue, action, murder, A bit of a who done it and so many crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and flowed nicely! I did feel lost a few times but I would recommend reading this book as it was worth reading but it was not one of my top favorites! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!