This one really hurts, because I’m a big Alma Katsu fan. Her ability to blend history and horror is seamless and unparalleled. The Fervor was one of the first ARCs I ever got on Netgalley and it secure me as a fan for life.

All that said, this one just didn’t land for me. At 81 pages, it’s too short to build any emotional attachment to any of the characters, and the threat just never felt fully realized enough. The worst thing that really happens to our main character is that he becomes sort of a joke within his workplace, then ruins his own life after the fact. It’s hard to have any real sympathy for that.

And on a more personal note, all the technical/legal jargon kind of lost me. But that might have just been a me issue. I wasn’t in the right headspace for all that at the time.

Long story short, Alma’s writing is still fantastic but this one just wasn’t for me.

I enjoyed this novella even though it is very different from things I typically read. I liked the conspiracy stuff that was happening in here but I never felt connected to anything. I liked the two timelines in here but I feel like it didn't pack as much of a punch as I wanted. It didn't feel high tension to me in the moments where I feel like it should have. I have liked the historical horror I have read from this author previously and it was fun to read from her in a completely different genre.

This was a fun, short sci-fi novella and it makes me excited to pick up Alma Katsu's full length novels!

BLACK VAULT by Alma Katsu
Publication: August 8,2023 by Amazon Kindle short story original
Page Count: 81 pages



Katsu returns to the land of “The X-Files” with an immersive 81 page novella featuring spies, espionage and a conspiracy thriller. In place of Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) we have Craig Norton, a career CIA officer. It’s 2006 and his career is stagnant. He follows his Russian asset to Mongolia in the China Division A division that harbors suspicion and resentment of their Russian counterparts. Craig arranges to meet his asset in the cloak of darkness in a desolate field. While waiting he suddenly visualizes a strange light hovering in the distance … it moves in an unusual manner and with speed that defies known physics .. and then suddenly winks out. Despite misgiving he files a report noting his observations. Did he see a UFO or an experimental Chinese aircraft? His report is met with extreme criticism and disgust. The head of the station, Alvin Lee is especially critical of his report and squashes any further investigation. From that day forward his career was essentially over. He was relegated to insignificant and minor postings. His marriage falls apart and is soon divorced and estranged from his son. Fast forward fifteen years and Norton is six months from his undistinguished retirement. A “60 Minutes” story breaks exposing the government’s suppression of information about UFO sightings. In response the CIA initiates a task force on UFO sightings, composed of Craig Norton and other dead-enders. Craig is approached by a former colleague who is now the Deputy Directors of Operations and is asked his opinion of the present task force. Craig informs him that it composed of “dead-wood” and elder agents who couldn’t care less about performing a meaningful investigation. Suddenly the task force is composed of young curious agents and knowledgeable scientific officers. Their first course of action is to study previous relevant reports and sightings … including his own from 2006. They discover a large component of bureaucracy and cover-up that lead to an embossing level of duplicity. Will they uncover the reasons and results of this massive cover-up?
Katsu proves to be an amazing storyteller as she weaves this complex twisted narrative into a suspenseful and intriguing tale of deceit, that crescendos into an unexpected denouement of far reaching global implications. Thanks to NetGalley , Alma Katsu and Amazon for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.

This isn’t a horror story, it’s not even science fiction. It’s about a guy in the CIA who in 2006 saw a UFO while stationed in Mongolia and makes the mistake career wise of reporting it. 15years later after a 60minutes story on military personnel seeing UFOs the CIA sets up an enquiry and puts the guy on the team to investigate it all. It’s an easy enough read but a bit too obvious for me.

Published on Kindle by Amazon Original Stories on August 8, 2023

“Black Vault” is a timely spy story — a longish short story — drawn from recent congressional investigations into UFOs. The timeline alternates between 2006 and the present.

Craig Norton is a career officer in the CIA. In 2006, his career is going nowhere. Norton is arrogant and cocky but he doesn’t have the success or pedigree to back up his attitude. He’s running an unimportant asset in the Russia Division. When the asset is transferred to an assignment in Mongolia, Norton follows him. The relocation places Norton under the supervision of the China Division. The China Division harbors an institutional hatred of the Russia Division. Norton is not made to feel welcome.

Norton arranges to meet his asset at night in the middle of a field. The asset never appears, but Norton sees some strange lights in the distance moving at angles and speeds that defy physics. With some trepidation, he writes a report about what he saw because reporting anything unusual is part of his job. After all, maybe he saw an experimental Chinese aircraft.

Norton is cautioned against submitting the report by a CIA officer who reviews reports and tells agents not to say anything stupid. Norton disregards the advice. Head of Station soon complains that Norton has become a laughingstock and has tainted the rest of the office by writing a report about a UFO. Craig learns that Alvin Lee, chief of the China Division, was particularly critical of his report.

Norton’s career comes to an abrupt dead end. He’s eventually reassigned to the US, where he’s given pointless tasks to fill his time until he reaches retirement age. Norton made the mistake of bringing his wife to Mongolia. She left him as a prelude to divorce. He never really connected with his son. He used the classified nature of his work as an excuse to avoid meaningful conversations.

A few months before he’s able to retire, Norton is assigned to a new task force that was formed in response to a 60 Minutes story exposing the government’s suppression of information about UFO sightings. The task force is composed of other deadenders until Norton mentions to the Deputy Director of Operations that the task force will never accomplish anything without young agents who haven’t lost their curiosity. After suitable agents are assigned, Norton begins to learn why his initial report was buried.

Modern spy fiction tends to develop the theme of bureaucracy and professional infighting as impediments to accomplishment. As Norton digs into the aftermath of his 2006 report, he discovers that people who took his report seriously went to war with bureaucrats who thought UFOs were embarrassing. The notion that UFOs might exist, that their secrets might be investigated by Chinese rather than American scientists, was a potential career killer for anyone who scoffed at Norton in 2006. Now it’s looking like the suppression of inquiry should have been a career killer. The theme of government agents stepping all over each other to cover their mistakes by blaming others is always fun, if only because it always seems plausible.

Craig’s relationship with his son comes across as an afterthought, a way of forcing human interest into the story, but Norton benefits from careful characterization in other ways. He feels abused, overlooked, and underappreciated, to some extent with good cause.

The plot is tight, as a short story plot should be. Alma Katsu was wise to develop her concept in short form. The concept may be insufficiently substantial to carry a novel. The story eventually leads to a resolution that will be familiar to fans of spy fiction, at least after the UFOs are set aside. The mixture of fresh and familiar makes “Black Vault” an enjoyable read for fans of spy fiction and UFO conspiracies.

RECOMMENDED

Black Vault (A Short Story) by Alma Katsu
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Genre:General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers, Novellas & Short Stories
Published: August 8, 2023

Black Vault is a short story by Alma Katsu and I was sadly disappointed. I thought this would be a quick read, but found I was struggling to make it to the end.

i thought the topic and the premise was great, like I knew this was my kind of book...but it wasn't.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Alma Katsu's short story Black Vault is timely as UFOs are now receiving much more official attention. It's an intriguing tale of a possible UFO sighting.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I always enjoy reading Alma Katsu, and a short story that I can read in one sitting is even better. Great characters, great story, and great pacing. #BlackVault #NetGalley

My first story by this author and I will be looking out for more.

Craig Norton is a CIA agent who happens to see an unexplained object in the sky over Mongolia. When he reports the sighting of a possible UFO he is ridiculed, his report is squashed, and his career is finished. Some fifteen years later more data becomes available with some amazing consequences.

I enjoyed this story very much. The descriptions of the Mongolian scenery are beautiful, and the way Craig is built up as a person with a backstory of a failed marriage, a semi estranged son and a lost career is very well done. Great writing, interesting characters, references to the X Files and an entertaining story with some scary bits. Five stars.

Black Vault is an action-packed political thriller. UFOs, a disgraced federal agent and a task force are just some of the titillating tidbits contained within this short novel. Alma Katsu knows how to do a novella thriller right!

This was my first Alma Katsu book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The pacing was perfect and so much plot was packed into such few pages, it really is a compliment to the author's talent. I really enjoyed how the book evolved and was formatted.

Personally, there was a bit too much of a conspiracy edge to this that I didn't enjoy. But overall I thought this was such a good book. The reader can really tell how much research the author put into government structure. I will for sure be checking out more by this author and am grateful that NetGalley and the publisher allowed me access to an ARC of this.

A fantastic short story (almost a novella)! I've been a fan of Katsu's writing for some time, and the author's recent short stories for Amazon have all been excellent (see also: The Wehrwolf).

In BLACK VAULT, Katsu brings together her expertise in espionage, thrillers, and science fiction. It's a well-told, very well-crafted story of (possible) contact with UFOs and the personal and professional fall-out experienced by the CIA operative who witnesses it. What follows is an interesting and engaging story of the politics of espionage and international relations.

There's a lot more than just a UFO/political story in BLACK VAULT: Katsu does an excellent job bringing her characters to life on the page, and one really comes to feel for Craig Norton. He's not only navigating the internal politics of CIA, but also dealing with the fallout of his failed marriage, and attempting to reconnect with his son.

Very highly recommended. I'll read anything Katsu writes.

I enjoyed reading this short Amazon Original Story by Alma Katsu. This was tense throughout. A well-written & quick story about UFOs! Dual timeline between when the agent first sees an unexplained light in the sky & reports it to current day when he is called to a special team. The aspect of his relationship with his son growing after he opened up & was honest was super heartwarming for me!

Would recommend if you like:
-CIA
-UFO
-dual timeline

Black Vault by Alma Katsu is a masterful short story about trusting your intuition and second chances.

Did I mention CIA cover-up conspiracies and a UFO?

I had a busy week and couldn’t wait to get back to reading this engaging story.

Craig the protagonist is down to earth, but cowed by years of soul-crushing bureaucracy. When we meet him, he’s on the tail end of his final exit from a corporate desk job. Once a person of action who has no exciting plans for when he retires. The road weariness and character flaws made him real for me.

If you devoured the X-Files like I did… you will love this one!

When I read the author’s bio and saw that she had actually worked for, The Company, it made total sense… because she nailed it.

Little Incident Snowballs With Major Repercussions

Craig Norton is a CIA agent reassigned to Mongolia as his Russian asset was transferred to Ulaanbaatar. Norton is out on the Mongolian steppes one night to meet his asset. While waiting, he was admiring the beautiful night when he sees a light in the distance. It hovers, moves around, but is silent. After twenty minutes, it disappears. Like a good CIA agent, he mentions the light in his report. That point was questioned by the Reports Officer, but Norton insists that his observations be included in his report. By chance, the chief of station isn’t there, and the report is sent to Langley. When the deputy chief of station, Beijing, sees the report, he goes ballistic. The timeline shifts to Langley and six months before Norton is to retire. Based on the interest raised by the recent 60 Minutes episode on UFOs, the CIA is starting a task force before being directed by Congress. As everyone believes that this is a check-in-a-box task force, the best and brightest are not assigned. That means that Norton is assigned even though the length of task force is one year. Surprise, surprise! After two weeks, zero progress is made. From this start this intriguing short story starts.

There are two main threads. The first is labeled, then. This thread describes the sighting and how Norton’s professional and personal life spirals down the tubes. He is directed to see the military/industry lead at Ulaanbaatar station, concerning his observations and prepare answers to some very pointed questions sent by the Deputy Chief of Station, Beijing. His tour started as an accompanied tour, but his wife leaves him to go home. A divorce and estrangement with his son ensue. The second thread, labeled now, starts with his assignment to the UFO task force. A chance encounter with a friend, who started in the Russian Division with him and now is the Chief of Operations, asks how the task force is going. Norton answers truthfully. The next day, Norton and some of the best and brightest now make up the team. The reader along with Norton learn what a flurry of activity within the CIA that had been kept from Norton when he reported the observation. Even more important information is discovered that is even more serious. This aspect of the short story captured and held my attention.

While this is a short story, the background of Norton fall from grace and return is well-developed. His thoughts, actions, and interactions with others, personal and professional, correlate well with where his outlook is at the time. There even is an evident C-storyline as observed as Norton’s outlook improves from the nadir at the start of the short story.

Even with being a short story, the number of objectionable aspects is minimal to nil. There are not any violent or intimate scenes. Vulgar and rude language is very minimal. No one should have any problems reading this short story.

What I liked the most was that the flow was quick and easy to follow. I finished it in one day when this short story size is usually two days. I just could not stop reading. I particularly liked that about the same time as Norton observed the light on the Mongolian steppes, a similar incident occurred in Idaho. While not explicitly explained, it did play significant a roll in the main storyline. I really didn’t have anything that I did not like while reading this short story. This is the second short story from this author. Based upon my thoroughly enjoying both, I have placed this author solidly in my will read category. I am looking forward to reading her next short story. I do recommend reading this short story. I rate it with five stars.

I received a free prepublication e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Amazon Original Stories. My review is based solely on my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Amazon Original Stories for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

I like Alma Katsu's characters and plots, but often feel like there's not enough to fill out a whole book. A short story is perfect! Even this got off to a slow start, but I was glued to it once all the backstory was dispensed with. I liked that the ending was specific instead of vague.

This is the first story I've read by Ms. Katsu, and I'm so happy I've found this writer! The story is easy to read and well-written, and I felt like I was not reading fiction but a well-documented piece of real and uncommon news.
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for the copy of this book.

This my first Alma Katsu work. I picked up this book, expecting something with intrigue and thrills — and though the story had interesting moments, and the writing was good, this novella didn’t live up to what I was expecting from the description. Maybe I was expecting more action with tension and suspenseful moments. I usually enjoy this genre of book — but I just didn’t get drawn into the character or intrigued by the story enough.

I always know I'm in for a thrilling ride when I pick up anything by Alma Katsu. I know I'll enjoy the story and most likely learn something I didn't know..

Another fantastic story by Alma Katsu! She never disappoints! This was like an X-Files episode but in book form. Page-turning and edge-of-your-seat tense moments with a satisfying ending. Katsu has perfected the short story.