Update, April 10: TikTok new telease review post.
An FBI agent at a standstill with a baffling series of horrific murders is saddled with an unconventional consultant said to be capable of 'remote viewing.’ The agent is skeptical, but the director gives him no choice.
The premise hooked me. The two main characters had some depth to them and back stories that added to the intrigue. The narrator does a good job with the many voices and the sound quality is flawless.

For me, the novel was sporadically suspenseful. It wasn't as gripping as I expected it to be. The second half felt flat and formulaic. A victim who could have intensified the sagging story was a caricature. The wife's character and role remained undeveloped. The villain came across like something out of a cartoon. The ending was unsatisfying and led predictably to a teaser for the next book.

The novel treads familiar terrain, but without the chemistry, tension, chills, and outstanding supporting characters that make stories in this vein compelling. The depiction of remote viewing was the best part, and I liked the dynamic of the mismatched guys having to work together. There's some empathy for victims and acknowledgement of trauma's lasting effects. The vocal performance greatly enhanced the book. I gave Remote: The Six 3 stars.

The author has many appreciative readers. Although this wasn't an immersive experience for me, it might be your next favorite book. This is a good pick for non-squeamish thriller readers who are comfortable with possibly disturbing content such as detailed crimes and out-of-bounds behavior. Overall, It was an entertaining, fast listen. My thanks to Blackstone Publishing for the ALC for consideration. These opinions are solely my own.

Thank you, Blackstone Publishing for the ALC for consideration. These opinions are soley my own.

I was having trouble getting into the audio version of this one. I've seen nothing but great reviews, so I'll be buying the physical book and trying it out that way!

This was an intense, thrilling, and fantastic read! The audio is excellent, and note this one is dark, which I loved. This is the first in a series which I am very glad about, this was a fantastic plot about a serial killer aka the ‘Tableau Killer’ who has been hunted by FBI Special Agent Lukas Stark for 18 months with no luck. Then he gets a new partner who is a remote viewer, meaning he ‘sees’ people, places, events far away as if they are in front of him. Stark doesn’t buy it, but by the end of this he has no choice, and I was on the edge of my dang seat until the very end. This one was SO GOOD and you need this one now if you have not read it.

Thank you to @blackstone.Audio for the ALC and to @ericrickstadauthor for the lovely signed ARC to review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Audio for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

First off, this book is grittier and more intense than my usual thriller/mystery fair (hello, it’s about a serial killer), but once I got past that, I really enjoyed the story. Second, this book is first in a series and ends on a cliffhanger, so you need to know that going in or you will be irritated with the ending. I found it compelling enough that I am interested in continuing the series.

I did have to suspend disbelief a little that a serial killer is on the loose, yet there’s only one FBI detective working on the case, who is partnered with someone who may have ties to the killer. I did have a hard time connecting with the protagonists because they are pretty wholly unlikeable, but to me, that marks the sign of good writing. If the author can make me feel that way about fictional characters, that’s top notch writing in my book.

Narrated by Ari Fliakos, I thought they did a really good job of making this spooky and suspenseful book to life. I would listen to something by them again. If you’re looking for a gritty crime thriller that’s the beginning of a series, I’d recommend this book.

#remotethesix is a thriller I've been listening to on and off for the past week, by @ericrickstadauthor and provided for review by @blackstonepublishing (thank you, thank you!). This is the same author who put out the amazing #Lilith from last year, which was set around a school shooting and was a 5 star for me (highly recommend).
This story plays out as part crime thriller part Sci-fi and it's those Sci-fi elements are that so compelling (for me). Short recap: FBI Agent Stark is assigned to solve "the tableau killer" murders of entire families, tied to kitchen chairs and bludgeoned to death, with no clues left behind except for the same M/O. The FBI is baffled at who is doing this, without forced entry, without leaving clues, and all over the country with no apparent links between the families. When Stark's boss asks him to work with a "remote viewer" he tries to refuse, and finds out it wasn't an ask after all - it was an order. To Stark, remote viewing is a bunch of bunk- nothing more than a charlatan act - but as he gets to know Mr. Garnier, he starts to believe there is some sort of psychic viewing that happens (live) with Garnier giving enough details to prove himself as a true asset. But there's a lot going on with Garnier (and the killer) that Stark knows nothing about. It involves an ultra secret government program that tested a group of people for this "talent" and uses them (or is trying to) as weapons.
This story ended with promises that the story really wasn't over and now I'm eagerly awaiting The Five which means one of the Six will die and I'm eager to learn more about the program and its members. I'll definitely be listening to The Five which comes out in July of this year. Highly recommend Remote: The Six for thriller-lovers of the FBI crime type OR for ppl who love a psychic type of Sci-fi and secret government plots and conspiracies. Aside from the fun of the whole premise, as usual, you can depend on this author to give you some brutal vivid violent action and you will be there - remote viewing it all - so to say, as the images just come to life in this story. Highly recommend!

The Six is the first in the Remote Series with the second book scheduled to come out July 8th. The Six is about a serial killer, the Tableau Killer, who graphically kills families. This is a dark and could be a disturbing book to some readers because the Tableau Killer does kill children. The Tableau Killer has been killing for eighteen months and Special Agent Stark grudgingly ends up with Gilles Garnier, a partner with a unique ability. And together Stark and Garnier track down and try to hunt down this killer before he tortures and kills another family. All while uncovering many secrets.

Stark is our main character and he is a very flawed and unlikeable person. He has been working this case for sometime and is also estranged from his family. We see both Stark’s professional and personal lives. I was leery of Garnier for most of the book, but he did eventually grow on me.

The main story is solved with The Six, but the ending also leads into the second book in the series which as of now is scheduled to be released on July 8th. I might just be interested in continuing this series. Especially seeing that the narrator for The Six Ari Fliakos returns to narrate the second book in the series: The Five. I really enjoyed his narration, Fliakos definitely added to the ‘creepy factor’ of this novel for me!

The Six is my first novel by Rickstad, and I may find myself looking at what else he has written!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the first in a new series by Eric Rickstad, with the audio perfectly narrated by Ari Fliakos. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4.5 stars rounded up!

A serial killer is rampaging across the country, tying families to chairs-arranged in puzzling tableaus-then murdering them, without leaving a trace of evidence. FBI Special Agent Lukas Stark has been hunting the Tableau Killer but is always two steps behind. He has no idea how or why he chooses families and why they are staged. Stark is forced to take on a new partner, Gilles Garnier, who claims to be a remote viewer who sees things remotely as if they were right in front of him. Stark thinks he’s a con and doesn’t trust him, until he’s able to see things that Stark can’t explain. But will they be able to catch this killer before he strikes again?

This was a chilling book, as you would expect since it’s about a serial killer who targets families. But it’s also fascinating to watch Stark and Garnier try to stop the killer. Just how did he get such abilities and at what cost? I mostly listened to the audiobook of this one and the narration made it even more creepy – I was glued. It ended with a cliffhanger, and I can’t wait for the next in this series! If you like dark crime books, you’ll love this one.

This was another "new to me" author. The plot of this book was an interesting one. We get to meet our MMC - FBI Special Agent Lukas Stark after he has been after a certain serial killer for the past 18 months. We are slowly given snippets of his back story and begin to learn that he spends most of his life on the road trying to stop the next killing. Other tidbits are dropped in our lap that just dangle - things we know are going to be important later on....like the fact that his father is a convicted murderer who is in prison......yep, you just KNEW that was going to come into play some time.

Anyway, THIS serial killer has kept everyone stumped and after another family is murdered, he is given a "partner" by his superiors. This new guy -Gilles Garnier - supposedly can do this thing called "remote viewing" which is almost like live streaming an event from far away. Think of having a camera on someone and being able to see what they are doing in real time. Stark is more of a fact guy and has a hard time believing any of this. Honestly, TOO much time was spent with Stark not believing in Garnier's ability - to the point where it became annoying. I mean, if I was trying to find this killer, I don't care how I got the info as long as I was getting new info that could possibly be helpful....but that's just me.

Anyway, the farther we get down this road, more things come to light and we discover there was a reason that Garnier is there to help him. Lots of things are uncovered and things were never what they seemed.

I did enjoy this story. I was able to listen to this audio ARC by Ari Fliakos and I felt like he did a great job creating the right dynamic as the story unfolds. There is a lot going on at the end of the book and while I understand that he was trying to set up the next book - the ending to me felt rushed and extremely unclear. After all that happened, it was disappointing to not have a clear definitive ending and to be confused - at least for me.

Thank you To NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for the opportunity to listen to and review this audio ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone. This book will be out for publication on April 08, 2025.

This is a dark and gripping story about the the fallout from a clandestine US government programme and the brutality of a serial killer.

Investigating a harrowing series of murders, where family members are killed and left posed in a chilling tableau of family life, Detective Stark discovers that a new partner who has been foisted upon him has some psychic powers that he struggles to believe in. But whether or not Stark believes in what Garnier is offering, he needs his help.

This story contains some graphic violence, so is not for the faint hearted, but the truly original story line and fast paced action will probably appeal to other readers of thrillers as much as it did to me. Well worth checking out!

A brutal serial killer is terrorizing families, and the FBI is no closer to catching them. Special Agent Lukas Stark is assigned to the case, but his investigation takes an unexpected turn when he is forced to work with Giles Garnier—a man who claims to be a "remote viewer," able to see people and events happening in real time from a distance.

Stark is skeptical, but as the body count rises, he’s left with no choice but to accept that Garnier’s abilities may be real. Even more disturbing, it becomes clear that the killer might possess the same abilities—and a dark connection to Garnier’s past.

This book checked all the boxes for me—it was dark, intense, disturbing, and unique. The level of graphic detail and psychological depth made it exactly the kind of crime thriller I love. The eerie concept of remote viewing added an original twist, making the investigation feel even more unsettling.

The pacing is relentless, and I couldn’t put it down, especially when reading the second part on a late-night flight to Japan—talk about a perfect setting to heighten the chills! That said, I had a few issues, particularly with how the FBI’s handling of the case felt a bit unrealistic. Given the severity of the killings, it seemed odd that Stark was working alone rather than leading a full team.

A gripping, intense, and chilling crime novel with a supernatural edge. If you’re fascinated by remote viewing and love dark thrillers, this will be right up your alley. While I’m eager for the next book, I’m not entirely convinced I’ll stick with the series long-term. A solid start, but with some logic gaps.

FBI Special Agent Lukas Stark has been hunting the Tableau Killer for eighteen months, but he feels no closer figuring out why the killer manipulates the scene as he does. When the boss forces Stark to take on a new partner, Gilles Garnier, will he temper his resentment when realizing that Garnier has certain abilities that might help? Though Stark does not believe that remote viewing is real, it is undeniable that Garnier's talent is worth a second look.

As a big fan of mystery thrillers, especially police procedurals with characters of differing abilities, I could not help but find some comparison to Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz. Garnier has no parents, taken at around 4 and trained to remote view situations. He, and the other 5 like him, are not given names - just a single letter. Orphan X has no parents, taken from a foster placement to train to be an assassin. He, and the other kids, are given only a single letter for a name. Considering the fact that the first Orphan X book came out in 2016, I would think that author Eric Rickstad could have been more mindful in creating his characters here.

Additionally, it does not seem likely that the boss would have thrown Garnier into a case without briefing him on basic procedures. The fact that the man contaminates the scene more than once because he is not taught the basics does not seem plausible to me.

The audio version of the book is narrated by Ari Fliakos, who does a great job of selling the characters. He does a good job of conveying urgency and command with his voice, bringing the characters to life. The strength of the narration is the only reason why I finished the book.

Overall, the pacing of the novel was good and the narration was top notch. I had some issues with the novel, which I outlined above, and I would be hesitant to recommend the novel because of that.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Audio Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to review this novel was entirely my own.

5 Mind-Blowing Stars!
This thrilling ride is set against the stunning backdrop of Colorado—my home state! I’ve visited many of the cities mentioned in the story, making it even more captivating. As a huge fan of psychological thrillers, especially those with mind-reading twists and elements focused on the psyche, this book freaking blew me away!

"Remote: The Six" perfectly blends intensity and intrigue; I couldn’t get enough! The narrator, a fresh voice for me, brought the characters to life with remarkable skill, creating an atmospheric and eerily irresistible experience. I can’t recommend it enough!

The story revolves around a serial killer who violently murders entire families. When the case stalls, FBI Agent Lukas Stark must take on an unconventional partner, Gilles Garnier. Garnier claims to be a remote viewer who can "see" people, places, and events from afar as if they were right before him.

This book had my heart racing with every twist and turn. I couldn’t read it fast enough! The intensity is off the charts, and the vivid writing immerses you so deeply that it might haunt your dreams!

Now, a heads-up—this book isn’t for everyone. It’s dark and deeply disturbing, not shying away from graphic and brutal details. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, but if you can handle it, it’s an incredible ride!

This is my first experience with Eric Rickstad, and I’m thrilled that several of his other books are patiently waiting on my TBR list. His writing pulled me in and left me craving more! The next book, "Remote: The Five," is set to release in July, and I am so excited! It’s been ages since I’ve felt this jazzed about a series!

Thanks to the author and Blackstone Audio for providing this ALC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own and were left voluntarily.

Remote: The Six by Eric Rickstad
Narrated by Ari Fliakos
Provided by NetGalley

Remote viewers have the extrasensory gift of being able to see a scene while not being physically present. This puts and interesting twist on what has become a pervasive mainstay of murder mystery/thrillers and police procedurals (i.e., serial killers).

Rickstad has written a tight, pacy thriller. What really had me hooked (as what always hooks me) is not the killing, blood and gore, but the motive behind them – and I was not disappointed. It was rational and yet insane. For me, there is no better motive. However…there were a few things I didn’t like about the book:
1) The protagonist became increasing dislikable. To me anyway, so YMMV.
2) This book ends with, not so much as a cliffhanger (as the current story is ‘solved’) but it ends with a hook leading into the next instalment (which in my view is much better than a cliffhanger). Although I’m sure some readers consider it to be the same thing. You’ve been warned.

I’m not sure who it took more time to warm to the storytelling, me or the narrator. But we got together in the end.

Despite the detractions I’ve noted, overall, I really enjoyed the story and will read the next one.

Serial killers are creepy. Voyeurism is creepy. When a serial killer uses the power to watch anyone he wants from anywhere in the world? Downright chilling!

That's the premise in Remote:The Six, as FBI Special Agent Lukas Clark hunts the Tableau Killer, who ties families to chairs and makes some of them watch while he tortures and kills the others. Despite Clark's best efforts, he hasn't been able to catch the culprit, and now he's forced to work with a new partner, Gilles Garnier, who isn't even an agent: he claims he can "see" people remotely. Although Clark is skeptical, he soon learns not only that there's more to Garnier than he thought possible, but this strange power may help him understand the Tableau Killer as well.

This is a true thriller, filled with elements of horror and fantasy/sci-fi, sort of a Marvel's New Mutants meets Meg Gardiner's Unsub. The characters are complex and creepy, with Clark proving himself to have his own dark kink, and there are excellent twists and turns along the way. I'll definitely be looking forward to the sequel, coming out in July. Ari Fliakos does an incredible job narrating, often sounding like a dead ringer for Rod Serling and adding to the Twilight Zone-like spookiness of this book.

Thank you to Blackstone, the author, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance and to provide an unbiased review.

🎧This was my first book by this author and honestly I went into it not knowing what to expect. Instantly I was grabbed and at the edge of my seat all the way through! Definitely dark and disturbing but super engrossing.

Someone is brutally killing families. Someone that doesn’t exist. A government program that doesn’t exist created him, and others. Those that can ‘remote view’ into another persons head, seeing what they see. Some really horrific and unhinged things unfold.

I’m not a big fan of cliffhanger endings so that wasn’t my favorite, but I’m already looking forward to the next book in this series!

The narrator did an amazing job at amping up the creepy factor and definitely added to the overall experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing Audiobooks for this advanced audiobook copy.

In an interesting turn of events, I received the audio for The Six, from NetGalley, and the print ARC from the publisher. The audio was excellent, with the voice actor pulling off some distinct voices for the main characters. The cover art is problematic - more on that later. My interest was high because I’d heard positive feedback in bookish places, so I'm glad to have gotten the opportunity to read this early! Let’s dig in!

FBI Special Agent Lukas Stark has been chasing a serial killer for over a year and can’t seem to get a break. The guy breaks into homes and brutally massacres entire families. We are introduced to Lukas and the serial killer at the scene of his latest murder. Note: Gruesome description of the murder scene included. Serial Killer porn is more my sister's vibe, so I was on the brink of pounding out, when I skipped 2 pages and got on the other side.

Because Stark hasn’t caught the guy, the ‘higher ups’ bring in a partner for him: Gilles Garnier. Gilles is the socially awkward, no people skills, genius type. He claims to be apart of an elite team, capable of remote viewing other people. Upfront, we don’t get a lot of explanation about this, uh..science. He closes his eyes, concentrates, and boom - we see you in line at Starbucks. Stark isn’t happy about being forced into having a partner, worse its this guy with an ‘ability’ he cant see or trust. He compares it to profiling, which he calls a pop culture parlor trick that never caught on. Ouch! Eventually, Stark and Gillies get on the same page and find the killer. Unfortunately, he’s in Starks family’s living room when it happens. 

Pros: I love when an author can write characters along the finest of lines, bordering right and wrong. Stark, having been away from home chasing this guy for over a year, has a strained relationship with his wife and son. As Stark learns how the killer chooses and stalks his victims, we see Stark doing something similar with his own family. How different is he from the killer? How far will he go to get answers?

It’s a hard lesson to learn, but eventually, Stark believes Gillies can do what he says. But Gillies and his ability is untrustworthy. At one point he snitches on Stark to the higher ups, and it costs them precious time in the investigation. I don’t trust or Gillies and have my eye him! I cant say too much, but we meet a real estate agent that is almost comedic relief in the middle of a gruesome mystery! Again, all good characters!

Cons: Again, the first part of this is loaded with serial killer porn but, I'm glad I didn't walk away. In seeking male voices, maybe you have to put up with the stereotypical alpha male shit. I’ll live.

In contrast to the murder scene overkill, we get zero science around “remote viewing”. So for the first couple of chapters, I wasn’t confident I understood what they meant! Had I missed something? Compared to authors like Jonathan Maberry, who will literally crash out, making up 4 chapters worth of pseudoscience to have you believe zombies and vampires really exist, and are blowing up the world, this tactic was disorientating.There's got to be a happy medium between the two. 

My final and most realist con would be the title mix up. Publishers, what is the title of this book?! In some spaces I see Remote: The Six, in others we see The Six, Remote series…FIX IT! It’s definitely the fault of the cover art, but, come on folks. This is the simplest of things to get right! 

This read to me like a buddy, cop action movie. Stark gave snarky, morally gray cop and Gillies is the capable partner, you can't fully trust. This book releases in April and the author has left plenty of untidy ends to get us to come back for more! Book two releases this summer and I will be picking it up! I know Gillies is going to stab our boy in the back and I want to be there to scream at the pages!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you to Author @ericrickstadauthor @NetGalley, and @blackstonepublishing for the opportunity to listen to this amazing, dark thriller on audiobook. This book reminded me of a modern day "Stranger Things" without the Sci-Fi elements but this story also has a serial killer. The main character is a gruff FBI agent with a slight chip on his shoulder who likes to do things by the book. While searching for the killer, who chooses families as his victims, the number of murders continue to grow, and Special Agent Lukas Stark's determination to catch the killer grows ever stronger. Stark is married with a young son, so this hits home. When Stark's higher ups assign Giles Garnier to "assist" Stark in the hunt for the serial killer, Stark is not at all happy since Garnier isn't law enforcement and Stark has not been given the reason why Garnier has been assigned. This is a dark thriller sure to make you check your doors at night. The narration was nicely done, giving depth to each of the characters emotions and personality’s. The storytelling was amazing as I could literally see the scenarios in my mind as they were described with such clarity. This was my first book by Eric Rickstad and won't be the last! #remotethesix #ericrickstad

I was drawn to this novel because of the remote viewing aspect, which turned out to be somewhat interesting. The story is very dark and gritty, with a decent amount of suspense, and the writing flowed well, but the characters were a bit flat and I had trouble identifying with any of them. The narrator of the audio version did a good job.

BI Special Agent Lukas Stark is after the Tableau Serial Killer. An unsub who is moving around the country killing families in a very specific and disturbing manner, but so far, there seems to be no connection between the victims. Starks’ investigation is not progressing as fast as the killer is racking up body totals, so the agency brings in a man, Gilles Garnier. Gilles and Starks are polar opposites in the in the world of investigation. Starks is by the book and Gilles – well – he has zero background, but all of the clearance and too many secrets. As the story progresses, we get a connection between Gilles and the unsub and pieces of a puzzle that go too far up the chain of command and are too numerous to put into one novel.

Remote viewing is the practice of using the mind to gain information about a person, object or event that cannot be seen. During the Cold War, the CIA and US military took remote viewing seriously using a classified program called Stargate. There are a lot of questions surrounding this program and the experiments that went on, who was involved, the results and outcomes.

Rickstad has brilliantly pulled a piece of obscure military history and brought it to life. This book is not for the faint of heart. It is a nonstop, no punches pulled thrill ride with descriptions that are so graphic it is nothing short of cinematic. This gritty thriller had me hooked from the beginning and I stayed up all night, unable to put it down. It ranks among the very best in the psycho-criminal genre. To truly understand the mind of a sadistic killer is to delve into a dark, terrifying world that few would ever dare to enter.

4.5⭐️ rounded up -- publishing April 8th, 2025

A serial killer is tying families to chairs to face each other, then murdering them - some of the most sadistic scenes Stark has seen. FBI Special Agent Lukas Stark has been hunting the Tableau Killer for eighteen months but is always two steps behind. In his latest case, there is a single child unaccounted for -- it's a race against the clock to find him. But he can't do it alone. He has no understanding of why the killer stages the scenes so meticulously or chooses entire families.
In walks Gilles Garnier, (what I pictured to be a goth type) loner -- he claims he’s a "remote viewer" who “sees” people, places, and events far away as if they’re right in front of him. Herein lies a government conspiracy so ominous, it shakes their reality to the core.

Thoughts: I LOVED this strange, wild case! I have never read anything like it before! I was gifted the audio and the narrator was meticulous with his voice changes to reflect the characters as best he could -- totally giving the creep vibes at times.

I love NetGalley because it introduces me to authors I've never heard of before -- this guy has quite the backlog and I've already begun following him on Instagram and have added two more to my TBR. This book was written as a whole and was likely divided in pieces from his publishers to create a series - as the last line of this one, starts the next book, set to release this summer (Remote: The Five). I cannot wait to continue the ride! Thanks to the publisher for the chance to read early and review.