Evolution Bay
A Speculative Biotech Thriller
by Matthew Scura
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Mar 01 2026 | Archive Date Feb 28 2026
Talking about this book? Use #EvolutionBay #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
After destroying a million-dollar batch of lab-grown meat, synthetic biologist Jennifer Milligan loses her career—and the income keeping her mother in nursing care. Desperate, she uncovers evidence of a secret research lab where evolution itself is programmable.
At the Department of Research Applications, rogue scientists force life to adapt at terrifying speed, producing miracles as often as monstrosities. As Jennifer proves herself indispensable, she realizes her past work in stem-cell manipulation may be the key to the lab’s most dangerous breakthrough.
But when the DRA seizes on her idea and races toward human trials without proper testing, Jennifer faces a painful truth: no discovery is worth pushing humanity off a cliff. And there’s no such thing as walking away from The Department—not after you’ve seen the belly of the beast. With trials days away and the facility in perpetual lockdown, Jennifer must risk her life to stop the ever-evolving machine or accept her place as one of its keepers.
EVOLUTION BAY is a tense speculative thriller about ambition, secrecy, and what happens when innovation outruns morality.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9781971421025 |
| PRICE | $3.99 (USD) |
Available on NetGalley
Average rating from 12 members
Featured Reviews
“Evolution Bay” is a gripping speculative thriller that dives headfirst into the dark side of scientific ambition and the dangerous line between innovation and ethics. Mathew Scura crafts a fast-paced, high-stakes story that blends cutting-edge biotechnology with the suspense of a locked-down research facility where every discovery comes with a cost.
Jennifer Milligan is a compelling and relatable protagonist—flawed, desperate, and fiercely intelligent. After losing everything, she finds herself drawn into a secretive organization where evolution is no longer natural but engineered at terrifying speed. As the experiments escalate from groundbreaking to horrifying, Jennifer’s moral struggle becomes the emotional core of the novel. Readers will feel the tension mounting as she grapples with whether to save her career and security—or risk everything to stop a catastrophic scientific leap.
Scura excels at creating a claustrophobic atmosphere, making the Department of Research Applications feel like a living, breathing machine that traps everyone inside. The pacing is sharp, with plenty of suspenseful twists and ethical dilemmas that keep the reader questioning what progress should look like—and who gets to decide humanity’s future.
While the scientific concepts can be dense at times, they add depth and realism to the story’s speculative elements. Fans of techno-thrillers and science-driven suspense will appreciate the blend of action, moral conflict, and thought-provoking “what if” scenarios.
Overall, “Evolution Bay” is an intense, thought-provoking read that explores the consequences of playing with evolution and the price of pushing innovation too far. Perfect for readers who enjoy speculative thrillers packed with tension, ethical gray areas, and nonstop momentum.
Readers who liked this book also liked:
Melinda Taub
General Fiction (Adult), New Adult, Sci Fi & Fantasy