What a crazy ride!
Montecito drops you into a polished, extravagant, and polished world. The suspense never stops.

Hollis Crawford is on the brink. He has lost multiple jobs, and his financial security is slipping. The life he built in one of California's wealthiest enclaves with his lovely wife and two kids is unsustainable. When the Wimby family enters the scene, they offer him a way back in, and the Cox sets up the central tension: how far will someone go to keep up appearances?

The story follows Hollis as he becomes closely entangled with Cyrus Wimby, whose exudes wealth but never explains it. The opportunity Cyrus has offered feels like a rescue, but it quickly becomes clear that the opportunity is one of complicity, one that Hollis can barely stomach.

The pacing is excellent as Hollis slowly trades away his integrity and his freedom. This is a character-driven thriller that focuses less on shocking twists and more on the gradual erosion of safety. What in the world can Hollis do to save himself and his family? The end is stupendous and this is a standout book!

#Montecito #MichaelCox #InveniamViamPress

This book is getting lots of early buzz and should be a summer blockbuster. Set in Monticeto, California, home to Oprah and Harry and Megan (yeah, those ex royals) you know you’re in a tony enclave. The novel opens with Hollis Crawford, living in the wrong side of the tracks, struggling to afford the lifestyle. He’s lost his third job. Enter Cyrus Wimby, who dangles a lucrative job in front of him, but w no cash salary, it’s all in stock options. How far will Hollis risk his family’s security to keep up appearances. And what’s really up with Cyrus and how he attained the status he has? Recommended for public libraries

5 Stars

An impressive debut from Michael Cox. WOW I’m already excited to see what he writes next. They Buzz about this book is legit!

Do NOT sleep on this book. Mark your calendar and read it on release day: June 30, 2026.

Fantastic story with superb writing from beginning to end—and wow, that ending… let’s talk about it!
This suspenseful, twisty thriller is set in glamorous, elite Montecito, where reputation is everything and secrets are dangerous currency. Hollis knows more than he lets on, but he keeps going—because losing isn’t an option.
The fast-paced writing had me completely hooked. I binged this book and couldn’t put it down.

Thank you Micheal Cox, Inveniam Viam Press, and Netgalley for the ARC. 5 FANTASTIC STAR READ

A gripping crime thriller serialized to rave reviews for 32 weeks in the Montecito Journal. I could not put this down!

A true five star read!

Knowing this was inspired by a true story made it all the more compelling. Hollis Crawford - if you don't know someone just like him, you are likely just like him yourself. Intelligent but invisible, reticent and yet argumentative; he describes his likely neurodivergence as 'the fog'. I can honestly relate to Hollis in many ways. Self-deprecating and really quite funny, and a truly loving family man who just wants to make his family proud. After losing three jobs he feels quite helpless and lost and that's when he literally stumbles into the world of Cyrus Wimby.

Cyrus is like the sun and everyone else oribits around him. Physically commanding and attractive and with a golden tongue, he lures people to his snake-pit in the sun of Montecito. The enclave of paradise for those that can afford it. With platitudes and promises he builds up our friend Hollis to feel like he just might be able to come through with earning the pride of his family after all. A job offer that seems to good to be true leads Hollis to the gateway of greed, fraud and corruption. But Cyrus only ever wanted Hollis as a figure head, someone to sign signatures and dance to the beat of his drum.

It doesn't take long for Hollis to start to suspect something isn't right, but he feels like he just can't take another punch to the gut, so tries to stay positive and trust Cyrus. This is where the reader starts yelling at the book - "Hollis ffs", "You have to do something NOW Hollis", "Don't sign it Hollis, DO NOT SIGN IT"...

And then as things continue to spiral and get dangerous, you sit on the edge of your seat just waiting and WHAT AN ENDING!

I highly recommend this book for the beautiful writing, the fully-fleshed out characters, the perfectly described setting and a truly gripping literary crime/mystery. I can't wait for Michael Cox's next book!

Much thanks to NetGalley and Inveniam Press for the ARC.