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Wet Work: The Unseen, Book One
They Call Themselves the Unseen.
In every major city in the world, they lurk—scheming, controlling…and feeding.
Emily Gordon knows them all too well. A pillar of the Omaha community, she is the wealthy and respected founder of a local shelter for homeless teenagers. No one knows the source of her fortune, nor what she did before she came to town. But that past resurfaces the night one of her charges is found brutally murdered, and she learns to her horror that the Unseen are involved.
They have set their sights on Omaha. And Emily is the only one who can stop them.
As werewolves, demons, and other dark forces align against her, Emily fights to keep from reverting to the woman she once was. But with the Unseen, it always comes down to wet work. She'll have to risk the new life she has built for herself to have any chance of defeating them.
"Fans of Jim Butcher will love this fast-paced supernatural thriller, filled with just the right balance of horror and heart. Rotundo knows how to grab hold of a reader and not let them go until the very last page." --David Walton, author of The Genius Plague
In every major city in the world, they lurk—scheming, controlling…and feeding.
Emily Gordon knows them all too well. A pillar of the Omaha community, she is the wealthy and respected founder of a local shelter for homeless teenagers. No one knows the source of her fortune, nor what she did before she came to town. But that past resurfaces the night one of her charges is found brutally murdered, and she learns to her horror that the Unseen are involved.
They have set their sights on Omaha. And Emily is the only one who can stop them.
As werewolves, demons, and other dark forces align against her, Emily fights to keep from reverting to the woman she once was. But with the Unseen, it always comes down to wet work. She'll have to risk the new life she has built for herself to have any chance of defeating them.
"Fans of Jim Butcher will love this fast-paced supernatural thriller, filled with just the right balance of horror and heart. Rotundo knows how to grab hold of a reader and not let them go until the very last page." --David Walton, author of The Genius Plague
259 pages, Paperback
Published May 23, 2023
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Matthew S. Rotundo
14 books16 followersMatt wrote his first story—”The Elephant and the Cheese”—when he was eight years old. It was the first time he had ever filled an entire page with writing. To his young mind, that seemed like a major accomplishment. It occurred to him shortly thereafter that writing stories was what he wanted to do with his life.
Matt gravitated to science fiction, fantasy, and horror at an early age, too. He discovered Ray Bradbury’s “The Fog Horn” in a grade school reader, and read it over and over whenever he got bored in class. (Needless to say, he read it a lot.) Other classics soon followed—Dune and Lord of the Rings and Foundation, the usual suspects. As a boy, he often pretended his bicycle was Shadowfax, and that he was Gandalf, riding like mad for Minas Tirith. Yeah, he was that kind of kid. Half the time, his family and friends didn’t know what the hell he was talking about.
Matt’s story “Alan Smithee Lives in Hell” placed second in the 1997 Science Fiction Writers of Earth Contest. In 1998, he attended Odyssey. The workshop led directly to his first sale—”Black Boxes,” in Absolute Magnitude. In 2002, Matt won a Phobos Award for “Hitting the Skids in Pixeltown.” He was a 2008 winner in the Writers of the Future Contest. He has since continued to publish in various magazines.
Matt lives in Nebraska. He has husked corn only once in his life, and has never been detasseling, so he insists he is not a hick.
Matt gravitated to science fiction, fantasy, and horror at an early age, too. He discovered Ray Bradbury’s “The Fog Horn” in a grade school reader, and read it over and over whenever he got bored in class. (Needless to say, he read it a lot.) Other classics soon followed—Dune and Lord of the Rings and Foundation, the usual suspects. As a boy, he often pretended his bicycle was Shadowfax, and that he was Gandalf, riding like mad for Minas Tirith. Yeah, he was that kind of kid. Half the time, his family and friends didn’t know what the hell he was talking about.
Matt’s story “Alan Smithee Lives in Hell” placed second in the 1997 Science Fiction Writers of Earth Contest. In 1998, he attended Odyssey. The workshop led directly to his first sale—”Black Boxes,” in Absolute Magnitude. In 2002, Matt won a Phobos Award for “Hitting the Skids in Pixeltown.” He was a 2008 winner in the Writers of the Future Contest. He has since continued to publish in various magazines.
Matt lives in Nebraska. He has husked corn only once in his life, and has never been detasseling, so he insists he is not a hick.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 10, 2023
Ignore the unappealing title: This is a solid, enjoyable supernatural thriller with a great protagonist and a satisfying ending.
Full review at the New York Journal of Books:
https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book...
Full review at the New York Journal of Books:
https://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book...
August 4, 2023
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
Wet Work is a paranormal / urban fantasy book that features main female character Emily.
I did like that the book tells pieces of the story through Emily's flashbacks.
The beginning of the book was a great pace and interesting. HOWEVER, about half way through the book, it started losing steam. It got a little confusing at times, but mostly was just... way too slow for me. I struggled to finish the book which is a shame considering how great the start was!
Wet Work is a paranormal / urban fantasy book that features main female character Emily.
I did like that the book tells pieces of the story through Emily's flashbacks.
The beginning of the book was a great pace and interesting. HOWEVER, about half way through the book, it started losing steam. It got a little confusing at times, but mostly was just... way too slow for me. I struggled to finish the book which is a shame considering how great the start was!
July 14, 2023
The supernatural takes an interest in her small city and she won't let them outsmart her! Excellent story telling about Unseen forces. A fun take on keeping what lurks in the dark away. We learn about our FMC Emily through wonderfully placed flashbacks that hit hard within her story. A great example of showing a world instead of telling a reader what to think. An awesome read for fans of supernatural mystery!
July 7, 2023
Wet Work:The Unseen, Book1
3. 5 Stars
The horrifying cover had me curious enough to read.
Emily owns the local shelter, which houses homeless teenagers. No one knows she is trying to atone for her past. When one of her children is found dead, Emily's past collides with the present.
This is a fast-paced urban fantasy. I really enjoyed the first half of Wet Work. Mid-way through, I was becoming irritated with the decreased pace, lack of information, and not having any answers. My least favorite aspects of this book are flashback scenes & not smooth transitions back to the present. They made the story drag and often confused me.
Overall, I found the book blurb intriguing, and had high hopes for this one, but it lost steam midway-through. The ending was lackluster.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
3. 5 Stars
The horrifying cover had me curious enough to read.
Emily owns the local shelter, which houses homeless teenagers. No one knows she is trying to atone for her past. When one of her children is found dead, Emily's past collides with the present.
This is a fast-paced urban fantasy. I really enjoyed the first half of Wet Work. Mid-way through, I was becoming irritated with the decreased pace, lack of information, and not having any answers. My least favorite aspects of this book are flashback scenes & not smooth transitions back to the present. They made the story drag and often confused me.
Overall, I found the book blurb intriguing, and had high hopes for this one, but it lost steam midway-through. The ending was lackluster.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 2, 2023
A pretty good book. Nice action with just enough flashbacks to keep the reader informed.
After leaving the life of Wet Work, E starts a refuge for teenage kids. When her past enters the scene, she does what she has to in order to protect not only the shelter but the city of Omaha itself. Betrayal and misdirection will keep you interested.
After leaving the life of Wet Work, E starts a refuge for teenage kids. When her past enters the scene, she does what she has to in order to protect not only the shelter but the city of Omaha itself. Betrayal and misdirection will keep you interested.
November 18, 2023
I was not expecting much from this book, as it is not my usual genre. A friend suggested I read it, and boy, am I glad I did. The story starts quickly and keeps on moving with little downtime. The characters are interesting and generally not cookie-cutter. I was not sure if the idea of "The Unseen" was going to work, but Mr. Rotundo pulled it off.
I am the kind of person who visualizes what they read, and this story came alive in my head. It was a fairly quick read, but most enjoyable. I look forward to the next installment!
I am the kind of person who visualizes what they read, and this story came alive in my head. It was a fairly quick read, but most enjoyable. I look forward to the next installment!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews