Convict

by Michael Cole

It has killed over a thousand lifeforms on a thousand planets. There is no motive for its crimes other than for the thrill of bloodshed. As cunning as it is ruthless, it has escaped captivity from the galactic marshals of its home world.

An intergalactic Convict, it feels no sympathy, remorse, or any sense of moral code. All it knows is the pleasure from the pain and suffering it causes, and the drive to inflict more of it.

Now, it has found new hunting ground on a lush green and blue Earth. There, the Convict finds a whole new species to satisfy its bloodlust. After landing its ship in a wooded area, the Convict enjoys hacking up campers, hikers, and anyone else unlucky enough to wander nearby.

Its recreational killing spree brings the Convict to a pair of cabins near the lake. One is packed full of young adults trying to get away from everyday life. The other is occupied by disgraced police officer Diego Tritton. Fired for use of excessive force, he has a severe distaste for criminals—no matter which galaxy they’re from.

Genres: Science Fiction

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 24, 2023

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name

Among authors of this name:

*Michael Cole - Rare, Antiquarian Books
*Canon Michael Cole - Editor, Christian periodicals
*Michael Cole - Children's books
*Michael Cole - Psychology, Children's development
*Michael F. Cole - Infectious Diseases
*Michael R. Cole - Horror, Science Fiction

Reviews

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really, probably 3.5/5.0 stars. I downloaded this to have something fun on while I was on a long car trip. It did not disappoint.

[Terry and dog · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sci fi alien slasher story. Michael Cole gets down and dirty with this one. Lots of gruesome deaths by an alien that fancies a bit of inventive torture with his violence. Of course you have to have some human victims and a few that fight back, and they are here in this rural, semi isolated setting by a lake in the forest. This surprised me.

[Alexander Draganov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Convict is an outstanding action scifi novel. Michael Cole does not hide the Predator's influence on the story, but he creates an even more hateful and frightening villain who is a serial killer, not a hunter. This creature arouses indignation in the reader even with the description of his first acts, and the disgust does not cease to intensify until the finale. This is an almost invulnerable antagonist that will haunt your nightmares for a long time.
It is the best book Michael Cole has written so far, a masterpiece of alien terror!
You can read a more detailed review in Bulgarian here:
https://citadelata.com/convict/

[Andy Herzfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. I had my doubts for a minute but I knew Michael Cole had something up his sleeve. This is the absolute worst kind of ET close encounter you could have with an Alien. This giant, super strong insectoid type who resembled humans with arms and legs but that is the only way. Otherworld killing devices and tech gadgets this psycho tuned to torture and kill his victims. An intergalactic serial killer who escaped his confinement in an intergalactic marshals who had captured him and crash landed on earth. He methodically killed all of his captors and then started working on the local population. Fast paced and interesting read once you get hooked you will burn through it.

[Dale Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine an alien lifeform landing on Earth and wreaking havoc with its gizmos and gadgets upon unsuspecting humans- the surprise, the gore, the intergalactic inventory of weapons. Yup, this has it all, and is a very entertaining read.

This is really well written, especially from the alien's POV. Some great inventive deaths are unleashed in this novel.

If you want some action and sci-fi, then I would definitely recommend this.

[Jacques Hollands · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into Convict—the title sounds like a prison break thriller, but what I got was something delightfully weirder: an alien running amok near a peaceful lake, leaving a trail of carnage behind.

Let’s be clear—this is not literary fiction. It’s not trying to win awards for emotional depth or poetic language. It’s the kind of book where you lean back, crack open a drink, and enjoy a few hours of gory, sci-fi chaos. And in that sense, it delivers.

The premise might sound a bit out there (okay, a lot out there), but the execution works surprisingly well. There’s a real sense of tension, and Cole knows how to set the pace. The book doesn’t try to be more than it is—and that’s exactly why it works. You get your mystery, your action, your blood-splattered moments, and an alien that definitely doesn’t come in peace.

Is it going to change your life? No. Is it a fun afternoon read? Absolutely. A solid 4 stars from me.

[Addam Dallman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Predator Meets Serial Killer

Convict by Michael Cole is a great story. What I really liked was that the convicts species was similar to humans on a mental level. This truly showed how evil the convict really was compared to others of its own species. I also enjoyed how we got so much time with the convict that he felt more like a character than just another killer alien. The plot flows really well and is always enjoyable. As for the narrator Jack Clancy he did a phenomenal job telling this story. He really brought characters as well as the situation to life. All in all Convict is def worth the read or listen.

[Tracy L. Mateer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining read

While not my usual trope, I was intrigued by the cover. Nice mix of horror, sci-if (of which I’m normally not a fan). A convict from another world lands on earth and wreaks havoc. Well edited and enjoyable. You want to check this one out for something different

[Peter Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever, enjoyable action thriller

This was a very well written novel, very violent, but extremely entertaining, it's hard to avoid similarities to other media, but it is a well paced and enjoyable story.

[wayne peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of this book.

This wss an excellent story. Scared the scrap out of me. We always wonder what an encounter with aliens would be like. I do not want to find out. This book was well thought out and written. I would read more like it. We did prevail!! Kudos to the author.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting Read

From the start this book was interesting. I kind of wish The Convict was in a big city with more humans.
Diego got a bad deal but hope his future is brighter afterwards.

[Michael Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, yet derivative

Though just as much fun as his other novels, and much, much cleaner with regards to errors, there was the inescapable fact that these creatures were clearly modeled after a famous movie monster species. A real Predator, not to put too fine a point on it.

[Dixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awezome

A very unique read and quite good. Realistiic ,yet not too far off what COULD happen. Read it. Lived every minute of the book

[Deb Starzl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

Totally enjoyed this book! I continue to buy more abd more Michael Cole! Can't get enough. For a Grandma, these types of stories are one of my top 3👍

[Amanda Brewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

I liked the characters and the story line. Good ending too. It was a little "predator-esque" and reminded me of those movies.

[AJRXII · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was great fun. What a bad bastard the alien is!!

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even cheesier than I expected, but it fits the genre of mindless slasher fest.

[Michael Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aliens and stuff!

Fun and frantic read with a few show spots. Took a bit to get into the story but it's well worth it! Recommended for the sci-fi horror freak in us all.

[Shelley Barr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad….MC usually writes about creatures in the water. This is the first space one I’ve read by him. I got a total Predator vibe though from the Convict. A Predator, that has no honor, not that they all do lol. However, this thing was just a serial killer, not a hunter. It was a fun quick read, while I was in between books.