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Zealous
In this fresh, action-filled thriller, a talented scientist is forced to unravel what happened to her memory while fighting for survival with assassins behind her back.
A young scientist, Nika Beresic, experiences an epileptic seizure and ends up in a hospital, where she discovers that her vivid dreams are more than just figments of her imagination. Unsure whether her mind is playing tricks on her or if she truly has a hidden past as a secret agent, she sets out to uncover the truth.
Her search leads her to plans for a revolutionary neurotech device that could change what science knows about the human brain. Before she can find out more about the device and a concealed project she seems to be part of, everyone involved suddenly falls silent.
Upon learning she is up against a much more powerful enemy, one who is willing to eliminate anybody deemed a liability, Nika realizes that revealing what happened to her becomes her only chance to make it out alive.
A young scientist, Nika Beresic, experiences an epileptic seizure and ends up in a hospital, where she discovers that her vivid dreams are more than just figments of her imagination. Unsure whether her mind is playing tricks on her or if she truly has a hidden past as a secret agent, she sets out to uncover the truth.
Her search leads her to plans for a revolutionary neurotech device that could change what science knows about the human brain. Before she can find out more about the device and a concealed project she seems to be part of, everyone involved suddenly falls silent.
Upon learning she is up against a much more powerful enemy, one who is willing to eliminate anybody deemed a liability, Nika realizes that revealing what happened to her becomes her only chance to make it out alive.
231 pages, Hardcover
Published June 14, 2024
21 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Alex Rawecki
1 book12 followersAlex Rawecki is a scientist with a PhD in Neuroscience and an author of several scientific articles. After leaving academia, Alex has held various positions within the biotechnology industry. He is passionate about science, innovative technologies that are changing our lives, and immersive stories that offer an escape from reality. Under the pen name Alex Rawecki, he ventures into the realm of fiction with his debut technothriller novel, Zealous.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 4, 2024
One of the first things that drew me into this book is its cover art, which is riveting, unique, compelling, and commanding. Zealous: A Thriller by Alex Rawecki is a taut, fast paced, stand alone action packed novel, where a scientist and her partner are in a desperate search for answers about a research project that may be affecting her, but they keep hitting dead ends, literally, as anyone connected suddenly seems targeted for a violent end, and soon she is as well.
“In a modern office building outside of Brussels” a man and woman are speaking frankly, “‘We're facing an issue with the project. We advanced to phase 4 three weeks ago, but the subject isn't responding as anticipated. We've double-checked the input data, and it all seems correct. However, we're concerned about potential malfunctions in the coming days if we proceed with the protocol as planned,’ Mathilde Bariau summarized.” She questions the algorithm, but suspects the subject is the problem’s source, thanking the general for his time as she leaves. As the door closes, the general “…slammed his fist on the table. He knew he had circumvented several rules when he gave this project a green light. Somehow, he had hoped the risk would pay off in the end. But now, too many people were involved to keep the failure of the project contained.”
Research scientist Nika Beresic’s increasingly weird dreams, the voices she hears in her head, and strange deja vu moments are really stressing her out. Suddenly she has an excruciatingly painful headache, which leads to a powerful seizure rendering her unconscious. She wakes up in a hospital where her doctor drops a piece of paper with a number sequence on it that haunts Nika when she sees it, and when her partner Marc reads it, he stiffens and rushes to return it to the doctor.
Almost immediately Nika and Marc are on the run from their old life in a desperate hunt for anything that brings them closer to the meaning of that number sequence and what is happening to her. She is zealous in her online pursuit of documents, names, connections, and clues that can bring answers and clarity, while her partner starts seeing her as having psychotic behavior and needing medications with professional care to “help” her. Even Nika feels her own brain is gaslighting her, and ponders, “Why is she all of a sudden having dreams about being a secret agent on different missions?”
Their joint investigation leads them in a cat and mouse game as they journey across Europe, making appointments with people who end up being dead ends, suddenly extinguished in accidents. The two increasingly feel the walls closing in as the pool of people who may know something seems to be in imminent danger of extinction. The doctor where she’d been hospitalized records a message for Nika, but powerful players are monitoring the web, not hesitating to remove anything that points back to them. If she has another seizure, she’ll need hospitalization, but that risks making their location available to their greatest threat.
This book keeps readers’ attention from beginning to the surprising end, and goes to show those with single minded zealousness to attain their goals rarely disappoint themselves.
“In a modern office building outside of Brussels” a man and woman are speaking frankly, “‘We're facing an issue with the project. We advanced to phase 4 three weeks ago, but the subject isn't responding as anticipated. We've double-checked the input data, and it all seems correct. However, we're concerned about potential malfunctions in the coming days if we proceed with the protocol as planned,’ Mathilde Bariau summarized.” She questions the algorithm, but suspects the subject is the problem’s source, thanking the general for his time as she leaves. As the door closes, the general “…slammed his fist on the table. He knew he had circumvented several rules when he gave this project a green light. Somehow, he had hoped the risk would pay off in the end. But now, too many people were involved to keep the failure of the project contained.”
Research scientist Nika Beresic’s increasingly weird dreams, the voices she hears in her head, and strange deja vu moments are really stressing her out. Suddenly she has an excruciatingly painful headache, which leads to a powerful seizure rendering her unconscious. She wakes up in a hospital where her doctor drops a piece of paper with a number sequence on it that haunts Nika when she sees it, and when her partner Marc reads it, he stiffens and rushes to return it to the doctor.
Almost immediately Nika and Marc are on the run from their old life in a desperate hunt for anything that brings them closer to the meaning of that number sequence and what is happening to her. She is zealous in her online pursuit of documents, names, connections, and clues that can bring answers and clarity, while her partner starts seeing her as having psychotic behavior and needing medications with professional care to “help” her. Even Nika feels her own brain is gaslighting her, and ponders, “Why is she all of a sudden having dreams about being a secret agent on different missions?”
Their joint investigation leads them in a cat and mouse game as they journey across Europe, making appointments with people who end up being dead ends, suddenly extinguished in accidents. The two increasingly feel the walls closing in as the pool of people who may know something seems to be in imminent danger of extinction. The doctor where she’d been hospitalized records a message for Nika, but powerful players are monitoring the web, not hesitating to remove anything that points back to them. If she has another seizure, she’ll need hospitalization, but that risks making their location available to their greatest threat.
This book keeps readers’ attention from beginning to the surprising end, and goes to show those with single minded zealousness to attain their goals rarely disappoint themselves.
July 7, 2024
Mr. Rawecki is new at the game of fiction and right from the bat he has penned a winner. “Zealous” is a fast paced techno-thriller filled with suspense and intrigue that dabbles intensively into neuroscience. One can say it is a bit on the sci-fi side but what an exciting and unpredictable read very hard to put aside.
The story in a few words:
Nika Beresic, a talented scientist, has vivid and recurring dreams of being a secret agent. Is her mind playing tricks? After experiencing an epileptic seizure and ending up in hospital she discovers her dreams may be more than a figment of her imagination. She sets out to unravel what happened to her memory and while doing so she learns that she is up against a powerful enemy....Nika becomes a liability to be dealt with.......will she make it out alive...
More thoughts:
At the very start I didn’t think I would enjoy this story but once it got rolling and the action kicked in I was hooked. The story flows well and is very graphic. It would make a great movie it surely is a fabulous read. This thriller is a taut and action packed not a dull moment following the scientist and Marc, her partner, in a desperate search for answer. This blend of sci-fi and mystery ticks all the right boxes: well written, exciting storyline, great characters, lots of suspense and action and to boot a fresh and entertaining story.
“Thank you Mr.Rrawecki for this unpredictable and exhilarating read
The story in a few words:
Nika Beresic, a talented scientist, has vivid and recurring dreams of being a secret agent. Is her mind playing tricks? After experiencing an epileptic seizure and ending up in hospital she discovers her dreams may be more than a figment of her imagination. She sets out to unravel what happened to her memory and while doing so she learns that she is up against a powerful enemy....Nika becomes a liability to be dealt with.......will she make it out alive...
More thoughts:
At the very start I didn’t think I would enjoy this story but once it got rolling and the action kicked in I was hooked. The story flows well and is very graphic. It would make a great movie it surely is a fabulous read. This thriller is a taut and action packed not a dull moment following the scientist and Marc, her partner, in a desperate search for answer. This blend of sci-fi and mystery ticks all the right boxes: well written, exciting storyline, great characters, lots of suspense and action and to boot a fresh and entertaining story.
“Thank you Mr.Rrawecki for this unpredictable and exhilarating read
June 24, 2024
A short, sharp adrenaline rush.
Zealous is a techno-thriller, a wonderfully intense action-packed short debut novel.
It has an interesting, plausible (and scary) premise, is fast-paced and serves up some surprising plot twists. The main character is sympathetic, the dialogue is believable and it has a satisfying ending. An all-round entertaining read.
Zealous is a techno-thriller, a wonderfully intense action-packed short debut novel.
It has an interesting, plausible (and scary) premise, is fast-paced and serves up some surprising plot twists. The main character is sympathetic, the dialogue is believable and it has a satisfying ending. An all-round entertaining read.
October 11, 2024
What I Did Like:
+LOVE the vibe of the cover. This would definitely be an impulse pick up and read for me based on the cover alone.
+The neurological science is cool. It’s interesting and explained in a way that makes it accessible for the average reader.
Who Should Read This One:
-Fans of science in their thrillers may enjoy this one.
My Rating: 2 Stars
Unfortunately, like a lot of readers, I find editing mistakes to be distracting and problematic. This swapping of verb tenses qualified as distracting. With another round of editing, I may have felt differently.
For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2024/10/...
+LOVE the vibe of the cover. This would definitely be an impulse pick up and read for me based on the cover alone.
+The neurological science is cool. It’s interesting and explained in a way that makes it accessible for the average reader.
Who Should Read This One:
-Fans of science in their thrillers may enjoy this one.
My Rating: 2 Stars
Unfortunately, like a lot of readers, I find editing mistakes to be distracting and problematic. This swapping of verb tenses qualified as distracting. With another round of editing, I may have felt differently.
For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2024/10/...
July 3, 2024
"Zealous" by Alex Rawecki is an exciting, page-turner of a techno-thriller about a young electrical engineer-turned neuroscience student, Nika Beresic, who has a strong motivation to produce an implantable multi-array electrode device to allow her to record and better understand human brain activity. Her outstanding academic record afforded her the opportunity to study under Prof. Thomas Wernig in the Neuroscience Division at the prestigious Maxwell Laboratories in Munich, Germany. Her initial progress and self-worth, however, met a serious setback due to the anti-feministic views of her research supervisor, which led to her feelings of anxiety and depression, and eventual addiction to benzodiazepines. Her research continued despite these hurdles, and she progressed with the help of a foreign student she met in another lab. Then, her spirits improved when she met and developed a long-term relationship with a British man who rescued her from a bad blind date. However, her life took an unexpected bad turn when she began having fantastically realistic dreams, followed shortly later by epileptic seizures. The author has a gifted sense of how to put you on the edge of your seat with fast-paced, highly dramatic scenes and punchy dialogue. The story was well crafted with strong characters within multiple espionage-filled plotlines that merged at various times throughout the novel. Although the book began with a couple of intriguing and thrilling subplots, the major plotline involving the main character starts with a lengthy telling narrative. There were also some themes within the main plot and various subplots which to my mind had some overly misogynistic undertones. However, once the main story got rolling there was plenty of action and unexpected twists to keep thrill seekers satisfied. As a neuroscientist, myself who is writing this review from an office that is a stone’s throw away from the laboratories were the famous H.M. was studied, I was intrigued by all the technological neuroscientific text. As a fiction author, though, I do understand the limits of being able to logically explain the science, without getting into too much complicated detail. Thus, what some may find as overly simplistic sci-fi descriptions, will bore others, so I commend the author for finding a reasonable balance. While the unexpected ending came to a quick conclusion, it was pleasing to have a story that wrapped up all the loose ends, with out having to wait for a sequel. Highly recommended for those that enjoy fast-paced, technology-filled thrillers.
September 18, 2024
Nika Beresic is an enthusiastic young scientist looking to make a breakthrough in neuroscience. She is having vivid dreams that don’t make sense to her, is it her imagination or is something sinister going on in the background?
I found Zealous to be a very fast moving and entertaining thriller that has a touch of science fiction thrown in. I loved the conspiracy aspects of Zealous as neither Nika Beresic or the reader know who to trust. There are lots of characters for the reader to grapple with and it is debatable whether each character is a good, bad or an independent guy. Suspicions are raised and every character is economical with the truth and talks purely on a need to know basis.
I liked the mild psychology about how our brains and memories work. It is so easy in this digital age to imagine that our brains work like the UNIX operating system. The fear that Nika feels is very well put across to the reader and I can imagine what a nightmare that would be in real life.
I loved the plot of Zealous and the technology deployed, the touch of science fiction was realistic enough to be believable. I was disappointed with the many, many chases in cars and on foot. This comic book action began to irritate me as the thrill of the chase bores me as much as Formula One motor car racing! Zealous is a fast moving thriller but did so many characters have to die in the action? Some jobs are dangerous but there is no need to put your life on the line over a conspiracy.
Zealous is a debut novel and Alex Rawecki is the author’s pen name. His day job was in neuroscience so this author has written about what he knows and I consider Zealous to be an OUTSTANDING 5 star read.
I found Zealous to be a very fast moving and entertaining thriller that has a touch of science fiction thrown in. I loved the conspiracy aspects of Zealous as neither Nika Beresic or the reader know who to trust. There are lots of characters for the reader to grapple with and it is debatable whether each character is a good, bad or an independent guy. Suspicions are raised and every character is economical with the truth and talks purely on a need to know basis.
I liked the mild psychology about how our brains and memories work. It is so easy in this digital age to imagine that our brains work like the UNIX operating system. The fear that Nika feels is very well put across to the reader and I can imagine what a nightmare that would be in real life.
I loved the plot of Zealous and the technology deployed, the touch of science fiction was realistic enough to be believable. I was disappointed with the many, many chases in cars and on foot. This comic book action began to irritate me as the thrill of the chase bores me as much as Formula One motor car racing! Zealous is a fast moving thriller but did so many characters have to die in the action? Some jobs are dangerous but there is no need to put your life on the line over a conspiracy.
Zealous is a debut novel and Alex Rawecki is the author’s pen name. His day job was in neuroscience so this author has written about what he knows and I consider Zealous to be an OUTSTANDING 5 star read.
July 23, 2024
It has been a while since I last read a techno-thriller. Book crazies are good and fun, but throw in some futuristic sci-fi tech, and it takes the thriller to the next level.
It has always been exciting to read speculative fiction where brain and neuroscience is involved. It was fun years ago, and it’s somehow even more fun nowadays, mostly because the actual non-fictional tech is developing at the breakneck speed. Also, it feels like the book was written by someone who actually knows what they are talking about. A geeky techie, might be? A doctor maybe? I did look up who the author is, using their real name. Yup. They are the real deal! They indeed know more about those things than most people out there!
The book is well-written and action-packed. The story sucks you in and keeps you reading, and reading, and reading – until, boom. Done. With the perfect ending.
A super lovely bonus: the female MC is quite awesome.
It has always been exciting to read speculative fiction where brain and neuroscience is involved. It was fun years ago, and it’s somehow even more fun nowadays, mostly because the actual non-fictional tech is developing at the breakneck speed. Also, it feels like the book was written by someone who actually knows what they are talking about. A geeky techie, might be? A doctor maybe? I did look up who the author is, using their real name. Yup. They are the real deal! They indeed know more about those things than most people out there!
The book is well-written and action-packed. The story sucks you in and keeps you reading, and reading, and reading – until, boom. Done. With the perfect ending.
A super lovely bonus: the female MC is quite awesome.
August 4, 2024
A challenging novel with some good neuroscience and not much more
This novel challenged me. First the good: some excellent neuroscience in here and handled nicely. You don't need advanced degrees or specialist background to pick up on things. Kudos to the author on that.
And aside for my love of science and my own work in this field (which kept me reading because the author's use of the field was fascinating!), I had issues with the novel. It's largely exposition, narration, and description. There's not much dialogue and it often appears staged. Emotion is told, not shown. For that matter, most everything is told, not shown. This makes the novel a series of long paragraphs in which not much happens. The characters are two-dimensional throughout, the action usually happens in third person.
All of this is a pity, because the base story is an interesting read.
This novel challenged me. First the good: some excellent neuroscience in here and handled nicely. You don't need advanced degrees or specialist background to pick up on things. Kudos to the author on that.
And aside for my love of science and my own work in this field (which kept me reading because the author's use of the field was fascinating!), I had issues with the novel. It's largely exposition, narration, and description. There's not much dialogue and it often appears staged. Emotion is told, not shown. For that matter, most everything is told, not shown. This makes the novel a series of long paragraphs in which not much happens. The characters are two-dimensional throughout, the action usually happens in third person.
All of this is a pity, because the base story is an interesting read.
November 3, 2024
“Zealous” introduces Nika Beresic, a young scientist trying to leave her stamp on the world but encountering obstacles to her achieving her dreams.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. A majority of the story is told through the main protagonist, Nika. She’s an interesting protagonist- intelligent, strong, and flawed. I found her benzo addiction to be a good touch in developing her character. Marc, her boyfriend, is also a well-developed character adding mystery and depth to the story. His character continues to evolve up to the very end. I thought the author did a nice job in essentially making everyone in the story ambiguously good or bad- swaying in the breeze based on their motivations and goals at any given moment. Find the full blog post at heatherlbarksdale.com
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. A majority of the story is told through the main protagonist, Nika. She’s an interesting protagonist- intelligent, strong, and flawed. I found her benzo addiction to be a good touch in developing her character. Marc, her boyfriend, is also a well-developed character adding mystery and depth to the story. His character continues to evolve up to the very end. I thought the author did a nice job in essentially making everyone in the story ambiguously good or bad- swaying in the breeze based on their motivations and goals at any given moment. Find the full blog post at heatherlbarksdale.com
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
June 25, 2024
Zealous is an exciting debut novel. The book reads like a train and has some very interesting plot twists. Honestly, at times I was asking myself if this could be the new "Bourne". Alex uses some formulaic crutches when introducing new characters, but if that doesn't bother you, this is an excellent book. The construction of the plot shows craftmanship which is promising as this is still a debut novel. Alex never defies the standard tropes of the genre though, which is maybe something he ought to do in his next book. The biotech angle shines through and I'm thrilled that the novel is set in Europe and that we're getting a female protagonist.
July 8, 2024
This gripping sci-fi thriller starts slow but explodes into action. The story revolves around a young scientist, Nika Beresic, whose life spirals after a strange seizure unlocks memories of a secret project. After that incident, she questions her reality and uncovers a dangerous truth. She teams up with her partner Marc to find answers, but they are hunted by a powerful enemy. The story is very unpredictable and keeps the readers hooked till the end. With well-written characters, an exciting plot, and nonstop suspense, this novel is a perfect blend of mystery and action. It is perfect for fans of suspenseful stories.
July 24, 2024
Zealous by Alex Rawecki is one of the best thrillers I have read in recent times Gives me a Ludlum or Follet feel yet so different.
First the cover so beautiful and so intriguing. The plot is fast paced , page turner all the way never a dull moment. All the characters move the story forward . The edge of the seat thriller keeps the reader spell bound and in the end clamouring for more. The advancement in science technology is so desccribed in relatively less complex terms . It makes one excited for the advances yet terrified of the misuse. A must read for all thriller fans . Go for this book and you will never regret it
Looking forward to more from the author
First the cover so beautiful and so intriguing. The plot is fast paced , page turner all the way never a dull moment. All the characters move the story forward . The edge of the seat thriller keeps the reader spell bound and in the end clamouring for more. The advancement in science technology is so desccribed in relatively less complex terms . It makes one excited for the advances yet terrified of the misuse. A must read for all thriller fans . Go for this book and you will never regret it
Looking forward to more from the author
March 8, 2025
DNF @ 32%
I tried, a second time, to read this book but it's just not happening.
The book starts fairly strongly; a chapter giving the impression something is going on, a second chapter that follows the main protagonist during, , then this gets abruptly - interesting and promising!
Then it goes downhill from there, with recurrent chapters where Rawecki is giving us the low down on characters. The first one, about Nika, is understandable and forgivable as she's the main character, but there were multiple chapters telling, not showing, me the character's life stories, whether relevant or not. I felt like this information could have been woven into the main storyline, but it was just like 'here's a new character, here's their life story', and sometimes immediately after, there would be a chapter of similar layout, then we'd get back to the story. It was tedious and felt lazy.
I gave up at 32%, when it was again another rehash of Okay, we get it. We know you're obviously going to want to know the answers to those questions, we don't need to be reminded constantly.
I also gave up because the story line was so predictable. If this isn't the story line, then that's too bad - I've lost my motivation with this book.
On top of all of that, there are multiple tense errors which kept throwing me off, some weirdly written sentences and is it Marc or Mark? If the author had an editor, I'd ask for a refund because they've missed so many errors. I tried to overlook them but when you're fairly consistently having to stop because the tense seems to change, or sometimes their sex has changed (Lydia; "his husband"?), it really stops your reading flow and makes it less enjoyable.
The whole time, I just felt like I was wasting my time reading it.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I tried, a second time, to read this book but it's just not happening.
The book starts fairly strongly; a chapter giving the impression something is going on, a second chapter that follows the main protagonist during, , then this gets abruptly - interesting and promising!
Then it goes downhill from there, with recurrent chapters where Rawecki is giving us the low down on characters. The first one, about Nika, is understandable and forgivable as she's the main character, but there were multiple chapters telling, not showing, me the character's life stories, whether relevant or not. I felt like this information could have been woven into the main storyline, but it was just like 'here's a new character, here's their life story', and sometimes immediately after, there would be a chapter of similar layout, then we'd get back to the story. It was tedious and felt lazy.
I gave up at 32%, when it was again another rehash of Okay, we get it. We know you're obviously going to want to know the answers to those questions, we don't need to be reminded constantly.
I also gave up because the story line was so predictable. If this isn't the story line, then that's too bad - I've lost my motivation with this book.
On top of all of that, there are multiple tense errors which kept throwing me off, some weirdly written sentences and is it Marc or Mark? If the author had an editor, I'd ask for a refund because they've missed so many errors. I tried to overlook them but when you're fairly consistently having to stop because the tense seems to change, or sometimes their sex has changed (Lydia; "his husband"?), it really stops your reading flow and makes it less enjoyable.
The whole time, I just felt like I was wasting my time reading it.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews