The Gaia Chime

by Johnny Worthen

A public murder televised live and across the world prompts filmmakers Seth and Charlotte to trace the threads of blood to the rich and powerful, and the horror of global destruction. Can they stop the Gaia Chime?

Charlotte, seeking to make a documentary for her graduate thesis enlists the older Seth, a burned-out film teacher with a history of scandal, to film the daily life of a rising tennis star, Bobby Weller. It's a glimpse into the world of the rich and dedicated that turns horrifying when Bobby murders both his parents on live TV. It's patricide, an echo of Zeus rising up against Cronos, the young gods replacing the titans. Now, the very public slaughter prompts the filmmakers to trace the threads of blood to the rich and powerful and the horror of global destruction. Can they stop the Gaia Chime? First, they need to find out what it is...

FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to excellent original writing in horror, science fiction and fantasy. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress. Awarded independent publisher of 2024 by the British Fantasy Society.

Genres: Horror, Thriller

376 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 11, 2025

About the author

Johnny Worthen is an award-winning, best-selling author of books and stories. A Utah Writer of the Year. Trained in modern literary criticism and cultural studies, he writes upmarket multi-genre fiction, symbolized by his love of tie-dye and good words. “I write what I like to read,” he says. “This guarantees me at least one fan.”

Johnny is best known (so far) for his award winning, nationally acclaimed, best-selling young adult novel, ELEANOR, THE UNSEEN. It is a great book and if you haven’t read it, you need to. Johnny’s debut novel, the adult occult thriller, BEATRYSEL along with its companion story DR. STUART’S HEART explores the darker sides of love and Magick.

CELESTE, THE UNSEEN BOOK 2, continues Eleanor’s story as she tries to maintain a life in Jamesford, while distant events and local suspicion conspire to threaten everything. DAVID, THE UNSEEN BOOK 3, sees the powerful transformative conclusion of this awarding series as Eleanor learns her past and builds her future.

Johnny’s entry into mystery with THE BRAND DEMAND won a Silver Quill Award from the League of Utah Writers in the best novel category, while, his genre-bending comedy noire, THE FINGER TRAP, introduces Tony Flaner, a flawed slacker every-man detective who can’t throw a punch but can slay a room with sarcasm.

Johnny's short stories appear in a number of anthologies including the Dark Fiction LITTLE VISIBLE DELIGHT (The Point), Utah Horror, OLD SCRATCH AND OWL HOOTS (Keep Sweet), IT CAME FROM THE GREAT SALT LAKE (May 15th), Utah Fantasy, SECRETS & DOORS (A Thousand Secret Doors), HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT (The Lost Curse of the Witch's Nest) and the limited edition commemorate Salt Lake Comic Con anthology HEROIC: TALES OF THE EXTRAORDINARY (The Grape Whisperer).

Johnny lectures and teaches about writing and life whenever anyone will listen. He edits professionally for Omnium Gatherum, a dark fiction press. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his wife, sons and a cat.

Reviews

[inciminci · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 rounded up.

[Jillian B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ambitious journalism student Charlotte and jaded professor Seth are working on an extremely low-stakes documentary. They’re covering the rising career of a young tennis star— thanks to funding from the athlete’s tycoon father. But their carefully planned film takes a wild turn when their subject violently kills his parents…and they have it all on tape. As they investigate what made him snap, they’ll soon discover the real mystery goes far deeper.

I thought the premise of this book was so interesting, and the central mystery at its core made it a real page-turner. This definitely isn’t your run-of-the mill thriller!

That said, there was a glaring issue that kept me from being fully immersed in the story: the complete lack of women over the age of 25. This is most evident in a scene set at a party where all the named male guests are middle-aged academics and all of the female guests we meet (including their dates) are women in their early twenties. The weirdly gendered age division isn’t remarked upon, like we’re meant to find this normal. It felt almost uncanny valley, like how do these men not have one female friend their own age?

However, I did find this book to be a fun, fast-paced read, and it was an enjoyable experience overall. This wasn't a favourite for me, but I have no doubt it will be for some readers.

[Chiara Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quiet horror with a slow burn, building up to a violent ending. A well executed climate fiction that clearly explains what could very well happen in the near future if we don’t start listening to Mother Earth’s scream!

I have to admit, that after I was completely hooked at the beginning of the book, I got lost somewhere in the middle and thought I completely misinterpreted what the story was about. Well, I think this was somehow deliberate as we follow the main characters Charlotte and Seth, trying to film a documentary about a rich tennis player. What they get instead is the start of a very weird and unsettling phenomenon, an intergenerational tragedy worthy of a Greek play!

What starts as a series of patricides across the world, it soon becomes a war between the 1% against the rest of the world, to ultimately manifest as the battle between the old and the new, the new generation trying to supplant the old generation in order to save themselves and the planet. A story as old as time itself, with Chronus ingesting his children for fear of being replaced on the throne.

This is what we are seeing every day, problems created by the old generation being thrust upon the new generations, without them having no control or say.
This is so well described in this book, and I especially loved the connection with Gaia and the new generation being able to listen to her call and running to her aid.

Needless to say, change is always traumatic, in this case violent and full of blood. But to be fair, I think I’d be willing to sacrifice the old to save Mother Earth and everything in it!
I’ve been listening to her call all my life, trying to change things, now through my daily job, hoping to save the planet.

Are you ready to listen to Gaia’s chime?

Thanks to the author and Flame Tree Press for a copy and this is my honest opinion.

[Jamedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally on JamReads

The Gaia Chime is a horror thriller novel, written by Johnny Worthen, and published by Flame Tree Press. A story that combines highly impactful passages with slower ones that allow the reader to think about the previous moments, in a novel that resonates with current events and issues.

We will be following Charlotte and Seth, who funded by Robert Weller, are creating a tennis documentary about his son, Bobby; however, what they didn't expect is to film how Bobby kills his father in the middle of the match. An assassination that marks the start of a much more sinister movement, which will be depicted by our main characters as they investigate the wave of assassinations and chaos that follows this moment, in a mimic of rebelling against a dying world and the generation gap.

Charlotte and Seth are two exceptionally well-fleshed characters, both different in background, but who act as the flawed spectators in this bloodbath of a book. They are excellent leads to chase while we slowly unveil the reason behind this sudden mystery; a plot that also invites the reader to deeply thought about it.

The novel is greatly paced, alternating more frenetic scenes with introspective ones, balancing and allowing the reader to catch a breath in the meantime. The prose is great, a bit more elaborate than it is normal in the genre, but it fits with the philosophical nature of the plot.

The Gaia Chime is a sharp and smart horror thriller, an ambitious story that plays well with its strengths; if you look for greatly written thrillers that are also thought provoking, Johnny Worten's work should be in your list.

[Wesley Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Flame Tree Press for a copy of The Gaia Chime. Here are my thoughts!

Charlotte and Seth are making a documentary together about an up-and-coming tennis prodigy. They are at one of his final games when suddenly he begins acting strangely, he turns and kills someone in the crowd. Little do Charlotte and Seth realize that they are capturing just one violent instance of several occurring around the world, and it’s only just beginning.

First off, this cover is stunning. Now that that is out of the way onto the book thoughts!

There is so much to unpack in this novel. I feel like it could almost be studied in an English course. I like to call it a speculative sci-fi horror novel. But there are so many over arching themes that tie in perfectly with these genres. Some of these themes are racism, cults, mythology, ageism, capitalism, and financial status, plus so so many more. It was tied together quite beautifully and horrifyingly felt like it could actually happen. There were some things that I'm still a little confused on, but I am tempted to read it again to dive in and see what I pick up on. It would be a great book for book club discussion!

There is a lot of violence in this novel, and it just ramps up but there were quite a few memorable scenes that will stick with me. I enjoyed it, although it may not be for everyone. It made sense with the plot which I think made it easier to take in.

The two main characters show a ton of growth throughout. At first, I found Charlotte a little flat and Seth very frustrating but by the end I feel like they had completely flourished and there were pieces of each of them that I enjoyed and pieces that I didn’t.

Oh, and THAT ENDING!

This one should be on your radar, it just came out last week and you should totes check it out!

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy for review.

I loved this. It was very bleak and sometimes sad, but beautiful too.

The world is ending, deciding to focus on the young and the newest generation. The young are hearing a sound and the sound is calling them to kill the elders and the parents. Charlotte and Seth are academics and journalists and just happen to have a front row seat to the end of the world. Charlotte is young and Seth is middle aged. I loved their relationship.

An eat the rich tale that had me thinking about our current world. People are living longer, acquiring more wealth and not paying it forward. What would happen if nature and old gods decided things needed to change?

[Runalong · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel I should have enjoyed it more as an intestines but it left me cold and unmoved. Flat characters and didactic dialogue did not help

Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...

[Daniel Yocom · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gaia Chime is ringing and calling out to a receptive generation. We know of many of the changes that have happened to our world, but now there is something more, something deeper, driving people to take up the fight. Johnny Worthen addresses the issues of the day by casting a dark reflection of what could be when the chime strikes.

I was given an advanced review copy from the publisher.

Plot

The Gaia Chime calls out the story of Gaia, Chronos, and Zeus. If you are familiar with the story from Greek Mythology, there is an entire new level of the story to enjoy, but it isn’t necessary to enjoy this story, enough is provided so knowledge of the story isn’t a pre-requisite.

Charlotte has been given a grant to create a light documentary about the rise of one of the college boards, and financial supporters, about their son’s rise in professional tennis. To make her film she has recruited Seth, a professor who has fallen out of favor at the college.

The two documentarians find themselves witnessing at one of the qualifiers a turn in personality where their subject kills his parents. That is the start of their journey into a changing new world. They stay true to becoming the documentarians they have set out to be, even when the subject of their film twists.

Style

The Gaia Chime is a thriller that puts the world at stake. I know this book has been in the works for years and the story feels like it has been ripped from the headlines of today’s news. This connectivity adds a level of shock, or even horror, to what unfolds in this story.

The pacing of The Gaia Chime is wonderful. There are points that give the reader time to breathe after a major interaction with the events of the world. But since we are given the story through the perceptions of Charlotte and Seth, we are limited to what they are witnessing. Worthen also does great work on building the sideline stories off the page and presents us with bits and pieces of the research being completed by the filmmakers without slogging through the details of how they found the information that is important to the reader.

From the beginning there is a building tension that carries through to the end. At the beginning we aren’t given a lot of time before the action starts. Even before that critical turning point that launches the story, we are given there is a rising tension. Of course, a part of that is because of the setting, our current, or near future. We are living in a time of rising tension and Worthen captured that anxiety on the pages.

Overall

The Gaia Chime fascinated and terrified me. Set in the world in which we live brings the elements leading up to the events in the book into focus. This is even though the words were set to the page a couple of years ago. The overlay of the fantastic element of mythology provides the gap needed to digest some of the depictions without feeling as if I was an accomplice.

I found myself in a grey area of morality. I found myself rooting for Charlotte and Seth. But what their camera lens was focused on raised questions, ambiguities, that are circling around us, around everyone on Earth, or Gaia.

Some will take The Gaia Chime as a call to action along the lines of Edward Abbey’s works such as Desert Solitaire of The Monkey Wrench Gang. Other readers will see this as an alarm, seeing that the snooze button can be struck. Yet others will see it as a call to reinforce their ideals in defense of what could happen. No matter which way you take it, it is a story that delivers an impact on the reader.

I recommend The Gaia Chime to readers who enjoy eco and climate thrillers, with just a touch of something to take it outside of what we think is reality.

The Gaia Chime is scheduled for release on March 11, 2025.

You can read the complete review at
https://guildmastergaming.blogspot.co...

[Cass (only the darkest reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

How often do you get surprised by a book?

Charlotte wants to become a journalist to make the world a better place. A task she hopes to take on once her foot is solidly in the door. In an attempt to jumpstart her career, for her final project, she pitches a fluffy documentary about a rising tennis star, Bobby Weller (who happens to be the son of a CEO of her college.)

Seth is a film professor with nothing left to lose. An alcoholic with a large scandal below his belt, he's not the obvious camera man for Charlotte to pick. However, he has a notable visual style, and his reputation as a guerrilla filmmaker will add some needed edge to a rather tame documentary.

The early days of shooting are a behind the scenes look into the lifestyle of the impossibly rich. Excited to be in the locker room to catch the moments before Bobby’s biggest match, both Charlotte and Seth feel like Bobby is acting strange, but both shrug it off as pre-game jitters. A break in action leads to Bobby screaming and jumping into the stands and culminates in a violent murder of his parents on live tv.

Traumatized, Charlotte and Seth feel like their opportunity is now gone, but Seth notices a trend of high society familial murders, and they receive a call that Bobby wants the documentary to continue. With a seemingly limitless credit card, Charlotte and Seth begin to chase the story and see a class war first hand. They always seem to be at the right place and the right time as the world starts to crumble around them.

When I got offered a copy of this book to review, I didn’t realize how timely this read would be. As we see new tragedies unfold every day, it seems like we’re getting closer and closer to an inevitable collapse. While the thread that leads to the “madness” may be nearly Pavlovian, it’s easy to draw comparisons to the propaganda and social conditioning that we experience every day. Prescribed burning is the process of preparing soil for new growth, and while I don’t feel like violence is the answer to all of our problems, we do desperately need to dismantle antiquated systems for our society to function.

While what happens in this book is horrifying, fiction like this gives us an outlet to release some of our simmering rage. At least that’s what this book did for me. I didn’t know I was in a place to read a political horror thriller, but it turns out it was exactly what I needed right now.

[George Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

QOTD: Any upcoming releases you're excited to read? You can read my full review of this one over at fanfiaddict.com, the link is in my bio and "2025 reviews," highlight.

"“The Gaia Chime,” by Johnny Worthen may be a blood bath, but it’s one scattered with rose petals and infused with lavender bath salts. Scalding as opposed to soothing, Worthen tempers earth-shattering revelations and gag-inducing passages with indulgent and decadent prose as well as sublime pacing. It’s elegant, visceral and inescapable. Commenting on some heavy social issues, Worthen holds our faces to the abyss, the climate, the generation gap, violence and forces us to face it, whilst whispering poetry in our ear. With a prologue that is particularly excellent, and a plot to match, this one is out March 11th from Flametree press- thank you for my ARC.

We follow Charlotte and Seth, who using Robert Weller’s money, are creating a documentary on a renowned tennis player, Robert’s son, Bobby Weller. They interview him in the locker room, and whilst he appears slightly on edge, he doesn’t look like the type of guy who would cave in his parent’s skulls with a tennis racket. Half way through the match however, for all of the cameras to see, that is precisely what he does. Despite the fact their wholesome sports documentary has come grinding to a halt, patricide tends to have that effect, Charlotte and Seth decide that there is still a project to be had. It doesn’t take them long to figure out that there is more than daddy issues to Bobby’s breakdown, and there’s more violence and death to be had- unless they can stop “The Gaia Chime.”

[K.N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to read a story synopsis, then read the book description because I’m here to share the experience of reading The Gaia Chime. Author Worthen writes in a way the reader can clearly visualize the characters and ever-changing sceneries, and I imagined this story unfold with the perfect light and exotic settings of a White Lotus season.
From the start, there’s a tension between the 2 main characters, Seth & Charlotte, which teeters between sweet then “ick.” Worthen does this purposely, reminding the reader this is not a romance, there’s an uncomfortable age gap and power imbalance between them.
The action rises to gruesome scenes driven by a mysterious sound and the global reach of this ominous call builds a backdrop of dread despite the jet-set travel and palm trees. This is horror-in-broad-daylight horror, horror committed by those near and dear horror. Though it’s titled a chime, the reader senses a thrumming that moves the story forward like the ever-growing waves of an incoming storm. As the end draws nearer, the thrumming increases and sea level rushes in with tsunami destruction.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story hit on a lot of points that can relate to today's current events and issues. It is a story that is full of moments when the reader can reflect on these issues. It isn't necessarily difficult to read, it is just a lot packed into a story.

The flow and tempo of the story is perfect, in my opinion. The transitions from scene to scene is smooth and kept me involved in the story. The character development is also spot-on. Charlotte and Seth are amazing characters that I could relate to. They both have their faults, but they see the good in each other, giving them a a down to earth, human-nature type of vibe.

The Gaia Chime may not be for everyone, but it definitely is for those that like a deep story, engaging dialogue, and an unexpected (possibly disappointing) ending. Be patient with this story, and you will be rewarded with an amazing story of what our future could be. All parts of this story, are possible for our world.

[Neville Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte and Seth are filming Bobby a rising tennis star but at a match Bobby kill his father live on tv. This is a good horror novel with well drawn chracters, excellent plotting that will keep you reading till the early hours (but with the lights on) Jonny Worthen is an author to watch. Thanks to Flame Tree Press and Netgalley for this review ARC.

[Josef Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good thriller. Just read it for yourself.

For a full review, please go to https://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/... and follow me on X @josenher

[Lauren Fitch]

dnf halfway

[Jeanette Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is as brilliant as it is disturbing.


In this book, we meet Charlotte and Seth, filming a documentary about an up and coming tennis player. Almost drunk with the allure of the lives of the rich, it is all fun and games...
Until their main man kills his parents...
In the middle of a tennis match on live TV!😱

Figuring that the documentary is over, Charlotte and Seth still decide to stay and dig some more. There has to be something here.

🔹️
"What was wrong with her?"
🔹️

We are contemplating generational differences and having deep discussions. Where does this come from?

As more events like this are happening all over the world, the paranoia reaches new heights. Still, the "children" of the rich and powerful have a scary attitude. They seem to be just waiting for their parents to die.

I got to travel with them as I got to know them better. Our main characters are as deliciously developed as the storyline, and I read the book in a day. What can I say? I really like it.😁

🔹️
"We’re all still living under Gaia’s curse?"
🔹️

Can they stop the Gaia Chime?
Well, first, you need to buy the book and figure out what it is. A clue from the blurb points towards Greek mythology.

🔹️
🔹️
🔹️
Wait? Do you hear that?
🔹️
🔹️
🔹️

[Mani · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 3½ stars

“The Gaia Chime” is an engaging thriller-horror novel that takes you on a wild ride with Charlotte and Seth, two filmmakers who set out to create a documentary about a promising young tennis star, Bobby. Just when they think everything is going smoothly, things take a shocking turn during an important match when Bobby unexpectedly commits an unthinkable act by murdering his father. From there, Charlotte and Seth are pulled into a nightmarish series of events.

I really appreciated the vivid writing and the attention to detail, especially in the more intense scenes filled with violence and gore. However, I did feel that the pacing was a bit uneven at times. While I was hooked right from the start, there was a part in the middle that seemed to drag a little, which made it hard for me to stay fully engaged. Thankfully, the momentum picked up again in the second half, and I found myself getting swept back into the story.

Charlotte and Seth are interesting characters, though there were moments when I wished they had a bit more depth to really make them shine.

All in all, “The Gaia Chime” is a solid read! If you enjoy horror thrillers with a slow-burn plot that gradually ramps up the tension, this book is definitely one to add to your reading list.

A big thank you to Flame Tree Press for providing me with a digital review copy! All my thoughts on this book are completely my own and I’m excited to share them with you voluntarily.