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Yesteryear's Echo: A Historical Psychological Thriller
What happens when the line between history and madness begins to blur?
Dr. Thomas Bauer has spent years unraveling the minds of his patients, but now his own psyche is fraying at the edges. A once-respected psychiatrist at Saint Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., Bauer is haunted by the shadows of his past, a crumbling marriage, and the suffocating weight of his present. But when he stumbles upon his late father’s research and the intriguing work of Dr. Matthias Levi, Bauer’s life takes a terrifying turn.
Levi’s experiments in psycho-temporal displacement allow subjects to relive historical moments. As Bauer digs deeper into the dark legacy of these experiments, he uncovers disturbing truths about his family’s involvement and a cryptic project known as "Case 47."
With his own family and himself exhibiting strange and unexplainable symptoms, Bauer is thrust into a race against time. He must confront both the horrific secrets buried within Saint Elizabeths Hospital and the chilling possibility that the past is far more present than he could ever have imagined.
Yesteryear's Echo is the heart-pounding first installment of a gripping psychological thriller series where history and madness collide. Perfect for fans of The Silent Patient and Shutter Island, this book will keep you questioning what’s real until the final page.
Dr. Thomas Bauer has spent years unraveling the minds of his patients, but now his own psyche is fraying at the edges. A once-respected psychiatrist at Saint Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., Bauer is haunted by the shadows of his past, a crumbling marriage, and the suffocating weight of his present. But when he stumbles upon his late father’s research and the intriguing work of Dr. Matthias Levi, Bauer’s life takes a terrifying turn.
Levi’s experiments in psycho-temporal displacement allow subjects to relive historical moments. As Bauer digs deeper into the dark legacy of these experiments, he uncovers disturbing truths about his family’s involvement and a cryptic project known as "Case 47."
With his own family and himself exhibiting strange and unexplainable symptoms, Bauer is thrust into a race against time. He must confront both the horrific secrets buried within Saint Elizabeths Hospital and the chilling possibility that the past is far more present than he could ever have imagined.
Yesteryear's Echo is the heart-pounding first installment of a gripping psychological thriller series where history and madness collide. Perfect for fans of The Silent Patient and Shutter Island, this book will keep you questioning what’s real until the final page.
357 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 19, 2024
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About the author
Jane M. Bell
3 books10 followersMaybe it was inevitable that I became a writer.
Growing up, the constant tapping and ding of my grandmother’s manual typewriter surrounded me like a warm hug as she constantly worked on a myriad of writing projects.
My grandmother is/was my biggest hero. She instilled in me a love for storytelling, history, humor and mystery.
I grew up just south of Modesto, California, and graduated from Ceres High School.
My College career began at Modesto Junior College, where I developed an interest in psychology and began working in a locked mental facility, where I met my future husband. (We were both employees, not patients by the way.)
In 1988 I began my 20 year career with the United States Army Reserves where I served as a Drill Sergeant, and Combat Medic Instructor.
After earning my AA, I completed my four-year degree at Sonoma State University where I earned my BA in Psychology with Distinction, and did Post-Graduate studies in Neurobiology.
For postgraduate work I divided my time between Sonoma State University and the San Francisco VA Medical Center at Ft Miley where I worked in a schizophrenia research lab.
Following my graduate work, I worked in the medical field as an Obstetrics Technician at a local hospital.
Today I make my home just outside of Modesto, California with my two sons, daughter, two dogs and a cat.
In my spare time, I serve as a docent at Columbia State Historic Park in the Sierra foothills east of Modesto, and I am a proud member of the Columbia Gold Diggers Granny Basketball Team.
Growing up, the constant tapping and ding of my grandmother’s manual typewriter surrounded me like a warm hug as she constantly worked on a myriad of writing projects.
My grandmother is/was my biggest hero. She instilled in me a love for storytelling, history, humor and mystery.
I grew up just south of Modesto, California, and graduated from Ceres High School.
My College career began at Modesto Junior College, where I developed an interest in psychology and began working in a locked mental facility, where I met my future husband. (We were both employees, not patients by the way.)
In 1988 I began my 20 year career with the United States Army Reserves where I served as a Drill Sergeant, and Combat Medic Instructor.
After earning my AA, I completed my four-year degree at Sonoma State University where I earned my BA in Psychology with Distinction, and did Post-Graduate studies in Neurobiology.
For postgraduate work I divided my time between Sonoma State University and the San Francisco VA Medical Center at Ft Miley where I worked in a schizophrenia research lab.
Following my graduate work, I worked in the medical field as an Obstetrics Technician at a local hospital.
Today I make my home just outside of Modesto, California with my two sons, daughter, two dogs and a cat.
In my spare time, I serve as a docent at Columbia State Historic Park in the Sierra foothills east of Modesto, and I am a proud member of the Columbia Gold Diggers Granny Basketball Team.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 1, 2025
Yesteryear’s Echo by Jane M. Bell is a haunting psychological thriller that blurs the boundary between memory, madness, and time itself. Set within the decaying halls of Saint Elizabeths Hospital, it delivers a chilling exploration of obsession, inherited trauma, and the ghosts of both the mind and history.
Dr. Thomas Bauer has spent his career dissecting the psyches of others until his own begins to fracture. When he discovers his late father’s classified research and the shadowy experiments of Dr. Matthias Levi, Bauer becomes ensnared in a web of psycho-temporal displacement, where the past isn’t merely remembered it’s relived.
Jane M. Bell masterfully layers tension, intellect, and dread. The result is a narrative that feels part historical mystery, part psychological descent, and part existential horror. As Bauer’s grip on reality weakens, the reader is dragged with him into a labyrinth where science, guilt, and time collide in terrifying ways.
Perfect for readers of The Silent Patient, Shutter Island, and House of Leaves, Yesteryear’s Echo is both cerebral and visceral a story that challenges perception while keeping your pulse racing. Bell’s writing is taut, elegant, and cinematic, rendering every revelation like a shard of glass cutting deeper into the mind.
This is not just a thriller it’s an experience in psychological disintegration and the dangerous allure of the past.
Dr. Thomas Bauer has spent his career dissecting the psyches of others until his own begins to fracture. When he discovers his late father’s classified research and the shadowy experiments of Dr. Matthias Levi, Bauer becomes ensnared in a web of psycho-temporal displacement, where the past isn’t merely remembered it’s relived.
Jane M. Bell masterfully layers tension, intellect, and dread. The result is a narrative that feels part historical mystery, part psychological descent, and part existential horror. As Bauer’s grip on reality weakens, the reader is dragged with him into a labyrinth where science, guilt, and time collide in terrifying ways.
Perfect for readers of The Silent Patient, Shutter Island, and House of Leaves, Yesteryear’s Echo is both cerebral and visceral a story that challenges perception while keeping your pulse racing. Bell’s writing is taut, elegant, and cinematic, rendering every revelation like a shard of glass cutting deeper into the mind.
This is not just a thriller it’s an experience in psychological disintegration and the dangerous allure of the past.
October 19, 2024
Received as a review copy from Story Origin, this is an honest review. Yesteryear's Echo is a harrowing and poignant personal journey for Dr. Thomas Bauer, a celebrated psychiatrist that is struggling to finally emerge from his father's shadow, whom disapproved of his son's following into the same career path. As Thomas works to help ease the problems wrecking the lives of his patients; he becomes consumed a highly secretive project has father and fellow colleagues where involved in. The more Thomas discover how messed up what his father was doing pushes his sanity in both his personal and professional lives in many dangerous ways that makes Thomas wonder should he keeps pushing for answers to something that is beyond his mind set; and comes to appreciate how complex his father was and wished he knew so much sooner.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews