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The Quantum Veil
Nestled high in the Jemez Mountains above Santa Fe, the Los Alamos National Laboratory stands as a bastion of human ingenuity, where the boundaries of science are pushed in secrecy. But when an experiment with the groundbreaking Quantum Resonance Generator (QRG) spirals out of control, the thin barrier between dimensions begins to fray, unleashing a cascade of inexplicable phenomena.
Dr. Evelyn Torres, the visionary behind the QRG, becomes the reluctant custodian of a crisis that threatens more than just her reputation. Struggling with mounting anomalies and the possibility of a malevolent entity, she teams up with Dr. Sarah Chen, the brilliant but enigmatic creator of the AI brain Erra, which has also been compromised by the entity. Together, they are forced to confront the implications of their creations. Yet, in the midst of professional turmoil, Torres battles an even deeper reconciling her scientific skepticism with the growing evidence of an otherworldly force.
Detective Inspector Alejandro Hernandez, a seasoned investigator with a sharp mind and relentless determination, is called to Los Alamos to investigate a series of mysterious deaths tied to the QRG. Faced with forensics that defy explanation and whispers of an otherworldly presence, he finds himself questioning not only the case but his own understanding of existence. Partnering with Special Agent Liz Shaw, Hernandez must navigate a labyrinth of classified secrets, conflicting agendas, and unsettling revelations.
In a race against time, Torres and Chen work to seal the breach created by the QRG before the entity’s influence spreads beyond containment. But as science and faith collide, they are forced to confront the can humanity survive what lies beyond the quantum veil?
The Quantum Veil is a gripping supernatural thriller where cutting-edge science meets ancient evil, exploring the fragile balance between progress and peril. With stakes that span dimensions and truths that challenge the essence of reality, this is a story of courage, faith, and the ultimate cost of human ambition.
Dr. Evelyn Torres, the visionary behind the QRG, becomes the reluctant custodian of a crisis that threatens more than just her reputation. Struggling with mounting anomalies and the possibility of a malevolent entity, she teams up with Dr. Sarah Chen, the brilliant but enigmatic creator of the AI brain Erra, which has also been compromised by the entity. Together, they are forced to confront the implications of their creations. Yet, in the midst of professional turmoil, Torres battles an even deeper reconciling her scientific skepticism with the growing evidence of an otherworldly force.
Detective Inspector Alejandro Hernandez, a seasoned investigator with a sharp mind and relentless determination, is called to Los Alamos to investigate a series of mysterious deaths tied to the QRG. Faced with forensics that defy explanation and whispers of an otherworldly presence, he finds himself questioning not only the case but his own understanding of existence. Partnering with Special Agent Liz Shaw, Hernandez must navigate a labyrinth of classified secrets, conflicting agendas, and unsettling revelations.
In a race against time, Torres and Chen work to seal the breach created by the QRG before the entity’s influence spreads beyond containment. But as science and faith collide, they are forced to confront the can humanity survive what lies beyond the quantum veil?
The Quantum Veil is a gripping supernatural thriller where cutting-edge science meets ancient evil, exploring the fragile balance between progress and peril. With stakes that span dimensions and truths that challenge the essence of reality, this is a story of courage, faith, and the ultimate cost of human ambition.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 29, 2024
901 people want to read
About the author
Brian Montross
2 books10 followershttps://ThrillingTalesHub.blog
I’ve spent my life balancing logic and imagination. After forty years in high tech as a principal engineer, I traded predictive software for stories—still chasing the question: What if the truth is hidden in plain sight?
I live in Chama, New Mexico, with my wife, Maryann. We raised three kids and once spent a formative season in Jerusalem, where I grew fascinated by ancient texts and the tension between the sacred and the scientific.
I’ve loved stories since childhood—first mysteries like Christie and Conan Doyle, then the sweeping worlds of Tolkien, Moorcock, and Salvatore. RPGs and music have also shaped how I tell stories—whether rolling dice with friends or writing songs on my guitar.
Now I write full-time, crafting thrillers that weave mystery, myth, science, and suspense. My stories live on the edge of what we know—and what we’re afraid to find.
I’ve spent my life balancing logic and imagination. After forty years in high tech as a principal engineer, I traded predictive software for stories—still chasing the question: What if the truth is hidden in plain sight?
I live in Chama, New Mexico, with my wife, Maryann. We raised three kids and once spent a formative season in Jerusalem, where I grew fascinated by ancient texts and the tension between the sacred and the scientific.
I’ve loved stories since childhood—first mysteries like Christie and Conan Doyle, then the sweeping worlds of Tolkien, Moorcock, and Salvatore. RPGs and music have also shaped how I tell stories—whether rolling dice with friends or writing songs on my guitar.
Now I write full-time, crafting thrillers that weave mystery, myth, science, and suspense. My stories live on the edge of what we know—and what we’re afraid to find.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 26, 2025
Overall, The Quantum Veil is a very interesting read bringing in multiple genres, including police procedural, thriller, sci-fi, and spirituality.
The basic plot of this story -- AI taking over a Quantum Resonance Generator at a lab near Los Alamos and seeking to break down the veil between different realities -- feels very relatable in our current timeline. While the AI seeks dominance, techs are killed, and a police investigation launches. Meanwhile, Los Alamos is experiencing unique spiritual phenomenon and random, odd violence while a new-to-town spiritualist attracts a following. Throughout the book, we track internal and external investigations into deaths connected to the QRG and lab inquiries into why it is acting the way it is.
The writing is strong, and it's a very interesting plot. Even though you may guess a good bit about the unfolding along the way, it still delivers a very satisfying conclusion. The top scientists in the book, Dr. Evelyn Torres and Dr. Sarah Chen, are both decent leads and have a nice trajectory as the story progresses. The other main characters are less engaging.
In many places, the writing takes on an almost cinematic feel and makes it easy to hear characters reading a report or picture the hum of machinery, the rhythmic striking of keys on a keyboard, etc. I found that to be a really great touch given many elements of the book are reflective of investigative or lab procedures. It sets a good stage.
My complaints about the book largely center around repetition and pacing. Each chapter starts a bit like an old movie serial where you get a mini recap of the material you just read in the previous chapter. It's not formatted as a mini recap, so you can't really skip over it -- it's just part of the narrative. There are newspaper articles throughout the book that also summarize everything going on. You can cover some very basic things two or three times in very short order. Characters are also reintroduced with their full names regularly.
For pacing, the book had a hard time getting to a point where I couldn't put it down. In a gripping book, by 50% in, I'm usually locked and will keep reading until I'm done. With this volume, it took 80-85% done to get there.
That said, I was devoted to reading some of it every day, because I did want to know how the story ended, particularly given the interspersing of religion/legend and science.
I would love for this book to get an updated version with a few tweaks to really put it over the top. By no means did I find the areas I critiqued bothersome enough to avoid a read. I definitely recommend it for fans of these genres or someone like me looking for something new. I would also read more by this author.
Note: My review is based on a book won in a Goodreads giveaway.
The basic plot of this story -- AI taking over a Quantum Resonance Generator at a lab near Los Alamos and seeking to break down the veil between different realities -- feels very relatable in our current timeline. While the AI seeks dominance, techs are killed, and a police investigation launches. Meanwhile, Los Alamos is experiencing unique spiritual phenomenon and random, odd violence while a new-to-town spiritualist attracts a following. Throughout the book, we track internal and external investigations into deaths connected to the QRG and lab inquiries into why it is acting the way it is.
The writing is strong, and it's a very interesting plot. Even though you may guess a good bit about the unfolding along the way, it still delivers a very satisfying conclusion. The top scientists in the book, Dr. Evelyn Torres and Dr. Sarah Chen, are both decent leads and have a nice trajectory as the story progresses. The other main characters are less engaging.
In many places, the writing takes on an almost cinematic feel and makes it easy to hear characters reading a report or picture the hum of machinery, the rhythmic striking of keys on a keyboard, etc. I found that to be a really great touch given many elements of the book are reflective of investigative or lab procedures. It sets a good stage.
My complaints about the book largely center around repetition and pacing. Each chapter starts a bit like an old movie serial where you get a mini recap of the material you just read in the previous chapter. It's not formatted as a mini recap, so you can't really skip over it -- it's just part of the narrative. There are newspaper articles throughout the book that also summarize everything going on. You can cover some very basic things two or three times in very short order. Characters are also reintroduced with their full names regularly.
For pacing, the book had a hard time getting to a point where I couldn't put it down. In a gripping book, by 50% in, I'm usually locked and will keep reading until I'm done. With this volume, it took 80-85% done to get there.
That said, I was devoted to reading some of it every day, because I did want to know how the story ended, particularly given the interspersing of religion/legend and science.
I would love for this book to get an updated version with a few tweaks to really put it over the top. By no means did I find the areas I critiqued bothersome enough to avoid a read. I definitely recommend it for fans of these genres or someone like me looking for something new. I would also read more by this author.
Note: My review is based on a book won in a Goodreads giveaway.
April 19, 2025
The writing in this sci-fi thriller was very good, the structure was fine, and it introduced an interesting concept. However, the repetition and excessive telling instead of (or in addition to) showing slowed the pace too much for this novel to be an effective thriller.
The author did a great job describing the setting of Los Alamos, New Mexico, and the science involved in the lab, which was probably over the heads of most readers who are not physics majors.
The main characters, Dr. Evelyn Torres and Dr. Sarah Chen, are running experiments at Los Alamos with the Quantum Resonance Generator (QRG), which interacts with Erra, an AI brain, when they detect some anomalies in the system. Then there is a catastrophic accident that kills two guards in a very mysterious way, after which the system seems to have been taken over by a malevolent entity. When local law enforcement comes to investigate the deaths, the scientists stonewall them while desperately trying to get their experiments under control.
In the meantime, Jesus Al-Sa'her, a charismatic but somewhat creepy prophet, appears in the aftermath of a graveyard fire and the killings of two priests. It takes a while, but eventually the detectives determine that the events are connected.
It will take teamwork between the scientists, a religious leader, and law enforcement if they ever hope to get the situation under control and save the world.
The author did a great job describing the setting of Los Alamos, New Mexico, and the science involved in the lab, which was probably over the heads of most readers who are not physics majors.
The main characters, Dr. Evelyn Torres and Dr. Sarah Chen, are running experiments at Los Alamos with the Quantum Resonance Generator (QRG), which interacts with Erra, an AI brain, when they detect some anomalies in the system. Then there is a catastrophic accident that kills two guards in a very mysterious way, after which the system seems to have been taken over by a malevolent entity. When local law enforcement comes to investigate the deaths, the scientists stonewall them while desperately trying to get their experiments under control.
In the meantime, Jesus Al-Sa'her, a charismatic but somewhat creepy prophet, appears in the aftermath of a graveyard fire and the killings of two priests. It takes a while, but eventually the detectives determine that the events are connected.
It will take teamwork between the scientists, a religious leader, and law enforcement if they ever hope to get the situation under control and save the world.
September 29, 2025
Love that he has such knowledge of what he writes about. This book is interesting and keeps you wanting to come back for more! Will definitely check out more of his books!!
October 3, 2025
Intriguing plot. One wonders if quantum AI technology will one day become the master of the scientists who created it. Worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews