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Swerve
One good man, one very bad night
Dr. James Chenda, a middle-aged (and perhaps middling) academic, had always played it safe. He has a house in the suburbs, a few papers that he’s trying to publish, and though his prospects at receiving tenure are 50/50, he’s trying at least.
And that was his life, until—
Until one night he goes to a party alone, and on the drive home he sees two girls in another car flirting with him—
One moment can change everything
One moment, one decision, one flick of the wheel, and everything starts to unravel.
James will find himself enmeshed in forces beyond his comprehension, coming from every angle possible.
And he can’t just go to the police with this, because he has his child to look after.
He’ll have to go deeper to get himself out, to deal with the underworld directly and outwit those who play by different rules, or perhaps no rules at all.
A note from the When Jonathan Maas submitted Swerve to me, I was surprised. His oeuvre so far has been SciFi and Fantasy, and every tale has had some aspect of either. But this is a Domestic Thriller—no time travel, no references to cosmic powers, and the only ghosts are the metaphorical kind. In true Jonathan Maas style, this tale does have elements of Philosophy and Literary Fiction. But it’s a page turner all right, a Domestic Thriller Crime Noir showing a normal man who finds himself at the wrong place at the wrong time, and then must pull himself out of an underworld that wants to grab hold of him at every opportunity, bring him down and keep him there.
- J. Shaw, Cynical Optimist Press
For fans Chester Himes, A Rage in Harlem, Jordan Harper, She Rides Shotgun, the movie Shot Caller, Noir fiction.
Crime, Crime Noir, Domestic Thrillers, Page-turners, Mystery, Literary Fiction, Philosophy
Edition 1.1 - Resolved some small formatting issues for Kindle.
Dr. James Chenda, a middle-aged (and perhaps middling) academic, had always played it safe. He has a house in the suburbs, a few papers that he’s trying to publish, and though his prospects at receiving tenure are 50/50, he’s trying at least.
And that was his life, until—
Until one night he goes to a party alone, and on the drive home he sees two girls in another car flirting with him—
One moment can change everything
One moment, one decision, one flick of the wheel, and everything starts to unravel.
James will find himself enmeshed in forces beyond his comprehension, coming from every angle possible.
And he can’t just go to the police with this, because he has his child to look after.
He’ll have to go deeper to get himself out, to deal with the underworld directly and outwit those who play by different rules, or perhaps no rules at all.
A note from the When Jonathan Maas submitted Swerve to me, I was surprised. His oeuvre so far has been SciFi and Fantasy, and every tale has had some aspect of either. But this is a Domestic Thriller—no time travel, no references to cosmic powers, and the only ghosts are the metaphorical kind. In true Jonathan Maas style, this tale does have elements of Philosophy and Literary Fiction. But it’s a page turner all right, a Domestic Thriller Crime Noir showing a normal man who finds himself at the wrong place at the wrong time, and then must pull himself out of an underworld that wants to grab hold of him at every opportunity, bring him down and keep him there.
- J. Shaw, Cynical Optimist Press
For fans Chester Himes, A Rage in Harlem, Jordan Harper, She Rides Shotgun, the movie Shot Caller, Noir fiction.
Crime, Crime Noir, Domestic Thrillers, Page-turners, Mystery, Literary Fiction, Philosophy
Edition 1.1 - Resolved some small formatting issues for Kindle.
- GenresEbooks
283 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 16, 2025
169 people are currently reading
2253 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Maas
31 books367 followersJon Maas was born in New Haven, Connecticut and grew up in San Antonio, Texas. After graduating from Stanford University with degrees in Biology and History, he's earned a living as a Musician, Peace Corps Volunteer, Standup Comedian, TV Producer and Web Designer.
He has published ten books, and has more on the way.
He has also directed the movie 'Spanners' starring Shawn Christian and Eric Roberts, and wrote its sequel book - 'Spanners: The Fountain of Youth.'
He writes on his bus commute to and from work, and has a soft spot in his heart for all types of Public Transportation.
He has published ten books, and has more on the way.
He has also directed the movie 'Spanners' starring Shawn Christian and Eric Roberts, and wrote its sequel book - 'Spanners: The Fountain of Youth.'
He writes on his bus commute to and from work, and has a soft spot in his heart for all types of Public Transportation.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
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August 30, 2025DNR ~ This a book that I know I did not choose. This is one of many that I found on my want to read list? Romance is a genre that I hate and yet there were several on the list, along with sci-fi, which I do not care for?
How and why?!
Unfortunately, this is a book that I was given a copy of from Goodreads.
How and why?!
Unfortunately, this is a book that I was given a copy of from Goodreads.
May 7, 2025
One bad move (swerving into another car after the two girls in it mocked and taunted the driver/ main character), a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a lot of blackmail and racism pretty much sums up this story. Some of it seemed a lil bit far fetched at times, but definitely makes you think about the consequences certain actions might have.
June 26, 2025
A twisty thriller, and recommended reading! Facing a seemingly impossible choice, James Chenda is playing both sides against the middle in negotiating for his life. Philosophical and moral questions force the reader to consider what would you do in the same situation, where one split-second action causes dire consequences?
April 19, 2025
3.5 stars. A very interesting book. Thoughtful and entertaining. I enjoyed it.
February 28, 2025
As a fan of Jonathan Maas, I was excited to read this latest domestic thriller, quite a difference from the SciFi/fantasy books that Maas usually writes. I found this to be as compelling and thought provoking as his previous books. The story revolves around James Chanda, a college professor who’s lived a quiet life, followed the rules, and is hoping for tenure. After having a bad day, he just wants to go home and put it behind him when he has an altercation with 2 young women. For an unfortunate second, he releases the rage he’s always managed to contain. Suddenly his life is on a horrendous new path. From this point on, James’s troubles snowball. His first thoughts are to protect his young son. A world that he’d only studied and referenced, is now all around him. From here we get some vintage Maas that I love so much. We enter the world of unpredictable human nature, perceived morality, and retribution. We see the levels of power from the streets and prisons, to shiny high rise office towers. Although maybe not quite as deadly as the streets, they are all sadly similar. Maas made me feel the discomfort that James was feeling. This was not who he was. This was not how he lived. He’d led a respectable life yet now his life depends on how he navigates through this new chaos. At times this feels like a small snapshot of some larger problems we’re seeing around us. Maas always leaves me thinking. I highly recommend Swerve.
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March 20, 2025won this ebook from goodreads, thanks!! 3 19 2025
he was in a bad mood from work, went to a party he didnt want to go to, alone. had one glass of wine and left a hr later
2 white girls in the same kind and color car as his (hes black prof) were making fun of his receding hairline. they did it twice after catching up with him and he swerved into their car. it flipped killing both girls
at home he told his girlfriend of 4 mths, she works in a law office
she told him not to say anything, if he went to the cops and confessed his son would go to foster care
and no one wanted that
when they got back from their walk 2 cops were waiting. they had photos of his car hitting the girls
his girlfriend told them he would not be speaking to them and no they cant see the car in the garage. they said they would be back with a warrant
he used her car to go to work, a boy was waiting for him with photos of his car hitting theirs
the boy had Nazi 88 tattoo
he visited his twin in prison
he turned in his car to the police lot at 1am, left keys on dash. he challenged the people stealing kias to steal it from the police lot and crash it, which they did, so there was no evidence. the girls he killed where in the crew of people stealing kias
he was in a bad mood from work, went to a party he didnt want to go to, alone. had one glass of wine and left a hr later
2 white girls in the same kind and color car as his (hes black prof) were making fun of his receding hairline. they did it twice after catching up with him and he swerved into their car. it flipped killing both girls
at home he told his girlfriend of 4 mths, she works in a law office
she told him not to say anything, if he went to the cops and confessed his son would go to foster care
and no one wanted that
when they got back from their walk 2 cops were waiting. they had photos of his car hitting the girls
his girlfriend told them he would not be speaking to them and no they cant see the car in the garage. they said they would be back with a warrant
he used her car to go to work, a boy was waiting for him with photos of his car hitting theirs
the boy had Nazi 88 tattoo
he visited his twin in prison
he turned in his car to the police lot at 1am, left keys on dash. he challenged the people stealing kias to steal it from the police lot and crash it, which they did, so there was no evidence. the girls he killed where in the crew of people stealing kias
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2025
I loved reading this thriller about a professor (at an unnamed Ivy League University on the West Coast), having a bad day where his breaking point is 2 young women in a Kia, a lot like his Kia, make fun of his receding hairline and well, he swerves into them, starting a chain of events as he struggles to get out of the trouble caused by their car tumbling off the road and to their deaths. In today's world, nothing goes without being recorded, so Professor James finds he's being blackmailed by a low life who recorded the incident and this sets off a chain of events on the criminal side of where he lives, which I assume is around the LA area. All of this leads to a walk on the wild side while keeping the police at bay for James, as a widower, needs to protect his young son (who is not much in the story). James' new girlfriend has her own past which is helpful to guiding him on this dark path he needs to navigate. What I especially loved about this tale as how the narrative drives the story forward. A pet peeve of mine these days, although typical of so many novels, is the 'flashback' or simply moving to another character's storyline which breaks up a story for me. This novel does not do that but drives forward relentlessly. My rating is 5 stars.
May 2, 2025
Swerve had me gripped from the start. A stylish thriller that has a ‘Breaking Bad’ vibe. Highly recommended for your summer read. A solid five stars😊
August 30, 2025
Kind of an uneven story. The main character was a college professor who was accosted by a couple of girls while driving. He swerved into them causing an accident that flipped their car and killed them. The next 300 pages were him trying to keep from getting caught. He meets many unsavory people, including his twin brother who is in prison. Didn't have any sympathy for James. But maybe other readers would find this book interesting. Not really my cup of tea.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews