What do you think?
Rate this book
Poisoning The Well
The Protectorate is a nation built upon the backs of Benigns and Ungovernables. Hated for something out of their control, Ungovernables and Benigns live under the yoke of human whim. Growing tensions between them leads to dissent and mistrust. With daily disappearances and attacks on both sides there is little hope for peace.
Rylen Parthenope is the frontman to the popular rock band, Children of the Gate. A string of disappearances surrounding the band has brought the media to their doorstep and with his wife among the missing, the Protectorate Agency has declared him their main suspect.
Down a bassist, and with the record label and Agency breathing down his neck, Rylen is low on friends and desperate for answers. Mourning the possible loss of his wife, Rylen attempts to be there as a father while leading the band as they prepare for a world tour. With a damning secret of his own, Rylen struggles to keep up appearances of being a simple musician.
Detective Jamie Claugh has worked for the Protectorate Agency for six years. Considered a musical prodigy, he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps, giving up music in order to pursue a career in law enforcement. As part of the Undercover unit, he's dismantled Ungovernable trafficking rings, stopped Vampires, Werewolves, Sirens, and many other non-human threats to the carefully curated peace of the Protectorate.
Now he's given an opportunity to use his innate musical talent when an assignment falls in his lap.
Meanwhile, forces beyond their reach conspire to change the landscape of the Protectorate forever.
“A genre-defying powerhouse of a novel! POISONING THE WELL grips you from page one with its intoxicating blend of political tension, supernatural intrigue, and raw human emotion. With the pulse of a dystopian thriller and the soul of a rock anthem, this story hits hard and lingers long after the final note.” — Ryan Steck, The Real Book Spy and Author of Ted Bell’s Monarch
Rylen Parthenope is the frontman to the popular rock band, Children of the Gate. A string of disappearances surrounding the band has brought the media to their doorstep and with his wife among the missing, the Protectorate Agency has declared him their main suspect.
Down a bassist, and with the record label and Agency breathing down his neck, Rylen is low on friends and desperate for answers. Mourning the possible loss of his wife, Rylen attempts to be there as a father while leading the band as they prepare for a world tour. With a damning secret of his own, Rylen struggles to keep up appearances of being a simple musician.
Detective Jamie Claugh has worked for the Protectorate Agency for six years. Considered a musical prodigy, he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps, giving up music in order to pursue a career in law enforcement. As part of the Undercover unit, he's dismantled Ungovernable trafficking rings, stopped Vampires, Werewolves, Sirens, and many other non-human threats to the carefully curated peace of the Protectorate.
Now he's given an opportunity to use his innate musical talent when an assignment falls in his lap.
Meanwhile, forces beyond their reach conspire to change the landscape of the Protectorate forever.
“A genre-defying powerhouse of a novel! POISONING THE WELL grips you from page one with its intoxicating blend of political tension, supernatural intrigue, and raw human emotion. With the pulse of a dystopian thriller and the soul of a rock anthem, this story hits hard and lingers long after the final note.” — Ryan Steck, The Real Book Spy and Author of Ted Bell’s Monarch
394 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2025
2 people are currently reading
4 people want to read
About the author
V.C. Boldick
3 books20 followersI grew up in a little village in a quiet corner of Alberta and my first love was reading. I loved how a simple book could teleport me for hours at a time to magical places. I loved reading and devoured books. I remember when my parents would drive to the city I would beg to be allowed to buy more than one book.
They taught me about the importance of hard work, so I put my heart and soul in every novel I write, “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right,” is what my dad always said. I took those words to heart and I am always trying to perfect my writing.
I no longer live in a little village but my love of reading has only grown, my shelves are lined with books and I have notebooks filled with ideas for novels I hope to one day write.
Outside of writing, I enjoy cosplaying, drawing, painting and spending time with friends and family.
They taught me about the importance of hard work, so I put my heart and soul in every novel I write, “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right,” is what my dad always said. I took those words to heart and I am always trying to perfect my writing.
I no longer live in a little village but my love of reading has only grown, my shelves are lined with books and I have notebooks filled with ideas for novels I hope to one day write.
Outside of writing, I enjoy cosplaying, drawing, painting and spending time with friends and family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 20, 2025
Think Rockstar (the movie) meets Supernatural, with an undercover cop situation!!
It’s fun and playful with high suspense, romance, and a “who done it” mystery beneath it all. You really become a part of their world as you get to know the characters and find out a lot of what we’re seeing isn’t wha it seems!
This book had me feet kicking with excitement, and questioning everything I know as far as lore for the mythical beings within. I wouldn’t change a thing about it, other than the fact that I have to wait for book two to come out!
It’s fun and playful with high suspense, romance, and a “who done it” mystery beneath it all. You really become a part of their world as you get to know the characters and find out a lot of what we’re seeing isn’t wha it seems!
This book had me feet kicking with excitement, and questioning everything I know as far as lore for the mythical beings within. I wouldn’t change a thing about it, other than the fact that I have to wait for book two to come out!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2025
Un-put-down-able.
Nguh! Ungh! *toddler grabby hands for the next installment.*
Interesting and imaginative world.
Dual POV between an emotionally raw but cuddly rock star and a surprisingly likeable detective in a world much like ours (sometimes disturbingly so) but populated by interesting creatures and relationships.
Quick read. Easy to root for everyone. Effortlessly entertaining.
Looking forward to the next one!
(Note: Received as an ARC)
Nguh! Ungh! *toddler grabby hands for the next installment.*
Interesting and imaginative world.
Dual POV between an emotionally raw but cuddly rock star and a surprisingly likeable detective in a world much like ours (sometimes disturbingly so) but populated by interesting creatures and relationships.
Quick read. Easy to root for everyone. Effortlessly entertaining.
Looking forward to the next one!
(Note: Received as an ARC)
September 10, 2025
What a read!!
Loved this book. Great characters, great story, mysteries that keep you theorising, a vibrant and interesting world…
There’s some serious skill on display in this book.
I need book two something fierce!
Loved this book. Great characters, great story, mysteries that keep you theorising, a vibrant and interesting world…
There’s some serious skill on display in this book.
I need book two something fierce!
December 10, 2025
Ok, I don’t know where to begin! This was a fast paced twister of a story with everyone keeping secrets and danger all around. At the center of it all is Kirin, a rockstar who clearly loves his wife and children, but sadly his wife is missing. Family secrets, strong friendships, betrayals, love, political machinations, social mores and more weave a complex narrative that delves into themes of justice, ethics, and acceptance while delivering an emotional thriller that ends with the kind of cliffhanger that leaves you with a gasp! All this set in a world full of mythical creatures and all the powers and complications they bring.
I couldn’t put this book down, and will definitely be reading the next in the series!
I couldn’t put this book down, and will definitely be reading the next in the series!
December 14, 2025
Loved it! It's just a fast-paced story with great characters that takes place in an interesting world. It's got political tension and supernatural intrigue and I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
April 28, 2025
***I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest review***
First off, I can’t say enough that I had SUCH a good time with this book. I read it in massive chunks and couldn’t put it down. It was a really fun and enjoyable read.
We’re first introduced to Jamie, an undercover detective with rigid morals and beliefs—for better or worse—who is assigned to investigate our other main boy, Rylen, and his band, Children of the Gate. Rylen’s last year has been filled to the brim with stress and suffering between industry troubles, young kids (he deserves a dad of the year award, honestly), and worst of all, the ongoing mystery of his missing wife, Kirin. To make matters somehow even worse, he’s the main suspect in her disappearance.
Despite their opposing world views and lives in general, Jamie and Rylen form a bond that I as the reader desperately wanted to succeed. I rooted for them to make up every time they argued even the littlest bit, and it was heartwarming to see how easily the other band members like Kaz and CJ accepted Jamie, to the point where I think all of us who knew forgot why Jamie was actually there.
If I ramble much more, I’ll be spoiling everything, so I’ll wrap it up here. The setting is fascinating, as are the different creatures and species we come across (shout-out to my darling boy Ari). The narrative was gripping with a tense mystery and visceral struggles, and the neurodivergent representation was very well done, especially in Karya. This is 100% going back on my TBR at some point this year.
The ending made me throw my tablet (affectionate).
First off, I can’t say enough that I had SUCH a good time with this book. I read it in massive chunks and couldn’t put it down. It was a really fun and enjoyable read.
We’re first introduced to Jamie, an undercover detective with rigid morals and beliefs—for better or worse—who is assigned to investigate our other main boy, Rylen, and his band, Children of the Gate. Rylen’s last year has been filled to the brim with stress and suffering between industry troubles, young kids (he deserves a dad of the year award, honestly), and worst of all, the ongoing mystery of his missing wife, Kirin. To make matters somehow even worse, he’s the main suspect in her disappearance.
Despite their opposing world views and lives in general, Jamie and Rylen form a bond that I as the reader desperately wanted to succeed. I rooted for them to make up every time they argued even the littlest bit, and it was heartwarming to see how easily the other band members like Kaz and CJ accepted Jamie, to the point where I think all of us who knew forgot why Jamie was actually there.
If I ramble much more, I’ll be spoiling everything, so I’ll wrap it up here. The setting is fascinating, as are the different creatures and species we come across (shout-out to my darling boy Ari). The narrative was gripping with a tense mystery and visceral struggles, and the neurodivergent representation was very well done, especially in Karya. This is 100% going back on my TBR at some point this year.
The ending made me throw my tablet (affectionate).
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews