Wicked Walter: Expatriates Series Book One

by Michael Winslet, Maryssa Gordon (Editor)

Some monsters don’t hide in the dark. They move in next door.Grieving widower Josh Geary retreats to Colombia’s secluded Cortés Valley, hoping solitude will help him heal. With his loyal pets and a handful of eccentric neighbors for company, the quiet feels like a second chance—until an American missionary settles in next door.

Walter Parrish says he’s come to save souls.
Josh feels watched.

When a local resident vanishes, and frightening incidents emerge, anxiety turns into terror. Josh realizes Walter’s righteous facade may hide something sinister. With the help of his sharp-witted friend Delia, Josh digs into Walter’s past, uncovering a trail of manipulation, violence, and spiritual rot.

As grief becomes obsession and tension rises, Josh must decide how far he’s willing to go to protect what little he has left.

Can Josh expose the truth before it’s too late, or will dark secrets consume his soul—even take his life?

Wicked Walter is a chilling psychological thriller about deception, resilience, and allegiance that will leave you wondering how well you know your neighbors.

353 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 20, 2025

About the author

Michael Winslet graduated from the University of Memphis, where he studied TV and film production and photography. Today, he works as a freelance writer and lives in Colombia’s coffee region. When not working on his next novel, he enjoys photography, reading, traveling, and doting on his cat.

To hear about Michael Winslet’s upcoming book releases and catch up on author news, follow him on social media and subscribe to his newsletter:

@michael.winslet.author
MichaelWinslet.com

Reviews

[Shree G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Winslet's debut novel held a terrifying premise, a brilliantly designed book cover, and a description that would rival the best in the psychological thriller genre books of late. Having set the trailblazing tone, the book starts off at tram speed, except for a paragraph that I would agree raised the temperature, albeit fleetingly. I gave the book the better part of a relaxed weekend, but finished it a tad disappointed.

The character build-up was slower than the plot build-up, and though setting the scenery plays a vital role in painting the imaginary locations in the reader's mind, and it was really well done, I often faltered and exasperated when there was too much digression than was necessary in many of the chapters. Despite being a fairly short book (273 pages if I'm right), there was a huge opportunity missed to put more twists into the tale and make the reader guess. These are the prime ingredients of a page-turner.

I received this book as an ARC from BookSirens for an honest review. Thank you, BookSirens!

The author is well-read and experienced in many things, which is evident from their very first book. Things that come to mind are their knowledge of the software industry, entrepreneurship, art and photography, and a good grip on the topography of coastal California and a bit of Colombia. While extracting and sharing that knowledge is useful, the author must also infuse other (read relevant) pieces of information that aid in tightening the plot rather than misleading the reader.

Writing a book - any book is a tough thing, and I commend the author for putting out a work of quality ON DEBUT that most other writers would not be able to. I feel Michael Winslet holds immense promise, and I look forward to their next novel, and wish them all the best for a fabulous and successful writing career!

[Josie Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy from Book Sirens in exchange for my honest review.

I want to start by saying that this book is a slow burn and third person narration. Normally, two things I avoid when choosing a book. When it comes to third person narration I don’t feel like I connect to the characters as I do with first person. But the way this author writes about each character and gives us an idea of how they became who they are, was absolutely brilliant! I absolutely enjoyed the flashbacks(well, some).

I don’t want to talk about the storyline too much because I don’t want to give away any spoilers. But the description on Goodreads (creepy old man moves next door) didn’t really sound like my cup of tea. But I thought I’d give this book a try and I’m so happy I did! I found myself at the edge of my seat wondering “what’s going to happen next?!” Towards the end, I did not want the book to end.

*side note*
I’m shocked this is Michael Winslet’s first book. Based on his writing style I thought for sure he’d have a least a dozen books released. Personally, I found the writing style a lot like Stephen King.

[Safina Bello · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance readers copy from Booksirens and I am leaving the review voluntarily

Wicked Walter by Micheal Winslet, I enjoyed the mystery novel, I always love a book that starts off good, like I always believe; the first chapter of a book determines how well it would go, and I guess “wicked Walter” fulfilled every little thought that I had.

When Josh, a widower gets back home after a trip, he finds out that his neighbor is someone new, a named Walter is the new occupant of the house, a man that can’t be trusted, even the mere glance of him, one could tell there was something wrong with him.

I don’t want to go into details and ruin this novel, but I would say, the description was pretty good, and I enjoyed how the author was able to give me a visual image of what was happening.

I would rate this book 7/10 because I enjoyed it, but I thought some chapters were rather too long, I would definitely recommend this novel to every reader out there that loves a mystery thriller novel.

[Amanni Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wicked Walter by Michael Winslet was such a creepy, atmospheric read in the best way. The pacing was spot-on, every chapter kept me hooked without dragging things out. It had just the right amount of tension and unsettling moments to give me chills, and Walter as a character was both fascinating and disturbing. A great pick if you’re in the mood for a fast-paced, eerie thriller.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Carolyn Valdez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would never have believed this was a debut novel. I enjoyed the story immensely. I was glued to the edge of my seat, turning pages as fast as I could,wondering what was going to happen next. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys mystery, suspense, and thrillers. I am excited to see what this author is going to bring us next.

I received a free ARC from StoryOrigin and I am leaving an honest and voluntary review.

[Bre E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not ready! Did I know this was a psychological thriller? Yes. Was I prepared for the emotional, edge-of-your-seat story that is Wicked Walter? NO!! Josh isn't convinced that Walter is in the Cortés Valley to save souls, like he says. So begins the hunt for the truth about Walter and the suspense!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a enticing, well written book! Its writing style flows and the author has his own interesting style. I like how it draws you in – I get bored with a lot of books, but this one kept me wanting to know what happens next without using cheap hooks.
It's an interesting perspective and has an intriguing setting, outside the US.

This book's a great read!

[Rogère Buivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

That book was great !!

The story is well written even if the beginning is kind of slow but it’s because we need to know everything.

The main character is loveable and very strongly written.

I really enjoyed reading this book !!

[Sharli Kaltenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed all the different things going on in this story. Heartbreak, love, friendship, murder, secret identities, missing persons and mystery. A great read that kept me wanting more and kept my interest. So many different stories with a mystery a weaved right in.

[Catherine Corry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read. I enjoyed it very much.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.