The Persistence Hypothesis: First Life

by Jonathan Goodwin

What if you could bring someone back from the dead? Not in spirit. Not in memory. But truly back.

Dr. Daniel North has spent his life chasing the impossible. After witnessing his brother’s death as a child, Daniel dedicates himself to unraveling the greatest mystery of all—what happens after we die? Through relentless research, secret experiments, and one forbidden breakthrough, he edges closer to a terrifying, beautiful consciousness might not end with the body. But every discovery comes at a cost. As his obsession grows, so do the consequences—academic disgrace, ethical lines crossed, and a therapy mandate that leads him to Anna, a psychologist with her own quiet fractures. As their sessions unfold, a connection sparks that neither expected. One that might just change everything.

Told through intertwining perspectives, The Persistence Hypothesis is a haunting, heart-wrenching journey through grief, memory, and the reckless, relentless pursuit of love across the boundary of death.

92 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2025

Reviews

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 Stars

This is a short book that was released on 1 September on Kindle.
I went into this book blind not knowing what it was about but here's the blurb....

What if you could bring someone back from the dead? Not in spirit. Not in memory. But truly back.
Dr. Daniel North has spent his life chasing the impossible.
After witnessing his brother's death as a child, Daniel dedicates himself to unraveling the greatest mystery of all
—what happens after we die? Through relentless research, secret experiments, and one forbidden breakthrough, he edges closer to a terrifying, beautiful truth: consciousness might not end with the body. But every discovery comes at a cost. As his obsession grows, so do the consequences— academic disgrace, ethical lines crossed, and a therapy mandate that leads him to Anna, a psychologist with her own quiet fractures. As their sessions unfold, a connection sparks that neither expected. One that might just change everything.
Told through intertwining perspectives, The Persistence Hypothesis is a haunting, heart-wrenching journey through grief, memory, and the reckless, relentless pursuit of love across the boundary of death.
I really enjoyed this. Was a fast read, I read while sat in hairdressers in one go and it is absolutely brilliant.
I loved the science in it and how it made you think about what happens when we leave this world.
It was a fast paced read, filled with suspense and some sad moments touching on grief.
The ending left me speechless.
This was only 92 pages long and I believe the author has done this to see how this type of book would reach its target audience.
Well I can assure you this book would do well and I can't wait to read more!

[Kevin Lawlor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given an advanced copy of this short novel recently, and I feel like this was written specifically for me. It is about a man whose childhood trauma leads him to obsessively research and experiment for the answers of life after death. We can’t just cease to exist can we? Some people die for many minutes and are brought back, memories and personality in tact…so where do “they” go when they die? The answer is nothing Daniel, nor the reader (myself) could possibly have guessed. This story is short, and therefore not as fleshed out as ai would want it to be…because I was all in story wise and wanted more and more. I forgive that because I understand this 92 page story is a seed that will eventually be a much bigger oak. As it sits, I dug it immensely for the ideas it put forth, the quite sweet romance that pops up, and the DEVASTATING climax.

I can’t wait to see where Goodwin takes this story! It’s going to be something else I am sure

[Sasha Mereu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonathan was kind enough to send me an advance-reader copy of this novel. I highly recommend it. Briefly, a young boy who loses his older brother to a drowning accident grows up to become obsessed, in the grand tradition of Victor Frankenstein, with unlocking the secrets of death and what happens beyond that threshold. This is an exploration of grief and human connection, of processing trauma and the limit of ethics when one is pushed too far. The characters are well developed and fleshed out. Their interactions with each other and their respective spheres in the world are authentic and feel true to life. This is in part due to the language which Jonathan has chosen to imbue this plot, which is both conversational and reasonably peppered with professional jargon and multiple levels of formality in between which we all shift day to day based on our audience. The story hooked me and brought me along every step of the way until the surprise ending which I didn’t see coming! I cannot wait to read the second installment. For now, strap yourself in and enjoy the ride!

[Ciara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Jonathan for sending me a copy of The Persistence Hypothesis. I admired Daniel’s character, he believed in himself and kept trusting his gut until his dreams became a reality, no matter how many times people tried to knock him down. My favourite part of the book was the twist at the end, it definitely took me by surprise and really hooked me. The reason for the 2 stars was the ending, I feel like I would’ve enjoyed the book more if it ended with the shock of Daniel going to prison for Anna’s death, but him ending his life felt like a little bit of a let down for me, although I can also appreciate why he did it as it was his promise to Anna.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing science-fiction short story about Daniel who is haunted by the death of his brother. Daniel dedicated his life to finding out what happens after death, he does various experiments and then has a breakthrough that changes everything. This was an original story, not like anything I've read before. I found myself drawn into Daniel's life. It was hard to put down and the ending was unpredictable and left me wanting to know what happens next.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Persistent Hypothesis pulled me in from the start. Jonathan Goodwin writes with a clarity and energy that makes the book hard to put down. It’s insightful, engaging, and leaves you thinking long after you finish. I genuinely enjoyed every chapter and can’t recommend it enough.