Drowned

The Stepping Stone #3

by Gary Ballard

Forensic psychologist Dr. Jack Carter has had to question his sanity – a year’s worth of memory lost, his wife, Sarah, missing and himself the prime suspect. His most recent cases have led him to meet beings he could only classify as supernatural. Called to consult on a mother’s mental health after she confesses to drowning her five children, Jack finds there’s more to the death of these kids than a fanatically religious mother’s fractured grasp of reality. Every turn in the case leads him to face the truth – a powerful entity known only as The Sleeper is spreading a murderous corruption throughout the world. Can Jack survive its terrible pull and discover the truth about what happened to Sarah?

ebook

First published December 7, 2014

About the author

I began writing things down at the age of eleven, and I haven't stopped since. I have written far too many things that have gone unpublished, from very terrible horror novels in my teens, to comics during my time at Belhaven College until finally settling on cyberpunk science fiction after graduation. I have released three novels in a cyberpunk series called The Bridge Chronicles. The Bridge Chronicles in turn is one slice of cohesive universe that began as a pen-and-paper roleplaying game.

I currently live with my beautiful wife and three very insane dogs in Mississippi, where I continue to write my novels.

Reviews

[Roberto Mattos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third episode of the Stepping Stone Series. In the first episode we learnt that Dr. Jack Carter was in catatonic state for over a year when he recovers conscience just to find out that he is the primary suspect in his wife disappearance. As there is no body he is not charged with the murder, so he resume his work as a forensic psychologist and continues investigating the disappearance of his wife. In the second episode, a double murder in a small town in Mississippi brings him into contact with a young rock music writer from a band named Metal Black. His lyrics are very dark an in one lyric he describes the death of a woman named Sarah (Jack's wife name). Two young boy's were charged with the murder of two girls named Sarah and their mother sues the band blaming that their lyrics influenced the boys to commit the crimes. When Jack starts to investigate the case, he came across some quite strange situation that changes his view on the power of the stepping stones. The third episode brings to Jack a case of a mother that drowned her five kids, claiming they were no humans. Her descriptions of entities matches what Jack had previously encounter in his past cases. When Jack goes investigating this case, what he finds behind the preachers of a pastor goes quickly wild and the end of the story is very intense and unexpected.
This is a very interesting sequence to the original story, very well written and entertaining, that will keep the reader hooked until the turn of the last page. I really want to read more episodes from this series. Kudos to the author for producing such an entertaining series!
I recommend this book to any reader who loves mystery books. They will not be disappointed. I suggest that they read the books in the order they were released, first the "First Stone", then the "Metal Black" and finally this one, "Drowned".

I received a copy from the author for reviewing and I was not requested to write a positive review. Opinion expressed here is my own.

[Sarah Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drowned is the third "episode" in the Stepping Stone series. In episode 1 we are introduced to forensic psychologist, Dr Jack Carter. Jacks wife has mysteriously disappeared and Jack has no memory of what happened. The government has decided to let Jack continue working on cases while they sort out what happened, and Jack plans to use what he learns his cases to search for his wife .
In episode 2, "The Metal Black", Jack is on a case he think is related to his wife's. It involves a bizarre murder involving a man who has seen some of the crazy things Jack has.
In episode 3, Jack is on another case that has creepy similarities to things Jack himself has experienced that seem crazy. A mother kills her kids and claims they are all demons, and Jack thinks that they are indeed supernatural creatures, but not demons.
The saga has an X files feel to it. There is an overlying conspiracy that one can only learn the whole story of by following all the episodes, yet each episode has its own story.
I enjoy the stories, both the complex and the story to story, and Steve Rausch does a great job narrating the book in the audio version.
I recommend this series to anyone who would like a bit of supernatural conspiracy all wrapped up in tasty little novella packages
I was given a free audible edition of Drowned by author Gary Ballard in exchange for a fair review.