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Truth: A Conspiratorium Novel
264 pages, Paperback
Published July 16, 2025
1 person is currently reading
4 people want to read
About the author
Linda A. Sanchez
23 books22 followersLinda Ann Sanchez is the author of Lost & Found: The Journey of Socorro, a heartfelt memoir about resilience, faith, and identity. Found as a toddler on the streets of Guadalajara, Mexico, and later adopted into the U.S., Linda’s journey is one of overcoming abandonment, embracing love, and discovering the healing power of storytelling.
Since then, she has gone on to write and publish across genres—memoir, fiction, bilingual literature, psychological thrillers, and mystery-paranormal. She is currently venturing into speculative fiction with Truth: A Conspiratorium Novel, the first book in her new thriller trilogy, The Redacted Series, and has also co-authored several works that explore justice, betrayal, and inner strength.
Linda is the founder of Legacy & Light Publishing, a platform that supports diverse voices and helps authors share stories that matter—because every story deserves to shine. Through this work, she continues to empower others to reclaim their narratives and connect with readers around the world.
When she's not writing, Linda enjoys time with family, meaningful conversations with readers, and giving back—donating a portion of book proceeds to the orphanage where her life story began.
She loves connecting with readers on Goodreads, so feel free to follow her journey, leave a review, or send a message.
Since then, she has gone on to write and publish across genres—memoir, fiction, bilingual literature, psychological thrillers, and mystery-paranormal. She is currently venturing into speculative fiction with Truth: A Conspiratorium Novel, the first book in her new thriller trilogy, The Redacted Series, and has also co-authored several works that explore justice, betrayal, and inner strength.
Linda is the founder of Legacy & Light Publishing, a platform that supports diverse voices and helps authors share stories that matter—because every story deserves to shine. Through this work, she continues to empower others to reclaim their narratives and connect with readers around the world.
When she's not writing, Linda enjoys time with family, meaningful conversations with readers, and giving back—donating a portion of book proceeds to the orphanage where her life story began.
She loves connecting with readers on Goodreads, so feel free to follow her journey, leave a review, or send a message.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 10, 2025
The book starts off as a noir techno-thriller. The gritty, crumbling underbelly of a near-future Los Angeles and some of the characters who occupy it are brought to life with deft verbal brushstrokes. But the main protagonist remains an enigmatic shadow. At first he has only a first name: Caleb. Well into the book he is given a last name: Black. A prior career as an investigative journalist is hinted at.
The story begins with Caleb receiving a mysterious hard drive that promises to reveal the truth about a story that his haunted him for years. Accessing it pits Caleb and his techno-geek friend Moth against the Red Vault, a shadowy organization that has the power to erase their very existence.
The style changes dramatically when Caleb exchanges the noir world of L.A. for a fantastical desert retreat to which the very laws of physics don’t apply. It’s like plunging into a nightmare where you run as fast as you can but impossible obstacles keep leaping into your path.
This book is not as long as it’s page count would suggest—there is a lot of white space between one-line ‘paragraphs.’ You turn pages quickly, which increases the sense of urgency. On the other hand, it can feel like you are reading the bullet-point version of a larger story.
Although I think that sustaining its noir, techno-thriller character through to the end would have made it even better, it is an interesting, readable book. I do recommend it.
The story begins with Caleb receiving a mysterious hard drive that promises to reveal the truth about a story that his haunted him for years. Accessing it pits Caleb and his techno-geek friend Moth against the Red Vault, a shadowy organization that has the power to erase their very existence.
The style changes dramatically when Caleb exchanges the noir world of L.A. for a fantastical desert retreat to which the very laws of physics don’t apply. It’s like plunging into a nightmare where you run as fast as you can but impossible obstacles keep leaping into your path.
This book is not as long as it’s page count would suggest—there is a lot of white space between one-line ‘paragraphs.’ You turn pages quickly, which increases the sense of urgency. On the other hand, it can feel like you are reading the bullet-point version of a larger story.
Although I think that sustaining its noir, techno-thriller character through to the end would have made it even better, it is an interesting, readable book. I do recommend it.
September 7, 2025
I was drawn in from the opening pages of Truth. The atmosphere crackles with paranoia—buzzing lights, hidden files, and the constant sense of being watched. Caleb, a crisis PR fixer who usually erases scandals, is suddenly caught in something far darker and more dangerous.
The pacing is brisk, sometimes almost too brisk, with leaps in logic that left me wishing for deeper character connections. At times, crucial background details appeared without much setup, leaving me momentarily adrift. Even so, the twists came consistently, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Sanchez’s sharp, stripped-down style favors movement over description, giving the book the feel of a screenplay. What impressed me most was how unsettlingly timely it all felt. Chilling, thought-provoking, and thoroughly entertaining.
The pacing is brisk, sometimes almost too brisk, with leaps in logic that left me wishing for deeper character connections. At times, crucial background details appeared without much setup, leaving me momentarily adrift. Even so, the twists came consistently, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Sanchez’s sharp, stripped-down style favors movement over description, giving the book the feel of a screenplay. What impressed me most was how unsettlingly timely it all felt. Chilling, thought-provoking, and thoroughly entertaining.
August 22, 2025
Well written and atmospheric, with a striking cover. While it wasn’t entirely my style and I struggled at times with the pacing, the concept is unique and I think many readers will enjoy it.
November 3, 2025
Potentially offensive items: nudity, violence, murder, lying
The main character, Caleb, was a podcaster, who has been on the run for three years. He is contacted by someone who he thought was dead, asking him to investigate the Red Vault and free one of its captives. The Red Vault acquires children through various nefarious means and raises them to be brainwashed social media spokespeople who spout reworded mindfulness catchphrases. This could be the plotline of a great book. Unfortunately, there is no depth to the story beyond that. You don’t find out why a company or government would want to do this or how the world is negatively affected by it, and the author seems to forget what was written, changing things sporadically throughout it without explanation, which makes the story difficult to follow.
It is mostly written in incomplete sentences and single-sentence paragraphs, which creates extremely choppy reading and reminds me of listening to someone who is high and thinks he is revealing great truths to you without saying much or of listening to someone trying to explain this amazing dream he had last night when he doesn't remember it very well. Occasionally, the language strives for something greater, but usually it falls flat. The majority of the book is simple, “She didn’t cry” type sentences or fragments. Instead of using these grammatical errors in a literary way to highlight important or intense moments, it felt like the narration was out of breath for the entire book. Adding to the choppiness is that nothing is ever explained in enough detail to understand what the author is trying to say. It was as if the author splattered a bunch of dots on a paper and failed to connect them. For example, over 20 cryptic names of files on an external hard drive are listed. The characters explore only a handful of these, which are then said to be training videos, each time only learning about a sentence of information before having to go on the run. Beyond recognizing a person in these videos, they don’t seem to solve a purpose in advancing the story—although, remarkably, Caleb later believes that he was thoroughly trained by them. At no point are we led to believe Caleb is crazy, and the title of the book (Truth) along with the author's notes contradicts that notion, so the disjointedness is never justified.
Finally, there was also a sense that the author only had superficial knowledge of the things about which she writes, especially when it comes to computer technology. For example, a random character who appears at the end of the book (without any introduction or explanation) says, “They’re spoofing a location trace to flush me into live ping.” I know what spoofing a location is—you trick your GPS into saying you are somewhere when you aren’t. I know what tracing a location is—finding out where someone is based on GPS data. But “spoofing a location trace” is nonsense, just like flushing someone “into live ping.” Someone else pings you to see if you are online and the speed of your Internet connection—they don’t “flush” you to ping them.
I received this book for free on Goodreads, and rated it based on the objective review matrix posted on my writing blog.
The main character, Caleb, was a podcaster, who has been on the run for three years. He is contacted by someone who he thought was dead, asking him to investigate the Red Vault and free one of its captives. The Red Vault acquires children through various nefarious means and raises them to be brainwashed social media spokespeople who spout reworded mindfulness catchphrases. This could be the plotline of a great book. Unfortunately, there is no depth to the story beyond that. You don’t find out why a company or government would want to do this or how the world is negatively affected by it, and the author seems to forget what was written, changing things sporadically throughout it without explanation, which makes the story difficult to follow.
It is mostly written in incomplete sentences and single-sentence paragraphs, which creates extremely choppy reading and reminds me of listening to someone who is high and thinks he is revealing great truths to you without saying much or of listening to someone trying to explain this amazing dream he had last night when he doesn't remember it very well. Occasionally, the language strives for something greater, but usually it falls flat. The majority of the book is simple, “She didn’t cry” type sentences or fragments. Instead of using these grammatical errors in a literary way to highlight important or intense moments, it felt like the narration was out of breath for the entire book. Adding to the choppiness is that nothing is ever explained in enough detail to understand what the author is trying to say. It was as if the author splattered a bunch of dots on a paper and failed to connect them. For example, over 20 cryptic names of files on an external hard drive are listed. The characters explore only a handful of these, which are then said to be training videos, each time only learning about a sentence of information before having to go on the run. Beyond recognizing a person in these videos, they don’t seem to solve a purpose in advancing the story—although, remarkably, Caleb later believes that he was thoroughly trained by them. At no point are we led to believe Caleb is crazy, and the title of the book (Truth) along with the author's notes contradicts that notion, so the disjointedness is never justified.
Finally, there was also a sense that the author only had superficial knowledge of the things about which she writes, especially when it comes to computer technology. For example, a random character who appears at the end of the book (without any introduction or explanation) says, “They’re spoofing a location trace to flush me into live ping.” I know what spoofing a location is—you trick your GPS into saying you are somewhere when you aren’t. I know what tracing a location is—finding out where someone is based on GPS data. But “spoofing a location trace” is nonsense, just like flushing someone “into live ping.” Someone else pings you to see if you are online and the speed of your Internet connection—they don’t “flush” you to ping them.
I received this book for free on Goodreads, and rated it based on the objective review matrix posted on my writing blog.
September 2, 2025
Wow, this book started with fire and kept on burning. Never a dull moment. I found it a very quick read--engaging, and heart-thumping, with short, thriller style sentences. I felt like I was watching this story unfold on the big screen. Sometimes it felt too fast and I had to reread to see if I understood what was being said, because like the twists of the world in Truth, the writing also turned itself over.
Caleb digs for conspiracies, cover ups, and leaks (apparently he’s a PR fixer... did you know that was an actual job?), but he soon gets trapped in in a Red Vault web that won’t let him go.
There was a lot of tech talk in this story that was so fast and gritty that I was a bit left behind on the validity of it (and I’m not a clueless when it comes to tech). But it’s near future, touching on stories in our own media, that it was easy enough to accept and just go with it. The world is painted through action, no boring info dumps. It was creepy how real it could be and uncomfortably mirrored some real events. To me it felt like a mix of Koontz's Jane Hawk and Total Recall. My heart bled for some of the characters... just tools in the game. Is this meant as a raised brow at Hollywood and the like, I’m sure, but it didn’t feel like it was preaching about the evils of that business but telling its own wild story.
Who has the power. Who is being controlled. What is the truth?
If you like twists and turns, conspiracies, and fast pace, this is definitely the thriller for you. Highly recommended.
Caleb digs for conspiracies, cover ups, and leaks (apparently he’s a PR fixer... did you know that was an actual job?), but he soon gets trapped in in a Red Vault web that won’t let him go.
There was a lot of tech talk in this story that was so fast and gritty that I was a bit left behind on the validity of it (and I’m not a clueless when it comes to tech). But it’s near future, touching on stories in our own media, that it was easy enough to accept and just go with it. The world is painted through action, no boring info dumps. It was creepy how real it could be and uncomfortably mirrored some real events. To me it felt like a mix of Koontz's Jane Hawk and Total Recall. My heart bled for some of the characters... just tools in the game. Is this meant as a raised brow at Hollywood and the like, I’m sure, but it didn’t feel like it was preaching about the evils of that business but telling its own wild story.
Who has the power. Who is being controlled. What is the truth?
If you like twists and turns, conspiracies, and fast pace, this is definitely the thriller for you. Highly recommended.
September 19, 2025
Scandal meets Conspiracy Theory, Total Recall, and unfortunately, the scary and bewildering world we now live in. I have read other books by the author, but this one was the best one yet. It caught me immediately with the type of things that usually interest me as a writer, reader, and viewer-- paranoia, conspiracies, cover-ups, mystery, technology, etc. Basically, the main character fixes public relations problems and scandals for people, but has run into a monumental maze of problems with this debacle, involving technology and forbidden files/drives, etc. The writing style is reminiscent of other, newer authors I have seen, and it can be a bit off-putting in some places, but it is also easy to follow in other ways, feeling uneasily familiar with the situations and questioning of reality that we face in our time. Is anything real? Are we in a simulation or the matrix? Why does every "expert" and official narrative feel like you are being lied to? Often we find out that we absolutely ARE being lied to and sold a bill of goods on many topics, systems, and items that don't quite play out correctly. This book does a great job of reflecting and inspecting those realizations-- in a story that could very well be an episode of Black Mirror or other timely shows. Recommended.
August 27, 2025
Linda A. Sanchez’s TRUTH: A Conspiratorium Novel is a relentless conspiracy-thriller that begins when disgraced journalist Caleb Black comes into possession of the “Red Vault” drive. Written as a modern, technical, and suspense-driven work, the novel keeps readers on edge from start to finish with its fast-paced chapters, masterful use of technological jargon, and cinematic narration.
I particularly enjoy books that allow for multiple layers of reading. In this respect, Sanchez impressed me with her objective and questioning perspective on today’s world, examining societal currents that unknowingly steer us in certain directions with a holistic approach. The novel blends the classic “lone hero vs. powerful organization” theme with timely issues such as influencer culture, the commodification of trauma, and digital manipulation.
TRUTH distinguishes itself by focusing less on “what the truth is” and more on “how it is marketed,” making it both an action-packed and culturally critical work. With an ending that opens the door to the rest of the series, it is unquestionably a must-read.
I particularly enjoy books that allow for multiple layers of reading. In this respect, Sanchez impressed me with her objective and questioning perspective on today’s world, examining societal currents that unknowingly steer us in certain directions with a holistic approach. The novel blends the classic “lone hero vs. powerful organization” theme with timely issues such as influencer culture, the commodification of trauma, and digital manipulation.
TRUTH distinguishes itself by focusing less on “what the truth is” and more on “how it is marketed,” making it both an action-packed and culturally critical work. With an ending that opens the door to the rest of the series, it is unquestionably a must-read.
October 30, 2025
Thanks to blunt and powerful prose, this story rockets out of the gate. Caleb, a P.R. fixer who’s a resourceful and effective problem solver, faces a new dilemma that challenges his past and future.
Her highly efficient wording sets a scene and creates an atmosphere at a rapid pace, adding to the excitement of the story.
Sanchez’ command of technology and psychology are skillfully used to build a credible thriller premise. Her writing style vibrates with tension and pulled me through the story, even when I didn’t fully grasp parts of the plot. In the end, even those parts either came together or raised provocative questions.
As fast as the action is, there were times when I wanted to stretch certain scenes out to more fully develop the action. I think the short, rapid sentences could be maintained used. Just more of them invested in the most important scenes. I also wondered how, in between action scenes, a more intense and reflective mood could be set using less bulleted wording.
Overall, the cleverness of the plot and high energy level of this story is well worth the read. I’m looking forward to this book’s sequel and more of Linda’s work.
Her highly efficient wording sets a scene and creates an atmosphere at a rapid pace, adding to the excitement of the story.
Sanchez’ command of technology and psychology are skillfully used to build a credible thriller premise. Her writing style vibrates with tension and pulled me through the story, even when I didn’t fully grasp parts of the plot. In the end, even those parts either came together or raised provocative questions.
As fast as the action is, there were times when I wanted to stretch certain scenes out to more fully develop the action. I think the short, rapid sentences could be maintained used. Just more of them invested in the most important scenes. I also wondered how, in between action scenes, a more intense and reflective mood could be set using less bulleted wording.
Overall, the cleverness of the plot and high energy level of this story is well worth the read. I’m looking forward to this book’s sequel and more of Linda’s work.
November 5, 2025
The book starts with a memory that Caleb doesn’t recognize. A memory that no longer exists, at least not in his memory bank as he tried to determine who he is and what has happened to him. Finally, he realizes that the memory is still there, it’s just been stored. It’s not accessible. Now he’s forced to rediscover who he is and what happened to him. Truth is a story that leaves the reader on edge throughout as it delves into the psychological depths of who any of us think we are and how much of that is actually the whole “truth.” The language is sharp, crisp, and energetic, and the plot carries the reader along from one twist and turn to the next and back again in search of that “truth.” It’s a mind-bending read that makes a reader question their own memories and what may lie beneath them. How much of us is just a stack of memories, stored to convince ourselves that’s who we are, leaving others hidden. Ones would rather not look at or recognize. Highly recommended for those who like a crisp psychological thriller that delves into deeply personal questions.
October 13, 2025
This book honestly gave me that uneasy, creeping feeling right from the start. It’s got this slow, quiet tension that kind of builds in the background until you realise you’ve been holding your breath.
The writing style really stood out to me, it’s sharp and clean, and it makes the atmosphere feel heavy in all the right ways. It’s not rushed or chaotic; it takes its time, which actually made it feel more immersive.
The story digs into some dark, thought-provoking themes about truth, power and control. It’s not a fast, twist-every-five-pages kind of book. It’s more of a slow burn, the type that makes you sit with it and think while everything slowly unravels.
I think the biggest impact for me wasn’t a single moment but the overall feeling the book left behind, tense, unsettling, and kind of sticking to your brain after you put it down. If you like psychological thrillers with that creeping, conspiratorial vibe, this one definitely delivers on atmosphere.
The writing style really stood out to me, it’s sharp and clean, and it makes the atmosphere feel heavy in all the right ways. It’s not rushed or chaotic; it takes its time, which actually made it feel more immersive.
The story digs into some dark, thought-provoking themes about truth, power and control. It’s not a fast, twist-every-five-pages kind of book. It’s more of a slow burn, the type that makes you sit with it and think while everything slowly unravels.
I think the biggest impact for me wasn’t a single moment but the overall feeling the book left behind, tense, unsettling, and kind of sticking to your brain after you put it down. If you like psychological thrillers with that creeping, conspiratorial vibe, this one definitely delivers on atmosphere.
September 5, 2025
Caleb is good at making scandals disappear, but then he gets in over his head. He has to go underground, more determined than ever to expose the truth. From advanced tech, constant lies and defamation, and missing children, the world is darker than we ever realized.
I don’t read psychological thrillers often, but I’ve enjoyed Ms. Sanchez’s other work, so I was excited to give this one a try. It’s certainly different from what’s in her back-list. The danger and mystery take a front row seat in this story, and the twists keep you engaged.
Ms. Sanchez’s writing is crisp and clear without a lot of detail. So if you like lots of description that fully sets the scene, which I typically do, you won’t find it here.
I’m looking forward to reading book 2. For readers of psychological thrillers, I’d recommend you try Truth.
4 Stars
I don’t read psychological thrillers often, but I’ve enjoyed Ms. Sanchez’s other work, so I was excited to give this one a try. It’s certainly different from what’s in her back-list. The danger and mystery take a front row seat in this story, and the twists keep you engaged.
Ms. Sanchez’s writing is crisp and clear without a lot of detail. So if you like lots of description that fully sets the scene, which I typically do, you won’t find it here.
I’m looking forward to reading book 2. For readers of psychological thrillers, I’d recommend you try Truth.
4 Stars
September 11, 2025
This book snatches the reader up from the first pages. Caleb at first seems a bit paranoid, but as the story progresses and the tension increases, circumstances show his fear to be justified. The author is brilliant at suspense, and leading the reader from situation to situation with very little time to breath between. What I found brilliant with the story is that so much of it could be plausible. Could there be these secret organizations doing what the Choir does? Manipulating society in such a way that we don't even think about it. The author is so good at making this story believable, it's almost spooky. There were some transitions that were a bit abrupt, and some concepts introduced suddenly. Overall though, the story was amazingly well done!
July 29, 2025
I’ll be honest, this book was tough to follow at first, especially with the coding lines. But the more I read, the more it started coming together. The story began to make sense, and I found myself getting into it. Caleb, the main character, and the mysterious events unfolding around him, sometimes even a little paranoid, but as things progressed, the pieces started falling into place. It’s a suspenseful story filled with bold “what-if” scenarios, especially around power, technology, and who controls them. I have read Linda’s book before and must say this is different from the ones I read. I think it is a good pick for anyone who enjoys conspiracy theories, sci-fi, and twisty thrillers.
November 8, 2025
I was hooked from page one and compelled to read on even though I wasn’t quite sure if the main character Caleb was in real danger or just delusional. Either way I was driven to find out and kept reading.
The story rocked along at a fast pace blending suspense, high tech, and an impossible mission to pull off. But is it fear or paranoia that drives Caleb?
Is that fear even real? Is he a PR fixer for secret organization controlling society? Or is he its victim along with countless others?
Loved it. A resounding 5 stars.
The story rocked along at a fast pace blending suspense, high tech, and an impossible mission to pull off. But is it fear or paranoia that drives Caleb?
Is that fear even real? Is he a PR fixer for secret organization controlling society? Or is he its victim along with countless others?
Loved it. A resounding 5 stars.
November 26, 2025
This gripping story pulls you into a world where reality is fragile, memories can be rewritten, and the truth is never what it seems. Caleb’s descent from controlled crisis fixer to hunted whistleblower is fast-paced and psychologically layered, making every revelation more unsettling. With vanishing people, erased headlines, and secret tech fueling a covert war, the tension builds steadily as he’s forced to question everything he knows. Cinematic, clever, and chilling, it’s a tightly woven thriller that keeps you guessing about who’s telling the truth and whether the truth even survives.
October 20, 2025
I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller and it pulled me in with its dark conspiracy about vanishing people and memory tech. The world-building is complex and sometimes the prose gets dense, making it hard to follow at times - at least for me. But the tension kept me hooked as Caleb uncovers secrets he wasn't meant to find. It's a gripping read that made me think about surveillance and manipulation in uncomfortable ways.
September 7, 2025
Truth is a gripping and clever thriller that kept me turning the pages late at night. Caleb is a character you can root for, even as he’s pulled deeper into lies and secrets. The story feels fast, sharp, and very real, making you question who to trust and what’s true. If you like thrillers that mix suspense with thought-provoking ideas, this is definitely worth reading. Recommended
September 17, 2025
I enjoy cloak and dagger stuff, with secret nefarious entities intent on controlling mankind, and that's what you'll find in this book. I'm not sure the evil entity's mission rose to require the degree of secrecy and surveillance that was described in this book, but then again, the evil organizations in James Bond thrillers are a little questionable, too. Give it a go! It's a quick read.
October 8, 2025
Surveillance & Scandal
Caleb is thrust into investigating a grooming cult and winds up at the centre of it. The story unfolds as he tries to understand what they do and why. It is written in a mix of fact-finding amidst tech glitch scenarios, which I found quite appealing.
If you enjoy deception, heroes, and victims, this will deliver that in a fast and entertaining read.
Caleb is thrust into investigating a grooming cult and winds up at the centre of it. The story unfolds as he tries to understand what they do and why. It is written in a mix of fact-finding amidst tech glitch scenarios, which I found quite appealing.
If you enjoy deception, heroes, and victims, this will deliver that in a fast and entertaining read.
November 5, 2025
Truth is a different kind of novel.
It’s written in short sentences.
Sometimes
Even
Single
Words.
It’s about secrets.
Hidden in plain sight.
Secrets that affect everyone.
Even though they don’t know it.
After you read it, you won’t see the world in the same way.
Is that good?
Or bad?
You decide.
It’s written in short sentences.
Sometimes
Even
Single
Words.
It’s about secrets.
Hidden in plain sight.
Secrets that affect everyone.
Even though they don’t know it.
After you read it, you won’t see the world in the same way.
Is that good?
Or bad?
You decide.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews