The Hunted: A Fractured Mind Psychological Thriller

by Vera Cross

Ex Military accused of murdering her husband

I woke up with my husband’s blood on my hands… and no memory of the murder.

Now I’m rotting in Halverson Correctional Facility, branded a killer, a risk, a broken soldier.

Dr. Julian Blackwell, the prison psychologist. Calm, precise, trusted is not what he says he is.
He speaks like Mark. Smiles like Mark. Remembers things only my husband ever knew.

Manipulating, Gaslighting, Hunting.

As inmates vanish and paranoia spirals, I start to question everything- my memories, my sanity, and whether I’m the prey… or the weapon.

They think I’m paranoid. Dangerous. Unhinged. Maybe they’re right.

But I’ve survived war. I’ve survived guilt. And now I’m hunting the man who’s been hiding in plain sight.

I was never the killer.
I was the target.

He stole my freedom.

Now I’ll take back my truth—even if it kills me.

115 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 13, 2025

Reviews

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good physiological thriller however a little short but in saying that I really don’t think it needed to be any longer. It delves into PTSD and how it affects all involved. I enjoyed this book and yes I would recommend it to be read.

Vera Cross

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent read,one about PTSD and how it can be used against you. Evelyn is accused of murdering her husband but when you get into the story it is diabolical in the way that the person involved has all the pieces in line to make her break. A psychotic thriller. Loved the ending.

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short but complicated story.

Evelyn wakes with blood on the hands and her husband's dead body beside her. She is transferred to a mental hospital and life gets very strange and complicated.

Well written with views from multiple angles.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vera Cross delivers a claustrophobic psychological thriller where trust is a liability and reality fractures under pressure. Twisted mind games, mounting dread, and a ferocious heroine make this a pulse‑pounding read that keeps you guessing who’s really in control until the very end.

[Naznin Azeez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different kinda read. Good kind.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A disturbing psychological thriller that in many ways is all too plausible especially since it has the added element of PTSD. Haunting