Change: A Novel

by Joe Baldwin

The city of Bridgetown has a poor reputation. With weekly homicides on the east side, an affluent section of the city where residents want no part of the Bridgetown name, and a downtown area where the city’s budget is being drained, outsiders have a negative vision in their minds without crossing the bridge into the municipality.

Madeline Cross is on her way to becoming a movie star. But when she is brutally slaughtered alongside her oldest son, Brandon, and live-in nanny, Sarah, in the affluent part of the city, speculation grows about who committed the crime and, more importantly, why.

Veteran Bridgetown detective Anthony Rawlings is assigned to lead the homicide case and discovers Madeline’s youngest son, Leo, not among the dead and nowhere to be found. As his investigation into the murders progresses and his search for Leo expands, his suspicion of one man looms large in his mind.

Mac Pulaski sits in a mansion high above the city of Bridgetown, looking down on all who enter and exit through the only way in and out of the city, the steel bridge. He wants one thing in life, and that is to rule over all who are beneath him. When the mayor of the city and the chief of police offer him a way to the top, Mac accepts the deal.

Using the ritualistic murder as a distraction and a serum injection used in a controlled zombie outbreak to remove those less fortunate, the mayor and Mac prepare to take control and revert the poverty-stricken areas to the days of economic prowess.

Sherrie and Walter Stevenson, who live in the affected housing, must fight against the Bridgetown government, police department, and an infected monster sent into their living space to protect their only daughter and maintain control of what they rightfully own.

And when the entire police department turns against Anthony Rawlings, making him the scapegoat of their sinister plan, he must connect with the citizens of the city where he was born and raised and help protect them from those he called friends through his occupation.

When the citizens of Bridgetown and the corrupt police clash in a heated battle, who ultimately wins?

Genres: Fiction

310 pages, Paperback

Published October 10, 2025

Reviews

[Cris Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, fast-paced, and ruthless.

This book starts with a brutal murder and never lets up. What looks like a standard homicide investigation quickly turns into a story about corruption, power, and how easily entire communities can be sacrificed by those in charge. Bridgetown feels toxic and divided, and that tension drives every chapter.

Detective Anthony Rawlings is a strong lead—watching him become a scapegoat while trying to do the right thing is frustrating and compelling. Mac Pulaski is a chilling villain, and the horror elements are blunt and disturbing without being overdone.

There’s no subtlety here, just high stakes, moral outrage, and nonstop momentum. This is a gritty thriller that blends crime and horror to expose what happens when authority turns predatory. If you like dark stories with real consequences, this one delivers.

[Blair Stackhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway!

I was confused by this book. There were a bunch of plotlines that weren't resolved. I did like the action, but I don't know what this book was trying to be.