Article V

by C. S. Boyack

Destiny and Jace are blue‑collar nobodies with a strange weekend hunting for cryptids and conspiracies. They're perfectly prepared for the wrong problem. Because when they accidentally uncover a real political plot—one tied to a murdered state senator—they become targets.

A professional operator is sent to silence them, and he doesn't miss twice. He doesn't warn. He doesn't negotiate. He just closes in.

For Destiny, the danger cuts deeper. As the daughter of a Cambodian refugee, she's always feared her citizenship could be challenged. Now she sees a movement rising with the power to do exactly that—a coordinated push to rewrite the United States Constitution itself.

179 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 23, 2026

Reviews

[Jan Sikes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will make you stop and think. As he often does, Boyack, draws a parallel line between reality and fiction.
I immediately connected with both characters in this story. Destiny is of mixed race and works as custodian at a school. Jace works as a supervisor at Kohler making bathtubs, sinks and toilets. He is pro-union and advocates for others to join and create higher paying jobs in a safe work place. He finds out big corporations have ways of fighting this.

Destiny and Jace have known each other for many years and love hunting for cryptids on weekends or holidays. Jace buys a tiny camper for their next adventure. And while it's not much, it's better than sleeping bags on the ground. Destiny surfs the dark web for conspiracies and finds more than she bargains for.

Here's what I loved about this book. The relationship between Destiny and Jace starts off as a deep friendship and develops into more. So, there is a touch of romance in the story. The other thing I appreciated about the story is the way it compares to what is currently happening in the political arena in the U.S. at the present time. But it's not necessarily about the politics. It's more about how it affects common people. One example is what happens when Destiny's home (in a trailer park) is taken by the city under the guise of making improvements. That's not fiction.

Another thing I enjoyed about the book was the Easter Eggs, Boyack is noted for. Bai from "Tracks of Infinity" gets a nod as does Night Bump Radio from The Hat series. This all adds to the story. I won't leave a spoiler by telling you any details of what Destiny and Jace uncover, but I will tell you it's big. Big enough that it puts their lives on the line. If you're a fan of speculative fiction with a bit of reality mixed in, you will no doubt enjoy this story!

[D.L. Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jace and Destiny have been good friends for years and share a love of cryptids. Jace invests in an old trailer to use for their weekends away, trying to find proof of any cryptids' existence. After Destiny gets off work as a janitor at a school and Jace from his union job, they take off. Their first night in the trailer had me laughing and cringing. I would have bought the biggest bottle of bleach and gotten to cleaning after. Current events were woven into the story with some truths that can keep one up at night worrying. Their innocent exploration put them in the middle of something that Destiny couldn’t let go of when she found some documents that weren’t meant to be seen. As the title of the book hints at, some bad characters are trying to make monumental changes to our government. The scary part is, when reading this, I could easily see it happening. Mixed in is Destiny, who is a child of a Cambodian refugee, worries about being deported, and Jace’s fight to keep the union from being weakened at his job. All very current concerns that I didn’t feel became political, just very real. I also appreciated the mentions from other books, along with the humor and the assassin. These were characters I loved, and I enjoyed how strong their friendship was, allowing them to explore something more. This was a page-turner, and it left me thinking long after the last page. I can highly recommend this speculative fiction where humans, not cryptids, are the scary ones.

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

At 197 pages Article V is a short read, but don't let that fool you - it packs a mighty punch. Although these characters are fictional, what's happening in their world shares parallels with our own.

Jace and Destiny, longtime friends who've recently become more, share a love of cryptids and conspiracies and spend their weekends camping while searching for them. When they accidently come across a real political plot related to a murdered state senator, they're suddenly caught in the crosshairs of dangerous people who intend to silence them. Along with this life-threatening dilemma, Jace is a pro-union blue collar worker at a company who's subtly working to dissolve the union. Destiny is the child of a Cambodian refugee and worries about challenges to her citizenship.

If you've read other books by this author, he includes some Easter Eggs. My favorite was Night Bump Radio from The Hat series (one I highly recommend). Those callers never fail to make me laugh out loud - they're an eccentric bunch, for sure.

Recommended for readers who enjoy fiction that mirrors reality, conspiracy theories, and stories that may keep you up at night.