Total Control

by Rory Haymont

She swore to protect the innocent. Now, she’s being forced to destroy them.

Constable Emma Dowsett built her life on grit, duty, and a sharp mind. Until a single encounter shatters it all. Ray—a master manipulator whose control knows no limits—doesn’t just break her. He rebuilds her. Through relentless training, psychological conditioning, and a trail of morally ambiguous missions, Emma is forged into his most lethal instrument. From London’s backstreets to the volatile heart of West Africa, every step is calculated. Every move is watched. And every choice costs someone their life.

But control is a fragile illusion. When Emma finally glimpses the truth behind Ray’s grand design, she must remain his slave, or turn his own weapons against him.
Total Control is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you turning pages long past midnight. If you fiercely intelligent, morally complex female protagonistRelentless suspense layered with tactical realism and psychological depthA dark, atmospheric journey from London’s underbelly to a high-stakes international conspiracyThemes of trauma, survival, and the reclaiming of autonomy
…then step into Emma’s world. But be once you enter, there’s no turning back.

Scroll up, click “Buy Now,” and experience the thriller where the greatest prison is the mind itself.

438 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 27, 2026

Reviews

[Anthony Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Total Control made me uncomfortable in exactly the way a good psychological thriller should. The most frightening part isn’t physical danger. It’s watching someone slowly realise how much of her life may no longer belong to her.

[Elly Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma is a compelling protagonist because her battle is as psychological as it is physical. The story constantly creates doubt around motives, trust and free will, which kept me questioning what was really happening.

[Andrea Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story moves between crime, psychological manipulation and international danger without losing sight of Emma. What worked for me was how personal the conflict stayed. Even when the stakes became larger, the real question remained whether she could reclaim control over herself.

[Jessie Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some parts are deliberately uncomfortable, and this definitely won’t be a light read for everyone. But if you enjoy psychological thrillers built around manipulation, moral pressure and damaged trust, there is a lot here to dig into.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book basically asks: what if someone could manipulate you so completely that you stopped knowing which choices were actually yours? Creepy.

[Troy Troupe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Power. Manipulation. Control. And one woman trying to find out where her own choices begin again.

[Kevin Carlisle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected more of a conventional police thriller at first. It became much darker and more psychological than that, which made it much more memorable.

[Stephen Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tense, disturbing and difficult to put down.

[Bryan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished Total Control last night and I’m still thinking about the idea behind it. Losing control of your surroundings is frightening enough. Losing confidence in your own mind is worse.

[Samantha Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has the kind of villainy I find much more unsettling than random violence. Ray’s power comes from understanding people and knowing exactly where to apply pressure.

[Leticia Salomon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ray made my skin crawl. That’s the review.

[Brandon Wattson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thriller where the biggest prison may not have walls.

[Kevin Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma is not written as an invincible action hero. She is vulnerable, conflicted and constantly forced to make difficult decisions, which made her much more believable to me.

[Shawn Sendres · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one would make a good book-club discussion because people are going to have very different opinions about Emma’s decisions. I changed my mind about several characters while reading.

[Shawn Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark psychological suspense with a genuinely disturbing central idea.

[Don Davic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I thought I understood who had control, the balance shifted again. That uncertainty kept me reading.