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Dutch Required: The Oracle's Lantern
Not yet published
Expected 24 Dec 26A ritual murder on a mountain. A manuscript written in dead languages. An FBI analyst hunting a killer who has turned four hundred years of history into a blueprint for murder.
On a granite summit in Maine, FBI analyst Dutch Pascal kneels beside a body arranged with the precision of a forgotten liturgy.
The killer calls himself the Oracle.
His victims are not merely murdered. They are assigned roles. Each crime reveals another fragment of an ancient design, drawing Dutch and FBI analyst Sarah Sandhill through the buried history of New England—from a Jesuit mission destroyed in 1613 to forgotten cemeteries, old ship's logs, religious schisms, and a nineteenth-century vampire panic that should have nothing to do with the dead accumulating in the present.
But Dutch understands something the evidence cannot tell him.
The Oracle isn't simply killing people.
He's telling a story.
And Sarah discovers something just as beneath the apparent chaos is a pattern—one that suggests the killer may already know how the investigation will respond.
To stop him, Dutch and Sarah must uncover what connects the victims, decipher the history the Oracle has deliberately resurrected, and determine where his centuries-old design ends.
Because the final chapter has already been chosen.
And someone is still missing.
The Oracle's Lantern is the first novel in the Dutch Pascal Mystery series—an atmospheric FBI historical thriller of ritual murder, ancient manuscripts, buried faith, and an investigation that becomes increasingly personal as two very different minds learn how much they need each other.
On a granite summit in Maine, FBI analyst Dutch Pascal kneels beside a body arranged with the precision of a forgotten liturgy.
The killer calls himself the Oracle.
His victims are not merely murdered. They are assigned roles. Each crime reveals another fragment of an ancient design, drawing Dutch and FBI analyst Sarah Sandhill through the buried history of New England—from a Jesuit mission destroyed in 1613 to forgotten cemeteries, old ship's logs, religious schisms, and a nineteenth-century vampire panic that should have nothing to do with the dead accumulating in the present.
But Dutch understands something the evidence cannot tell him.
The Oracle isn't simply killing people.
He's telling a story.
And Sarah discovers something just as beneath the apparent chaos is a pattern—one that suggests the killer may already know how the investigation will respond.
To stop him, Dutch and Sarah must uncover what connects the victims, decipher the history the Oracle has deliberately resurrected, and determine where his centuries-old design ends.
Because the final chapter has already been chosen.
And someone is still missing.
The Oracle's Lantern is the first novel in the Dutch Pascal Mystery series—an atmospheric FBI historical thriller of ritual murder, ancient manuscripts, buried faith, and an investigation that becomes increasingly personal as two very different minds learn how much they need each other.
- GenresMystery
327 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication December 24, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It's difficult to review this book because I did so want to enjoy it. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to the description which was quite intriguing. To begin with the writing style was not enjoyable. There was too much unnecessary descriptive language and often this was repeated over and over to the point that I lost the thread of the story. The main characters were not likeable or relatable. They come of as either human calculators or automatons spouting intellectual drivel. Further, the book felt like an historical novel which clashed with the modern aspects of the story. By the end, I found that I really didn't care who did it because it felt like something I'd read many times before only written better.
With the kindest of intentions, I suggest that the author rethink this novel before embarking on a series.
I'd like to thank the publisher for providing this book to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
With the kindest of intentions, I suggest that the author rethink this novel before embarking on a series.
I'd like to thank the publisher for providing this book to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Did Not Finish
October 31, 2026After reading the book's details I was excited to have the opportunity to read Dutch Required: The Oracles Lantern by Matthew S. Thomas from NetGalley
Sadly my initial excitement became less and less with each page turn until I at last threw in the towel and closed the book for good.
Filled with an enormous amount of descriptive writing used to convey one thought over and over it felt as though the author was testing out the phrase, "How many different ways can you say the same thing?" For me, an overuse of descriptive writing in this manner detracts from the story. The overabundance of the flowery verbage serves as irrelevant material and sometimes felt like the author was focusing more on his word count than telling his story.
I couldn't help but compare the author's first novel with those written by Dan Brown based solely on the main character running from one location to another searching for clues in ancient manuscripts intending to solve murders as Robert Langdon did in the DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons. Where Brown's books made sense I struggled to understand and follow along with Thomas' story.
The characters were vague and under developed leaving me struggling to read "just one more page." Unfortunately I gave up on the book midway through it. I typically like this sort of book but Thomas' story came off as a poorly written knock off of a Dan Brown book run amuck.
Sadly my initial excitement became less and less with each page turn until I at last threw in the towel and closed the book for good.
Filled with an enormous amount of descriptive writing used to convey one thought over and over it felt as though the author was testing out the phrase, "How many different ways can you say the same thing?" For me, an overuse of descriptive writing in this manner detracts from the story. The overabundance of the flowery verbage serves as irrelevant material and sometimes felt like the author was focusing more on his word count than telling his story.
I couldn't help but compare the author's first novel with those written by Dan Brown based solely on the main character running from one location to another searching for clues in ancient manuscripts intending to solve murders as Robert Langdon did in the DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons. Where Brown's books made sense I struggled to understand and follow along with Thomas' story.
The characters were vague and under developed leaving me struggling to read "just one more page." Unfortunately I gave up on the book midway through it. I typically like this sort of book but Thomas' story came off as a poorly written knock off of a Dan Brown book run amuck.
Did Not Finish
November 4, 2026I wanted to love this book, because it sounded absolutely amazing, and I love mysteries. And while I'm fully aware that mysteries take time to get to the point, this one kinda felt all over.
There were moments that were slow, and moments that were fast. It almost felt like you were supposed to know a lot of information beforehand, because this story seemed to jump right in as if it's a sequel. You were kinda expected to know most of the names being thrown out, and information that just wasn't given.
While I did enjoy the characters of Dutch and Sarah, I just could not continue. And while I'm definitely intrigued to see how this story ends, I feel like if you're going to read a mystery, you're going to at least have some things figured out, and have the talk be simple enough to understand, rather than rack your brain trying to figure out what's being said.
Thank you Net Galley for the arc.
There were moments that were slow, and moments that were fast. It almost felt like you were supposed to know a lot of information beforehand, because this story seemed to jump right in as if it's a sequel. You were kinda expected to know most of the names being thrown out, and information that just wasn't given.
While I did enjoy the characters of Dutch and Sarah, I just could not continue. And while I'm definitely intrigued to see how this story ends, I feel like if you're going to read a mystery, you're going to at least have some things figured out, and have the talk be simple enough to understand, rather than rack your brain trying to figure out what's being said.
Thank you Net Galley for the arc.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A murder has been discovered to be a ritual murder. Soon after, two more murders that left Dutch to believe that it was a serial murder. The killer calls himself the Oracle and is killing in an order that only he can determine.
Following Dutch as he attempts to figure out who the killer is and to put the clues together, to find the pattern in the killings. I wanted to help him as he found a new clue and to help put them all together so they made some kind of sense.
Following Dutch as he attempts to figure out who the killer is and to put the clues together, to find the pattern in the killings. I wanted to help him as he found a new clue and to help put them all together so they made some kind of sense.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews