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John Decker #0.5
Soul Catcher
The thrilling prequel to What Vengeance Comes.
A murdered billionaire. A priceless statue. A reclusive cult.
In New York City, Homicide Detective John Decker arrives at a brutal crime scene. A man has been tortured and murdered in his own house, a sprawling mansion on the Upper East Side. But this is no ordinary home invasion. Nothing has been taken, and there appears to be no motive. Until beautiful Egyptologist Emma Wilson shows up with an enigmatic letter penned by the victim.
Soon Decker is thrust into a shadowy world of ancient beliefs, fanatical cults, and the quest for a priceless artifact – a rare statue of the Egyptian god Anubis.
Now, with their lives in grave danger, Decker and Emma must solve the mystery of the statue, and stay one step ahead of a cult with one thing on their minds, the return of their god, and the judgment of all mankind.
Soul Catcher is part of the John Decker series of novels, however, each book is a standalone story and does not require you to have read the other books in the series.
A murdered billionaire. A priceless statue. A reclusive cult.
In New York City, Homicide Detective John Decker arrives at a brutal crime scene. A man has been tortured and murdered in his own house, a sprawling mansion on the Upper East Side. But this is no ordinary home invasion. Nothing has been taken, and there appears to be no motive. Until beautiful Egyptologist Emma Wilson shows up with an enigmatic letter penned by the victim.
Soon Decker is thrust into a shadowy world of ancient beliefs, fanatical cults, and the quest for a priceless artifact – a rare statue of the Egyptian god Anubis.
Now, with their lives in grave danger, Decker and Emma must solve the mystery of the statue, and stay one step ahead of a cult with one thing on their minds, the return of their god, and the judgment of all mankind.
Soul Catcher is part of the John Decker series of novels, however, each book is a standalone story and does not require you to have read the other books in the series.
152 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 30, 2016
232 people are currently reading
438 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
July 31, 2022
Action When Needed.
You don’t immediately get a feel for the supernatural when reading this book.
John Decker and his partner Detective Connor are investigating the brutal murder of an archaeological thief.
The rich man, like many rich people, believes he has a right to whatever he wants and he wanted a statue of the Egyptian god Anubis. So the statue is what he has.
Unfortunately, for him, a cult of Anubis worshipping miscreants wants the same statue. And they murder him to get it.
While investigating his murder Decker and Connor believe that something supernatural may be happening with the statue of Anubis.
The author attempts to use eye popping surprises to guide you along.
Since this is only the prequel, of which I have enjoyed immensely, I will definitely be reading the first book in the series.
You don’t immediately get a feel for the supernatural when reading this book.
John Decker and his partner Detective Connor are investigating the brutal murder of an archaeological thief.
The rich man, like many rich people, believes he has a right to whatever he wants and he wanted a statue of the Egyptian god Anubis. So the statue is what he has.
Unfortunately, for him, a cult of Anubis worshipping miscreants wants the same statue. And they murder him to get it.
While investigating his murder Decker and Connor believe that something supernatural may be happening with the statue of Anubis.
The author attempts to use eye popping surprises to guide you along.
Since this is only the prequel, of which I have enjoyed immensely, I will definitely be reading the first book in the series.
August 12, 2022
Scary Statute!
Backstory:
John Decker, a homicide detective, investigates a grisly scene where a man (Daniel) was killed by torture in his home. Decker is about to go down a mysterious and dangerous path of finding out how the man died which leads Decker to a woman Egyptologist Emma Wilson as whoever tortured and killed the man was after something particular - a statue of Anubis.
When Decker learns from Emma that Daniel was someone she knew and had worked with in the past on archeological digs, Decker becomes suspicious but things are turned topsy turvy when the people that killed Daniel go after Emma and almost kill her.
Decker decides the best way to keep Emma safe is to let her stay with him while he tries to track down the criminals but not all is going to be tied up with a neat bow as the criminals that Decker is hunting are an Egyptian shadow cult that will do anything to acquire the statue of Anubis and they will stop at nothing to acquire it even if it means killing everyone in their path!
Thoughts:
Wow! This story just took off like lightning! I have been wanting to read this series for a long time but just had not been able to get around to it yet....until now. I have owned the first couple of books for awhile and the series will pop up once in awhile across my Goodreads feed reminding me that I need to read the series. I finally decided to step into it and I am wondering now what took me so long to read it.
Very impressive story and the deep mystery of the story just took off at a fast pace! I loved the characters, John Decker and Emma Wilson - I found Decker to be a no nonsense type of character and I really like the character, Emma as well. I was planning on just reading a couple of chapters and ended up reading near 40% of the book in one sitting.
I literally read this story in 24 hours as I just could not put it down! This book was the prequel to the actual series and I already have the first book ready to go on my current read list over on Goodreads. I am planning on trying to read this series back to back as there are quite a few books in the series. From what I have gathered all the stories are stand alone but looking forward to what John Decker has to tackle next! Giving this book five "Sinister Shadow Cult" stars!
Backstory:
John Decker, a homicide detective, investigates a grisly scene where a man (Daniel) was killed by torture in his home. Decker is about to go down a mysterious and dangerous path of finding out how the man died which leads Decker to a woman Egyptologist Emma Wilson as whoever tortured and killed the man was after something particular - a statue of Anubis.
When Decker learns from Emma that Daniel was someone she knew and had worked with in the past on archeological digs, Decker becomes suspicious but things are turned topsy turvy when the people that killed Daniel go after Emma and almost kill her.
Decker decides the best way to keep Emma safe is to let her stay with him while he tries to track down the criminals but not all is going to be tied up with a neat bow as the criminals that Decker is hunting are an Egyptian shadow cult that will do anything to acquire the statue of Anubis and they will stop at nothing to acquire it even if it means killing everyone in their path!
Thoughts:
Wow! This story just took off like lightning! I have been wanting to read this series for a long time but just had not been able to get around to it yet....until now. I have owned the first couple of books for awhile and the series will pop up once in awhile across my Goodreads feed reminding me that I need to read the series. I finally decided to step into it and I am wondering now what took me so long to read it.
Very impressive story and the deep mystery of the story just took off at a fast pace! I loved the characters, John Decker and Emma Wilson - I found Decker to be a no nonsense type of character and I really like the character, Emma as well. I was planning on just reading a couple of chapters and ended up reading near 40% of the book in one sitting.
I literally read this story in 24 hours as I just could not put it down! This book was the prequel to the actual series and I already have the first book ready to go on my current read list over on Goodreads. I am planning on trying to read this series back to back as there are quite a few books in the series. From what I have gathered all the stories are stand alone but looking forward to what John Decker has to tackle next! Giving this book five "Sinister Shadow Cult" stars!
May 10, 2025
this little novella is a prequel to the Decker series by the same writer.
in Soul Catcher John Decker and his partner are send to a crimescene in which they find a deceased person who is tortured and died. When A beautifull archaeologist gives both detectives the statue of Anubis from ancient Egypt which is why the victim died, trouble will find all involved into trouble.
This prequel is meant for those that already know this series, for first time readers it is a bit lacking in depth.
Still a nice little journey in the somewhat supernatural by prople not quite ready for such a happening.
in Soul Catcher John Decker and his partner are send to a crimescene in which they find a deceased person who is tortured and died. When A beautifull archaeologist gives both detectives the statue of Anubis from ancient Egypt which is why the victim died, trouble will find all involved into trouble.
This prequel is meant for those that already know this series, for first time readers it is a bit lacking in depth.
Still a nice little journey in the somewhat supernatural by prople not quite ready for such a happening.
September 23, 2022
Close to 3.5 stars, but not quite, so I'll go with 3. It wasn't bad, just didn't keep me excited about it. I'm still going to read book 1 of the series to see where it goes.
February 8, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ !!!!!!
I have been an Anthony M Strong fan for quite some time, ever since I read his first book in the John Decker series. This is the prequel to the first book, when John Decker was a New York City homicide detective. After he and his partner arrive at a grizzly murder scene John finds help in an Egyptologist Emma Wilson. This is a pretty quick read but keeps you guessing. And I love the subject matter, ANUBIS!! Good twists and turns and the ending is amazing. This is a thriller mixed with some horror wrapped around a mystery. I love this series. I believe there are 15 books in the series now. If you’re looking for a good story that just draws you in and doesn’t let up check this out. Great read and I really need to get into the other books also!!!!! Just great!!!!
I have been an Anthony M Strong fan for quite some time, ever since I read his first book in the John Decker series. This is the prequel to the first book, when John Decker was a New York City homicide detective. After he and his partner arrive at a grizzly murder scene John finds help in an Egyptologist Emma Wilson. This is a pretty quick read but keeps you guessing. And I love the subject matter, ANUBIS!! Good twists and turns and the ending is amazing. This is a thriller mixed with some horror wrapped around a mystery. I love this series. I believe there are 15 books in the series now. If you’re looking for a good story that just draws you in and doesn’t let up check this out. Great read and I really need to get into the other books also!!!!! Just great!!!!
November 3, 2021
Nice premise but felt like I’ve read it before
The story premise was good but it felt way too predictable. I got the book because it was a series abs I love supernatural series. I hate being critical because it takes a lot to venture out and write any book especially one like this but it just felt really formulaic. I’ll try one more book and hope for the best.
The story premise was good but it felt way too predictable. I got the book because it was a series abs I love supernatural series. I hate being critical because it takes a lot to venture out and write any book especially one like this but it just felt really formulaic. I’ll try one more book and hope for the best.
April 11, 2017
This is a wonderful prequel to the John Decker series and I highly recommend it.
March 2, 2022
A Great Quick Read!!!
I truly enjoyed this prequel of the John Decker Supernatural Thriller Series!! This short book did a wonderful job of introducing the reader to John Decker!! It kept me turning pages and I just couldn't stop until I finished reading. John Decker introduced me to his type of supernatural adventure and he triumphed over adversity and now I am wanting to read more of his adventures! This author really does a great job keeping the reader excited and ready for more books about this character. I'm really enjoying these John Decker adventures!!!
I truly enjoyed this prequel of the John Decker Supernatural Thriller Series!! This short book did a wonderful job of introducing the reader to John Decker!! It kept me turning pages and I just couldn't stop until I finished reading. John Decker introduced me to his type of supernatural adventure and he triumphed over adversity and now I am wanting to read more of his adventures! This author really does a great job keeping the reader excited and ready for more books about this character. I'm really enjoying these John Decker adventures!!!
January 18, 2023
3.5/5. A strong prequel novella to the world of John Decker with an esoteric twist, a lot of action, archetypal villains, ancient civilizations and two heroes with no other choice to discover the truth... even if that can cost them their life or soul. For the fans of The mummy or Indiana Jones.
February 7, 2025
Fuck that statue.
November 1, 2017
I thought the book started out pretty well, then it started getting wierd. I kept reading it because it looked like I'd be done in 30 minutes, and I can't cut the grass today because it's raining. The god of the underworld, Anubis, is set to revisit the world in sync with the coming return of some unknown comet. The characters include an archeologist, some cops, the cult that worships Anubis, and some others. I guess the comet was getting close when the wierdness was at its height.
It was interesting at first, but I'm sure you can find other books to enjoy.
It was interesting at first, but I'm sure you can find other books to enjoy.
January 28, 2017
nope, not for me
October 23, 2017
Clichéd and predictable.
September 30, 2021
Please note: I was given a copy of this book and have voluntarily decided to give it this honest review.
An intruder enters the Museum of Antiquities in Cairo and sets off a bomb, destroying a priceless mummy of an ancient Egyptian pharoah. Halfway across the world in New York City, a wealthy amateur archeologist’s home is broken into. Before the intruders find him, he already knows who they are and why they are have come for him. Before he’s captured, he mails off a letter before being tortured to death. Days later, an Egyptologist receives a letter from a colleague warning her of a mysterious cult that is after an ancient object. It is up to Homicide Detective John Decker to piece together all the clues in order to prevent an ancient evil spirit from being unleashed upon the world.
In this novella, the reader is introduced to Detective John Decker of the New York Police Department and gets to ride along with him as he solves the homicide investigation. Although it’s only 110 pages, it gives you an insight to the main character and future investigations.
An intruder enters the Museum of Antiquities in Cairo and sets off a bomb, destroying a priceless mummy of an ancient Egyptian pharoah. Halfway across the world in New York City, a wealthy amateur archeologist’s home is broken into. Before the intruders find him, he already knows who they are and why they are have come for him. Before he’s captured, he mails off a letter before being tortured to death. Days later, an Egyptologist receives a letter from a colleague warning her of a mysterious cult that is after an ancient object. It is up to Homicide Detective John Decker to piece together all the clues in order to prevent an ancient evil spirit from being unleashed upon the world.
In this novella, the reader is introduced to Detective John Decker of the New York Police Department and gets to ride along with him as he solves the homicide investigation. Although it’s only 110 pages, it gives you an insight to the main character and future investigations.
October 31, 2016
"Soul Catcher," a prequel novella in the John Decker series by Anthony M. Strong, gives you an interesting glimpse into the life of our hero prior to the events in "What Vengeance Comes." One of the nice things about this series is that you don't necessarily have to read these books in order, you can enjoy any one of them at any time without having read prior books.
This particular book had everything I enjoy - a fast pace, Egyptian artifacts, an ancient evil cult and great settings and characters. I really like John Decker and have enjoyed his character in each of the books. Because he runs into such strange and supernatural things in each outing, every book is unique and just a bit different.
I would highly recommend this book and series to anyone who loves non-stop action, adventure, mysteries, suspense and police procedurals, with a bit of the supernatural thrown in for good measure.
This particular book had everything I enjoy - a fast pace, Egyptian artifacts, an ancient evil cult and great settings and characters. I really like John Decker and have enjoyed his character in each of the books. Because he runs into such strange and supernatural things in each outing, every book is unique and just a bit different.
I would highly recommend this book and series to anyone who loves non-stop action, adventure, mysteries, suspense and police procedurals, with a bit of the supernatural thrown in for good measure.
April 20, 2022
I found this prequel to the John Decker supernatural thriller series somewhat lacking. It was a short book as were the first few in the series. The story had promise and, had it been fleshed out more, would have been quite exciting. It was interesting enough and served to remind me just how much the author has improved thru the series. I do enjoy these books and am glad I took the time to read this prequel even if it doesn't hold up strongly against the later entries.
April 28, 2022
This book definitely had a Da Vinci Code-lite feel to it. In saying that, it doesnt go as in-depth as Code does but it moves at a pretty decent pace and stays pretty focused, in that it doesnt bounce around from plot point to plot point. My biggest complaint was that the plot twist at the end was pretty predictable but still...upon completion, I was left wanting more. I will DEFINITELY be checking out the rest of this series. This was definitely a very enjoyable read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2022
This is the prequel to The John Decker Series. I've read the first two installments and was curious to read this one. In this book John is still a n NYC cop and the fall out of this story is that he moves to Louisiana which "starts" the series.
Had I not been familiar with the Decker series I would have been real surprised by the ending, as it was the ending was suspenseful but not too shocking. Overall this is a good read for entertainment.
Had I not been familiar with the Decker series I would have been real surprised by the ending, as it was the ending was suspenseful but not too shocking. Overall this is a good read for entertainment.
September 4, 2023
I'd give this 6 stars if I could. The book is 185 pages and packs a nice, tight punch. The story starts out with an attack by the brotherhood of Anubis. The settings, the characters and the mystery are vintage Egyptian thriller. I can picture the lush backdrops and enjoyed the pacing. It was exactly what I wanted from an Egyptian-themed paranormal book. Will Anubis achieve his reincarnation? Let's just say the results will have me reading more John Decker mysteries.
August 2, 2021
This was a very interesting story that began thousands of years ago in Egypt and now it’s come to the present day. The plan is very good and the characters excellent. It revolves around the statue of Anubis and that is a very exciting story. I was enthralled by it and I loved it. I recommend a story for all readers to like thrillers and romance.
March 19, 2018
I enjoyed this mystery very much. I loved John Decker, he was smart and caring. Anthony M. Strong pulls you into the story and doesn't let go until you have finished. I am looking forward to reading more of this series.
January 11, 2021
A good little tale featuring John Decker in his first written encounter with the darker side. A quick read full of action, superstition and an Egyptian God. One very interesting character, Mini, is revisited in a later tale. This novella is just a tease of things to come.
March 2, 2021
The book that started the series, though I read this after Whitechapel Rising. A decent read, Deckers first brush with the unusual. A villain left to dog his heels if the author feels the needs in future. Fills in a few holes that makes references in later books.
March 1, 2022
Fast paced intriguing story. The characters are believable and it fun to get a prequel look at John Decker. I love the John Decker series. The writing is excellent and puts right into the places and events.
April 29, 2022
Thrilling start to a great series!
In this book, we find out the details of John Decker's life as a NYPD detective. Like the rest of the series it's full of thrills, chills and some supernatural trouble. Great series!
In this book, we find out the details of John Decker's life as a NYPD detective. Like the rest of the series it's full of thrills, chills and some supernatural trouble. Great series!
February 17, 2023
Pretty good start for a series
It was good, held my interest right away. Lots of action and a great introduction to the character, who I already like. Really looking forward to the rest of the series!
It was good, held my interest right away. Lots of action and a great introduction to the character, who I already like. Really looking forward to the rest of the series!
August 13, 2024
All of Anthony Strong's books are great. This book is especially special because it shows John Decker's past and how he prepares himself for the future events in his life. I highly recommend this book -- couldn't put it down.
October 20, 2024
John Decker Supernatural thriller book 3 Soul Catcher by Anthony M Strong. Action packed, a relic from Egypt is being tracked and everyone who had been in contact is dead. John Decker on the case to protect and solve. 4* Kindle. Will definitely read more in the series.
September 17, 2017
a great book with a great story line could not wait till I could start on the next one
November 16, 2017
Great story
Couldn't stop reading, grabbed my attention and didn't let go. A quick moving story with a supernatural twist. Glad I tried it.
Couldn't stop reading, grabbed my attention and didn't let go. A quick moving story with a supernatural twist. Glad I tried it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews