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Delta Devlin #1
The Dreaming Tree
A serial killer is loose on the streets of New York,
chased by a detective whose mutated eyes
see things only she can … Shutter Island meets Jacob’s Ladder in the new near-future crime thriller from million-copy bestseller Matthew Mather, with books translated in over twenty languages worldwide. “Relentless pacing, well-developed main characters, and plethora of bombshell plot twists.”— Publishers Weekly After a near-fatal car crash, Royce wakes up to find he’s one of the first patients to undergo a radical new a full-body transplant. Convalescing and suffering from waking nightmares, he answers the door at his Long Island home and meets Delta Devlin, a New York detective. She sees things nobody else can, visions created by a mutation to her eyes. Royce becomes Devlin’s prime suspect in a string of grisly murders. Desperate for answers, he tracks down the grieving widow of the man whose body he now inhabits. Out of time, and perhaps his mind, he tumbles through a hallucinogenic underworld of black-market body parts and billionaires where nothing can stand in the way of living forever—not even death itself.
chased by a detective whose mutated eyes
see things only she can … Shutter Island meets Jacob’s Ladder in the new near-future crime thriller from million-copy bestseller Matthew Mather, with books translated in over twenty languages worldwide. “Relentless pacing, well-developed main characters, and plethora of bombshell plot twists.”— Publishers Weekly After a near-fatal car crash, Royce wakes up to find he’s one of the first patients to undergo a radical new a full-body transplant. Convalescing and suffering from waking nightmares, he answers the door at his Long Island home and meets Delta Devlin, a New York detective. She sees things nobody else can, visions created by a mutation to her eyes. Royce becomes Devlin’s prime suspect in a string of grisly murders. Desperate for answers, he tracks down the grieving widow of the man whose body he now inhabits. Out of time, and perhaps his mind, he tumbles through a hallucinogenic underworld of black-market body parts and billionaires where nothing can stand in the way of living forever—not even death itself.
416 pages, Paperback
First published July 9, 2019
479 people are currently reading
2975 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Mather
40 books1,822 followersMatthew is the million-copy bestselling author of CyberStorm and Darknet, and the hit series Nomad and Atopia Chronicles. He started out his career working at the McGill Center for Intelligent Machines, going on to become one of the world's leading members of the cybersecurity community. In between he's worked in a variety of start-ups,everything from computational nanotechnology to electronic health records to weather prediction systems. He spends his time between Montreal and Charlotte, NC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
June 23, 2019
This was my first time reading anything by Matthew Mather, but I have a feeling I’ll read more in the future. The novel was well written, the characters well rounded, and the ending a beautiful twist.
The first part was hard for me to get through. Mather sets up all the moving parts without showing what the end result will be. As such, it seemed to drag on a bit. But that all changed. Like a switch was flipped, the novel went from dragging along to full sprinting to the finish line.
Full review at:
http://bookshelfadventures.home.blog/...
The first part was hard for me to get through. Mather sets up all the moving parts without showing what the end result will be. As such, it seemed to drag on a bit. But that all changed. Like a switch was flipped, the novel went from dragging along to full sprinting to the finish line.
Full review at:
http://bookshelfadventures.home.blog/...
August 24, 2021
Interesting sci-fi/thriller with enough twists to keep you guessing
July 13, 2019
Future medical breakthroughs maybe not so far in the future
Royce Lowell-Vandeweghe just woke from a coma. He finds he was in a terrible accident and his head was transplanted onto a donor body. (Oh, and he comes from an old money family).
Detective Devlin with the Suffolk County Police Department gets involved with many of the puzzle pieces. I liked her unique ability of seeing the world around her which actually helps her with her job.
This medical thriller touches on medical ethics questions, transplanted body parts that are sold by the poor from third world nations, a serial killer, the haves and the have-nots, and more than a touch of the bizarre.
I enjoyed this book. It took a while to get into, kind of an info dump at the beginning, but then the pace picked up and pieces started fitting together and it was then an interesting, exciting book until the final page.
The characters were well developed. The story had a Frankenstein feel to it, which the author admits was intentional in the afterword to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the original Frankenstein story. The author also said in the afterword that many of the ideas presented in the book are true - in today's world.
Cool idea. It could have been tightened up a bit but still a very readable medical thriller with a side order of serial killer.
Royce Lowell-Vandeweghe just woke from a coma. He finds he was in a terrible accident and his head was transplanted onto a donor body. (Oh, and he comes from an old money family).
Detective Devlin with the Suffolk County Police Department gets involved with many of the puzzle pieces. I liked her unique ability of seeing the world around her which actually helps her with her job.
This medical thriller touches on medical ethics questions, transplanted body parts that are sold by the poor from third world nations, a serial killer, the haves and the have-nots, and more than a touch of the bizarre.
I enjoyed this book. It took a while to get into, kind of an info dump at the beginning, but then the pace picked up and pieces started fitting together and it was then an interesting, exciting book until the final page.
The characters were well developed. The story had a Frankenstein feel to it, which the author admits was intentional in the afterword to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the original Frankenstein story. The author also said in the afterword that many of the ideas presented in the book are true - in today's world.
Cool idea. It could have been tightened up a bit but still a very readable medical thriller with a side order of serial killer.
September 15, 2019
I have never read a book by Matthew Mather that I haven't liked. Fiction based on true and current situations... he runs with the football and spins, dodges, breaks tackles and spikes it in the endzone!!!
June 26, 2023
Note: This is part of the Delta Devlin box set.
This is book 1 of Matthew Mather’s Delta Devlin series.
Wow! This was a roller coaster ride of mystery, thriller, and psychological suspense. There’s a lot of layers to this story and it could have been too much - but it worked really well for me. Roy waking to discover he’s the recipient of a body transplant to working to recover his memories from before the accident. He doesn’t know who to trust when billions are being spent in a quest for immortality. Add in how numerous disappearances seem to also be connected and I loved all the twists and turns.
While this introduces Detective Delta Devlin, Roy really is the focus and uncovers a great deal on his own. I enjoyed the journey Mather took me on right beside Roy. It was really emotional. Great ending - big surprises all around.
Narration:
This was my first time listening to Robin Eller. I enjoyed her accent for Devlin. Tom Taylorson was amazing as always. Not only at distinguishing all the character voices - but fully connecting me with Roy. Emotions, internal thoughts, fears, confusion, etc. were visceral in a way that epitomizes what I love about audiobooks.
This is book 1 of Matthew Mather’s Delta Devlin series.
Wow! This was a roller coaster ride of mystery, thriller, and psychological suspense. There’s a lot of layers to this story and it could have been too much - but it worked really well for me. Roy waking to discover he’s the recipient of a body transplant to working to recover his memories from before the accident. He doesn’t know who to trust when billions are being spent in a quest for immortality. Add in how numerous disappearances seem to also be connected and I loved all the twists and turns.
While this introduces Detective Delta Devlin, Roy really is the focus and uncovers a great deal on his own. I enjoyed the journey Mather took me on right beside Roy. It was really emotional. Great ending - big surprises all around.
Narration:
This was my first time listening to Robin Eller. I enjoyed her accent for Devlin. Tom Taylorson was amazing as always. Not only at distinguishing all the character voices - but fully connecting me with Roy. Emotions, internal thoughts, fears, confusion, etc. were visceral in a way that epitomizes what I love about audiobooks.
March 9, 2023
1.5 stars, but rounded up because of cool ideas
This book felt like it was housing two different books competing with each other. This leads to neither of them reaching their full potential.
I really do think, that instead of cramming two storylines together and forcing them to co-exist and involve each other, this story could, and would have, been much better if the focus had been on only one of these "books".
Book A would have been centred around detective Delta Devlin (an alliteration so shameless it should be criminal) and her weirdly specific (and yet only sometimes actually useful) ability to see colours normal people don't.
If the book had been solely focused on Devlin in a story where her ability were actively helping her solve crime, that could have been a kickass, interesting book.
Instead, we have a somewhat sidelined detective character that isn't very well formed beyond her strange ability. (An ability that at times seem more quirky rather than of use to the plot or story.)
She paints with the colours "normies" can't see, gets on remarkably well with her detective partner, and that's about all you get to know of her personality.
To add insult to injury - her narrator isn't very good, and her recording quality is even worse. At times, it sounds like she's sitting in a tin can while reading the book.
To be fair, it's not the worst recording I've ever listened to, but it was far from good.
Book B would have been a sci-fi thriller entirely focused on the poor guy, Royce, having had his head transplanted onto the body of a serial killer. The book could have followed his own investigation into all the weird-as-hell shit that's going on around him - and all the intrigues and conspiracies would have made some sort of sense, eventually.
Instead we get the premise with the serial killer bod pretty much served to us on a silver platter. It doesn't take a genius to figure out Royce is somehow committing murders while he's blacked out for days.
(Or is he? There is a twist eventually, but don't hold your breath while waiting for it. You'll asphyxiate yourself before getting there.)
Instead of having to figure out the mystery surrounding him, the reader/listener passively gets to tag along as the whole thing eventually (and slowly) gets explained.
What could have been a chilling, exciting, and really mind-boggling mystery at times really bored me instead. If it weren't for the fact that the Royce parts were read by a very good narrator (with awesome sound quality) I probably would have DNF:ed pretty early on.
Because The Dreaming Tree is pretty much a mash-up between two not-so-well-executed-together stories, I will rate this book pretty harshly. It has some really cool ideas, but the writing and storytelling is basic and bland.
There is a big twist concerning Royce - and Delta Devlin solves her case - but the majority of the book is actually told through Royce's eyes and I found Devlin's detective work mostly lacking.
Don't get me started on the idea of the "extra brain" in the gut either. I mean ... As far as sci-fi solutions to the problem "Hey, we can transplant an entire head to a new body! And now it makes you do stuff!!!" goes ... It was lame and I just rolled my eyes every time it was brought up.
Also, everything feels like it takes place in some sort of low-tech world, in spite of the whole body transplant thing. Apparently there are technical solutions advanced enough to accomplish that sort of fancy medical work - yet booting up a simple laptop at Devlin's apartment takes half a year in comparison ....? (Not even Win10 is that slow and that's not new any longer!)
[Insert one of my usual eye-rolls here, please, you probably know what it looks like.]
Will I return for book 2?
Certainly not.
This book felt like it was housing two different books competing with each other. This leads to neither of them reaching their full potential.
I really do think, that instead of cramming two storylines together and forcing them to co-exist and involve each other, this story could, and would have, been much better if the focus had been on only one of these "books".
Book A would have been centred around detective Delta Devlin (an alliteration so shameless it should be criminal) and her weirdly specific (and yet only sometimes actually useful) ability to see colours normal people don't.
If the book had been solely focused on Devlin in a story where her ability were actively helping her solve crime, that could have been a kickass, interesting book.
Instead, we have a somewhat sidelined detective character that isn't very well formed beyond her strange ability. (An ability that at times seem more quirky rather than of use to the plot or story.)
She paints with the colours "normies" can't see, gets on remarkably well with her detective partner, and that's about all you get to know of her personality.
To add insult to injury - her narrator isn't very good, and her recording quality is even worse. At times, it sounds like she's sitting in a tin can while reading the book.
To be fair, it's not the worst recording I've ever listened to, but it was far from good.
Book B would have been a sci-fi thriller entirely focused on the poor guy, Royce, having had his head transplanted onto the body of a serial killer. The book could have followed his own investigation into all the weird-as-hell shit that's going on around him - and all the intrigues and conspiracies would have made some sort of sense, eventually.
Instead we get the premise with the serial killer bod pretty much served to us on a silver platter. It doesn't take a genius to figure out Royce is somehow committing murders while he's blacked out for days.
(Or is he? There is a twist eventually, but don't hold your breath while waiting for it. You'll asphyxiate yourself before getting there.)
Instead of having to figure out the mystery surrounding him, the reader/listener passively gets to tag along as the whole thing eventually (and slowly) gets explained.
What could have been a chilling, exciting, and really mind-boggling mystery at times really bored me instead. If it weren't for the fact that the Royce parts were read by a very good narrator (with awesome sound quality) I probably would have DNF:ed pretty early on.
Because The Dreaming Tree is pretty much a mash-up between two not-so-well-executed-together stories, I will rate this book pretty harshly. It has some really cool ideas, but the writing and storytelling is basic and bland.
There is a big twist concerning Royce - and Delta Devlin solves her case - but the majority of the book is actually told through Royce's eyes and I found Devlin's detective work mostly lacking.
Don't get me started on the idea of the "extra brain" in the gut either. I mean ... As far as sci-fi solutions to the problem "Hey, we can transplant an entire head to a new body! And now it makes you do stuff!!!" goes ... It was lame and I just rolled my eyes every time it was brought up.
Also, everything feels like it takes place in some sort of low-tech world, in spite of the whole body transplant thing. Apparently there are technical solutions advanced enough to accomplish that sort of fancy medical work - yet booting up a simple laptop at Devlin's apartment takes half a year in comparison ....? (Not even Win10 is that slow and that's not new any longer!)
[Insert one of my usual eye-rolls here, please, you probably know what it looks like.]
Will I return for book 2?
Certainly not.
February 6, 2021
When Royce wakes in the hospital, he learns that he was involved in a near-death car accident. He also learns that he has become a guinea pig of sorts. He's one of the first people to undergo a radical new procedure ... a full body transplant. The only thing left of Royce is his head which has been attached to someone else' s body.
Recovery is a nightmare for Royce. The hallucinations, daytime nightmares leaving him looking for answers. He suspects that his lower body once belonged to a vicious serial killer.
New York Detective Delta Devlin sees things that most people don't... visions created by a natural mutation to her eyes. When she meets Royce, she automatically takes in that the colors between body and head don't match. She also suspects that Royce has a hand in a string of disappearances and abominable murders.
Out of time, and perhaps his mind, Royce tumbles through a hallucinogenic underworld of black-market body parts and billionaires where nothing can stand in the way of living forever—not even death itself
Part science fiction with a little horror thrown in, as well as the author's research into genetically edited humans along with the lucrative trade in transplant organs make the plot of THE DREAMING TREE intricate, laced with twists and turns as the reader gets lost in Royce's slowly deteriorating mind. The characters are deftly drawn amid the swirl of mystery. The conclusion was surprising and unexpected. This is a slight cliff hanger leading to the next in this series.
Many thanks to the author / Blackstone Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this technothriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Recovery is a nightmare for Royce. The hallucinations, daytime nightmares leaving him looking for answers. He suspects that his lower body once belonged to a vicious serial killer.
New York Detective Delta Devlin sees things that most people don't... visions created by a natural mutation to her eyes. When she meets Royce, she automatically takes in that the colors between body and head don't match. She also suspects that Royce has a hand in a string of disappearances and abominable murders.
Out of time, and perhaps his mind, Royce tumbles through a hallucinogenic underworld of black-market body parts and billionaires where nothing can stand in the way of living forever—not even death itself
Part science fiction with a little horror thrown in, as well as the author's research into genetically edited humans along with the lucrative trade in transplant organs make the plot of THE DREAMING TREE intricate, laced with twists and turns as the reader gets lost in Royce's slowly deteriorating mind. The characters are deftly drawn amid the swirl of mystery. The conclusion was surprising and unexpected. This is a slight cliff hanger leading to the next in this series.
Many thanks to the author / Blackstone Publishing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this technothriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
November 4, 2019
Fans of Michael Crichton's, and Stephen King's, this is a book for you! If you read the blurb and it piques your interest, don't hesitate: THE DREAMING TREE is a fantastic thriller!
Royce Vandeweghe gets a full-body transplant, and all hell breaks loose! The book is very intriguing right from the start, the pace is brisk and never falters. The story gets better as it goes along, chilling and surreal. However, the most chilling part of all might be the author's notes at the end - THE DREAMING TREE in Real Life...
This is the first book in a series featuring Detective Delta Devlin. I found interesting though that the character of Royce is just as prominent, if not more. I thought it was a very clever way to introduce Delta and the series. The characters are well-rounded, and character development is outstanding. The writing is crisp and clear; it's a real page-turner and it's going to be a fabulous an innovative series with a relatable and engaging heroine.
Mr. Mather's research is extremely thorough; the task must have been staggering! I only wish he would be as meticulous with the French he chose to use: one sentence should have read "Est-ce qu'on peut jouer au poker?", and it's "tu vas" not "tu va". Besides that, there were only 4 or 5 very minor typos. I know, I'm always complaining about something... But seriously, it's an amazing book, very well written, and im looking forward to reading more Matthew Mather books; I was very much impressed!
Royce Vandeweghe gets a full-body transplant, and all hell breaks loose! The book is very intriguing right from the start, the pace is brisk and never falters. The story gets better as it goes along, chilling and surreal. However, the most chilling part of all might be the author's notes at the end - THE DREAMING TREE in Real Life...
This is the first book in a series featuring Detective Delta Devlin. I found interesting though that the character of Royce is just as prominent, if not more. I thought it was a very clever way to introduce Delta and the series. The characters are well-rounded, and character development is outstanding. The writing is crisp and clear; it's a real page-turner and it's going to be a fabulous an innovative series with a relatable and engaging heroine.
Mr. Mather's research is extremely thorough; the task must have been staggering! I only wish he would be as meticulous with the French he chose to use: one sentence should have read "Est-ce qu'on peut jouer au poker?", and it's "tu vas" not "tu va". Besides that, there were only 4 or 5 very minor typos. I know, I'm always complaining about something... But seriously, it's an amazing book, very well written, and im looking forward to reading more Matthew Mather books; I was very much impressed!
September 16, 2019
"The Dreaming Tree"
My favorite read by author Matthew Mather was Cyberstorm but his newest novel The Dreaming Tree is now my new favorite. The genre is futuristic but very grounded in real medical possibilities. I listened to the audiobook adaptation, in which both excellent narrators enhanced the author's words. From the first minute of listening I was immediately immersed into Royce Lowell-Vandeweghe's new life, new body. This storyline takes body-dysmorphia to an extreme end after Roy wakes up after a violent car crash with a new body. Throughout the novel he verbally battles within himself with the mind of the donor or is he just becoming crazy? There is a side story about a New York detective named Delta Devlin, obsessively working on a serial killer case that may or may not involve Roy & his donor....
My favorite read by author Matthew Mather was Cyberstorm but his newest novel The Dreaming Tree is now my new favorite. The genre is futuristic but very grounded in real medical possibilities. I listened to the audiobook adaptation, in which both excellent narrators enhanced the author's words. From the first minute of listening I was immediately immersed into Royce Lowell-Vandeweghe's new life, new body. This storyline takes body-dysmorphia to an extreme end after Roy wakes up after a violent car crash with a new body. Throughout the novel he verbally battles within himself with the mind of the donor or is he just becoming crazy? There is a side story about a New York detective named Delta Devlin, obsessively working on a serial killer case that may or may not involve Roy & his donor....
February 13, 2021
Excellent book. Not a dull moment from the first sentence until the last.
June 12, 2025
really good! 4.5 stars. there were sooo many plot twists it was crazy!!!
May 10, 2020
This would be a great movie. It was well written. I won't give it away, but the ending was good, although it sort of wrapped up quickly, which is why I think it would be a good movie. I can't say it was my favorite book ever, but it was entertaining.
July 16, 2019
Creepy, science fiction murder mystery with hints of horror a la Frankenstein
I chose this book for its unique premise and reviews promising a combo thriller, murder mystery, and speculative fiction. Book #1 of the Detective Delta Devlin series begins with a murder and then a fascinating story about Royce Lowell-Vandeweghe, scion of a wealthy Hamptons family, who wakes in hospital with his head transplanted onto a donor body.
The book is a slow opener, but the pace does pick up. Told from two main POVs, the storyline is intriguing enough to keep reading, to figure out whodunnit and how. The why, not so much. Del Devlin, a Suffolk County detective, is a strong character with smarts, grit and stubbornness to make a great cop. It’s a pleasure following her on a missing person investigation, which morphs into much more. Roy Lowell, whose head is attached to Jake Hawkin’s body, is still a work in progress, because he was a drunken wastrel who disappointed his hard-working father.
This is a great did-he or didn’t-he AND if-not-who-did-it mystery about a prolific serial killer, who may have been the now-dead Jake Hawkins. Certain character(s) will set off spidey-senses of police procedural aficionados. The denouement is a bit rushed and if allowed to develop organically, could probably have been better.
At first I lopped off a star for several medically unbelievable situations. However . . . I really did enjoy this book and its original ideas, plus I’m now listening to the Audiobook version. It’s not often that I “reread” a book so soon after finishing a first read. So 5 stars, and I’m chalking up the medically questionable moments to very speculative fiction.
I chose this book for its unique premise and reviews promising a combo thriller, murder mystery, and speculative fiction. Book #1 of the Detective Delta Devlin series begins with a murder and then a fascinating story about Royce Lowell-Vandeweghe, scion of a wealthy Hamptons family, who wakes in hospital with his head transplanted onto a donor body.
The book is a slow opener, but the pace does pick up. Told from two main POVs, the storyline is intriguing enough to keep reading, to figure out whodunnit and how. The why, not so much. Del Devlin, a Suffolk County detective, is a strong character with smarts, grit and stubbornness to make a great cop. It’s a pleasure following her on a missing person investigation, which morphs into much more. Roy Lowell, whose head is attached to Jake Hawkin’s body, is still a work in progress, because he was a drunken wastrel who disappointed his hard-working father.
This is a great did-he or didn’t-he AND if-not-who-did-it mystery about a prolific serial killer, who may have been the now-dead Jake Hawkins. Certain character(s) will set off spidey-senses of police procedural aficionados. The denouement is a bit rushed and if allowed to develop organically, could probably have been better.
At first I lopped off a star for several medically unbelievable situations. However . . . I really did enjoy this book and its original ideas, plus I’m now listening to the Audiobook version. It’s not often that I “reread” a book so soon after finishing a first read. So 5 stars, and I’m chalking up the medically questionable moments to very speculative fiction.
October 5, 2022
I take stars off for misused slurs. That being said, this book reads like Mather's first attempt at diversity writing, and along the way accidentally trips into Bury Your Gays. The way he talks about women in this novel is uncomfortable, with the only descriptors being about their apperance, or what pants/skirts they're wearing. I almost wished this was a rip off of Andrew Ryan's origin story from Bioshock because that would invovle the use of "adam", which would make the science fiction feel possible, but it instead just decides that the human body can just "do this" now when it comes to transplants.
I have no interest in completing the series, especially since it's all about Delta Devlin and her super powers which realistically aren't super powers, and don't actuallly work the way the book describes them to.
Amazing premise, just not that well executed.
I have no interest in completing the series, especially since it's all about Delta Devlin and her super powers which realistically aren't super powers, and don't actuallly work the way the book describes them to.
Amazing premise, just not that well executed.
July 16, 2019
Ethical issues aside, a body transplant just creeps me out!
So many complications, ranging from infection to rejection, but consider now the mental aspects of wearing another person's skin. With an overwhelming majority the body wins the contest, but is consciousness embedded in the tissue? Where does the soul reside? The author handles these issues and more. Plot twists designed by a master storyteller keep the suspense and action flowing smoothly. I enjoyed this book and look forward to see what's next for Delta Devlin.
So many complications, ranging from infection to rejection, but consider now the mental aspects of wearing another person's skin. With an overwhelming majority the body wins the contest, but is consciousness embedded in the tissue? Where does the soul reside? The author handles these issues and more. Plot twists designed by a master storyteller keep the suspense and action flowing smoothly. I enjoyed this book and look forward to see what's next for Delta Devlin.
September 23, 2020
Every guess I made during the course of the book was wrong! The surprise conclusion was great, particularly because I was not satisfied with any of my "guesses"; they were all unsatisfying and depressing. But the actual conclusion was definitely satisfying, and it dispelled all suspicions of cliché. The characters were well developed and likable, which is part of why my guesses were depressing. Well, the doctor wasn't exactly likable, but that's another situation altogether… Looking forward to the next one in the series.
July 21, 2021
Devlin is a detective but with a right-hand twist
*Please note this review contains spoilers, which start where I have detailed *spoilers* in capital letters.
l have read previous series and books by Matthew Mather, all very serious and dramatic, dealing with world-shattering events and their effects on us all, but this book felt like a description of world-shattering events on a smaller, more singular personal scale.
The series protagonist, Delta Devlin was introduced into this book as a pivot on which to base a continuing series, but actually I felt the author started out with an unusual story he wished to tell, and later decided to enclose the story with a wrapper that could be used to launch a series, with Devlin being the wrapper here. I may be wrong about this but it hasn't and won't spoil my enjoyment of this or future books which more closely align with the main character than this book does.
Devlin is a detective with an unusual ability that enables her to see beyond that which ordinary humans can perceive. This gives Devlin an uncanny knack to see past the obvious surface to the underlying truth hidden beneath. Delta is a sharp, focused and driven woman who just won't quit, so I can see myself reading her further adventures. Though this book isn't really about her. This book is another character's story. Not of life and death, though that is what happens, but more of life - after death.
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************ SPOILERS ************
Roy Lowell is a man who had died, was brought back and was in a coma for a long time. When he awakes, not only has he to cope with the massive changes that follow a near fatal accident, but he himself is literally in someone else's body. Coming to terms with this life altering event is just the beginning of his troubles. There are questions about how he had his 'accident', how he ended up in another body, why some of his friends and family are lying to him, and why others aren't happy to see him alive at all.
Roy is certain he is being watched by someone all the time, wherever he goes. Outside of his obvious physical and mental issues, there are more horrific and massively important events transpiring around him that he is tied to directly without his knowledge.
The story follows his attempts to find the truth in it all. Roy cannot trust anyone around him, not even himself, so he goes on the run to escape all the attention and seek the help he needs to discover the truth.
To determine who and what he his, and what if any future Roy can have that is his own. More than anything, Roy needs to discover if he could be insane. Is he still Roy, or becoming someone else?
Delta Devlin is only peripherally involved with Roy at the outset, but their individual investigations intersect at various points and each drives the other on to an inescapable conclusion - that death is only the beginning of your troubles, not the end.
*Please note this review contains spoilers, which start where I have detailed *spoilers* in capital letters.
l have read previous series and books by Matthew Mather, all very serious and dramatic, dealing with world-shattering events and their effects on us all, but this book felt like a description of world-shattering events on a smaller, more singular personal scale.
The series protagonist, Delta Devlin was introduced into this book as a pivot on which to base a continuing series, but actually I felt the author started out with an unusual story he wished to tell, and later decided to enclose the story with a wrapper that could be used to launch a series, with Devlin being the wrapper here. I may be wrong about this but it hasn't and won't spoil my enjoyment of this or future books which more closely align with the main character than this book does.
Devlin is a detective with an unusual ability that enables her to see beyond that which ordinary humans can perceive. This gives Devlin an uncanny knack to see past the obvious surface to the underlying truth hidden beneath. Delta is a sharp, focused and driven woman who just won't quit, so I can see myself reading her further adventures. Though this book isn't really about her. This book is another character's story. Not of life and death, though that is what happens, but more of life - after death.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
************ SPOILERS ************
Roy Lowell is a man who had died, was brought back and was in a coma for a long time. When he awakes, not only has he to cope with the massive changes that follow a near fatal accident, but he himself is literally in someone else's body. Coming to terms with this life altering event is just the beginning of his troubles. There are questions about how he had his 'accident', how he ended up in another body, why some of his friends and family are lying to him, and why others aren't happy to see him alive at all.
Roy is certain he is being watched by someone all the time, wherever he goes. Outside of his obvious physical and mental issues, there are more horrific and massively important events transpiring around him that he is tied to directly without his knowledge.
The story follows his attempts to find the truth in it all. Roy cannot trust anyone around him, not even himself, so he goes on the run to escape all the attention and seek the help he needs to discover the truth.
To determine who and what he his, and what if any future Roy can have that is his own. More than anything, Roy needs to discover if he could be insane. Is he still Roy, or becoming someone else?
Delta Devlin is only peripherally involved with Roy at the outset, but their individual investigations intersect at various points and each drives the other on to an inescapable conclusion - that death is only the beginning of your troubles, not the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2020
Argh! This one was a real frustrating book, both to read and to now review. I feel there is a great idea here but the story was just so dense and slightly.. I don't want to say boring as that is a harsh word, but there were times were it just felt sluggish and it was moving at snails pace. The opening sequence is a lot of info dump which tbh I am happy to get through, get it out the way and then I go into the rest of the book with the knowledge I need. Then tbh... it clicked, after a slow start I felt the story going along nicely, it was coming together, characters were being expanded on the plot thickened (as they say) I was constantly guessing and creating my own theories. Then I don't know what happened it just died again. I felt myself struggling, the story went from moving a long nicely to just waiting impatiently for something significant to happen to inject some life back into it. Everything, at least to me just went to a standstill and while yes, the ending did start to claw it back I was just so thrown off with such a hot and cold story plot that I don't know, it just felt like my heart wasn't in it by that point.
The ideas were there, I found the whole subject matter relevant especially with how fast and rapid science and technology is growing now, but also the more serious matters of illegal organ transportation. Character wise I think Delta was actually the shining star, her color mutation was really interesting and just found that I was paying attention when she was on the page and I was reading scenes with her in it. Royce (or Roy) was fine as a lead, I can't say his personality or his general demeanor really truly shone, however I do feel when you are striking out on a book multiple times and loosing interest the MC can't really be as strong as you want them to be.
I'm still actually undecided as to whether or not I will continue with the series, a 2 star rating is quite disappointing by my standards, but I don't know, I love the idea and a part of me does actually want to know how it can progress, I saw the ending coming really and even though it felt super rushes it did tie up all the ends that needed to be, it kind of went from snail pace to 100mph towards the end. But there were moments and points in this book where I was genuinely interested and was liking the story, just something didn't click and maybe the second installment might do things a little differently, the story might just hold my interest that little bit more, stronger characters, Mather might keep the pace and not have as many lulls, so yes I am definitely up for coming back to this in the future despite the low score as I say Delta Divine was one of the shining stars so seeing her character in a different setting might be whats needed for me.
The ideas were there, I found the whole subject matter relevant especially with how fast and rapid science and technology is growing now, but also the more serious matters of illegal organ transportation. Character wise I think Delta was actually the shining star, her color mutation was really interesting and just found that I was paying attention when she was on the page and I was reading scenes with her in it. Royce (or Roy) was fine as a lead, I can't say his personality or his general demeanor really truly shone, however I do feel when you are striking out on a book multiple times and loosing interest the MC can't really be as strong as you want them to be.
I'm still actually undecided as to whether or not I will continue with the series, a 2 star rating is quite disappointing by my standards, but I don't know, I love the idea and a part of me does actually want to know how it can progress, I saw the ending coming really and even though it felt super rushes it did tie up all the ends that needed to be, it kind of went from snail pace to 100mph towards the end. But there were moments and points in this book where I was genuinely interested and was liking the story, just something didn't click and maybe the second installment might do things a little differently, the story might just hold my interest that little bit more, stronger characters, Mather might keep the pace and not have as many lulls, so yes I am definitely up for coming back to this in the future despite the low score as I say Delta Divine was one of the shining stars so seeing her character in a different setting might be whats needed for me.
October 18, 2019
A Mind-Bending, Emotion-Stirring, Series-Launching Medical Thriller
“This is definitely one for the weird books.”
So said the partner of the book’s protagonist, Detective Delta Devlin, after they had solved the case. And I’d have to agree. From full-body transplants, to hunting trips for celebrities’ excrement, to “oil changes” for the wealthy—I’ll let you read the book, if you don’t follow those references—The Dreaming Tree is a wild ride between recent advances and imminent breakthroughs in medical science with a bit a pure fiction thrown into the mix. And author Matthew Mather makes it really tough to know just which of those you are reading at any given point in the story.
Of course, in dealing at the bleeding edge of medical science, societal and ethical questions appear at every turn in the plot, not as academic questions, but as part of a baffling, sometimes surreal mystery. When is someone dead? If we can grow parts, why not an entire body? And similarly, your emotions will sustain some collateral damage from treading this ground. References to body-part harvesting among the helpless and the brutally poor are particularly gut wrenching.
Within this backdrop of science vs. fiction, ethics, and emotion, Mather inserts at least two, rather dramatic twists into his storyline. They are revelations that, while not new to frequent readers of mystery and thrillers, will cause you to reframe all that you thought you knew about the head with a new body. Mather’s use of this technique, however, leads me to a minor quibble. The last twist comes so late that despite the author speeding through the threads of the tale, the reader doesn’t have time for the new mindset to gel. Basically, the end feels a bit rushed and some of the threads feel like they are still dangling.
No review of The Dreaming Tree would be complete without mention of Mather’s new, series protagonist, Delta Devlin. Besides having a melodic, alliterating name that describes her roots—Delta for her mother from the South, Devlin for her Irish father—she’s a tetrachromat. She has four color receptors in her eyes, rather than the three that most of us have. That visual capability lets her spot subtle changes in a person’s coloration, say, when he/she is lying. Maybe this is a bit of a stretch of what a tetrachromat can do, or maybe not, but it adds a dimension to an already likeable character. I’ll be watching for book 2 in the series.
“This is definitely one for the weird books.”
So said the partner of the book’s protagonist, Detective Delta Devlin, after they had solved the case. And I’d have to agree. From full-body transplants, to hunting trips for celebrities’ excrement, to “oil changes” for the wealthy—I’ll let you read the book, if you don’t follow those references—The Dreaming Tree is a wild ride between recent advances and imminent breakthroughs in medical science with a bit a pure fiction thrown into the mix. And author Matthew Mather makes it really tough to know just which of those you are reading at any given point in the story.
Of course, in dealing at the bleeding edge of medical science, societal and ethical questions appear at every turn in the plot, not as academic questions, but as part of a baffling, sometimes surreal mystery. When is someone dead? If we can grow parts, why not an entire body? And similarly, your emotions will sustain some collateral damage from treading this ground. References to body-part harvesting among the helpless and the brutally poor are particularly gut wrenching.
Within this backdrop of science vs. fiction, ethics, and emotion, Mather inserts at least two, rather dramatic twists into his storyline. They are revelations that, while not new to frequent readers of mystery and thrillers, will cause you to reframe all that you thought you knew about the head with a new body. Mather’s use of this technique, however, leads me to a minor quibble. The last twist comes so late that despite the author speeding through the threads of the tale, the reader doesn’t have time for the new mindset to gel. Basically, the end feels a bit rushed and some of the threads feel like they are still dangling.
No review of The Dreaming Tree would be complete without mention of Mather’s new, series protagonist, Delta Devlin. Besides having a melodic, alliterating name that describes her roots—Delta for her mother from the South, Devlin for her Irish father—she’s a tetrachromat. She has four color receptors in her eyes, rather than the three that most of us have. That visual capability lets her spot subtle changes in a person’s coloration, say, when he/she is lying. Maybe this is a bit of a stretch of what a tetrachromat can do, or maybe not, but it adds a dimension to an already likeable character. I’ll be watching for book 2 in the series.
October 15, 2019
All of Mather's previous novels that I have read were hard sci-fi (e.g., CYBERSTORM, NOMAD, SANCTUARY, RESISTANCD, DESTINY). The science was spot on and the characters were well developed. The pacing was excellent, and suspenseful,, and they were all a lot of fun. Now with THE DREAMING TREE, Mather steps out of his comfort zone with a superb genre mashup. Scion of a a super-rich Hamptons family is in a horrible car crash and wakes up weeks later as the second successful full body transplant patient. That's right, they cut off his head and somehow transplanted it onto another body. Or vice versa., And basically here ends the sci-fi (mostly).
Nothing is what you think. The novel introduces a new character, Delta Devlin, a detective, and is mostly a murder mystery/police procedural that has more red herrings than the Fulton Fish Market. Very different from Mather's previous hard sci-fi novels, but just as good. Delta, who is actually not the main character (Royce, the billionaire's son head transplant patient is), has an interesting superpower - she has 4 retinal cone types giving her extended color vision way into the infra-red and UV, with some unexpected benefits. Delta is a assigned to a Hampton's murder and gets embroiled with Royce and his friends and family along the way.
No more summary. Just read it. Delta will obviously be the main protagonist of the forthcoming entries in the series, and I look forward to them.
Highly recommended.
JM Tepper
Nothing is what you think. The novel introduces a new character, Delta Devlin, a detective, and is mostly a murder mystery/police procedural that has more red herrings than the Fulton Fish Market. Very different from Mather's previous hard sci-fi novels, but just as good. Delta, who is actually not the main character (Royce, the billionaire's son head transplant patient is), has an interesting superpower - she has 4 retinal cone types giving her extended color vision way into the infra-red and UV, with some unexpected benefits. Delta is a assigned to a Hampton's murder and gets embroiled with Royce and his friends and family along the way.
No more summary. Just read it. Delta will obviously be the main protagonist of the forthcoming entries in the series, and I look forward to them.
Highly recommended.
JM Tepper
January 5, 2021
DNF @ 45%
Omg that ending twist... so happy I looked it up.... how laughable is the secret evil twin plot?! What year are we in?! I had a feeling this was gonna be a try hard sci fi thriller and at first I had hope... but as I read on it really got into James Patterson territory which is just not my thing at all. I really appreciate the take on Frankenstein but very poorly executed. Not to mention the stereotypical outdated language (even for something written in 2019!), based on descriptions of people of color and sexualities you can just tell what kind of book this is going to be... also, with the title series being about Delta Devlin she’s barely in the book. The split between Royce and Delta could’ve been balanced so much better, not to mention the serial killer actually killing people... ugh... this had so much potential but in the end became so so predictable. While I didn’t predict the motive I did guess who transplanted his body very early on as it’s very obvious and once I learned the motive I just started laughing.... absolutely ridiculous even for a sci fi thriller. First DNF of 2021! What a way to start!
Omg that ending twist... so happy I looked it up.... how laughable is the secret evil twin plot?! What year are we in?! I had a feeling this was gonna be a try hard sci fi thriller and at first I had hope... but as I read on it really got into James Patterson territory which is just not my thing at all. I really appreciate the take on Frankenstein but very poorly executed. Not to mention the stereotypical outdated language (even for something written in 2019!), based on descriptions of people of color and sexualities you can just tell what kind of book this is going to be... also, with the title series being about Delta Devlin she’s barely in the book. The split between Royce and Delta could’ve been balanced so much better, not to mention the serial killer actually killing people... ugh... this had so much potential but in the end became so so predictable. While I didn’t predict the motive I did guess who transplanted his body very early on as it’s very obvious and once I learned the motive I just started laughing.... absolutely ridiculous even for a sci fi thriller. First DNF of 2021! What a way to start!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2019
The Dreaming Tree is a fascinating story. I couldn’t put it down.
Roy wakes up from coma to find out he has a new body. A whole new one with his own head. He’s had a full body transplant. After he is allowed to leave the hospital and he goes home, his life spirals out of control. People disappear, he starts hallucinating. In his quest to find out what is happening to him, he uncovers several secrets concerning his past and even bigger one concerning his present.
Delta Devlin is a detective with the Suffolk County Police Department. She meets Roy while investigating the disappearance of a woman. She can immediately tell something is wrong, she just can’t put her finger on it. When her boss tells her not to bother Roy, she starts her own investigation.
The plot is absolutely amazing. The story is full of action and twists, there aren’t any boring parts. And everything makes sense in the end. The ending? Wow I didn’t see it coming.
This was my first book by Matthew Mather but won’t be the last. And I so want to read the next book.
Roy wakes up from coma to find out he has a new body. A whole new one with his own head. He’s had a full body transplant. After he is allowed to leave the hospital and he goes home, his life spirals out of control. People disappear, he starts hallucinating. In his quest to find out what is happening to him, he uncovers several secrets concerning his past and even bigger one concerning his present.
Delta Devlin is a detective with the Suffolk County Police Department. She meets Roy while investigating the disappearance of a woman. She can immediately tell something is wrong, she just can’t put her finger on it. When her boss tells her not to bother Roy, she starts her own investigation.
The plot is absolutely amazing. The story is full of action and twists, there aren’t any boring parts. And everything makes sense in the end. The ending? Wow I didn’t see it coming.
This was my first book by Matthew Mather but won’t be the last. And I so want to read the next book.
March 15, 2020
The Dreaming Tree is a fascinating story. I couldn’t put it down.
Roy wakes up from coma to find out he has a new body. A whole new one with his own head. He’s had a full body transplant. After he is allowed to leave the hospital and he goes home, his life spirals out of control. People disappear, he starts hallucinating. In his quest to find out what is happening to him, he uncovers several secrets concerning his past and even bigger one concerning his present.
Delta Devlin is a detective with the Suffolk County Police Department. She meets Roy while investigating the disappearance of a woman. She can immediately tell something is wrong, she just can’t put her finger on it. When her boss tells her not to bother Roy, she starts her own investigation.
The plot is absolutely amazing. The story is full of action and twists, there aren’t any boring parts. And everything makes sense in the end. The ending? Wow I didn’t see it coming.
This was my first book by Matthew Mather but won’t be the last. And I so want to read the next book.
Roy wakes up from coma to find out he has a new body. A whole new one with his own head. He’s had a full body transplant. After he is allowed to leave the hospital and he goes home, his life spirals out of control. People disappear, he starts hallucinating. In his quest to find out what is happening to him, he uncovers several secrets concerning his past and even bigger one concerning his present.
Delta Devlin is a detective with the Suffolk County Police Department. She meets Roy while investigating the disappearance of a woman. She can immediately tell something is wrong, she just can’t put her finger on it. When her boss tells her not to bother Roy, she starts her own investigation.
The plot is absolutely amazing. The story is full of action and twists, there aren’t any boring parts. And everything makes sense in the end. The ending? Wow I didn’t see it coming.
This was my first book by Matthew Mather but won’t be the last. And I so want to read the next book.
July 1, 2022
It wasn't easy getting over the initial premise of a body transplant recipient getting mysterious blackouts because their new body has a 'mind' of its own. However, I somehow managed to suspend my disbelief enough to get into the various mysteries it brought up. And for a while, this was a decent mystery story as our protagonist went about trying to solve them. Unfortunately, the author was so obsessed with giving us twists, that he lost the plot entirely and essentially nullified the whole build-up. Basically, it was a little better than the whole it was all a dream reveal.
Normally I'd go into all the gory details of why this deserved the rating, but honestly, this just wasn't for me. If you enjoy the mystery formula, can suspend your disbelief, like some light sci-fi elements, and don't mind ridiculous conveniences to make the twists work, this is right up your alley. However, if you care even a little bit about believability or logic, then I'd caution you to steer well away from this one.
Normally I'd go into all the gory details of why this deserved the rating, but honestly, this just wasn't for me. If you enjoy the mystery formula, can suspend your disbelief, like some light sci-fi elements, and don't mind ridiculous conveniences to make the twists work, this is right up your alley. However, if you care even a little bit about believability or logic, then I'd caution you to steer well away from this one.
August 18, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5 stars
The Dreaming Tree by: Matthew Mather
Book # 61 of 2019
Such a fantastic ode to the classic Frankenstein! Mr. Mather weaves an unbelievable tale of modern mechine gone unchecked.
This was my very first book by this author and it definitely won’t be my last. This is a horror filled science fiction tale that broaches multiple very current social issues (the limits of modern medicine, how far is too far, and the very large divide between the rich and poor class- and what having money can “entitle” you to).
There were plenty of “wtf?!” moments and
I quickly devoured this book because I found I just couldn’t put it down. Bravo to Mr. Mather, you’ve gained a new fan.
*** In the air of complete transparency, the review above is my own opinion. I did receive a copy from the publisher from a giveaway, and I thank them for the chance to read it. I was excited to enter the giveaway and was pleasantly surprised by how good this book was.***
The Dreaming Tree by: Matthew Mather
Book # 61 of 2019
Such a fantastic ode to the classic Frankenstein! Mr. Mather weaves an unbelievable tale of modern mechine gone unchecked.
This was my very first book by this author and it definitely won’t be my last. This is a horror filled science fiction tale that broaches multiple very current social issues (the limits of modern medicine, how far is too far, and the very large divide between the rich and poor class- and what having money can “entitle” you to).
There were plenty of “wtf?!” moments and
I quickly devoured this book because I found I just couldn’t put it down. Bravo to Mr. Mather, you’ve gained a new fan.
*** In the air of complete transparency, the review above is my own opinion. I did receive a copy from the publisher from a giveaway, and I thank them for the chance to read it. I was excited to enter the giveaway and was pleasantly surprised by how good this book was.***
January 28, 2021
The Dreaming Tree is a fascinating and thought provoking departure from Mather’s usual novels. Extrapolating from some of today’s cutting edge medical technology, Mather creates a truly unique protagonist. Roy, a wealthy, drunk, ne’er-do-well wakes after a tragic accident to find his head has been grafted to someone else’s body. The story that follows is a surreal adventure as Roy attempts to discover the source of the body to which he is attached. All the while, detective Delta Devlin is on the trail of a serial killer. When Devlin and Roy’s paths cross the mystery becomes even more convoluted, keeping the reader guessing until the very end. If you like Michael Crichton medical thrillers and Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch detective stories, you’ll love The Dreaming Tree.
The Dreaming Tree
The Dreaming Tree
January 6, 2023
This book starts out with a creepy premise: following a terrible car crash, Roy's body is mangled beyond repair. A doctor experimenting with various medical treatments to stop or reverse the aging process performs a "body transplant." Roy's head has been joined to the body of a man who supposedly killed himself by a shot to the head. Roy struggles with recovery, haunted by thoughts and memories of the body. His family is untrustworthy and he learns of legal arrangements to take over a trust on the brink of transferring assets to him. Increasingly paranoid about the life of the man whose body he has taken, Roy starts to uncover a series of facts that suggest his body is that of a serial killer, and that this body is taking over his mind. This is well written, although the characters serve primarily to move the story line forward and do not get beyond a rather two-dimensional state, and the plot keeps things moving and interesting. Good entertainment value.
October 11, 2019
Mather is a solid techno-thriller writer and his books keep getting better. The premise of The Dreaming Tree is fascinating, albeit a bit hard to believe; the successful transplant of a human head onto the body of another. Still, this is speculative fiction and if you can accept that rather Frankenstein-esque premise, the exploration of how it might transpire is darn interesting.
Having said that, I was a bit put off by the narrative bouncing around in the last few chapters. It felt like Mather sidestepped the denouement whereas I was looking forward to how that would turn out, particularly vis-a-vis the internal monologue of the protagonist.
Still, a solid read and it could make a pretty darn interesting, albeit slightly creepy, TV series too if one of the streaming companies are looking for good, light horror material.
Having said that, I was a bit put off by the narrative bouncing around in the last few chapters. It felt like Mather sidestepped the denouement whereas I was looking forward to how that would turn out, particularly vis-a-vis the internal monologue of the protagonist.
Still, a solid read and it could make a pretty darn interesting, albeit slightly creepy, TV series too if one of the streaming companies are looking for good, light horror material.
January 18, 2020
I think three stars may be on the generous side, but I’m going with it. I was mostly entertained throughout the story, sometimes more than others. I can’t say that the writing or the story is strong in any sense, but (with the exception of a handful of terrible lines trying to be clever) it’s not terrible. The story isn’t necessarily original, but the scope of it made it, for lack of a better word, fun. The wrap up was just awful, though. It’s bad enough that the ending is predictable and there are some pretty cheap shots taken, plot-twist-wise, but the ‘explanation to the partner’ delivery is just lazy. Overall, if you’re a true fan of sci-, you can give this one a pass, but if you’d like to dip your toes into the genre and not have to think too hard while doing it, this could fit the bill.
November 14, 2024
The start of a series cut short after three volumes by the author’s untimely death. We are introduced to New York detective Delta Devlin, who has followed in the footsteps of her Irish immigrant father. Although billed as the first Devlin novel she is very much a minor player in this novel which focuses on Mather’s science fiction roots by following the recipient of the world’s first whole body transplant; as his recovery continues he starts to believe that he’s taken on the traits of the donor, a violent criminal, and is merely a guinea pig for his surgeon and the private company funding the treatment. The plot raises interesting ethical questions about the limits of modern medicine but is hampered by a laboured plot with characters who are distinctly unlikeable. It’s worth persevering with as the remaining two novels in the series improve massively.
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