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Catechism
How many times can someone die?
Malfunctioning psychic, Nick Ballard, must answer this question if he hopes to halt a string of seemingly unrelated murders in which he shares the horrific fates of the victims. An unstoppable killer is targeting him for reasons he doesn’t comprehend, and Nick is powerless as he is tortured over and over again.
He must solve the riddle of his own past and discover why the ability that made him into a tv star is now a curse.
Nick enlists the help of sceptical DCI, Kate Garvey, to help him hunt down a remorseless, implacable killer, as the body count rises and the final death comes ever closer.
Malfunctioning psychic, Nick Ballard, must answer this question if he hopes to halt a string of seemingly unrelated murders in which he shares the horrific fates of the victims. An unstoppable killer is targeting him for reasons he doesn’t comprehend, and Nick is powerless as he is tortured over and over again.
He must solve the riddle of his own past and discover why the ability that made him into a tv star is now a curse.
Nick enlists the help of sceptical DCI, Kate Garvey, to help him hunt down a remorseless, implacable killer, as the body count rises and the final death comes ever closer.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2021
8 people are currently reading
396 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Steven
6 books21 followersMy first book, Catechism, is now available on Amazon and Goodreads. It is a paranormal thriller, set in the UK and the first book in a series about Nick Ballard, a psychic, who teams up with Detective Chief Inspector Kate Garvey to hunt serial killers.
Inside Catechism, there is also a link to my website and a free story to download in e-book format.
I live in Cheshire, England, with my wife, Mary. I work for a charity and am also a psychotherapist. I mainly write in the horror/thriller genre, and apart from the Nick Ballard series, plan to release a horror novel in the near future.
It’s pretty ironic that I write this kind of fiction, as I'm the first person to look away during a horror movie when the scary parts come on. This dates back to childhood, when I hid behind the sofa from the Daleks and Cybermen in Doctor Who. There was also Hammer House of Horror movies to contend with and I found the Dracula series and The Masque of the Red Death particularly chilling.
Inside Catechism, there is also a link to my website and a free story to download in e-book format.
I live in Cheshire, England, with my wife, Mary. I work for a charity and am also a psychotherapist. I mainly write in the horror/thriller genre, and apart from the Nick Ballard series, plan to release a horror novel in the near future.
It’s pretty ironic that I write this kind of fiction, as I'm the first person to look away during a horror movie when the scary parts come on. This dates back to childhood, when I hid behind the sofa from the Daleks and Cybermen in Doctor Who. There was also Hammer House of Horror movies to contend with and I found the Dracula series and The Masque of the Red Death particularly chilling.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 10, 2020
I’ll give it 3.5 stars, though Goodreads has not made this an easy visual option at this time!
First and foremost, a large thank you to Reedsy Discovery and Anthony Steven for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Eager to try something new with religious undertones, I turned to this debut thriller by Anthony Steven. A little police procedural with a peppering of psychic intervention, Steven seeks to carve out his own niche in the supersaturated genre. Nick Ballard is a former television psychic who all but lost everything when his wife died. Now, he has these odd visions that put him in the body of murder victims, allowing him to feel their pain the moment of their deaths. When Ballard goes to the police, DCI Kate Garvey is not sure what to make of it. At first, Garvey suspects that Ballard might be involved, as he seems to know too much with details not released to the public. However, she begins to see that he might know something useful and could be an insight into the actual killer. With a killer who leaves biblical references at the crime scenes, Garvey can only wonder if this is a man on some sort of cleansing mission. Seeking help with his psychic abilities, Ballard reaches out to someone who might be able to explain it, though it is by no means the answer he expected. When the killer’s rampage continues, things take a horrifying turn and Garvey must risk it all and trust in Ballard to help bring things together before they come crashing down around everyone. A decent debut with some great action, Steven does well to make his mark. Recommended to those who like their police procedurals from a different approach, as well as readers who need something quick to pass the time.
I stumbled upon this piece, unsure what to expect. While I was not blown away, Anthony Steven did keep my attention throughout, enough that I powered through this piece in a single day. There is a great deal going on in here, particularly with the two main characters. Nick Ballard has been gifted with his psychic abilities, though they have been a curse for him since he was a lad. Able to read minds and happy to share what he sees, Ballard has found himself in more trouble than the talent seems worth. With some interesting backstory, Steven tells of Ballard’s struggles before it all came crashing down, leaving the protagonist to fall into a bottle as he tries to drown the pain. His interaction with Susan Carter is an interesting part of the novel, a character Steven promises to explore more thoroughly in a free novella available on his website. DCI Kate Garvey has her own story that flavours the piece. Building on her single mother backstory, Garvey is trying to do it all while holding down a senior position within the Metropolitan Police. Her work comes first, though she tries to find time for her adult son who is all but ready to disown her. She is sceptical about Ballard, but must trust him to some degree if she wants to make progress and remove her head from the proverbial noose. In a story that mixes religious messaging with psychic undertones, Anthony Steven spreads himself a little thin and dabbles a little in both, diluting what could have been an even more powerful and edgy piece. While the narrative is saved with quick chapters that push things along, I sought more ‘creepy’ factor to really get to the heart of the matter. I hope the aforementioned free novella offers a little more, as I can only wonder what the second full novel in the series (listened on Steven’s website) will become without some added pep. I will continue with the series, but want more action and deeper connection to the characters. There is a definite plot pathway, but something to pull me and leave me hungering for more.
Kudos, Mr. Steven, for this debut effort. I need more, though I found myself wanting to keep reading repeatedly throughout this one-day adventure.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
First and foremost, a large thank you to Reedsy Discovery and Anthony Steven for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Eager to try something new with religious undertones, I turned to this debut thriller by Anthony Steven. A little police procedural with a peppering of psychic intervention, Steven seeks to carve out his own niche in the supersaturated genre. Nick Ballard is a former television psychic who all but lost everything when his wife died. Now, he has these odd visions that put him in the body of murder victims, allowing him to feel their pain the moment of their deaths. When Ballard goes to the police, DCI Kate Garvey is not sure what to make of it. At first, Garvey suspects that Ballard might be involved, as he seems to know too much with details not released to the public. However, she begins to see that he might know something useful and could be an insight into the actual killer. With a killer who leaves biblical references at the crime scenes, Garvey can only wonder if this is a man on some sort of cleansing mission. Seeking help with his psychic abilities, Ballard reaches out to someone who might be able to explain it, though it is by no means the answer he expected. When the killer’s rampage continues, things take a horrifying turn and Garvey must risk it all and trust in Ballard to help bring things together before they come crashing down around everyone. A decent debut with some great action, Steven does well to make his mark. Recommended to those who like their police procedurals from a different approach, as well as readers who need something quick to pass the time.
I stumbled upon this piece, unsure what to expect. While I was not blown away, Anthony Steven did keep my attention throughout, enough that I powered through this piece in a single day. There is a great deal going on in here, particularly with the two main characters. Nick Ballard has been gifted with his psychic abilities, though they have been a curse for him since he was a lad. Able to read minds and happy to share what he sees, Ballard has found himself in more trouble than the talent seems worth. With some interesting backstory, Steven tells of Ballard’s struggles before it all came crashing down, leaving the protagonist to fall into a bottle as he tries to drown the pain. His interaction with Susan Carter is an interesting part of the novel, a character Steven promises to explore more thoroughly in a free novella available on his website. DCI Kate Garvey has her own story that flavours the piece. Building on her single mother backstory, Garvey is trying to do it all while holding down a senior position within the Metropolitan Police. Her work comes first, though she tries to find time for her adult son who is all but ready to disown her. She is sceptical about Ballard, but must trust him to some degree if she wants to make progress and remove her head from the proverbial noose. In a story that mixes religious messaging with psychic undertones, Anthony Steven spreads himself a little thin and dabbles a little in both, diluting what could have been an even more powerful and edgy piece. While the narrative is saved with quick chapters that push things along, I sought more ‘creepy’ factor to really get to the heart of the matter. I hope the aforementioned free novella offers a little more, as I can only wonder what the second full novel in the series (listened on Steven’s website) will become without some added pep. I will continue with the series, but want more action and deeper connection to the characters. There is a definite plot pathway, but something to pull me and leave me hungering for more.
Kudos, Mr. Steven, for this debut effort. I need more, though I found myself wanting to keep reading repeatedly throughout this one-day adventure.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
June 17, 2020
I don't often pick up crime books but I'm really glad I tried this one, a definite one to try for Stuart Macbride fans&I absorbed it in a couple of evenings.
The main character Nick is a really likeable character. Even through his layers of booze and self hatred I found myself routing for him. Nick is most definitely not your run of the mill guy, scrap what you think you know about TV psychics and brace yourselves!
The main character Nick is a really likeable character. Even through his layers of booze and self hatred I found myself routing for him. Nick is most definitely not your run of the mill guy, scrap what you think you know about TV psychics and brace yourselves!
August 26, 2020
A thank you to Goodreads for this book. I gave it 4 stars because it kept my attention from the start of the story. At first I did not care for the main character Nick Ballard, but as the story evolved I began to like him more. Stories based on psychic abilities is not a genre I’m usually prone to pick, but I would read another Nick Ballard based story if there was another written. The book ends with the feeling the story could continue. The author writes the story smoothly and with a flow that does not leave you wondering if something was lost in the writing.
May 3, 2021
What a fantastic supernatural thriller!
Well written story and characters made this book a real page turner, I read it in one sitting!
This book will not disappoint - excellent!
Well written story and characters made this book a real page turner, I read it in one sitting!
This book will not disappoint - excellent!
July 26, 2020
Catechism introduces Nick Ballard who is not your typical psychic - not that the word psychic conjures up anything remotely typical. I suppose it would be better to say that Nick is unlike any psychic I've seen on TV or read in a book. Psychic gift, or curse, aside, Nick is not without his problems. He's one of those flawed characters that you find yourself liking and rooting for even while not liking their choices. As far as flawed characters go, I have to say that the author does them very well, and they feel real. They aren't perfect by any means, which goes a long way toward making them relatable.
When I read the blurb for this one, I expected a thriller, but the story has the tone and pacing of a procedural more than a thriller, which surprised me given the premise. Procedural, crime drama, thriller - whatever you want to call it, the story and characters are interesting and I wanted to see how it all played out. So, in the end, I would've preferred a faster pace, maybe a better-defined tension, but the book was still worth the read as is.
When I read the blurb for this one, I expected a thriller, but the story has the tone and pacing of a procedural more than a thriller, which surprised me given the premise. Procedural, crime drama, thriller - whatever you want to call it, the story and characters are interesting and I wanted to see how it all played out. So, in the end, I would've preferred a faster pace, maybe a better-defined tension, but the book was still worth the read as is.
October 24, 2020
This is such a cinematic read; as I was reading I kept thinking I could see it as a Netflix miniseries. Also, I’d been in a months-long reading slump and then I went and read this in two sittings, which I think says a lot.
July 27, 2020
Goodreads Kindle Copy Win
A less than perfect psychic finds himself involve in what appears to be a string of unrelated murder victims. Will he be able to find the killer or will he become another victim?
Watch as he unravels his own past in order to stop these deaths from happenin over and over. A compelling read.
A less than perfect psychic finds himself involve in what appears to be a string of unrelated murder victims. Will he be able to find the killer or will he become another victim?
Watch as he unravels his own past in order to stop these deaths from happenin over and over. A compelling read.
Read
August 17, 2020Enticing and riveting... The main character stole my heart from the very beginning, the sympathy I held for this character was the catalyst that fueled my desire to continue page after page without stopping all the way to the very end. I enjoyed the mixture of religion and fantasy, and loved to see the two so well immersed in each other in such a way. The underlying theme lay near and dear to my heart, a theme of internal struggle and conflict which revolves around overcoming life and God's great many obstacles in order to live life to its fullest.
July 27, 2020
Won this in a Goodreads Giveaway. A well written story with different types of characters. If you like things about mind reading, pschic people, this is a enjoyable story
August 4, 2020
Great book & hero
I love Nick and his conflicts while he tries to help the police with a killer. Really believable characters and can't wait to read the next book!
I love Nick and his conflicts while he tries to help the police with a killer. Really believable characters and can't wait to read the next book!
October 5, 2020
Kept me interested with a good ending.
I enjoyed the characters and the storyline and I was not disappointed at the end. I am looking forward to the next book.
I enjoyed the characters and the storyline and I was not disappointed at the end. I am looking forward to the next book.
November 3, 2020
This was a goodreads giveaway. The premise of this story is a bit odd, but I did enjoy it. The mystery was good, it’s an easy read, and I am curious to see where the author takes it next.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews