PsycheDeliah

by Kite Jenson

Can a Billion Dollars and a Secret Psychedelic Drug Make Men Stop Raping?

Paul is a privileged but sensitive white male whose life is turned upside down when Deliah, his struggling mixed-race wife, suddenly disappears. Divorce papers arrive shortly, but with no explanation and no way to reach her, Paul can't move on. Finding her naked dead body in a dispensary tycoon's BDSM dungeon only adds to his suspicion that she had far bigger plans than making it in Hollywood. Even more startling is his growing realization that Deliah's plans are still in effect.

As Paul unravels the multiple layers of Deliah’s troubled past, he plunges into the world of psychedelic drugs, high-speed roadsters, and underground sex clubs. In doing so, he finds himself forced to confront his own childhood demons. Perhaps more importantly, he meets up with an unlikely cast of characters—including a tantric goddess, a transgendered sub, and a crypto billionaire—all of whom are linked by the terrible traumas they have suffered and their quest to avenge Deliah to right the world once and for all.

PsycheDeliah is a psychological thriller filled with eroticism, despair, and a touch of joy. If you like sex and drugs and the pursuit of justice, you’ll love Kite Jenson’s brilliant madcap adventure.

Genres: BDSM, Dark, Transgender

264 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 21, 2021

About the author

Kite Jenson lives in Malibu, California. They enjoy hiking, surfing, skiing, and walking their mini Goldendoodle.

Reviews

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good story but disappointing ending.

This book will trigger you if you have experienced sexual trauma in your life. You should not read It if you are triggered by rape, molestation, sex, and drugs, as this is a story about traumatized people trying to become whole again. It was a beautiful journey...Until the end. It brought me to tears at multiple points and I thought it would end in some profound way. Instead the ending made me very angry and made absolutely no sense. I get the point the author was trying to make but as a person who has been sexually assaulted the ending was ridiculous and sickening. I'm meant to believe the perpetrators found the error of their ways and in that found redemption, but I don't think they deserve to be redeemed. And why would Paul and John come that far in healing from their trauma just to end their lives? It doesn't make any sense whatsoever. I thought I would like this story and I did right until that ending. It was such a disappointment.

[Donna Costello · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this book had a lot of potential. It touched on some very hard hitting subjects and I can see the message the author was trying to instil within the text. However this book could have really benefited from a writing group or perhaps more beta readers. The premise sounded really intriguing and I was drawn in by the possibilities the story offered. The characters through, were very lacklustre and could have benefited from a more in depth deep dive. In a story like this you need to know your characters and develop them in such a way the readers can empathise or understand them. I felt like the reasoning behind their motivations was very generic.

Parts of this novel also came across as shocking for the sake of being shocking as opposed to being an integral part of the plot.

Overall this was an interesting read but for me I felt it would have benefited from more development and outside support.

[Emma Stracke · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW: Sexual Assault. PsycheDeliah is one of those books that you want to finish in one sitting. I was thrown for a complete loop by the ending and will probably be thinking about this book for days.

This erotic thriller follows the protagonist Paul whose wife mysteriously disappears one day, leaving him with divorce papers. Determined to find out more, Paul keeps digging into her disappearance and ultimately finds her dead. This just leads him further down the rabbit hole of sex, drugs and money as he uncovers more and more about his wife's past.

At under 250 pages, the book is fast-paced. Certain parts of Paul's overall character growth however seem a little bit rushed. As in, the character makes a complete 180 on something without a lot of evidence as to why. Overall though, I enjoyed the rapid pace because it kept me engaged and turning the page.

On the surface, PsycheDeliah is just an erotic thriller but as Paul digs deeper, the reader also realizes the larger commentary on sexual assault. All of the main characters are dealing with trauma from their childhood. Through psychedelic drugs and their relationships with each other, they begin to heal from this trauma. Ultimately, I think some of the healing was a little simplistic, but the overall commentary is still important.

[Riley K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the fast paced thriller

[Ghostea]

Kite Jensen’s debut novel, “PsychDeliah” combines elements of mystery and drama taking place in a sexually charged world of the elite. Leading on a strong social conscience, the book tackles issues of abuse of minors and how those ripples can play out into adulthood. At the same time, Jensen speaks of change needed in order to tackle systematic exploitation from unchecked power. An admirable message, but one that fails entirely in its execution.

The book has its redeemable factors, notably, Jensen’s challenging of gender conventions with Paul’s embrace of Alex a welcoming revelation of the characters' acceptance of others. In addition, the unapologetic prose of the author is commendable - Jensen obviously revels in pushing boundaries. However, the few positives afforded by the work are buried by poor character and plot development.

One glaring error is in its depiction of the BDSM lifestyle being unrealistic to the point of neglect. There are implications that those involved in the culture come to it from a place of abuse. A statement which may be true to some people's life experience but a misstep to have every character interested in an alternative sex life tied to past atrocities. Vastly more problematic, however, is the use of unsafe play near the end of the novel, an act that should not be romanticized in any situation given the real life harm it has caused in cases where people actually bring weapons into ‘play’.

The language around sex and general conversation is extremely limited in variety, dulling the edginess of both Paul’s nihilistic reflections on society and extreme domination play in the bedroom. Consequently, Paul comes across as an insufferable individual whose supposed ‘growth’ as an individual only equates to a willingness to indulge in the depraved. The idea of his story and persona progressing is what will keep the reader invested in the novel, but there is no pay-off or greater revelation that delves deeper than the surface level.

The supporting characters are also ‘broken’, with the mysterious Lancaster once shedding the veil of his empire is an overtly simple and sentimental man whose rise to fame in the realm of sexual exploitation is betrayed by his mild-mannered personality. Arguably, the greatest fault in the work lies in every character being vastly underdeveloped, a reader should not walk away from a book with only a base understanding of what drives them - beyond their views on sex.

The approach Kite Jensen took with their debut novel is the only thing worthy of praise here, the diving deep in and pushing of boundaries does show a literary mind that wants to challenge normal convention. However, there is a strong need to understand the basics of storytelling and research in order to make an engaging narrative first before trying to get by on shock value alone. Jensen may be able to make an impact in the future, but “PsychDeliah” falls vastly short of its potential.

[Sean Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance copy of PsycheDeliah and was quite pleasantly surprised. I read the whole novel in one sitting, something I very rarely do, because I was so pulled into the story and its characters. The ending blew my mind, as it did not resolve at all how I expected and caused me to rethink everything that happened from the first page, which is my absolute favorite kind of story and so rare, in my experience. This is a daring and important work... highly recommended.

[S.B. (Beauty in Ruins) · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was utterly absurd and completely preposterous. PsycheDeliah reads like an adolescent revenge fantasy written by someone who has never experienced a power-exchange scene and only co-opted the BDSM community for shock value.

I began having serious questions about the book when I got to the scene where the grieving husband interrupts a BDSM scene and shoots an innocent submissive in the leg. Never mind her ridiculous lack of fear or her bizarre disregard for an angry gun-toting stranger, SHE GETS OFF ON HER FUCKING BULLET WOUND! All questions of limits, safewords, and consent aside, 'Ooh, I've been shot, fuck me harder while I play with my blood' is as insulting as it is unreal. There's pain-play, there's S&M, and then there's just being plain stupid.

The day-after scene, though, is where I lost it altogether. The woman he'd threatened with the gun to gain access to the dungeon, the same woman who had been terrified of losing her position for obeying his commands, suddenly acts like a brainless BDSM fantasy bimbo and throws herself at his feet, pledging to be the eternal slave of a crazy man who already shot another submissive. Submissives are human beings, with thoughts and emotions and a sense of self-preservation, and if you're in a proper power exchange then you FUCKING HAVE LOYALTIES TO YOUR DOM/DOMME! 'Oh, never mind the threats and gunfire, forget the man I belong to, never mind I don't even know you, but let me suck your cock and I'll obey you forever because nobody else matters' is so far beyond insulting that I couldn't read another word.

Add in the husband's total lack of remorse, the fact that he never ever considers the fate of the woman he shot, much less does the natural thing and ask if she's ok, and I was just done - I had to get out before we meet Alex, the transgender character who intrigued me most from the blurb, lest I start getting really angry over what I'm sure is to be further furious mistreatment.

Maybe there's some poorly juggled aspect of satiric irony that I missed, but as a psychological thriller, this falls far shy of the mark. Don't waste your time.


https://beauty-in-ruins.blogspot.com/...

[Brett Tourscher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay this book is disturbing. I loved the psychological thriller aspects but the sex didn’t need to be in it. It was twisted and not in a good way.

It made me cringe, and I hardly finished it. It was short and sweet but utterly disturbing.

[Paige Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half of the book: 4.5 stars. Second: 2.5 seems generous. I don’t think the description could’ve made any more mentions of rape so I had to know if it lived up to the potential for coal-dark revenge. This makes it all the more (pleasantly) surprising the opening scene provides the contrast of a couple making love with all the tender romance musterable. Though, as is often the case in sex scenes, the wording’s a bit ironic, saying they moved their phallus exquisitely, “hot babe,” or “unsuspecting female’s breasts.” It still makes me laugh, as cute as the rest of the phrasing is.

Immediately, I like our MC, he’s so in love w/ feminine devotion, admittedly naive, a nice mix of traditional values and lust. Great ch inversion/cliff-hangers. The setting is very modern: 2020+ LA, between wealthy vid game firms and bondage dens. Love the phrase soul trafficking. The writing itself is concise but poetic with clever callbacks and unique quirks like the MC counting cars for comfort. Good pace w/o losing his emotions or thought process in the throes of a divorce. The debauchery is matter-of-fact, despite the outlandish succubi he comes across.

Things are mostly realistic until 1/3 in, where the parents don’t seem at all upset by their young daughter’s passing after a few days and even want her grieving husband to photoshop her in the car she bought the day she died. Her body I doubt would look so pristine as described IRL after death (her eyes would’ve immediately glazed over white and she probably would’ve evacuated her bowels, especially in her position). Another issue is all the sub girls the MC comes across are too similarly OTT.

That being said, I don’t agree w/ others gate keeping BDSM (writing). Mostly bad or messy people are part of every community, why pretend otherwise? Also, a reviewer said a girl fingered her bullet wound and that’s such an exaggeration. The character was lightly grazed on accident and surely thought that was part of a fetish performance/air soft or lighter gun as her dom acted like the MC & him go way back.

I will say too much time is given to driving. The MC’s actions towards sex—not just his mindset—change too abruptly, and again, the wording can be too nerdy, then gross. (I.e. “She nursed my organ/my needy limb,” too many “hard” clits and backside spreading. The trans thing comes out of nowhere and is unneeded in the preachy, buzzword way it was presented. I liked the MC so much in the beginning, but every ch there’s just more people complimenting him for being more cringey like the OG bad guy, Laster. It just seems like weird virtue signaling.

I suppose the MC internally takes a sweeter, egalitarian view of S&M, but it’s still disappointing how quickly/dangerously he forgets his mission or more importantly his hurt/love for his wife. At least he’s soon remorseful, but that’s only in mind.

The high school flashback is unbelievable in multiple ways: every girl comes onto him at once (beyond humble bragging), immediately demands an anal three way even though none have them have even spoken with him before, he lasts all night besides being an implied virgin, and the boys call him the old-timey term prude instead of a slur? Get real. Then he has no problem defiling and sleeping in the place his wife died? Then the totally unnatural dialogue that follows with his new airhead lover? “I never wanted to be raped.” That’s a Yogi Bear-level oxymoron. Beyond disappointing.

The revelation with the parents is bonkers, another crazy thing we’re supposed to force down our throats that would be a topic better explored in another book w/ different characters. It’s like a new kind of trauma dumping, like everyone in the book is cursed when it’s really the author having too many interesting ideas w/ too much impatience to pocket some for better-suited storylines. You’re better off shutting the book halfway through and imagining your own story. You can peek synopsis spoilers to sate curiosity because the writing nose-dives. There is no semblance of realistic human interaction, conversation, or reason after the halfway point and that dwindles twofold by the 70% mark and so on.

[James W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kite Jenson’s ‘PsycheDeliah’ is the perfect example of a book that simply can’t be judged by it’s cover. In fact, it’s likely that any assumptions derived from the glossy cover and the cheeky, play-on-words title will all but fail to properly convey just how provocative this novel actually is.

‘PsycheDeliah’ opens with a fairly ‘in the pocket’ premise: a run-of-the-mill protagonist (Paul) is dealt the shock of his life when his wife suddenly vanishes without a trace. Despite finding divorce papers, Paul is compelled to dig deeper, and ultimately learns that his wife is dead. Drawn to untangle the mystery surrounding his wife’s untimely demise, Paul eventually finds himself swimming in the proverbial deep end—murky waters saturated with the seedier side of society. Along the way, Paul is forced to confront his flawed perceptions of his wife, marriage, and especially himself.

On one level, ‘PsycheDeliah’ is a capable, hard-boiled mystery set against a wholly atypical backdrop of a BDSM underworld. But the further one gets into the story, the more a clever ‘meta’ commentary (oh, how I hate that word, but in this case, it fits) begins to emerge. Not only does Paul serve as an avatar for a massive portion of society, the scope of his transformative character-arc is pretty astounding.

That all being said, there are points where the drug usage and explicit sexual encounters run the risk of feeling gratuitous. Make no mistake, this is far from a subtle novel, but given the gravity of the author’s message, a heavy-handed approach can easily be forgiven. If anything, it’s refreshing to read a suspense-laden mystery that doesn’t involve the same old tired tropes. And for a genre that has historically leaned so heavily on misogynistic representations (how many times have you read a story that opens with an alcoholic PI lending a hand to a mysterious damsel in distress?), ‘PsycheDeliah’ takes toxic-masculinity to task in a variety of ways. Whether or not it’s readily apparent will likely vary from reader to reader, but the subtext is there the whole time and it’s sort of genius.

At less than two-hundred and fifty pages, Kite Jenson’s ‘PsycheDeliah’ is the rare example of a novel that hits far above its weight class. You’d think a book that pairs a provocative premise and arresting prose with a page-turner template would be a runaway success, but ‘PsycheDeliah’ is likely going to polarize readers—something tells me Jenson wouldn't have it any other way.

[Steven Rosenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Psyche Deliah” by Kite Jensen, is a rare example of sometimes you CAN judge a book by its cover. I was looking for something to read when I spotted this book. The title and cover art intrigued me and I had to read it. I was not disappointed. When it’s your turn to open the cover remember to buckle your seatbelt because you’re in for a wild ride. I found this story to be completely original and a quick read that I never wanted to put down.

Paul and Deliah Wolniak are a young married couple living in Southern California. Paul has a master's degree in architecture but works for a digital gaming company designing video game locations and Deliah is a struggling actress. In the first chapter, Paul returns home from work to find half of the furnishings gone and a post-it note in the kitchen with a farewell message from Deliah. Paul is dumbstruck and brokenhearted, he did not see this coming. Delilah’s attorney tells Paul that he has no contact info for Deliah because that’s the way she wants it. A coworker tells Paul that he saw Deliah with another man at an underground leather club. Paul uses this clue to begin tracking her down and like Alice, he goes through a rabbit hole into another world. At first, the leather/bondage/S&M lifestyle disgusts Paul but when he gets to know these people on a personal level he sees things in a different light. Eventually, Paul surmises that the way in which Deliah left him was designed to break him free from the rut his life has become without him even realizing that he was in a rut.

The story includes several sex scenes which I thought were well done. Also, the subject of rape plays a part as several characters s have suffered through it, and continue to suffer the after-effects. We the readers hear of the rapes described in the past tense, we do not experience them firsthand in the present tense. On the “About the Author” page Kite Jensen asks us to support whomever we can to stop rape culture. So in addition to a great story, there is a valuable social lesson. I enthusiastically recommend this book. Enjoy!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paul is a humdrum white guy who works as a graphic designer for a video game company in LA. Overall, Paul is content with his life, with his decent paying job, a nice condo in west LA,and his gorgeous wife Deliah. But the illusion of Paul's content life is shattered when he returns from work one day to an empty condo, a Post It note on the dinning room table and Deliah nowhere in sight. He feels blindsided when he receives divorce papers in the mail, slowly realizing that his marriage was not as stable as he had originally thought. But things take a turn for the worst when Deliah goes missing and later turns up dead in the BDSM basement of a hot shot tycoon. In order to avenge Deliah's death, Paul dives into the dark world of the BDSM community and underground sex clubs. He peels away the many hidden layers of Deliah's troubled past as he comes to terms with this different side of his ex-wife. In the process, Paul undergoes his own journey of self-discovery, redefining his views of marriage, love, and sexuality. This was my first time reading and erotic thriller and I wasn't really sure what to expect. But I just found this to be such an odd combination of genres. The drug and sex scenes felt a bit gratuitous at some points but the overall pacing of the story is well done and the plot has plenty of twists and turns that will keep thriller fans entertained.

[Priyanka Kedia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a novel that made me uncomfortable in the best of ways. It is a novel that deals with some very serious issues like sexual assault and how it can impact a person’s life. Because of the sensitive issue that this book deals with, I suggest every reader prepare themselves before diving in. Reading this gave me chills and made me go through a variety of emotions ranging from anger to disgust to sadness for multiple characters.
When I read the summary of the book, I expected it to turn out to be a certain way but it surprised me and for that I’m happy.
The book also raises some important questions about how we deal with perpetrators and what kind of punishment is appropriate for them. Conversely, it also touches upon issues like what kind of compensation should the victim be provided with and if it is ever enough. It also explores the trauma that assault victims often go through and how they deal with it.
Besides that, this novel definitely deals with some very mature themes and so I’d definitely suggest you only pick this book up if you are above eighteen years of age.

[Octavia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading PsycheDeliah by Kite Jenson was quite an experience...since it's what one would call a erotic thriller. Usually, when it comes to exotic thrillers, it will deal with the main character being a cop or at least associating with the cop to find the killer. Surprisingly, Kite doesn't follow that pattern, which is great. Instead, Kite takes a direction that most wouldn’t think to take. It is one of the main reasons why this story works well with the path that Kite has taken. Not to mention, it also deals with the main character finding himself in a way that is unconventional; but it's something that works for him. This book is one that will have people on a roller coaster of emotions as readers continue to read it. I recommend this book for anyone that is into exotic thrillers, especially ones that have a twist to it. I rate this book 4 out of 5.

[Tom Challenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t speak to the accuracy of the depiction of the BDSM world, as I have no direct knowledge of that community, but I didn’t feel offput by it, nor did it seem a central part of the story. For me, the novel was absolutely captivating and quite unique in its style. I for one feel this is an important read because of the way it addresses the long-standing trauma of rape. I love the way it only slowly gets clear that this is the central focus. All the sex scenes are just backstory to get to the crux and the way it all unfolded blew my mind. So if you can, I’d say try to withhold any knee-jerk judgment until you get deeper in to the story. You’ll be glad you did!

[Viga Boland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This erotic thriller left me gobsmacked. From the time the protagonist, Paul, discovered his wife’s body naked, shamelessly spread-eagled and very dead, I was constantly torn between being fascinated and repulsed by what I was reading. The world inhabited by the characters in this book and their sexual proclivities is simultaneously intriguing and off-putting. And yet, some of Paul’s reflections on why we do what we do are insightful and thought-provoking. My final word on PsycheDelia…brace yourself!

[Angie Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent book, but not for the faint of heart. It is about a couple where the female has decided to examine a darker sexual community without including her husband. There she becomes involved also with mind-altering drugs and it leads to her untimely death. As her husband tries to find out what lead up to his wife's death, he discovers this whole world that he had no idea that she was involved with and that he doesn't have the reaction that she might have thought he would have had to it. I really liked this book, but I am sure that it wouldn't be for everyone.

[Purnima Khanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story revolves around the main protagonist Paul, who treats his wife like a Goddess and considers marriage to be a sacred union. However, one day his wife vanishes suddenly and sends divorce papers. Meanwhile he learns about a dark secret of his wife that she worked for an adult company... Before he could find more he finds his wife dead... Story then moves at a bit tedious pace and the reader will find an unexpected end of the story.

[George A Gusick Sr · Rating 5 out of 5]

one outrageous story

The story itself was worth the time it took to read it. The sexual parts were so beautifully done that it made the story enchanting, once you started reading it you couldn’t put it down. Thank you Kite Jensen for the enlightenment and fascinating book. I look forward to seeing other books from you. Definitely a “must read” for anyone who desires to understand our culture.

[Marbea Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no idea what genre to place this book under but if it was a category, it'd be CREATIVE! There were many elements to the characters. The authors transformation of the characters throughout the book was beautiful. The storytelling was like reading delicious chaos with serene metamorphosis.