Slumbering Beasts: A Rett Swinson Mystery

by Eric Lodin

When Scott Novak, Raleigh’s youngest technology mogul, is found dead in his country home strangled with a strip of yellow cloth, it’s unclear whether the cause is suicide, accident, or murder. North Carolina billionaire Samarth Patel, who bought Scott’s company hoping it would transform his business, hires Harriet “Rett” Swinson to work alongside his personal private eye to investigate the deceased’s alluring ex-girlfriend, the protege who has lived in Scott’s shadow, and a neighbor who resents his success.

What new technology was Novak developing before he died, and why did he think owning a menagerie of zoo rejects would inspire his next innovation? The case will take Rett all the way to the Alaskan wilderness to confront Scott’s enigmatic brother, Adam. Along the way, Rett butts heads with Detective Darryl Schmit, who isn’t sure he likes competing with his girlfriend for clues, while Rett wonders if Darryl is liberated enough to accept her blossoming artistic sensibility. Was the accident that almost killed Rett caused by a hacker—or by a computer intelligence embodied by the ghost of a 19th century German philosopher? In Slumbering Beasts, the suspenseful follow-up to Soft Hearts, Rett’s deepest resolve is tested as it takes her on a dangerous journey that is all too darkly real.

447 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 8, 2022

About the author

I was born in the Midwest and grew up in the South. I've lived abroad and now reside in North Carolina in striking distance of mountains and beach. Nature is important to me. Continually in search of a moral universe, I think mainly about philosophy, ethics, and religion. Writing is how I coalesce my thinking and cope with uncertainty. It’s also fun. Long walks and jogs while listening to poetry, music, and podcasts help keep me sane. A former journalist, I get energy from talking to people in a room (one reason the pandemic was difficult for me). I write in the mornings for no more than two hours. The year I took off to write full time was a disaster; I got pretty good at horseshoes and feeling depressed. Writing is an important part of my life, but it is not more important than the other elements. Family time, communing with nature, and collaborating with co-workers to serve others are just as important. I believe that art should serve life, and, for that to happen, life must be at the center of it all. In May 2021, I released my first mystery novel: Soft Hearts: A Rett Swinson Mystery. Book Two, Slumbering Beasts, is due out in 2022, and I’m already thinking about Book Three.

Reviews

[Amber Hoxit · Rating 4 out of 5]

80% of the book I was so intrigued and couldn't put it down. The last 20% felt like an acid trip. The end of this book was a whirlwind and not necessarily a great one. I needed things to make more sense, be more believable. I'll read more books by this author but my man needs to research how to end a book.