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Hellhound: Book Reviewer Limited Pre-Publication Edition
Synopsis
UCLA neurosurgeon Brad Stone believes he had long ago escaped his Faulknerian heritage as the disinherited scion of Mississippi Delta plantation owners and Jim Crow politicians.
But when a prominent civil rights lawyer, asks his help to save the life of a white racist convicted of killing a Black man, a dark legacy of hideous human medical experiments emerges from his Mississippi home state's past.
Hours after Stone's arrival, the lawyer is assassinated as she slips him a memory card packed with damning evidence that her client was insane.
The memory card contains proof that her client had been a secret experimental test subject for Xantaeus -- a military drug that turns its subjects into bloodthirsty killers capable of creating a level of inhuman battlefield slaughter never before seen.
Stone's efforts to get to the bottom of the classified drug experiments make him the target of a right-wing billionaire presidential contender who owns the pharmaceutical corporation producing Xantaeus.
Stone must survive the billionaire's relentless onslaught, and halt the military's imminent deployment of Xantaeus on hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting soldiers..
The life-and-death struggle forces Stone to confront his ancestry's unvanquished racial demons, and drives his deep introspection into the personal decisions and life choices that lead good people to do evil. Or not.
Stone’s struggle closely reflects the author’s own heritage of tainted ancestors who played direct, prominent, and decisive roles in the brutal repression of African Americans.
The factual material in Hellhound proves William Faulkner’s adage that, in the South, “The past is never dead. It's not even past.”
This is a military techno-thriller wrapped around a substantial, and documented non-fiction core of history, biography, race, redemption, and the very core of consciousness, perception, and the personal choices that make us human.
UCLA neurosurgeon Brad Stone believes he had long ago escaped his Faulknerian heritage as the disinherited scion of Mississippi Delta plantation owners and Jim Crow politicians.
But when a prominent civil rights lawyer, asks his help to save the life of a white racist convicted of killing a Black man, a dark legacy of hideous human medical experiments emerges from his Mississippi home state's past.
Hours after Stone's arrival, the lawyer is assassinated as she slips him a memory card packed with damning evidence that her client was insane.
The memory card contains proof that her client had been a secret experimental test subject for Xantaeus -- a military drug that turns its subjects into bloodthirsty killers capable of creating a level of inhuman battlefield slaughter never before seen.
Stone's efforts to get to the bottom of the classified drug experiments make him the target of a right-wing billionaire presidential contender who owns the pharmaceutical corporation producing Xantaeus.
Stone must survive the billionaire's relentless onslaught, and halt the military's imminent deployment of Xantaeus on hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting soldiers..
The life-and-death struggle forces Stone to confront his ancestry's unvanquished racial demons, and drives his deep introspection into the personal decisions and life choices that lead good people to do evil. Or not.
Stone’s struggle closely reflects the author’s own heritage of tainted ancestors who played direct, prominent, and decisive roles in the brutal repression of African Americans.
The factual material in Hellhound proves William Faulkner’s adage that, in the South, “The past is never dead. It's not even past.”
This is a military techno-thriller wrapped around a substantial, and documented non-fiction core of history, biography, race, redemption, and the very core of consciousness, perception, and the personal choices that make us human.
- GenresFiction
457 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 19, 2022
4 people are currently reading
597 people want to read
About the author
Lewis Perdue
28 books42 followersLewis Perdue is the author of 20 published books: 13 thrillers (some bestselling, including 3 co-authored with Lee Goldberg). Lew has also written seven non-fiction works ranging from wine to technology.
He is currently a biomedical researcher affiliated with the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, publishes Wine Industry Insight (for the trade), is an algorithm inventor at Revolution Algorithms, and consults with early stage technology companies. He lives near Sonoma, California.
Lew is an honors graduate of Cornell University where he studied organic chemistry, biology and communications. Financially self-supporting at age 18, Perdue financed his education by working full time at two Gannett daily newspapers.
He has worked as an investigative journalist in Washington DC for Jack Anderson, and has written for The Washington Post, Washington Monthly, The Nation and other publications.
He's served as a columnist for The Wall Street Journal Online, CBS Marketwatch, and TheStreet.Com.
In addition to journalism, Lew has been Chief Marketing Officer for a technology company (Transpositional Modulation Technologies), served as a top staff member for U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, and Mississippi Governor Bill Waller. He's also been a Managing Director for MSLGroup of Publicis Worldwide.
Lew is a native of the Mississippi Delta, and -- like the hero of his thrillers, Perfect Killer & Hellhound -- is the disinherited scion of a politically powerful, Faulknerian heritage.
He is currently a biomedical researcher affiliated with the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, publishes Wine Industry Insight (for the trade), is an algorithm inventor at Revolution Algorithms, and consults with early stage technology companies. He lives near Sonoma, California.
Lew is an honors graduate of Cornell University where he studied organic chemistry, biology and communications. Financially self-supporting at age 18, Perdue financed his education by working full time at two Gannett daily newspapers.
He has worked as an investigative journalist in Washington DC for Jack Anderson, and has written for The Washington Post, Washington Monthly, The Nation and other publications.
He's served as a columnist for The Wall Street Journal Online, CBS Marketwatch, and TheStreet.Com.
In addition to journalism, Lew has been Chief Marketing Officer for a technology company (Transpositional Modulation Technologies), served as a top staff member for U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, and Mississippi Governor Bill Waller. He's also been a Managing Director for MSLGroup of Publicis Worldwide.
Lew is a native of the Mississippi Delta, and -- like the hero of his thrillers, Perfect Killer & Hellhound -- is the disinherited scion of a politically powerful, Faulknerian heritage.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
never-read
July 29, 2022Thank you so much to Sudden Pacific amd Lewis Perdue for this e-ARC of the book. I am very intrigued by the plot and am excited to read it.
dnf
August 31, 2023DNF @ 2% I received a copy of this ebook in a Goodreads giveaway. This did not keep my interest.
December 30, 2024
Was way too long.
Way too long. Story waa decent but could've been 1/3 the length. It took several months to get through. Not worth it again.
Way too long. Story waa decent but could've been 1/3 the length. It took several months to get through. Not worth it again.
July 31, 2022
For some reason, Good Reads cannot find the correct page for both formats of Hellhound - This is the correct link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7ZZ9ZZ8. I hope they can eventually clear that issue up.
A Bay Area biomedical researcher descended from a politically prominent Mississippi Delta heritage has dredged the toxic Jim Crow skeletons from the bottom of his ancestry closet, and wrappped them in a fact-base, investigative scientific thriller about a secret military drug that turns soldiers into merciless, blood-thirsty killing machines.
Like the book's main character, author Lewis Perdue is the disinherited scion of Mississippi plantation owners and powerful, racist politicians, one of whom was a U.S. Senator that created Jim Crow segregatipn by writing the poll tax and literacy test into the state constitution.
Hellhound is a multi-generational saga of racial injustice & redemption that reflects the author's life-long quest for answers to why good people do bad things.
Synopsis
UCLA neurosurgeon Brad Stone believes he had long ago escaped his Faulknerian heritage as the disinherited scion of Mississippi plantation owners and powerful, racist politicians.
But when a civil rights lawyer, asks his help to save the life of a white racist convicted of killing a Black man, a dark legacy of hideous human medical experiments emerges. Events hurl him into the diabolical web of Xantaeus, a secret military drug that turns soldiers into bloodthirsty killers with no mercy capable of creating a level of inhuman battlefield slaughter never before seen.
Stone's efforts to stop Xantaeus deployment on U.S. troops make him the target of a right-wing billionaire presidential contender who owns the company producing the drug. Stone must also confront his ancestry's unvanquished racial demons. and introspection into why good people do bad things.
Hellhound relies heavily on autobiographical aspects of the author’s life and heritage.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Two-thirds of Hellhound was previously published in hardcover by Macmillan/Forge as Perfect Killer.
That incomplete version has about 110,000 words. Hellhound, as newly published, contains 174,110 words. The restored third finally completes the book with concepts and ideas I believe are important and really wanted to express.
For that reason, I obtained the rights back from the publisher and have restored the complete book as Hellhound.
More details about the book and author at: lewisperdueDotcom
A Bay Area biomedical researcher descended from a politically prominent Mississippi Delta heritage has dredged the toxic Jim Crow skeletons from the bottom of his ancestry closet, and wrappped them in a fact-base, investigative scientific thriller about a secret military drug that turns soldiers into merciless, blood-thirsty killing machines.
Like the book's main character, author Lewis Perdue is the disinherited scion of Mississippi plantation owners and powerful, racist politicians, one of whom was a U.S. Senator that created Jim Crow segregatipn by writing the poll tax and literacy test into the state constitution.
Hellhound is a multi-generational saga of racial injustice & redemption that reflects the author's life-long quest for answers to why good people do bad things.
Synopsis
UCLA neurosurgeon Brad Stone believes he had long ago escaped his Faulknerian heritage as the disinherited scion of Mississippi plantation owners and powerful, racist politicians.
But when a civil rights lawyer, asks his help to save the life of a white racist convicted of killing a Black man, a dark legacy of hideous human medical experiments emerges. Events hurl him into the diabolical web of Xantaeus, a secret military drug that turns soldiers into bloodthirsty killers with no mercy capable of creating a level of inhuman battlefield slaughter never before seen.
Stone's efforts to stop Xantaeus deployment on U.S. troops make him the target of a right-wing billionaire presidential contender who owns the company producing the drug. Stone must also confront his ancestry's unvanquished racial demons. and introspection into why good people do bad things.
Hellhound relies heavily on autobiographical aspects of the author’s life and heritage.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Two-thirds of Hellhound was previously published in hardcover by Macmillan/Forge as Perfect Killer.
That incomplete version has about 110,000 words. Hellhound, as newly published, contains 174,110 words. The restored third finally completes the book with concepts and ideas I believe are important and really wanted to express.
For that reason, I obtained the rights back from the publisher and have restored the complete book as Hellhound.
More details about the book and author at: lewisperdueDotcom
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews