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Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Review: Race the Chaos (World Gone Dark #3) by January Bain @JanuaryBain

Race the Chaos

World Gone Dark #3

by January Bain

Published: August 25, 2026

Publisher: Rough Edges Press

Genre: Disaster Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Survival Thriller, Dystopian, Fiction, Science Fiction

 

Blurb:


The apocalypse didn’t just take the lights. Now it’s hunting them.

The heat is relentless, water is running out, and something is moving through the dark hollows of Kentucky that has no interest in mercy. When escaped tigers stalk the forests and the Rebel Sons MC strips the town pharmacy bare, Burgundy Mackenzie faces an impossible choice: let her sister Poppy die, or go to the one man she can’t afford to owe again.

Frost Hellebuyck has always kept the club’s violence at arm’s length. But agreeing to help Burgundy pulls him into the MC’s brutal hierarchy deeper than he ever planned to go…and deeper than he can easily walk back from. Far from home, Auburn survives a savage betrayal on the lawless roads and finds an unexpected ally who may change everything, and Cormac, finally free of his murderous traveling companions, presses toward home through fire and ruin, making choices that would break a lesser man.

Then the ham radio crackles with something worse than any storm: Mycosis-A, a deadly ancient plague unleashed from the melting Greenland ice, is spreading. The collapse was just the opening act. In a world gone dark, the most lethal enemy yet is invisible…and there is no race fast enough to outrun it.

Race the Chaos is Book 3 of the World Gone Dark series. Grab it now—in this world, no one gets to wait.


Goodreads ~ Amazon


My Review:

Race the Chaos is the third book in the World Gone Dark series by January Bain. The moment I began reading, I was pulled in just as deeply as I was with the first two books. As the title states, the world is still in a state of utter chaos. Events are escalating out of control, people are stealing whatever they can, and tigers from the local zoo are running loose—just as hungry to eat as the humans are!

The Mackenzie family of Hardin Creek, Kentucky, is still trying to reunite across a heat-scorched, water-depleted country. Burgundy Mackenzie is doing her best to hold her family together, but her little sister, Poppy, is sick and desperately needs insulin. With no other options, Burgundy is forced to turn to Frost Hellebuyck for help. Although Frost has helped her in the past, he is reluctant to get involved this time; he wants nothing to do with the Rebel Sons MC, the ruthless outlaw motorcycle gang that stole all the medicine in town. Getting Poppy's insulin might cost Frost more than he wants to pay, but he will do almost anything to help Burgundy.

Meanwhile, a terrifying new threat emerges over a ham radio broadcast: Mycosis-A. This ancient, prehistoric fungal pathogen is incredibly resilient, difficult to treat, and capable of devastating entire ecosystems. It is now a desperate race against time as the Mackenzie family searches for a safe haven from this invisible, microscopic killer.

Race the Chaos is a fast-paced, intense read that had me hooked from page one. I raced to the end—not wanting the story to finish, but desperate to know how the family would deal with this new nightmare and who would make it out alive. I highly recommend Race the Chaos to all fans of post-apocalyptic stories! Grab your copy today!


Check out all the books in the World Gone Dark Series I’ve read.


Race the Sun #1

Goodreads

Amazon


Race the Peril #2

Goodreads

Amazon


Race the Chaos #3

Goodreads

Amazon

Connect with January Bain

Review: The Kill Line by J.J. Cagney @JJCagney1

The Kill Line

by J.J. Cagney

Published: August 25, 2023

Publisher: City Owl Press

Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Murder Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

 

Blurb:


Hunted by a killer. Stalked by the wild. In the heart of Yellowstone, survival is the only rule.

Jane thought it would be just another day helping her father with his wolf research. But when she witnesses his brutal murder, her world shatters. With his last breath, he urges her to run-and now, lost and alone in the vast wilderness, Jane must navigate Yellowstone's unforgiving terrain.

But the dangers aren't only human. A hungry bear, charging bison, and an unexpected blizzard threaten to end her life at every turn. Every step could be her last.

Colm, another target of the killer, crosses paths with Jane, and together they form a fragile alliance-facing not only a relentless murderer but the merciless elements.

In this gripping cat-and-mouse thriller, nature is as deadly as the hunter. Can Jane and Colm outsmart the killer and survive the wild-or will the wilderness claim them both?

The Kill Line is a heart-pounding Yellowstone wilderness survival thriller featuring a relentless killer, deadly wildlife, and an unforgettable fight to stay alive.


Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ BookBub


My Review:

The Kill Line is a fast-paced, captivating thriller that grabbed my attention at every turn. The storyline flows so quickly that I found myself racing toward the conclusion, wondering if Jane and Colm would make it out of the wilderness alive.

The book hits the ground running in Yellowstone National Park, where Jane is helping her dad with his wolf research. When she tragically witnesses his brutal murder, her father's final command to run sends her fleeing into the vast, dangerous terrain. Soon, she crosses paths with Colm, another target of the same ruthless killer.

The descriptive writing is excellent, making it easy to visualize the stunning yet hostile Yellowstone landscape playing out like a movie. I was rooting for Jane the entire time, practically yelling for her to run! The stakes are terrifyingly high; a human killer is not the only thing chasing them, as the woods are full of wild predators.

I highly recommend The Kill Line to all murder mystery and thriller fans. Grab your copy today!


Connect with J.J. Cagney

Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Worse Than Any Bullet by Felicia Watson @XpressoTours

Worse Than Any Bullet
Felicia Watson
(Fidelia Mysteries, #2)
Publication date: August 25th 2026
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller

Everyone thinks their mother is murder but for mafia-family renegade Lucia Scafetti, that’s the literal truth.

When she laid her hitman father to rest, PI Lucia Scafetti thought she’d finally escaped her family’s criminal clutches. Ten years later, her estranged mom blows into Philly for a short visit and within days a friend’s dad is brutally murdered and Lucia is being menaced by her cousin and his fellow mafiosi. After her mother disappears, everyone: foes, friends, and free agents, descends upon Lucia in search of the thumb-drive her mom stole from a Caribbean drug lord. Lucia learns the hard way that the criminals besieging her will gladly kill to get their hands on that thumb-drive.
With the help of an intriguing ex-soldier, Lucia employs her skills, both detective and deadly, to solve the murder and unlock the secret of that enigmatic thumb-drive before it claims another life, be it her own – or that of her recently re-discovered son.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

“Someone’s in there.”

Lucia snapped into action, ordering Robbie to stay in the car with the dogs and retrieving her Glock from the secret compartment in the back seat of the Chevelle SS 454. She shook her head, indicating to Robbie he wasn’t getting an immediate explanation about the compartment and then stealthily approached the house.

Lucia decided to go around back and enter from the kitchen. The deadbolt had been defeated and there was no sound from the alarm system. This was no ordinary burglar.

Weapon ready, she crept into the living room where she could discern the muffled footsteps of someone descending the stairs. Lucia pointed her gun at the source of the noise and at the opportune moment, flipped on the lights. A hefty, masked and armed man froze on the fourth step as he realized he was facing a cocked gun.

Lucia warned, “If you’re thinking of trying anything, you better be a better shot than I am. Which is…unlikely.”

The man held his right hand out to his side, his gun loose. In a weirdly thick voice, he rumbled, “Hey, I’m not looking for trouble.”

“Breaking into my house armed with a military-grade semi is a really strange way to prove that.”

He chuckled and moved the gun slightly in a non-threatening manner. “Military grade? Nah, this is just a—”

“A Beretta Cx4 Storm. Which means you are definitely prepared for trouble.”

Rather than refuting her point, he urged, “I just want the thumb-drive, the real one. The one your mother stole from me.”

Not recognizing the term ‘thumb-drive’, Lucia silently contemplated whether this guy could possibly be looking for a body-part from someone her mother had killed. “You worked with my mom? Who are you?”

“I’m not wearing this mask ’cause I’m ugly. Who I am is none of your business. Just hand over the drive and no one gets hurt.”

“Seeing as I have the drop on you, that’s a toothless threat,” Lucia declared. “And I don’t know what it is you’re looking for, but you’re not gonna find it here.”

“For your sake, lady, I hope you’re lying.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I’m not the last person who’s gonna come looking for that thumb-drive. And I’m sure as hell not the most dangerous.”

Nodding at his gun, she countered, “Hard to believe. And I don’t even know what a thumb-drive is let alone—”

“It’s a computer thing,” Robbie announced from somewhere behind her back, his presence until that moment completely undetected. “You use it to—”

“Robbie?!” Her eyes remained trained on the masked man as Lucia barked, “What the hell! What are you doing here?”

“I was worried about you so I came to check. Don’t worry, I left the dogs in the car. You know, so they won’t get hurt.”

“But it’s okay if you get hurt?!”

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction this argument provided, the man on the stairs suddenly leapt over the banister and dashed towards the kitchen.

Lucia followed but he was too quick for her. Standing on the back deck, listening to his footsteps retreating into the darkness, Lucia briefly considered giving chase. She quickly discarded the idea. Not only was there Robbie to think of, but Lucia was loathe to incite a gunfight that might frighten Mrs. Schwartz, the elderly widow who occupied the twin house attached to her own.

When she got back in the house Robbie held up his backpack. “I got it.” He took a deep breath and then said, “Wow, that was….”

“Terrifyingly dangerous?” she offered, while surveying the wreckage around her. The intruder had obviously conducted a very thorough search.

“Nah, exciting! I knew it was safe when I heard you handling that guy like a pro. Otherwise, I would’ve stayed in the kitchen. I swear.”

Lucia sighed heavily and impulsively put her free arm around his shoulder. “Rule number one, Rob? When guns are drawn? The situation is never, ever, safe.” She pulled him to face her and stared intently into his eyes. “Capish?”

Author Bio:

Felicia Watson started writing stories as soon as they handed her a pencil in first grade. She’s especially drawn to character driven tales, where we see people we recognize, people who struggle with their mistakes and shortcomings, acknowledge them, and use that knowledge to grow into wiser human beings.

When not writing, Felicia spends her time chasing after her not-so-brilliant, but darling and beloved dogs, is chased by her truly brilliant, darling and beloved husband, is known to friends and family as an amateur pastry chef, and still finds time for swimming and her day job as a scientist.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram


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