A mysterious object, death, love, and destiny drive an ordinary man to drastic action in Oedy’s debut thriller.
The story is set in Southern California, sometime in the not-too-distant future (“older people remember where they were when the Twin Towers came down”). The narrative begins with the deaths of Craig Weston and Meredith, a Goth couple who abused drugs and dabbled in the occult. Craig’s younger brother, Ted, an insecure real estate agent who lives alone with his beloved cat, Mr. Whiskers (and some fish), is infatuated with Karen, a stunningly beautiful woman he met through a social networking app. She invites Ted to join MyCult® (hyper-competitive rivals MyCult® and OurCult® are the most powerful of the numerous corporate cult groups that dominate every aspect of American society), telling him that it can do anything, but also that “there’s a price to pay for devotion... whatever it is, don’t say no, babe.” Members must not hesitate to do whatever the organization demands. The third question on his online application reads, “Where’s the Death Spoon, devotee Ted?” He guesses that it’s a relic Craig treasured, believing it had mystical powers. From then on, Ted’s life becomes a whirlwind of nonstop action, peppered with surprise twists, as he fights to keep the mysterious utensil from falling into the wrong hands—and to win Karen’s love—with OurCult® in ruthless pursuit. The author’s descriptions provide just enough detail to set the scene; his writing is crisp and matter-of-fact, though occasionally it lapses into well-worn tropes or minor errors. Ted starts out as a loner with low self-esteem and evolves into a decisive and tender-hearted tough guy. Karen, initially a standard fantasy bombshell, reveals unexpected dimensions as well. Other characters are less developed. The plot is movie-like; things just happen without much explanation.
A lively, fast-paced, although somewhat implausible tale.