Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This was a well written thriller that kept me intrigued from the start and was full of twists and turns I did not see coming. The setting was also atmospheric and added to the suspense.

Instinct by Jason M. Hough reminded me a lot of the first in the Wayward Pines series by Blake Crouch. You keep reading because you want to figure out what the heck is going on in this town. The ending fell a little flat for me, and I felt that that author had characters contradict themselves every few pages. Overall, still an enjoyable read!

This book had a really interesting premise, but I felt like it could have been executed a bit differently to give me a bit more of a wow factor. Some of the twists were well placed, but not always surprising or extremely exciting. I did enjoy the POV, and ultimately just thought it was good, not great!

It took me a while to get to reading this book, however for those first few chapters of I couldn't help but be thrilled and intrigued hoping to uncover the perpetrator behind all the mysterious things that happen, and it was worth it.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

This was an interesting story. Odd things happened to odd people in a small town. The writing was good and I enjoyed the character Mary.
Many thanks to Gallery Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.75**

I love the story telling of this book. It’s immersive and gets you hooked to see what’ll happen next. The main character, Mary, is dealing with PTSD and it’s relatable to me at least for what happens when you have a panic attack. Weird things start happening in the town and the cops are confused on what’s going on. The guy smiling when he was going to be attacked by the bear is very twisted and interesting. It’s like he wanted to die. I like the part about 40% through that she talks about always thinking with the fight or flight idea instead of instincts. It’s really the turning point in the book because she then starts to look at things from a more open minded perspective. She’s a very smart individual. When the book went to the Broken Nose Gang in order to reverse the enhancement of the receptor for instincts in a person’s brain I was unsure where it was going from there. It was a twisted thing what experiments were happening, making an army of men to protect the community of researchers. It was twisted how they used multiple versions of the drug to know which would affect the brain more. Such a great psychological thriller.

There are a lot of small town mysteries out there, but Instinct is a stand out. There are distinct and interesting characters that kept me turning the pages and this book definitely kept me guessing.

QUICK TAKE: small town conspiracy theory mystery. ultimately wasn't for me...to the point that I read it a couple weeks ago and already forgot what happened.

Instinct by Jason M. Hough is a thriller about the town of Silvertown, Washington. Officer Mary Whittaker is new to the town and is left in charge when the chief of police takes a leave of absence. Strange things start happening. People start acting abnormally. A few people die due to their abnormal behavior, and Whittaker has to put together the pieces of this mystery before more of the townspeople are killed. If you love Twin Peaks, then you will probably like this book. I found it to be a little too weird, but it was well-written. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

My favourite thrillers have an intriguing premise with possible supernatural or sf elements behind the mystery. This book has put Jason Hough on my list of writers to watch.

Instinct by Jason M. Hough is small town thriller. Where small town folks start to suddenly lose their survival instinct, like a person that never goes outside will go on a massive hike, and the guy scared of animals will face down a bear. It reminded me of Blake Crouch's Dark Matter where in the last 25 % of the book goes to a crazy place. The finale is good but it is one slow build up to that point. The character's are quirky with conspiracy theories running deep until the town is in one. Instinct is a good idea, but the execution is lacking. The end is fun but I don't know if everyone will get there with every beat of action and odd occurrence nothing happens in between; we don't spend enough time with these characters to see them acting out of place. Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books - Skybound Books for the opportunity to read Instinct. Instinct by Jason M. Hough was published on April 6th 2021.

The Plot: Mary is has been an officer to the town of Silvertown, Washington for two months now. She's still getting her bearings coming from a larger town than Silvertown's population of 610. The town is reeling from the first death that wasn't old age. But the next day another death happens the towns people thank it's the new radio tour with 5G that's doing it. Mary thinks the town is crazy then she herself starts acting different. The town's people are starting to lose there survival instinct. How did they lose it and how can they get it back.

What I Liked: A town of conspiracy theorist trapped in a conspiracy was fun too watch. I liked all the bar banter with Kyle. The last 25% of this book was pretty crazy and a lot of fun. I like the missile Silo party. The home invasion was a tense scene. The premise of the book is why I put in to read it is still a really good clever idea.

What I Disliked: The first 3/4 of Instinct is pretty slow paced, there's burst of excitement then the narrative slows to a crawl. Interesting things happen but it was not enough to keep my interest.

Recommendations: I can not recommend this book. Interesting things happen but not enough to keep my interest through out. The ending is crazy and fun, but it takes a lot to get there. I rated Instinct by Jason M. Hough 3 out of 5 stars. I think Hough has talent was highly entertained by Kyle's bar banter, it was quirky and funny and the best part of the book.

Mr. Hough is definitely going to be on my radar after reading Instinct. This book kept me enthralled. For me, it was reminiscent of X-Files and Twin Peaks.

The small town of Silvertown, Washington is ground zero for strange occurrences. People seem to have lost their basic survival instincts and people can't explain why. Office Mary Whittaker has been left in charge of the town while the chief of police takes a sudden leave of absence. Of course that is when everything falls apart in dramatic fashion. This was a fun and creative storyline.

I really enjoyed this author's writing style and look forward to reading more of his work.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Expect the unexpected in this creative, wild, and enjoyable sci fi thriller by Jason Hough.

I picked up this book about a small town because it was described to me as “Twin Peaks meets Blake Crouch,” and it did not disappoint! Police Officer Mary Whittaker is the only cop in her town of just over 600 when her boss takes an extended leave, and wouldn’t you know that as soon as he leaves, suddenly everyone in town, one by one, starts acting pretty strange. And violent. Did I mention that Silvertown, Washington is also known for conspiracy theories? Mary is unsure what she’s battling at first, but she’s definitely battling something.

The first half or so of the book moves a little slowly, but Hough is an entertaining writer with a knack for interesting characters, so I didn’t mind. Then all of a sudden the last third of the book is straight up gonzo, like a David Lynch movie, which, if you know me, is a high compliment. Lovers of weird conspiracy theory, secret government agent sci fi will love the last third of this book. Though that is not so much my regular bag, I LOVED it here and was incredibly entertained.

Jason Hough is a great writer and this book is unlike anything else I’ve read this year. If you like sci fi, Twin Peaks, X Files, Blake Crouch kinda crazy, you really need to pick this one up. Well done and thrilling, Mr. Hough!

Thanks to Gallery Books, NetGalley and the author for the ARC of this totally unique and crazy thrill ride, which thoroughly entertained me.

Who can you trust when even your own mind has been turned against you? Mary Whittaker is going to have to find out, in the latest pulse-raising thriller from Jason Hough.



Small-town America has never looked as appealing as it has done with Silvertown, Mary’s new home and police beat. Life in the former company town may not have been easy since the company packed up and left them to it, but the pleasingly off-beat citizenry have built the kind of community that can take those knocks and keep on running. They’re one of the many high points of the book – everyone introduced in the book is an individual, someone with character and personality. Mary may be our protagonist, but the people who surround her charmed me completely. Jason Hough takes his time in introducing both people and town with the beginning of Instinct, and it’s time very well spent; the pacing is perfect, and it builds a foundation to give the later action very real stakes.



Because, of course, quiet country life can’t stay that way for too long. A series of unusual – and downright eerie – incidents soon place the town and it’s residents in jeopardy, and it’s going to be down to Mary to get to the bottom of the mystery. Again, the tempo is absolutely spot on; what looks like an isolated incident is soon linked to another matter, and then another. The tension ratchets slowly but surely, picking up speed and intensity, until I was left absolutely glued to the page and completely unable to read fast enough to satisfy my need to know just what was going on.



Without spoiling anything, I just have to mention that the central thread of this mystery is one of the most completely unsettling concepts I’ve had the pleasure of running across. The slow build-up, characters I could genuinely enjoy getting to know, and, of course, an incredibly intriguing and creepy mystery, all play their part in making this one of the most entertaining and enjoyable thrillers I’ve read in a long time.



Happily, too, there’s clearly room for a continuation by the end of Instinct, though it does form a completely stand-alone novel should it need to – none of the dreaded cliffhangers here. No tricks needed; should this become a series I’ll be continuing it in a heartbeat, because it’s just that good.

Instinct - Jason M. Hough

That was a blast! Silvertown - population 665, has a reputation for being, well...different. Sasquatch lives there and the people are a little weird. So when weird stuff stars happening in town, people behaving totally out of character, nobody thinks too much of it. Think Blake Crouch, X Files and a side serve of the Coen Brothers movie Fargo. I was inspired to grab this on the basis of an intriguing review by a friend. I can’t remember who but thank you whoever you are!

Officer Mary Whittaker joined the Silvertown police department a couple of months ago. The place doesn’t really need two cops but Chief Greg Gorman is getting older and maybe it’s a good idea to train up a replacement. The town has just buried teenager Johnny Rogers who fell down a cliff while out hiking. Only Johnny doesn’t hike. He hates the outdoors, spending his time reading and playing computer games. His idea of “outside” is sitting on the back step with a book. Then the Chief takes one to two weeks leave to visit his sick mother leaving Mary in charge. And that’s when things really ramp up.

Next we have the hiker, a real hiker this time, who just stands there and smiles while a bear walks up to him and mauls him. Other strange things occur. An old man, usually fastidiously careful about his safety, steps off the kerb right into the path of Mary’s police cruiser. A mother of toddler twins abandons them for hours while she entertains a stranger in town. Mary thinks all this adds up to...what exactly? But she is certain there is something fishy going on. Then something Kyle says hits home. Kyle is the bartender at the only pub in town and Mary’s lover. He notices that she’s going off alone to check out all these weird happenings when she would normally favour a team approach. Against her instincts. Aha, and that is the title of the book! But when a deranged biker breaks into her house and tries to kill her while apologising about it she realises, after defending herself, that she too is afflicted with this strange phenomenon. But what exactly is it?

Determined to discover what is going on before more people die or get injured she investigates every strange occurrence she finds. To keep her mind focussed she has written on her left hand, in permanent marker “you need help.” This actually is probably what saves her. Soon Mary is caught in a deadly conspiracy, in a town already full of “conspiritards” and when she finds the Chief and Doc Ryan have been kind of brainwashed she realises it’s all down to her to save the town from...what? I’m being purposely cryptic because it was such fun unravelling this plot I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. But I do want to whet your appetite. This was - not funny exactly, but very left field and I ripped through it very quickly, I had to know. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for providing a copy to review. my opinions are my own.

This book started out great, but was a little too predictable. It still was a good , interesting story but just got boring to me.

Everything seems nice in the small town of Silverton, until it's not. Mary Whittaker, a recent arrival from California, is the only police officer when things begin to go wonky. Odd stuff. She's got to figure out what's going on even as she doesn't know much about the town when things are normal. What's making the residents act the way they are? This is a hard one to review without spoilers but know that while the beginning might seem slow, things amp up considerably - so much so that it becomes almost an action thriller. There isn't a lot of depth but it's a very entertaining read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Would make a good movie.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley,Jason M. Hough, Gallery Books, and Skybound Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Always one to try something a little different, I excitedly grabbed for this novel by Jason M. Hough, which mixes the intensity of a thriller with the mystery of small-town America. When a police officer in a small Washington community is thrust into a leadership role, she begins to notice that the locals are not acting as they should, or at least how she expects they would. Is there a reason or is this all something wonky about small town life? Hough keeps the reader guessing throughout and makes quite the impact in doing so.

After leaving Oakland PD, Mary Whittaker is still trying to acclimate to life in Silvertown, Washington. It’s small—population 602, small—and the locals seem happy to keep to themselves, but also come up with some typical issues. Learning all she can from the local chief, Whittaker is determined to make her impression on the town and its citizenry. It won’t be easy, but it’s one challenge that Whittaker is bound and determined to overcome.

When the chief takes an unexpected leave of absence, Whittaker is left to run things on her own. She takes a call out of town when a hiker is attacked by a bear, unable to understand why he did not react. After interviewing his companion, it would seem that the man who had little love of nature simply gave up and waited for fate to take its course.

There are other oddities around town, like the introverted teenager who loves gaming but chose to wander out into the woods and died. Or the woman who loves her twins and yet left them at home while frolicking in town. Some call it a reaction to the new cell tower that was erected, but Whittaker thinks that there is more to it. This is one mystery for which she’ll not let the gossips create a narrative.

As she tries to piece things together, Whittaker discovers what might be involved in all the shenanigans, but she is not yet ready to commit to that response. She probes a little deeper, only to see that losing one’s instinct is the least of the town’s concerns, though she might not live long enough to report it to others. A chilling piece that keeps the reader thinking until the very last page flip.

I have never read anything by Jason M. Hough and I am kicking myself for that. In a piece that is full of action and intrigue, I found myself fully committed throughout the process and could not wait to see what was coming next. Hough keeps things on the mysterious side, without venturing too far out of reality. Still, there’s something a little eerie in the story and how things play out.

Mary Whittaker is a strong protagonist in this piece, keeping the reader informed of both her back story and how she develops throughout. Still trying to get used to country or small town life, Whittaker must tackle policing on an entirely new level. While she struggles at times, the reader can see some wonderful development throughout, which enriches the story as well as advancing the narrative.

Hough offers up some wonderful supporting characters in this piece, all of whom do their own thing to make the story all the better. While small town life is not always full of excitement, there is something about the various characters in this piece that flavour the narrative effectively and keep the story moving. Those the reader thinks they know are soon showing another side, which only adds depth to the piece and keeps the reader wanting to discover a little more.

The story itself sounds typical small town, something is going on and the townsfolk are acting oddly. However, Jason M. Hough takes it a step further and delves into some interesting discussions, both on a character level and with the psychology of a person. What makes someone do something and can override those instincts or inhibitions? He tackles this with a strong narrative that progresses throughout, easily taking the reader on many a journey. Additionally, there are some wonderful ‘aha’ moments, as the reader tries to make sense of things with the numerous reveals throughout. The plot stays intense and there are no lack of twists as the piece progresses. A mix of chapter lengths has the reader begging for more, as they read well into the night. I cannot wait to see what else Hough has penned, so that I can compare and enjoy things in the future.

Kudos, Mr. Hough, for a great piece that has me curious. You are definitely on my radar.

2 / 5 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2021/04/05/instinct-by-jason-m-hough-review/

Welcome to Silvertown, Washington, population 602.

Actually no, scratch that.

Welcome to Silvertown, Washington, population 665.

I honestly have no idea who wrote the official blurb. Clearly, they didn’t read the book.

Officer Mary Whittaker is the town’s latest resident, and was the 666th resident when she moved two months back. A few of the more superstitious townsfolk still avoid her on the street and cast dirty looks as they mutter behind her back. Most didn’t take the omen at face value.

But perhaps they should’ve.

As the population of Silvertown begins to decline.

The story begins with a funeral. Johnny Rogers, a certified homebody falls to his death after a spontaneous midnight hike. A few weeks later, a hiker terrified of animals dies after trying to hug a bear. Then a helicopter parent ditches her toddlers to have lunch with a complete stranger.

From there, things… just get weirder. It seems as if many of the townsfolk—Mary included—have lost their survival instincts. But as Whittaker continues to dig into the investigation, a conspiracy begins to take form. One that threatens not only Silvertown, but the world itself. And it’s up to Mary to stop it.

Wow. So this one was… quite something.

Up to the 2/3 mark, I was quite invested. Instinct contains a fairly interesting mystery, with a slow build that had me wrapt up through the first big reveal. The revelation that the townsfolk were losing their instincts due to something unknown was an interesting turn, if a bit confusing. The tense and mysterious atmosphere that permeates the text through its 75% mark is nothing short of masterful, and provided me with more than enough reason to keep going even after things got a little… weird.

The main issues start around the halfway mark. Let’s begin with the first big reveal. It was too revealing. It was so obvious who was behind the conspiracy that I knew inside of the first few chapters. So when the curtain is pulled back late in the story—well, mind-blowing it was not.

My second issue was with the setting. A small and isolated town in the mountains is a picture perfect backdrop for a grassroots conspiracy, but it has to actually feel like a small, mountain town in Washington. And to me it didn’t. Now the author lives in Seattle. And I’m not sure he did enough research on the setting before he dove right in. Early on, there’s a hiker that gets mauled by a bear. Now that’s definitely strange, yeah, as bears are usually more afraid of you than you are of them. And they point this out. But mostly they focus on “What was the bear even doing here?” Bears are all over the Pacific Northwest. For one to turn up on the outskirts of a small, rural, mountain town is hardly new. But this is a big clue, apparently. And gets revisited more than once. Our town has one main street. And six-hundred odd people. Which is pointed out. But then a lone car leaves the middle of town, the townsfolk lose sight of it before it reaches the end. A majority of the tale involves roughly two dozen people, with the rest of the community conspicuously absent. In the beginning Silvertown is billed as “one of those towns where everyone knows everyone”, but by the end 95% of the townsfolk remain AWOL.

Speaking of the end, you know how in some stories there’s a lot of jumping from one outlandish conclusion to the next, only for our heroine to hatch an insane plan that probably shouldn’t work but somehow does, and then pass out only to wake up and have everything be magically solved for them. They’re patted on the back, good guys win, life back to normal. It’s done all the time. And I’m sick of it. It’s convenient, sure, but lame. Now, I’m not saying that Instinct does this, but if it did, it probably would’ve soured me on the whole ending.

The real problem with Instinct is its consistency. Now, it was pretty consistent in the first half. The second half less so. As the plot makes the turn for home however, it really goes to pieces. Previously held rules about the conspiracy are broken. It’s going to be hard to get into this with no spoilers, but I’ll give it a shot.

Let’s say we have a Coke. It can only be called a Soft drink so long as it has carbonation and sweetener. And it can only be called a Cola if it is a soft drink that has the proper flavorings. It can only be called a Coke if it is a cola that is made and distributed by the proper company (yes, I know these are generalizations—please bear with me). Now suppose all of these things were rules everyone adhered to. And that all the people of Silvertown prefer to drink Coke. Over everything. They’ll drink other cola, but only if there’s no Coke. They’ll even drink other soft drinks, so long as there’s neither any Coke or other colas around. Get it? Good, but in the latter half of Instinct, all we thought we knew about soda is thrown out the window. There’s a chase scene. Our heroine snags an RC out of the mini-fridge despite the fact that there’s a Coke right next to it. There’s an angry mob. Armed with pitchforks and ginger ale, the citizens storm the town—ignoring the gigantic truck full of Coke parked by the side of the road. There’s a celebration at the bar. Citizens raise mugs of beer in toast while their bottles of Coke go flat beside them.

Get the picture? While for the first half of Instinct everyone eschews Pepsi in favor of dying of thirst while in the second half people are eyeing Mr. Pib with intense longing. And in the back half people are even occasionally drinking water. The rules are forgotten, but in the end they’re back, and no one seems to notice they’d been broken at all.

TL;DR

Instinct is a tense, atmospheric mystery that quietly transforms into an interesting and thought-provoking thriller that makes your head hurt as you try to wrap it around just what it is that’s going on in Silvertown. At least, the first half is, anyway. Up to the 65% mark, I was pretty well invested in it. But wow did it ever go to pieces quick. Among the issues include an unrealistic setting, a strange pacing, a conspiracy that doesn’t really work, a cheap and disappointing ending, and an instigator so diabolically and comically evil they might as well have horns. My biggest problem was with the consistency. Instinct works, until it doesn’t. Until the rules are bent to make some of the more outlandish ideas work. Until the same rules are broken, and then reinstituted again like nothing happened. I asked for a Coke—and got a dozen raw eggs. Better in some ways, but not in others.