Woah. What a ride this was! I went into it mostly blind and was initially interested with the mention of a cult. I was not expecting it to have a sci-fi feel to it, but I really enjoyed it and I found it engaging from start to finish. I enjoyed the characters, the inclusion of the FBI, and the very unique plot. The final twist at the end took me by surprise! Knowing a little bit about the author made this story that much more interesting to me!

When a deadly event takes place, people begin to question if the Sons of Elijah cult could be involved, even though it was thought that they were no longer active. FBI agent Vera Taggert finds herself thrust right in the middle of trying to figure out the details behind the attack, the cult, and their potential plans. She sets out to do her job, but quickly realizes she may be more connected to this than she initially thought. Danger is looking and she must work quickly to uncover the truth, but while doing so she will begin to question everything she knows…

Thank you NetGalley for the early access to this one, I enjoyed it so much!

Reincarnation, cults, FBI, and art come together in a fascinating story.

My earbuds died halfway through this and when I replaced them 2 days later I could not get my footing back in the story and had to start over. This was a bit hard to get going for me since I don't go in for hypnosis or reincarnation, at least not in the typical sense. In that way it felt like a magical realism or sci-fi thriller, which was fun once I embraced it.

The plot centers around Vera Taggart who is an artist recruited to the FBI and is assigned to a cold case of cult suicide bombers. One person of interest is a psychotherapist who engages in "past-life therapy" and had connections to a couple of bombers. Taggert engages this hypno-therapy and thus begins the question of truth and her role moving forward.

I always think it is fascinating to read about how others contemplate the feelings of what we think we know about the world is not all there is. The mystery of the universe and why we are here kind of stuff.

This story had some good momentum when I could devote myself to it, but the end was a bit deflating for me. I felt like it entertained a notion that has for centuries has spurred on horrific acts like eugenics. That was not something in this book, just my own connection. So...the storytelling was good, but I didn't care for the subtext.

Thank you NetGalley, and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. If you enjoy some strange things in your suspense reads, then give this a try!

Whoa what a book with such a unique premise. I enjoyed every second as it also made me wonder if reincarnation was a possibility. The question remains how we might have these memories from our prior souls lives lived thousands and thousands of years before…there isn’t any factual evidence proving this theory so many people in the US do not believe.
A physiological the FBI has been watching that puts his patients under hypnosis explains how he unlocks these past thought to be lost memories. Is he a fraud and a leader many suicide bombers killing many people?
Very thrilling read.

An infamous reincarnation cult resurfaces in the wake of a deadly bombing, and it's up to an FBI novice to learn its true aim—and uncover its dark past before it consumes her.

Title: Don't Get Close
Author: Matt Miksa

About the Author: Matt Miksa is a bestselling author and former FBI intelligence analyst who helped prevent foreign spies from stealing America's secrets. Today, he writes espionage thrillers that blend history, politics, and science. Matt holds a graduate degree in China Studies from Columbia University and has spent time living in Beijing. He currently resides in Chicago with his wife and two young daughters.

Setting: Chicago
Heroine: An experienced Vera Taggart, FBI special agent (former artist)
Skills: An eerie ability to divine conclusions from the grisliest crime scenes.

About: A bomb goes off in a Chicago restaurant. Suspect: Sons of Elijah, suicide bombers
Cold Case: Decades 30-year-old cold case
Cult belief: They have been reincarnated multiple times over centuries
Psychologist: Psychiatrist Dr. Seth Jacobson (hypnosis)

Genre: #TerrorismThrillers #PoliticalThrillers #Action #CrimeThriller #Cults #Reincarnation #EspionageThrillers

FBI Vera Taggart decides to track down the famous psychiatrist, Dr. Seth Jacobson, who one of his former patients, Sophie, was once a group member. Vera undergoes hypnosis; however, can she trust him? She thinks she remembers a past life in 13th century France which she shared with Sophie. Dr. Johnson is creepy, strange, devious, and manipulative with his own agenda. Will Vera find the answers she is looking for before the Sons of Elijah strike again?

Vera and partner Joe are in a race against time for the potential next target, a Department of Energy research lab that could result in the loss of millions of lives. Taggart is immersed in the investigation as we see past and present with the big twisted reveal which ventures into psychological, supernatural, and scientific territory.

Mind-blowing and Intense, the author keeps you in suspense, holding your breath. This is definitely a fast-paced action thriller and the author knows his way around this genre.

Miksa is a new author for me and the first book I have read by him. As you can see by his background it is quite impressive as a former FBI intelligence analyst. An author to follow.

TRUE REINCARNATION FILES: Also, I would recommend checking out the author's website and blog. He has many interesting True Reincarnation Files and cases. They are spine-tingling.

His first book, 13 Days to Die received rave reviews and a #1 AMAZON BESTSELLING MEDICAL THRILLER.

I usually read more crime thrillers, psychological thrillers, domestic, legal, and cop procedurals; not terrorism; however, I was intrigued by the cover and the female FBI agent. For those who enjoy this genre, I would recommend it. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kristin Price for an engaging suspenseful experience.

A special thank you to #DreamscapeMedia and #NetGalley for an ARC audiobook.

Blog Review: www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Pub Date: 08 March 2022
Audiobook narrator: Kristin Price
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Don’t Get Close is a mixture of several genres. It is thriller, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and lgbq+ all in one book. This book is in no way the typical FBI thriller. Special Agent Vera Taggert (Tag), representing the lgbtq+ community, is assigned to the Sons of Elijah case. Members of the Sons of Elijah cult believe in reincarnation. Tag works with Dr. Seth Jacobsen to help understand why the members of the Sons of Elijah turned so violent.

Matt Miksa does an excellent job developing the character of Tag. She is a very likeable and relatable character. Tag’s dedication to the case is remarkable. Through Tag’s hypnosis sessions with Dr. Jacobsen, we really get to know Tag and her relationship to the case. At first, I found the reincarnation bit fascinating. However, throughout the course of the book, the interconnection of the characters became a little unbelievable for me. For this reason, I give the book 3.5 stars. Despite this, the book was an excellent read and very different from what I’m used to reading with FBI thrillers. I would definitely recommend the book to anyone looking for something different from the typical FBI thriller. The twists and turns in this book will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Kind of a bizarre take on reality/sci fi but I really liked the peek of sci fi in a "typical" mystery/thriller. I really enjoyed the characters and the dynamic of the two "worlds". Very many "Fringe" (the tv show) vibes.

Don't Get Close is a thriller unlike anything I've ever read before. From mystical reincarnation to run-of-the-mill explosives, Miksa takes well-rounded characters through a wild ride. There's just the right amount of background on the characters to make us care for them - and to appreciate their growth (a rarity in thrillers these days!). This is by far one of my favorite reads this year!

Thanks so much to Netgalley for the ARC.

This one was, how do I put it, interesting, no not really, disturbing, maybe, confounding, perhaps, intriguing, could be. If you do read this book, or as I did listen to it, go into it with an open mind. Special Agent Vera Taggert is a rookie FBI agent who has been given the cold case of the Sons of Elijah to give it a fresh look and when there is a bombing at a restaurant in Chicago she is convinced the are back. All leads point to Dr. Seth Jacobson who is renowned for his theories of reincarnation and while interviewing him she undergoes hypnosis and...well, this is where you need to read it for yourself. There are many twists and turns and I'm not sure I would have kept reading this one but listening to it I couldn't stop it, I had to know what was going to happen next. Will I pick up something by this author again, you betcha.

Do you believe in reincarnation? This book opens your eyes to the ideas that people are reincarnated and often remember things from your past life and how some people feel like they already know each other when they have never met before.

Tag, a former artist who gets recruited by the FBI to work on one of the most high profile cases, the Sons of Elijah. While working the case she meets a therapist who specializes in hypnosis and helps those remember their past lives. What is the real reason Tag was brought into this case?

This was an interesting mix of sci-fi and thriller/suspense. There are parts of the book that a little unbelievable but it was a nice fast paced read and the narrator was great.

It is hard to describe this book as it was so intense and complex. It was a heavier thriller than I was expecting. I liked it but some parts were over the top. Overall, I enjoyed some aspects of the plot but it was not one of my favorites. The narration was well done and easy to follow.

Don't Get Close by Matt Miksa is a solid thriller, yet it missed the mark with me. What I loved about the book was the incredible imagery and twists and turns. I did not expect the ending, so kudos to the author. What missed it for me was part of the storyline. The author has vivid descriptions that led me to envision so many details. The subtle humor in the book was a plus too. Kristin Price was fantastic at performing the book with distinguished voices for numerous characters. I could see who was speaking. Thank you #NetGalley and #Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to an early copy of this audiobook.

This was an extremely well thought out book and was very well written. However, it just didn’t do it for me. It is a little bit thriller, fantasy, historical fiction, and sci-fi, all in one. The idea of reincarnation and revealing the soul through hypnosis was very interesting. But I got lost with all the details from past lives. The interconnection of so many characters made it a little difficult to follow. I feel that this would be an excellent book for a science fiction lover. I am rating it with 3.5 stars, which rounds up to 4, simply because I was not really drawn into the story.

I listened to this as an audio book and enjoyed listening to Kristin Price tell the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Matt Miksa for allowing me to listen to this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Not your standard FBI thriller!

Rookie Special Agent Vera Taggart is assigned to a thirty-year-old cold case related to “The Sons of Elijah” known for their suicide bombing. The cult believes in reincarnation. When a bomb rocked Chicago, Taggart realize it was no longer a cold case. During her investigation, she came across Dr. Seth Jacobson, a psychiatrist who treated two of The Sons of Elijah founders through hypnosis. Taggart decides to undergo hypnosis sessions herself to learn about the cult in order to stop their next attack.

Through Taggart hypnosis sessions we learn about her past lives going back centuries in different time periods and places. I find that some "lives" are more interesting than others and she speaks different languages. A bit freaky but also fascinating. This story has a supernatural and science feel to it which I enjoyed. I was really surprised by the twist!

Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the audio ARC.

For me it started out a bit slow and almost shelved to return to later. Boy am I glad I didn’t. Once it picked up for me I just kept going... Twists and turns I didn’t see coming. Recommend.

The premise of this book had such great potential but was not executed well.

The most interesting thing about Don't Get Close was the premise: trying to solve a mystery of murders, reincarnation, and remembering past lives. Unfortunately I just read another book that contained all of these elements, and was more interesting and less confusing.

The author spent too long on the past life sequences that made the plot seem to drag.

Listening to this book also made it a bit harder to follow than a print version would have.

I really like the premise of this book, however I had a hard time following the timeline and switching of characters while listening to the audiobook. I think I would be more able to follow along with a print copy.

Why write a queer main character only to have every person she speaks to make an awkward lesbian joke about her? This could have been a great opportunity to defy stereotypes, but instead this author chose to include every trope we've seen before.

I almost did not finish this because of how slow it was. The "past lives" storylines were so drawn out and boring.

Almost every single character is a stereotype that I've seen before - misogynist veteran on the force, "quirky" scientist wearing a cat t-shirt, powerful woman in charge whose only character trait is being ruthless....

The "twists" at the end were not surprising as the author had included such obvious signs throughout the book.
The reincarnation topics were complex and not explained enough in detail to make much sense to the reader. I found that I was still frustrated at the end because the dots didn't seem to connect.

The overall idea of this book is interesting and could have been an exciting read, but it was so poorly executed, in my opinion.

Here is a link to my review on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4567340903

Rookie Agent Vera Taggert is involved in the case of a lifetime. This tense and twisty story is both interesting and terrifying (in a good way. It’s a little bit gory and a lot creepy and will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I’d stay away from this if you don’t love gore, creepiness, masochism, cults, and terrorism. CW for suicide and sexual assault as well.

It was creepier than my normal read, for sure, but I definitely enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me ebook ARC to review!

Thank you to NetGalley, Matt Mika’s, and Crooked Lame Publishing for providing ,e an advanced copy of this publication, allowing me to provide an unbiased review.

FBI agent Vera Taggart (Tag) has her first big case after leaving art school to become a FBI agent. This case is in regards to a Cult of Suicide bombers called the Sons of Elijah. The people in this cult believe that they have been reincarnated several times and that they hold a special important secret and that they must do what they need to keep this secret safe. Dr. Jacobson a renounced psychiatrist specializes in past lives and has worked with some former members of the cult. Taggart convinces him to hypnotize him to gain insight on this case, but she gains so much more insight than she bargained for.


This book was incredible, as I read it I shared Taggart’s struggle in knowing who to trust. The end shook me and left me wanting more! I loved the concept of past lives and reincarnation. I would definitely recommend this book!!

This was a DNF for me. The current storyline was decent, but it didn’t offer enough to keep me going during the long past life sequences, which just weren’t of interest.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.