This is the kind of book with unexpected twists and details that you wont see coming. It's a suprising tale and not for the fairnt of heart. I was quite pleaseantly suprised by the story.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this e-ARC! I do my reviews on my social media platforms. I am currently working on getting through my reviews so stay tuned! Leaving a rating as a placeholder for me and to not effect the books rating in order to post this. Thanks again!

The description of the book had me really interested, but unfortunately I was kind of disappointed. I didn't really like or connect with any of the characters, I feel like there could have been more character building to help you connect with the characters and really care about them and their story. I did enjoy the gay representation but the relationship between the two main characters really got on my nerves, it just felt so rushed and I did not feel the chemistry.

I know this is the authors first book and I hate to leave a bad review on a debut novel but I just didn't enjoy it. There is a trigger warning at the beginning, and it did get a little dark at times, so be warned if you are sensitive to stuff like that. Maybe the subject issue was just too much and too graphic for me. It left me with a heavy feeling and not much to take away from.

The description of this book really intrigued me, so imagine how disappointed I was when the events in the book had barely anything to do with the synopsis provided. Is there a home device-related error that provides him with recordings of a previous crime? Apparently, because that never happens on the page. That entire plot point is woefully underutilized. There's so much lost potential here, and honestly, I think exploring that would have been a very different story. Probably a better one.

By the time we meet Joseph, his mediocre book has been published and he's already giving a reading for it. I wasn't a fan of the excerpt of the fake novel, or the real one. I feel bad saying this about a debut, but the writing itself was not good. The plot felt like such a hole-ridden stretch, the motivations felt so unhinged, and the characters didn't really bring anything to the table. Joseph's is an outline of a person. Arturo is Bambi-esque, a child forever searching for the love of a parent. Noah is a perpetuation of a violent cycle in ways that are neither new or interesting. Bad people die. Good people die. Neutral people die. At one point, a character asks something along the lines of "how much will be enough?" I found myself asking the same of this book with every turn of the page.

I would have happily DNF'd if this weren't an ARC I received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It took me so long to finish it that the book has already been published for months now. I'm glad that there seem to be people on Goodreads who enjoy it. I wish I were one of them. If you're into violent revenge stories that don't mind skipping over all the other stuff, then maybe this one is for you. It certainly wasn't for me.

𝟯.𝟱 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗨𝗣
I was pleasantly surprised by this book.

Starts off with a hell of an opening chapter, so that had me pulled in right from the beginning. I really enjoyed being strung along for the ride, because I'd say it is pretty unique. If you enjoyed 'This Thing Between Us' by Gus Moreno I think you would also enjoy this one.

Additionally, the multiple perspectives really worked in favor of the book, and the fact that we got some gay characters! Rarely seems to happen in the thriller genre as a whole, so it was definitely appreciated.

As I said before, I found this plot and storyline very unique, however I was a tad disappointed that it didn't stick the landing. All in all, great debut and I can't wait to see what Kyle Zona comes out with next!

Kyle Zona's "The Recordings" ventures into the realm of science fiction with a narrative that is both intriguing and complex. The novel introduces readers to a dystopian future where memories can be recorded, stored, and replayed, exploring the implications of such technology on society and individual identity.

Zona's writing style is straightforward and accessible, which ensures a smooth reading experience. The narrative is well-paced, with a good balance between action sequences and moments of reflection. However, some readers might find the prose lacks the lyrical quality or vivid descriptions that typically elevate a sci-fi narrative's sense of wonder and immersion.

In summary, Kyle Zona's "The Recordings" is a solid, if somewhat uneven, contribution to science fiction. It will likely appeal to readers interested in the societal implications of technology, even as it leaves room for further depth and polish in character portrayal and narrative expression.

3/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy for review.

Rating: 2.96 leaves out of 5
-Characters: 3/5
-Cover: 5/5
-Story: 2.75/5
-Writing: 3/5
Genre: LGBT, Mystery, Thriller
-LGBT: 5/5
-Mystery: 1/5
-Thriller: 1/5
Type: Ebook
Worth?: Eh

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

The story wasn't bad, per say. I like the concept of it all but the writing could be worked on a bit more. It is easy for people to use filler words when writing, a habit we formed thanks to being forced to write essays in school, and what this does to the story can make the whole thing feel stop-n-go. That is how I felt when reading. Another concept of the book that could use some focusing on is building characters and that thrill. Fleshing them out before writing, I have found, helps reads connect and care about who you are writing about. It takes time but in the end gives better results. I know this is Kyle's first book and that in itself is a scary accomplishments but hopefully he will see this and take it as helpful criticism.

I'm a bit on the fence with this one. I enjoyed much of the story bit it wasn't exactly what I expected it to be. There were many things that didn't work well in the story for me. I'm glad that I read it though.

Though I did like the book overall, I didn’t realize who dark it was going to be so at the time I read it, it didn’t work from me. So, to be fair to the book, I reread it coming in with a different mindset and it worked so much better for me. A tragedy happened in Baxter Springs and has devastated the town and they are trying to wrap their heads around it and grieve. Joseph Bailey, who I loved from jump, is a writer and just written a new bestseller. He is donating signed books to help the families pay for funeral costs of their loved ones. But things do not stop there. We get dragged into this pretty quick paced thriller with very likable characters. And it just goes to show you how the past affects the present. I also loved that we got multiple POVs so we could get into everyone’s minds and we could see what they were thinking/felt. I cannot believe that this is the authors debut novel, it was very well written. I hope they have more books coming very soon.

I really hate giving negative book reviews, especially when it’s a debut in the genre and I was allowed to read it early AND it was self published. But alas, I did not enjoy this book at all, and I feel I need to tell you why.

The writing was very poor. Many times I found that the timelines were off (ie the characters going for brunch and a page or so later they talk about the sunset), or reactions were unrealistic, or it was just plain poor writing.

What really bugged me (this is a teeny tiny itty bitty spoiler so warning) is that the “villain” so conveniently made it into the MC’s house undetected and made a CLONE of his phone so the villains phone got every notification the MC’s did. This all felt so convenient, and this is by far not the only convenient happening in the book. I don’t claim to be the best writer/editor in the world, or even a good one for that matter, but I feel there are things that stand out so much I’m not sure how they could have gotten through edits.

I also don’t understand why there was romance and sex in a thriller book? One minute you’re talking about a (way too) graphic murder and the next it’s a heart-to-heart between two lovers? Talk about it whiplash.

I was so excited about this book and really wanted to love it. I was so disappointed that I didn’t love it, but alas you can’t love “em all. I love that authors are self publishing books, but sometimes it’s not the bestseller you hoped for.

I do love the representation though, and I think more non-romance books should have many queer characters!

Thank you to Netgalley and Kyle Zona for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own.

I loved this twisty mystery with gay characters. The themes are shocking at times, and the way Kyle writes is vivid and thought provoking. I did not see some of the plot twists coming. What I loved was that it felt like three stories in one, he doesn’t hold back in graphic and harrowing themes and I was hooked from the start.

I look forward to more from the author to come

A huge tragedy in the town of Baxter Springs has left the entire town reeling and trying to come to terms with loss and grieving. Joseph Bailey, the writer of a new bestseller, is donating signed books to help town families pay for funeral costs for their loved ones. But all is not as it seems in Baxter Springs. And soon another buried tragedy will come to light.

This is a medium paced thriller with very sympathetic characters. It speaks of how injurious secrets from the past affects the present.
My only issue was that I found certain parts of the story decelerated the pace by being unnecessarily detailed (eg. A very detailed description of making a cocktail).
Also has great LGBTQ+ representation.
I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys thrillers.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this.

Fast paced and thrilling read. Interesting characters, queer representation, and thrilling twists. Highly recommended. Fantastic.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Honestly not what I had expected from the vibe of the cover and description, BUT I got sucked into the story. Read if you like twists and turns in your thrillers, plus an interesting and very queer cast of characters. It ventured into more disturbing content than I had anticipated, so go in knowing it could be triggering.

I'm generally not a fan of the genre but I decided to read this book because the description intrigued me. As well as the fact that the main cast is queer.

We're following 3 men: a writer who just published a new thriller based on some recordings of a murder he has no idea was real or not (obviously, he's not telling anybody what inspired the book or how he came across the recordings), a bar owner who happens to be at a book event of the author (they start going out right after), and a guy just released from prison who might be the killer from the recordings. The action takes place in a small town not long after a massacre in which a lot of people died, and I still have no idea why this setting was necessary and what was the thought process behind choosing it. What adds to the intrigue (not really but it was supposed to) is that technology plays a huge role throughout the book (however, only when the plot needs it).

The writing style was straightforward, but not outstanding in any way. In my opinion, we didn't need all 3 perspectives. I didn't particularly care for any of them, and switching back and forth didn't help. While each character had a background we got to uncover as the book progressed, none of them had enough dimension and I would struggle to name 3 traits for each. Despite being a thriller, this book is not action-packed, and after a specific event that happens halfway through the book, it just gets very predictable and even slower.

Without getting into spoilers, I want to mention that I hate when the big reveal at the end revolves around someone's trauma and its consequences (especially in horror/mystery/thriller), as it's in reality something very complex, and very tricky to handle in fiction (so it tends to be problematic most of the times). And it was the case for 2 of the 3 main characters.

I guess the only good thing I have to say is that the LGBTQ+ representation was well done and felt very natural.

A lot of what I mentioned above is related to personal preferences, but still, I'm struggling to think of anyone to recommend this to.

Kyle Zona’s The Recordings is a mystery-thriller that unfolds across several provocative modern situations. A small town broken by grief from the mass loss of life in a gas explosion set off by a troubled young man. The specter of sexual abuse within a treasured boy scout troop. The possibility of AI home assistant technology being used for evil purposes. Woven together artfully by the author, these themes make for an excellent backdrop to a suspenseful (and twisted) murder drama.

The story is told through three rotating point of view characters. We first meet Joseph, a handsome, well-off, thirty-something author who recently moved into a luxury house in Baxtor Springs that he inherited from his father. Joseph has also written a bestselling spy thriller and is in the midst of a promotion tour. At a book reading, he’s distracted by a stranger who lurks around as though he may have more personal reasons for wanting to meet him. When it comes time for book signings, the man disappears, and Joseph is approached by an attractive local bar owner, Arturo, who came out to the event. Some flirting back and forth leads to a date for drinks followed by a trip to Joseph’s house.

The location of Baxtor Springs is never mentioned, other than to say it’s far away from California where Joseph used to live. It’s something of an Everytown–Midwest? Inland Atlantic?—and distinguished by its small and tight-knit community, in which just about everybody knows everything about everybody. Arturo is a central figure in the town and is in the midst of its collective grief. In the wake of the tragedy, he sees the loved ones’ survivors and members of the police department numbing their pain with alcohol, taking their own lives in some cases, and searching for someone to blame. With Joseph, who’s kind and seemingly removed from the town’s trauma, he sees the possibility of an escape from the heaviness that surrounds him and a lover who can heal his wounds.

Noah is the last and most mysterious point-of-view character to enter the story. His relationship to the town’s tragedy is gradually revealed so to explain too much would give away how all the storylines come together in the end. He’s introduced as a recently released convict who came to Baxtor Springs after reading Joseph’s novel. Something about the book aroused an ax to grind with the author that hints at psychopathology.

When a Boy Scout leader is found dead, the story ramps up to both a fast-paced murder who-done-it and a conspiracy thriller that may explain the massacre that befell the small town.

As an atmospheric, suspenseful tale, Zona’s novel works quite well. One feels the anguish of a community ripped apart from a senseless act of violence, and the search for answers is compelling, as is the drive to enforce accountability for the covert exploitation of boys at an organization that was meant to support their need for adult mentoring and belonging. Similarly, the omnipresent AI home device in scenes at Joseph’s house creates a mood of danger around the corner and the possibility that not everything is as it seems. Zona also does a great job keeping the reader off balance, with shocks of violence bursting into the narrative. One reads those scenes through the crevices of one’s fingers shielding the eyes, but they are effective in showing the high stakes for the characters as well as urging one to read on to see what happens next.

Zona hits many of the marks of an impactful mystery-thriller, though he’s less successful with the development of his primary characters. Only one, Arturo, comes out of the story with much of a reasonable explanation for his actions. Again, one can’t give too much away without ruining a plot that relies on a slow drip of bombshell information, but Joseph, in particular, undergoes a transformation that leaves a lot of unconnected dots. Noah’s descent into cold blooded violence also comes across as something readers must accept as is, and in the end, it’s a bit disappointing for a story that otherwise tackles complex issues with realistic nuance. Overall, a worthwhile read with the disclaimer that readers can expect a good dose of nihilism in the vein of Natural Born Killers.

Reviewed for Out In Print.

Thank you to Kyle Zona and netgalley for allowing me to read The recordings in exchange for my honest opinion. This book was so damn good.

This was such a great thriller novel, it had everything that was promised in the description. I enjoyed the use of the LGBTQ+ in this and that they felt like real people. I enjoyed the thriller aspect and enjoyed the characters overall. Kyle Zona does a fantastic job and I can’t wait to read more from the author.

Joseph is a former teacher who moves to Baxtor Springs when he inherits a property. He's a failed professor who shouldn't have even had the job in the first place. His only source of income is money from textbooks. He's just released what looks to be a bestseller though and things are looking up for him. His book is called Rabbit's Revenge.

The main character is Rabbit and we first encounter him while he's getting revenge on an old man. It's a brutal and bloody revenge. The dialogue is casual yet primed, it clearly shows two people who have known each other for a long time. Their reunion went great for Rabbit, and horribly for the old man.

The popular scene that everyone wants Joseph to read at events could have been ripped from a real crime scene with real people and a real story behind them.

Joseph meets Arturo after his reading and they are drawn to each other right away. Their dialogue is charged with curious flirtations and sexual energy, we want them together.

Things are looking up for Joseph until a stranger with a rabbit tattoo on his arm starts hanging around. Someone knows the stranger's secret and he's going to get to the bottom of how, no matter the cost.

The Recordings is Kyle Zona’s debut novel. It’s intriguing, thrilling, sexy and queer. When I was done reading it, I wanted more.

Truly eery! This book is an example of a well written scary story that will leave you with the creeps. The author provides descriptive detail and an intriguing story line that will pull you through to the last chapter.