This novel is remniscent of The Stepford Wives. Hank Davies delivers the mail each day and returns home to his perfect home in the perfect little village of Bethlam. But, when one of his lettters opens to reveal a blank sheet of paper, Hank begins to think that all is not what it seems in Bethlam. When he begins to feel eyes watching him, he is sure that something is really wrong in Bethlam.

This book took a turn that I was not expecting. Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.

I had a lot of trouble with the casting for this narrator; I had to rewind three times to believe the MC was only 33 years old. This narrator sounds at least three decades past 33. It kept taking me out of the story. I also found the dialogue was just too “pleasantville” which I’m sure was intentional but it drove me batty. Most likely this is a great book and I wasn’t right for it.

I have very mixed feelings on this one. I think if it was a totally new concept to me, I would have been more invested. However the whole time I just kept thinking of don’t worry darling, even down to the neighbor starting to figure things out and trying to kill herself. I did find it interesting and I enjoyed it but I mostly thought it was fine.
I also listened to the audiobook and I didn’t love it. The quality seemed to jump around a lot, and the narrator sounded much older than 35 which made me picture someone older the whole time.

well that was a pleasant surprise. kind of truman show, kind of wayward pines. i read it in one sitting I wanted to find out what happened. i will read more from this author.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Jon Bassoff, and Blackstone Publishing Audiobooks for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Always eager to find a new author, I flocked to this novel by Jon Bassoff. The book was creepy from the opening pages and kept its momentum as the reader is pulled deeper into this head-scratcher. Bassoff shines as he adds depth and darkness to the piece, hinting that not all is as it seems while the story rushes onwards. I will certainly be looking into more of the author's work after reading this book and being completely addicted.

Bethlam, Nevada is as bucolic a town as one could imagine. Those who live here love it and could not think of a better place to set up roots. Local postal worker, Hank Davies, has been delivering the mail for just over five years and extols the wonders of Bethlam, loving the people, the weather, and the general feel. That is, until an odd event one day on his route. While out and about. Hank inadvertently realises that he has been delivering blank sheets of paper within addressed envelopes to houses. When he returns home, his wife pushes blame on him for not doing his job, which snowballs into more confusion and less compassion for Hank on the eve of his birthday. 

When Hank receives a knock on the window by another Bethlam resident, encouraging him to look on the walls for answers, what he discovers is highly concerning. A complete manuscript about oddities around town is presented to him. Hank may have stumbled onto something completely out in left field. The stories he reads tell of a town where nothing makes sense and people are left to wonder where reality ends and fiction commences. The deeper Hank digs, the more trouble he finds. Now, he will have to find a way to reveal it all before, he, too, becomes one of those who has the truth erased from him and is left to live an unsuspecting life in Bethlam. Bassoff keeps the reader hooked with all these twists and turns in this captivating read.

I have always enjoyed a good thriller, particularly those of a more psychological nature. Bassoff delivers the perfect story that has all the elements of a great piece and does so while luring the reader deeper into the mix. The narrative is strong and builds from chapter to chapter, all while inching forward into a mix of shadows and confusion. Characters add flavouring all their own, pacing their revelations as best they can. It's nothing short of genius the way things come together, particularly with the twists that Jon Bassoff finds to pepper within each chapter. What begins as strange is soon completely off the rails and the reader cannot escape. I am eager to find more novels like this to devour in my spare time.

Kudos, Mr. Bassoff, for impressing me in many ways!

This was such a wild and trippy ride - and Bronson Pinchot was the perfect host! From the beginning I didn't know what, exactly, was going on - and having finished, I still don't entirely. But make no mistake, this is not a problem at all and for me is, in fact, one of the book's biggest selling points. This is such a marvelous, twisty, disturbing story! I was hooked from the opening salvo and am definitely looking for more from Bassoff!

This book was a trip! It’s dark and weird and constantly had me questioning what was real. The premise was unique and I definitely found it to be a compulsive read. The book was split up into several different parts that all came together well in the end. I also found the twist at the end to be both surprising and very thought provoking. It’s hard to say much more about the book without giving anything away. My only issue was that at times the story felt repetitive, but it moves along quickly. So it didn’t take away too much from my overall enjoyment!

The audiobook narration is great! I highly recommend checking out the audiobook! I love strong multi narrator casts!

This was definitely a super intriguing book that I could not put down. I needed to know what the heck was happening. It was just a little weird to me and confusing at times, but still very original and fun to follow.

This book has all of my favorite genres, Mystery & Thrillers, Horror, General Fiction (Adult) and not only did the cover grab my attention that title really sold me! Think The Truman Show but much much darker! I wasn’t sure if Hank was just insane or he was really into something. While on the journey to find out, it was such a fun ride! If you haven’t read this book yet, please grab it and then let me know what you think! So delicious!

This book had such an interesting storyline. I loved trying to figure out what was happening as the story unfolded and our main character tried to find out the truth. The narration was quite unsettling and done amazingly ! Def recommend. 😊