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Cover of The forgotten

The forgotten

640 pages

A sun-drenched, high-octane thriller where a picture-perfect coastal town hides a rotting core of corruption.

What it feels like

Reading this thriller feels like peeling back the glossy postcard of a Florida beach town to reveal the dark, festering secrets underneath. The narrative moves with the relentless, tactical precision of its military investigator protagonist, pulling you into a sun-drenched but deeply menacing atmosphere. It is a propulsive, action-heavy experience that balances the emotional weight of a personal family tragedy with the adrenaline of a massive, high-stakes conspiracy. The prose is lean and muscular, wasting no time on unnecessary flourishes, keeping the momentum high and the tension coiled tight. It is the perfect escape for readers who crave the satisfaction of watching a highly competent, unstoppable force methodically dismantle a corrupt system, delivering justice where the law has failed.

Mood
  • tense
  • deceptive
  • sun-drenched
  • menacing
Tone
  • gritty
  • determined
  • suspenseful
  • pragmatic
Pace
propulsive
Themes
hidden corruption · family loyalty · the facade of paradise · relentless pursuit of truth
The writing
Lean, muscular, and action-oriented, prioritizing forward momentum and tactical precision over flowery description.
The arc
Moves from a quiet, personal grief into a high-stakes, adrenaline-fueled crusade for justice.
Who it's for
Fans of highly competent, lone-wolf investigators who methodically dismantle conspiracies with both brains and brawn.
Content notes
  • murder
  • gun violence
  • human trafficking
  • grief

About the book

When Army Special Agent John Puller finds his aunt dead in Florida, he suspects it’s no accident... and as local police dismiss the case, the cracks begin to show in a picture-perfect town.

Army Special Agent John Puller is the best there is. A combat veteran, Puller is the man the U. S. Army relies on to investigate the toughest crimes facing the nation. Now he has a new case–but this time, the crime is personal: His aunt has been found dead in Paradise, Florida.

A picture-perfect town on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Paradise thrives on the wealthy tourists and retirees drawn to its gorgeous weather and beaches. The local police have ruled his aunt’s death an unfortunate, tragic accident. But just before she died, she mailed a letter to Puller’s father, telling him that beneath its beautiful veneer, Paradise is not all it seems to be.

What Puller finds convinces him that his aunt’s death was no accident...and that the palm trees and sandy beaches of Paradise may hide a conspiracy so shocking that some will go to unthinkable lengths to make sure the truth is never revealed.

Description from Open Library.

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