Abbot pens a powerful and credible thriller In her debut novel, with story lines echoing the headlines. A white supremacy group, the Society for a Restored America, has installed its members at all levels of the U.S. government—including the vice president of the United States, who has his eye on securing a promotion by having the current Commander in Chief assassinated. The Society’s plan: to begin a race war and frame uninvolved gangs to take the fall. Standing in the way of that plan is Elizabeth Grant, who lost her best friend Loralie mysteriously seven years earlier.Elizabeth, in a rare visit to her grandmother’s small Mississippi hometown of Cyprus, becomes determined to find the truth behind Loralie’s disappearance. After a mysterious pre-dawn visit from psychic Madame Antoinette (who soon after is murdered), Elizabeth begins to understand that she, too, has some kind of psychic ability and that embracing it may just save her life from the vicious cabal determined to create a whites-only society. Besides what Elizabeth refers to as "the psychic thing," Abbot’s smart, spectacular thriller—centered on white supremacists, conspiracy theorists, a possible coup, efforts to stoke racial violence, and the Society itself, which peddles poison familiar from some real-life organizations— proves not just credible but sadly believable.
Abbot skillfully stirs reader sympathy for her multi-dimensional protagonists, even the ones with checkered pasts, reminding those of us in the real world to heed the conscience in times of trouble. Well-drawn supporting characters, especially journalist Juanita Alvarez, keep the story quickly advancing. The author’s background in the US Department of Defense lends gravitas to her taut narrative, though her touch is light. Readers will likely forgive minor editing hiccups thanks to a tight plot full of hair-raising twists and turns, which is terrifyingly plausible and expertly told. This is a must-read for anyone who loves thrillers—and America
Takeaway: This skillfully told thriller pits a small-town woman against a white supremacist plot to kickstart a race war.
Great for fans of: Karin Slaughter’s The Last Widow, Alexi Zentner’s Copperhead.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
"This book is very well written with a thrilling plot that kept my attention throughout. "The Society" is a great read and an outstanding chunk of suspense with twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end."
"Despite knowing the story’s killer from the beginning, the final act boasts memorable twists....An understated but sublime mystery with series potential."
Heart-stopping danger and excitement are the keynotes of the riveting thriller The Society by C.G. Abbot. With an action-packed plot, gripping scenes, and engaging characters, the spellbinding story is brimming with conflict, menace, and mystical elements. All of the characters are compelling and genuine, and the distinction between their personalities is perfectly balanced. The contrast between good and evil, overconfidence and uncertainty, respect and arrogance, gives the characters dimension and the storyline clarity.
