The Blood Moon of a total lunar eclipse casts an ominous glow over the Caribbean. Badass Peace Corps volunteer Toni Wise takes a post in the isolated village of Purgatory high in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. She is on a quest to deal with psychological demons from her past while empowering small local farmers. Per usual, not everything goes as planned. To protect his deadly secret, a wealthy landowner shuts off the village’s underground water supply. Villagers are mysteriously attacked. Unidentified bodies appear. Worst of all, following an earthquake, creatures capable of weaponizing fear escape from a nearby compound. Now Toni must confront her inner demons while battling dragons unleashed on the people she’s come to love. Will she survive? Will those she’s come to love? For fans of heart-pounding suspense and complex characters, Invasive Species is must-read. If you enjoyed Michael Crichton’s science fiction, Jurassic Park or Dan Brown’s mystery thriller, The Da Vinci Code, you will love this gripping tale of love and redemption.
The narrative swiftly gains momentum as a devastating earthquake, known as the itesquake, ravages Jamaica, unleashing widespread destruction while freeing Chainey’s secret science experiment: genetically modified reptiles, created by the sinister Dr. Leech, engineered to spread pathogens—and presenting a grave threat to a community already grappling with the damaging aftereffects of a horrific earthquake. The stakes turn personal for Toni when she’s bitten by one of Chainey’s creatures, putting her mission—and her life—at risk. As she desperately tries to find the most ethical course of action to combat Chainey’s vicious wrongdoings, Toni muses on the costs involved, reflecting on German philosopher Nietzsche ‘s reminder to “beware that, when fighting monsters, you do not become a monster.”
Toni's resilience is tested as she faces the perilous task of aiding the locals and confronting Chainey, but she ultimately emerges as a symbol of hope and courage. Throughout the book, Croft reflects on the balance between progress and protection of natural resources, as well as the moral responsibilities of scientific advancement. Though at times the pacing feels uneven, the book's rich themes and complex characters make this a compelling thriller.
Takeaway: Conservation and corporate greed collide in this intense thriller.
Comparable Titles: Paul Doiron’s Mike Bowditch Mysteries series, Jeff Carson’s Echoes Fade.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
