Stories by @novice_caster

The Last Flight

Claire Cook has a perfect life. Married to the scion of a political dynasty, with a Manhattan townhouse and a staff of ten, her surroundings are elegant, her days flawlessly choreographed, and her future auspicious. But behind closed doors, nothing is quite as it seems. That perfect husband has a temper that burns as bright as his promising political career, and he's not above using his staff to track Claire's every move, making sure she's living up to his impossible standards. But what he doesn't know is that Claire has worked for months on a plan to vanish. A chance meeting in an airport bar brings her together with a woman whose circumstances seem equally dire. Together they make a last-minute decision to switch tickets — Claire taking Eva's flight to Oakland, and Eva traveling to Puerto Rico as Claire. They believe the swap will give each of them the head start they need to begin again somewhere far away. But when the flight to Puerto Rico goes down, Claire realizes it's no longer a head start but a new life. Cut off, out of options, with the news of her death about to explode in the media, Claire will assume Eva's identity, and along with it, the secrets Eva fought so hard to keep hidden. The Last Flight is the story of two women — both alone, both scared — and one agonizing decision that will change the trajectory of both of their lives.

The Quiet Room: A Rabbits Novel

The lore and legends around the underground game known as Rabbits gain new dimensions in The Quiet Room, a twisty tale set in the world of the hit Rabbits podcast. After nearly winning the eleventh iteration of Rabbits, the mysterious alternate reality game so vast it uses the entire world as its canvas, Emily Connors suddenly finds herself trapped in a dimensional stream where the game does not exist. At all. Except . . . why do sinister figures show up to stop her every time she goes looking? Does Rabbits truly not exist, or is it being hidden? And if it’s being hidden, why—and by whom? Meanwhile, architect and theme park designer Rowan Chess is having the weirdest month of his life, full of odd coincidences and people who appear one moment and vanish the next, with no trace they ever even existed. The game that is hiding from Emily seems to have found Rowan—with a vengeance. But only when Rowan and Emily meet do things start to get dangerous, for together they uncover a conspiracy far deeper and deadlier than either of them expected—one that could forever change the nature not only of the game, but of reality itself.

The Island

It was just supposed to be a family vacation. A terrible accident changed everything. You don't know what you're capable of until they come for your family.

Jonny Quest

Jonny Quest is a science fiction-adventure media franchise that revolves around the titular boy named Jonny Quest, who accompanies his scientist father on extraordinary adventures.

The Plot

Jean Hanff Korelitz’s riveting novel is a story within a story that is a Rubik’s Cube of twists. Jake Finch Bonner is living a life he never expected. Instead of fame and fortune, this once-promising young author is teaching MFA seminars at an obscure university and barely making ends meet. Then abrasive, self-important Evan Parker arrives in Jake’s class with a one-of-a-kind plot that he’s confident will rocket him into the kind of success and stardom enjoyed by few in the literary world. And once Jake hears that story, he knows Evan is right, and Jake’s jealousy and self-pity are palpable. But Evan Parker doesn’t publish that book—Jake Bonner does. And someone knows whose plot he stole. Korelitz’s psychological thriller keeps the reader guessing even when the answers seem clear, and when the final piece clicks into place, what you see is the last thing you’d expect. — Seira Wilson, Amazon Book Review