Books by Josh Soule
THE MONSTER
JANUARY, 2019
A college student has a strained relationship with his mother and ex-girlfriend. When he sees his ex and best friend together at a Halloween Mixer, he becomes enraged.
Things turn when a mysterious, puppet-themed student attacks the couple, leaving the protagonist seemingly to blame.
Things escalate quickly, and the narrator soon finds himself framed for murder at the hands of the "Puppet Man".
He decides to go on the run, and finds himself in the company of misfits and criminals while seemingly being stalked by the killer. He believes the criminal overseer may be an opportunity to clear his name and prove his innocence before he winds up in jail, or worse.
INTO THE WOODS
JANUARY, 2020
Three childhood friends reunite as adults. When local livestock is being brutally attacked, the three friends must face the possibility that the legends from their childhood of something evil lurking in the nearby woods may be true.
Together, the enter the woods to lay to rest the legends that haunted them for so long.
Finding Carson
JUNE 10, 2020
Best-Selling Author, Josh Soule brings a shocking and tragic thriller. Sometimes bad things happen to good people.
Mark Adler had just finished a celebration dinner to mark the first day of his retirement as Detective Lieutenant with the Bay City Police Department. Adler looks forward to enjoying his retirement until he witnesses a city patrol officer assault a teenage girl. Wanting to do the right thing, Adler reports the incident, only to find that there is no trace of the officer or the suspect, and the department has no interest in pursuing it further. Desperate to find the truth, Mark Adler takes matters into his own hands, even at the risk of criminal prosecution; after all, if he doesn't help this girl - who will?
In part two, Adler's protege, Detective Carl Brathis partners with FBI agent Regina Carrigan to dive further into the case revealed by Mark Adler's unlawful investigation. Their meddling spurs activity in a local gang and warrants the involvement of the Mexican Mafia, and the notorious "El Fuego". Meanwhile, the trial of Mark Adler sparks heated emotions in the community and the jury faces a difficult decision on his fate.
The Pit
JANUARY, 2021
Amazon best-selling author, Josh Soule, brings the anticipated and heart-wrenching prequel to The Monster.
Officer Seth Erickson is a by-the-book professional, at least until he meets attorney Matthew Longtine and his wife Deborah. As Seth pursues the elusive Masked Vigilante, Matthew and Deborah solicit him as a security guard while they strive to combat the city's growing gang problem.
When Matthew's health takes a turn for the worse, his beloved wife Deborah is determined to do whatever it takes to save her husband, even if it means risking losing everything.
Thousands of miles away, a beautiful girl named Karina is trapped in a dead-end life with her unsavory boyfriend. Surrounded by tragedy and addiction, Karina sees no way out, until military veteran Jason comes into her life. The misfortune Jason and Karina face sends them on the road, and right to Deborah Longtine.
Now trapped in Deborah's criminal activity, Seth Erickson reluctantly does her bidding and watches her empire grow. Jason and Karina, desperate for a way to survive, join Deborah's band of criminal misfits known only as "The Pit".
THE MONSTER
READER'S FAVORITE REVIEW JANUARY 18, 2019
4/5 Stars
“Once in every generation, a monster awakens.” In The Monster by Josh Soule, a college student is having a rocky relationship with his mother, still pining for his ex-girlfriend, and feels betrayed by his friend when he sees them together at a Halloween mixer. When a stranger - who is dressed as a puppet - hurts the couple, the protagonist is framed for the aggression, which is the beginning of his series of misfortunes. The nameless protagonist, who’s also the narrator, considered himself unlucky compared to others; a ‘disease’ where bad things often happen to him. The one he dubbed the ‘Puppet Man’ is the biggest ill luck he has ever encountered, and trying to solve his problem by running away made me question his decision more than once.
Soule’s short novel seemed to be a slow burn at first, but things start to escalate for the character pretty quickly. One of the characters, Professor Jackson, says this to the protagonist, “The decisions you make today set the path for tomorrow.” He finds it “oddly comforting and soothing”. There are similar quotes with the same meaning but I find Jackson’s is more straightforward and better worded. As a reader, it had a profound motivating effect on me as well.
From start to finish, I was emotionally invested in the story and the characters. The Monster is probably the perfect epitome of someone being in the wrong place and at the wrong time. However, this intriguing psychological crime drama has a twist in the end. Overall, this is a solid debut from Josh Soule.
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