A Mind-Bending British Psychological Thriller
In the quiet city of Preston, café owner Nathan Longton leads an ordinary life until the day a mysterious Vietnamese student walks into his shop. Lan Nguyen is haunted by a voice in her head that has guided her decisions since childhood, now compelling her to seek out Nathan.
Their paths collide when they discover they both wear identical silver necklaces, ones they've had since they were children. Drawn together by this strange connection, they begin to investigate their origins with the help of Nathan's childhood friend, Ollie, and Marcus, a brilliant but tactless former scientist whose inappropriate humour and unorthodox methods add both chaos and levity to their increasingly perilous search.
As Nathan and Lan's bond deepens, the voice inside her head grows possessive, pulling at the edges of their connection and raising a troubling question. Is this love they're feeling, or something carefully engineered to bind them together?
Their search leads them to Project Janus Origin, a secretive program with disturbing ties to their past, and uncovers layers of deception that challenge everything they thought they knew. Pursued by shadowy operatives, manipulated by complex technologies, and haunted by a voice that always seems one step ahead, Nathan and Lan must uncover the truth about their identities, their connection, and the real purpose behind the necklaces they wear.
But in a world where trust is shattered, can love survive when your mind is no longer your own?
A psychological thriller laced with sci-fi tension, dark humour, and a slow-burning romance, Janus Origin: Threads of Control is a story about identity, obsession, and the ultimate price of truth, and whether the heart can truly be free when something else is pulling the strings.
For its mind-bending psychological twists and exploration of technology's dark potential
A near-future romantic suspense thriller with AI elements
For its blend of futuristic technology, crime, and passionate romance
For its mind-bending narrative and exploration of consciousness
For its conspiracy-driven technothriller elements with relationship dynamics
Explore the terrifying reality of losing control of your own thoughts in this psychological thriller. Delve into a world where consciousness becomes a battlefield, and the line between free will and manipulation blurs beyond recognition.
Question what truly makes us who we are when memories and minds can be manipulated. Journey through the psychological landscape of self-discovery as characters grapple with the authenticity of their own experiences and memories.
Navigate dangerous relationships in a world where nothing and no one is as they seem. Witness the intricate dance of loyalty and betrayal as characters face impossible choices in a landscape of deception.
Discover if love can survive impossible odds when you can't trust your own consciousness. Experience a passionate connection tested by the ultimate question: how do you love someone when you can't even trust your own mind?
Confront the dark consequences when cutting-edge technology crosses moral boundaries. Examine the ethical implications of scientific advancement as characters face the human cost of progress unbound by morality.
Janus Origin: Threads of Control by Daniel A. Riddle introduces us to Nathan Longton, a café owner in Preston, whose life is upended when a mysterious student, Lan Nguyen, stumbles into his shop, pursued by unseen forces and haunted by an intrusive voice in her head. What’s interesting is that Nathan and Lan share identical necklaces and fragmented histories, pulling them into the mysterious Project Janus Origin together. It turns out to be a clandestine mind-control experiment that manipulates memory, identity, and connection. Assisting them are Ollie, a sardonic tech expert, and Marcus, a jaded ex-scientist with both insight and biting humor. As Lan's inner voice intensifies and shadowy agents close in, Nathan and his allies must unravel the conspiracy before trust disintegrates, and as reality blurs, they wonder if their bond is authentic or just elaborate programming. A blend of psychological suspense, sci-fi speculation, and emotional slow-burn romance, this novel probes whether the heart can ever be free when your mind isn't your own.
Author Daniel A. Riddle has a unique way of narrating that gives so much detail without ever sacrificing the pace of the story, and he expertly balances tech-driven suspense with poignant emotional stakes that kept me flipping the pages. I was pulled into the narration and emotional atmosphere around the characters. Figures like Ollie and Marcus provide welcome humor and depth amid the tension, whilst keeping the action relatable and realistic. Against this, the concept of engineered love is handled with suitable depth and is both chilling and heartbreakingly plausible when it hits our heroes where it hurts the most. This is a fascinating novel of ‘what ifs’ that places you right in the action and asks you what you’d do in the same situation, and I adored that involvement with the storyline. Overall, Janus Origin: Threads of Control is a highly recommended read for fans of themes of identity and trust, which intertwine beautifully in this smart psychological thriller.
