Killing someone is a lot harder than you'd imagine. Physically harder, I mean. On TV a guy strangles someone for like 5 seconds and the body slumps to the ground in a heap of dead just like that. In real life, it takes so long you wouldn't believe it.

"Catcher in the Rye meets Fight Club." "Fantastic psychological journey." "Holden Caulfield on steroids!"

Jake saw something unspeakable when he was nine. An act of violence. Brutal. He doesn't know it, but this trauma will play a key role in shaping him later in life.

Now, he's fifteen. A wimp. He flinches. Always.

He's too timid to make a move on Beth, the buxom girl of his dreams, and too busy getting face-slammed into lockers by bullies to do much else.

He seeks the guidance of the biggest bad ass he knows, his cousin Nick.

Nick is a professional burglar and makes Jake his apprentice. They stalk suburban neighborhoods night after night, ransacking houses for jewelry and sweet valuables.

Nick teaches Jake the finer points of breaking and entering along with his dark philosophy -- that there is no right or wrong in the world, just a series of events that happen without meaning.

At first, adopting Nick's callous worldview helps Jake get over his fears and confront his tormentors, but he also unleashes an aggression in himself he never thought possible. And as he learns more about his cousin, he realizes that Nick's crimes go way beyond burglary.

In the end, Jake must face not only the monster in his cousin but also the one in his own heart.

Casting Shadows Everywhere is a dark and twisty psychological thriller perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Lucinda Berry, A.J. Finn, and Paula Hawkins. Scroll up and grab it now.

Praise for Casting Shadows Everywhere:

"'Casting Shadows Everywhere' is beautifully written; a little terrifying, sometimes sad, filled with funny observations on everything from tacos to the workings of the brain, and occasionally profound. In a word, it is 'excellent.'" -Mike Billington

"Sharp and clever. Catcher in the Rye meets Fight Club." -Amazon Customer

"All of it weaves together into a compulsive read that is at times horrific, at other times a mystery, and at all times a deep searching of the heart and soul in an effort to understand why in the world we're on this planet." -Mary A. Madsen

"The Perks of Being a Wall Flower meets American Psycho." -Brian Ellis

"A disturbingly dark coming of age story that explores idealization, heroism, competition, love, hate, and possession." -Melanie

"The book is a psychological page-turner, and in many respects reminds me of a very dark 'Catcher in the Rye.'" -Howard Lipman

"There's an incredible twist along the way that raises the stakes to a new level, followed by another equally amazing twist that unites all the apparently unrelated elements of the story. I can't tell you more about these twists without spoiling the surprise, but rest assured, they open up profound questions about the interplay between our rational thoughts, our deepest fears and our most secret desires." -Paul Grieve

"This book touched me, inspired me, and drew me in like nothing else I have read in a very long time. I highly recommend it for what it represented to me. A walk into the dark. And a view of the light at the end of the forest." -Kindle Customer

"This is a remarkable new voice on the literary scene; the best of what can come from indie writers. Vargus seamlessly weaves genres into one heart-thumping roller coaster ride of a story with cutthroat insight into humanity." -Mary A. Madsen


Genre: Mystery