The Masked Truth is out!

The Masked Truth is out today! This one’s a standalone, meaning you get the whole story in one book–no cliffhanger ending, no unfinished plot threads. It’s a dark thriller aimed at older teens and adults. It also deals with mental health, and that’s what makes it special for me–it fulfills a dream of incorporating this into a mainstream teen novel. I wanted to show this aspect as one part of their lives, rather than the aspect that defines them. So this isn’t an “issue book,” but it’s a book that includes issues…if that makes sense ;)

To give a little more on the flavour of the novel, below are my two industry reviews so far, a starred one from Publishers Weekly and a very nice one from Kirkus.

If you read it, I would absolutely love it if you posted a review wherever you bought it and/or Goodreads. Good/bad/indifferent, ALL reviews help a book and are appreciated.

★ The Masked Truth - Publisher’s Weekly
Armstrong (the Age of Legends trilogy) specializes in the unexpected in this terrifying thriller where suspense and psycho- logical horror serve as perfect counter-points to themes of forgiveness and growth. Riley Vasquez was settling in for a night of babysitting when a deadly crime was committed in the house. She survives, but nightmares and guilt leave her a shadow of her former self. In an effort to return to who she was before the tragedy, Riley agrees to attend a weekend therapy camp held in a renovated ware- house. Max Cross shares a therapy group with her, though they don’t interact much. His dark secret and sarcastic attitude keep him from getting close to anyone, yet when the camp attendees are taken hostage by three masked men, Riley and Max must dig deep to trust each other in order to escape the warehouse. Masterful storytelling, particularly in the setup and execution of a plot overflowing with twists, and edge-of-the-seat mystery provide spine-tingling chills, and while Armstrong doesn’t shy from violence, it isn’t gratuitous. Ages 14–up.

The Masked Truth - Kirkus Reviews
A weekend therapy camp becomes a living nightmare for a group of troubled teenagers when it is taken hostage by masked gunmen. Riley Vasquez has suffered from PTSD since the parents of a young girl she was babysitting were brutally gunned down in their home while Riley hid upstairs with the child. Max, recently diagnosed with schizophrenia, is acutely aware that he cannot always trust that his subjective experience matches reality. The two become each other’s best hope for survival as the violence and chaos progressively escalate. The novel begins with a punch of adrenaline, and the pace rarely slows as Riley and Max race to unravel who is truly behind the murderous plot. As they struggle to stay alive, they also grapple with their own psychological conflicts, revealed largely from Riley’s first-person point of view and occasionally from Max’s third-person perspective. The violence in this thriller is not for the faint of heart; there is a substantial body count by the story’s end. However, the dry wit and gentle compassion exchanged between the two protagonists help to keep the tension from becoming overwhelming. Riley’s trauma and Max’s mental illness make them fragile, but the teens are not broken. In each other they find the understanding and the strength they need to survive. Action-packed suspense from beginning to end. (Thriller. 14+)