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Singularity
BCA Special Agent Sullivan Shale has seen his share of violence and death. He's become weathered and haunted by the harsh reality of his career yet continues on despite a crippling personal loss. But when one of the largest penitentiaries in Minnesota calls requesting an investigation into an inmate's brutal death, even his expertise is pushed to the limit.
Singleton Penitentiary, located in the middle of an inhospitable swamp, has become an island amidst a torrential flood. The prisoners are silent, the staff is belligerent, and the murder committed in one of the solitary confinement cells is unimaginable.
Cut off from the outside world and faced with insurmountable odds, Shale must uncover a secret stretching back half a century and race against time to save himself and perhaps all of humanity from an insidious threat, that may not be human.
Singleton Penitentiary, located in the middle of an inhospitable swamp, has become an island amidst a torrential flood. The prisoners are silent, the staff is belligerent, and the murder committed in one of the solitary confinement cells is unimaginable.
Cut off from the outside world and faced with insurmountable odds, Shale must uncover a secret stretching back half a century and race against time to save himself and perhaps all of humanity from an insidious threat, that may not be human.
210 pages, Paperback
First published January 29, 2013
187 people are currently reading
741 people want to read
About the author
Joe Hart
52 books1,385 followersJoe Hart is the Edgar Award-winning and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of seventeen novels including The River Is Dark, Obscura, The Last Girl, and Or Else. His work has been optioned for film and translated into eight languages. He lives with his family in Minnesota.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
May 20, 2013
Joe Hart, where have you been my whole life? Another suspenseful novel with some major creeps and crawls. This one was more of a "traditional" horror novel (as much as you can call such crazy ideas traditional) versus the psychological horror bent in Lineage. I don't want to give anything away, but suffice it to say this novel starts off with a bang and keeps going, relentlessly pounding like the ever-present rain that plays a role in the story. Very scary, especially one particular part in a flood plain involving a tree that really freaked me out. Mr. Hart writes very well, with evocative imagery and deliciously, believably flawed heroes.
On that note, I'm off to buy Everfall and keep the streak going.
On that note, I'm off to buy Everfall and keep the streak going.
December 3, 2014
Loved this book, the more that I had no idea what it was about when I grabbed to read it (it landed in my hands because my tablet battery was dead and I thought, hey, I haven't read from my Kindle in ages and this was the second book from the top, I guess at some point in the past I thought it might be worthwhile checking it out).
I just saw the cover, a pair of hands gripping prison bars (fence) and the name 'Singularity', so I thought, why not?
What a surprise! Almost half of the book read totally predictable, even some parts till the end but I never felt the wish to drop it.
Started as a usual mystery-crime investigation, unusual death of course, but with only slightest hints of the unusual till at least half of the book. The writing is what grips your interest and what kept me reading it, though the story line didn't seem anything new or really original. The descriptions of people, of their emotions, of the surrounding area, of the constant rain...the atmosphere was there and this was what I really loved.
How unexpected the plot became suddenly at some point...all was pointing to revealing the crime of whatever or whoever had done it, but never expected it to go from an almost mystery-crime novel to a total horror/sci-fi/creature feature infection-invasion ending.
I wish someone would make a picture of 'her', or use it for the cover instead. I had to read it to my boyfriend to see if it was really that good/gross and he doesn't read books at all...though he loves sci-fi and horror movies or occasional audio book with me in bed and he totally imagined it and asked me how I sleep at all if I read stuff like this lol But that is the point I think... rarely I get so detailedly (?sorry if this word doesn't exist!) described monsters in a few continuous pages :)
Maybe I'm liking it because I'm suffering from sleep deprivation :) as it's 6 am and I still haven't been to bed...Nah-the book was good and that's it!
I guess I'm trying to say I'm amazed how entertaining this all was despite the not very eventful surrounding of plot, half of the book was at snail pace and there were so many almost cliched parts that you watch in horror B movies production...but because of all of this, I think it's even greater to manage to write something that will keep you up awake and reading.
Whatever, you'll have to try and read it, this will be very opinionated differently from person to person I guess, but give it a try...I did and discovered a new author that I will most certainly check again in the future!
I just saw the cover, a pair of hands gripping prison bars (fence) and the name 'Singularity', so I thought, why not?
What a surprise! Almost half of the book read totally predictable, even some parts till the end but I never felt the wish to drop it.
Started as a usual mystery-crime investigation, unusual death of course, but with only slightest hints of the unusual till at least half of the book. The writing is what grips your interest and what kept me reading it, though the story line didn't seem anything new or really original. The descriptions of people, of their emotions, of the surrounding area, of the constant rain...the atmosphere was there and this was what I really loved.
How unexpected the plot became suddenly at some point...all was pointing to revealing the crime of whatever or whoever had done it, but never expected it to go from an almost mystery-crime novel to a total horror/sci-fi/creature feature infection-invasion ending.
I wish someone would make a picture of 'her', or use it for the cover instead. I had to read it to my boyfriend to see if it was really that good/gross and he doesn't read books at all...though he loves sci-fi and horror movies or occasional audio book with me in bed and he totally imagined it and asked me how I sleep at all if I read stuff like this lol But that is the point I think... rarely I get so detailedly (?sorry if this word doesn't exist!) described monsters in a few continuous pages :)
Maybe I'm liking it because I'm suffering from sleep deprivation :) as it's 6 am and I still haven't been to bed...Nah-the book was good and that's it!
I guess I'm trying to say I'm amazed how entertaining this all was despite the not very eventful surrounding of plot, half of the book was at snail pace and there were so many almost cliched parts that you watch in horror B movies production...but because of all of this, I think it's even greater to manage to write something that will keep you up awake and reading.
Whatever, you'll have to try and read it, this will be very opinionated differently from person to person I guess, but give it a try...I did and discovered a new author that I will most certainly check again in the future!
February 3, 2018
This book held my interest with it’s creepy, unsettling vibe, that is until the ending. I had a hard time connecting with the last few chapters. I had no clue what to expect since this is the first book I have read by this author. It is a traditional horror novel, in my opinion, and I discovered while reading the book that I am more of a psychological suspense fan than a fan of creature horror. I enjoy my demons, ghosts, human monsters and serial killers more than strange other world monsters.
The way Mr. Hart writes his characters brings them to life right in front of your eyes. You have the opportunity to love them or hate them on the way they are portrayed throughout the story and even switch your opinion! His ability to describe the setting and his eye for detail puts you in the scene with your heart pounding or gasping for breath.
I will definitely recommend this book to friends that are horror fans and I plan to check out more books by this author.
The way Mr. Hart writes his characters brings them to life right in front of your eyes. You have the opportunity to love them or hate them on the way they are portrayed throughout the story and even switch your opinion! His ability to describe the setting and his eye for detail puts you in the scene with your heart pounding or gasping for breath.
I will definitely recommend this book to friends that are horror fans and I plan to check out more books by this author.
February 27, 2013
Singularity (Joe Hart)
Singleton Penitentiary, in Minnesota houses criminals, but not of the ordinary kind. Agent Sullivan Shale has been called on a case that is very odd. An inmate in Solitary has been brutally murdered. He is very perplexed as it appears there is no way in or out of the solitary cell.
Shale digs deeper and realizes that the prison just doesn't "feel" right. The prisoners are all very quiet, no yelling, screaming, fighting among the inmates. He starts to uncover unimaginable secrets that stem over fifty years ago.
Soon it becomes a race for time as more turn up dead and no one is safe. And what is happening to the victims appears so unreal and inhuman. Shale begins to doubt his sanity and is unsure what it real.
Fast paced psychological thriller that kept me up late at night. A murder mystery with a secret twist. I really enjoyed Singularity by Joe Hart.
Singleton Penitentiary, in Minnesota houses criminals, but not of the ordinary kind. Agent Sullivan Shale has been called on a case that is very odd. An inmate in Solitary has been brutally murdered. He is very perplexed as it appears there is no way in or out of the solitary cell.
Shale digs deeper and realizes that the prison just doesn't "feel" right. The prisoners are all very quiet, no yelling, screaming, fighting among the inmates. He starts to uncover unimaginable secrets that stem over fifty years ago.
Soon it becomes a race for time as more turn up dead and no one is safe. And what is happening to the victims appears so unreal and inhuman. Shale begins to doubt his sanity and is unsure what it real.
Fast paced psychological thriller that kept me up late at night. A murder mystery with a secret twist. I really enjoyed Singularity by Joe Hart.
December 21, 2025
This is the first book I've read by Joe Hart. So glad I did. I found another amazing Horror writer I love. The book is very well written with lots of action. The author has a way of turning the fantastical into believable. I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. When Special Agents Sullivan and Stevens get called to a prison for an unexplainable murder they fall into a conspiracy of lies and other worldly phenomenon. Things no one would believe, things so absurd I can't even begin to explain it here. I will say the very last part of the book made me gasp and completely lose my breathe. No book has ever made me do that before. So yeah if you like horror or paranormal things I suggest you read this authors works. I know I'm going to now check out more of his books. Kudos Joe Hart 👏 well done!
May 30, 2013
I must say that I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read that I looked forward to returning to each time I found myself free to read. It was not a “can’t put it down” kind of book, but it was very well written and just imaginative enough to keep me coming back. It turned out to be a perfect read for a busy time as I WAS able to put it down when I needed to, but was interested enough in it to pick it back up at every opportunity. I would very much like to see a sequel to this book, and I would definitely read more by this author.
November 12, 2014
You can tell Joe Hart is heavily influenced by Stephen King. This book was really well written and very enjoyable until it started to build to the end and what I call the "plastic monster" that you would see in a bad B movie came out and spoiled it all......for me anyway.
May 25, 2013
With so many horror films and books it is hard to feel much when you read something which is supposed to scare you. This book has quite a few scary and creepy moments.
Sullivan Shale, a cop on a mandatory leave, was quickly reinstated and called to check a death at Singleton Penitentiary. A victim was torn apart in a solitary cell. When Sullivan and his colleague went there they found the road has been flooded for a week, but they managed to get to the facility by boat. Since the victim was an inmate they didn't hope of getting much help from the staff. The first weird thing Sullivan noticed was the fact that their passage wasn't met with insults or rude gesticulation. The prisoners were quiet. The whole prison was full of people and completely quiet. The second was in the cell itself.
Sullivan Shale, a cop on a mandatory leave, was quickly reinstated and called to check a death at Singleton Penitentiary. A victim was torn apart in a solitary cell. When Sullivan and his colleague went there they found the road has been flooded for a week, but they managed to get to the facility by boat. Since the victim was an inmate they didn't hope of getting much help from the staff. The first weird thing Sullivan noticed was the fact that their passage wasn't met with insults or rude gesticulation. The prisoners were quiet. The whole prison was full of people and completely quiet. The second was in the cell itself.
April 27, 2015
OMG!! I could not put this book down! It has so much action and is so well written. Joe Hart is a master at bringing you into the story that you feel like you are running right alongside Sully. If you are a horror fan then you need to read this book. I just hope I don't h....ave nightmares.
June 19, 2016
Firstreads win. Hope this one is good, and I'm looking forward to getting into it.
May 20, 2013
Far better than I ever expected.
February 3, 2019
I liked Obscura by Hart far better than Singularity (for real, I LOVED Obscura), but still enjoyed this. It stuck to a formula, and would likely be a great movie if it were to be adapted, but overall while I enjoyed it, my mind wasn't blown.
(spoilers incoming)
.
.
.
.
My main issue is that a low-calibre handgun would stand an extremely little chance in actually killing a large, insect-like predator, who presumably had an exoskeleton. I know he shot her in the mouth/eye area but still, I wasn't buying it, especially since when he first nailed her in the soft mouth tissue it wasn't enough to bring her down, so his second, shittier shot would not have finished anything. You don't hunt game with handguns and for good reason - it's extremely difficult to bring down anything from a deer to a bear with a low-calibre weapon. Even though the book was sci-fi the thing I was like "lol wouldn't happen" the most about was Sullivan overcoming the "Her" with, what, 3 rounds from a handgun? And only ONE of those rounds was enough for her deployed eggsac thing which was previously described as having armour-like scales. This makes no sense, because if a creature was relying on detaching half its body in order to like, deploy fertilized eggs, and it's covered in protective scales, A SINGLE BULLET would be SUPER unlikely to incapacitate it completely, let alone at all. If Sullivan had been equipped with high-power rifle (which he could have easily been since there was an armoury and at one point he did actually have a shotgun) or some other weapon, I'd have believed the destruction. This was some starship troopers shit, and the troopers didn't fight giant-ass insects with handguns, my dudes.
(spoilers incoming)
.
.
.
.
My main issue is that a low-calibre handgun would stand an extremely little chance in actually killing a large, insect-like predator, who presumably had an exoskeleton. I know he shot her in the mouth/eye area but still, I wasn't buying it, especially since when he first nailed her in the soft mouth tissue it wasn't enough to bring her down, so his second, shittier shot would not have finished anything. You don't hunt game with handguns and for good reason - it's extremely difficult to bring down anything from a deer to a bear with a low-calibre weapon. Even though the book was sci-fi the thing I was like "lol wouldn't happen" the most about was Sullivan overcoming the "Her" with, what, 3 rounds from a handgun? And only ONE of those rounds was enough for her deployed eggsac thing which was previously described as having armour-like scales. This makes no sense, because if a creature was relying on detaching half its body in order to like, deploy fertilized eggs, and it's covered in protective scales, A SINGLE BULLET would be SUPER unlikely to incapacitate it completely, let alone at all. If Sullivan had been equipped with high-power rifle (which he could have easily been since there was an armoury and at one point he did actually have a shotgun) or some other weapon, I'd have believed the destruction. This was some starship troopers shit, and the troopers didn't fight giant-ass insects with handguns, my dudes.
October 31, 2019
Unreal. Like a nightmare HP Lovecraft might have had.
SA Sullivan Shale and his partner travel to Singleton Penitentiary to investigate the odd, and very brutal death of an inmate.
But when his partner disappears in the middle of a torrential rainstorm and subsequent flood, things take a turn.
In looking for his partner he gets into a fight and shoots an inmate.
But when he tells others in the prison what happened they claim that the man he shot had been dead already for sometime.
What I really liked is that the author, Joe Hart, doesn’t allow his lead character to doubt what he saw and did. He’s steadfast in what happened. Whereas others might start 2nd guessing themselves Sully never does. And that steadfastness leads him down a very treacherous road in search of the truth to what happened to his partner.
The ‘road’ takes him down under the prison where he finds the truth behind the deaths in the prison, what happened to his partner and the fate of the world. Yes! The fate of the world rests with special agent Sullivan Shale.
There are Lovecraftian creatures galore and more bloodshed than an MMA fight.
Sully is a fantastically written character. He does have a flaw, as all good guys must, but it’s something in his past that comes back to haunt him as the story heads toward its conclusion.
Joe Hart has yet to fail to deliver. This is the 2nd of his I’ve read; the first being Lineage which itself is an absolute masterwork in my opinion.
If you like Twilight Zonish/Lovecraftian things this is a must read.
SA Sullivan Shale and his partner travel to Singleton Penitentiary to investigate the odd, and very brutal death of an inmate.
But when his partner disappears in the middle of a torrential rainstorm and subsequent flood, things take a turn.
In looking for his partner he gets into a fight and shoots an inmate.
But when he tells others in the prison what happened they claim that the man he shot had been dead already for sometime.
What I really liked is that the author, Joe Hart, doesn’t allow his lead character to doubt what he saw and did. He’s steadfast in what happened. Whereas others might start 2nd guessing themselves Sully never does. And that steadfastness leads him down a very treacherous road in search of the truth to what happened to his partner.
The ‘road’ takes him down under the prison where he finds the truth behind the deaths in the prison, what happened to his partner and the fate of the world. Yes! The fate of the world rests with special agent Sullivan Shale.
There are Lovecraftian creatures galore and more bloodshed than an MMA fight.
Sully is a fantastically written character. He does have a flaw, as all good guys must, but it’s something in his past that comes back to haunt him as the story heads toward its conclusion.
Joe Hart has yet to fail to deliver. This is the 2nd of his I’ve read; the first being Lineage which itself is an absolute masterwork in my opinion.
If you like Twilight Zonish/Lovecraftian things this is a must read.
January 4, 2024
Stephen King lives on
Not one of my favorite Joe Hart novels. Readily admitting that I’m not a fan of the occult, this apparent prison murder mystery quickly becomes too bizarre for my tastes. And, I might add, leave too many unanswered questions in its wake. What was the significance of the rain? Why were the victims rejoicing after their bodies were taken over by alien creatures? Was this a story about insects on steroids replacing mankind? Sorry, Joe, I just don’t get it.
Not one of my favorite Joe Hart novels. Readily admitting that I’m not a fan of the occult, this apparent prison murder mystery quickly becomes too bizarre for my tastes. And, I might add, leave too many unanswered questions in its wake. What was the significance of the rain? Why were the victims rejoicing after their bodies were taken over by alien creatures? Was this a story about insects on steroids replacing mankind? Sorry, Joe, I just don’t get it.
July 22, 2022
Not what you'd expect from Joe Hart
This is basically Joe Hart trying to be Stephen King! It doesn't work! The suspense doesn't build well, the major characters are weak. There's, of course, a monster. But you've got to get 60% thru the story before you know you're in a monster story. Back to the drawing board, Joe. Please!
This is basically Joe Hart trying to be Stephen King! It doesn't work! The suspense doesn't build well, the major characters are weak. There's, of course, a monster. But you've got to get 60% thru the story before you know you're in a monster story. Back to the drawing board, Joe. Please!
December 31, 2023
It was a good book. It seems like a thriller but ended up being science fiction. I really enjoyed Sullivan and Barry’s friendship and I was hoping the guards were just killing inmates but it turned out to be the opposite. The whole story about a portal to another dimension and parasites was too much. The ending was rushed and seem to me like nothing happened and the case was closed?
June 2, 2018
Great read!
Once again Joe Hart does not disappoint in this book. His characters are likeable, or unlikable if they are the villain, the storyline is fast moving and keeps you interested. I definitely recommend this book.
Once again Joe Hart does not disappoint in this book. His characters are likeable, or unlikable if they are the villain, the storyline is fast moving and keeps you interested. I definitely recommend this book.
September 5, 2020
Suspenseful fun at it's best
I love a good cosmic horror story. Setting it inside a standard FBI procedural was a fun twist. I wish both agents survived, but you can't have everything.
I love a good cosmic horror story. Setting it inside a standard FBI procedural was a fun twist. I wish both agents survived, but you can't have everything.
November 23, 2024
Suspenseful fun at it's best
I love a good cosmic horror story. Setting it inside a standard FBI procedural was a fun twist. I wish both agents survived, but you can't have everything.
I love a good cosmic horror story. Setting it inside a standard FBI procedural was a fun twist. I wish both agents survived, but you can't have everything.
May 11, 2018
Excellent
I couldn't put the book down, finished in an afternoon.
Can hardly wait till your next book,
Thanks for a great read.
I couldn't put the book down, finished in an afternoon.
Can hardly wait till your next book,
Thanks for a great read.
May 4, 2020
Great read!
This book took hold and I couldn't put it down. Action packed and very smooth to read with really good transitions.
This book took hold and I couldn't put it down. Action packed and very smooth to read with really good transitions.
May 21, 2020
Grippingly Good
Reading this during the Covid lockdown was a wonderful distraction. Well paced and filled with great characters and plenty of surprises.
Reading this during the Covid lockdown was a wonderful distraction. Well paced and filled with great characters and plenty of surprises.
June 29, 2020
Spooky
Such a good scary story couldn't believe I felt like I was in there too yikes and I thought king was too close to reality
Such a good scary story couldn't believe I felt like I was in there too yikes and I thought king was too close to reality
March 19, 2022
Think I've found my fav writer. Brilliant 😯
March 15, 2017
Originally, I was just going to give this book 2 stars but I decided that wasn't fair because they were components of the book I enjoyed. The major issue I had with the book was that I just could not relate to the main character. I found him pretty one sided and cliche: his wife is dead, his partner is missing, etc. I also found some of the action sequences a little rough to read. However, the mystery did keep my interest enough to finish the book. I was able to get behind Sullivan Shale towards the end and I enjoyed the heavily Lovecraft influenced ending. The ending definitely warrants the upgrade to the 3.
October 16, 2016
Enjoyable, fast paced sci-fi gripper that reads like a movie in your head.
Is the formula familiar? Yes.
Is the familiar formula successful? Yes.
Does the author take the successful familiar formula, make it his and run with it? Absolutely flat-out.
Would a sequel be nice? Yep!
Is the formula familiar? Yes.
Is the familiar formula successful? Yes.
Does the author take the successful familiar formula, make it his and run with it? Absolutely flat-out.
Would a sequel be nice? Yep!
February 23, 2018
Another great book by Joe Hart. He captivates me with his writing. I find myself wanting to get back to finish every time I need to go.
June 7, 2014
The reason I didn't like this book had nothing to do with the book itself. It had everything to do with my personal taste as far as the material is concerned. Beyond depressing, it was very predictable for me, and I don't like that. As far as "creepy" is concerned, it really wasn't for me. There weren't twists and turns to this book that I prefer in this type of book I'm reading. Disappointing to me was the author's approach to women, and I found it a little misogynistic. That's me, of course. Someone else might not feel that way. I was an editor for decades, and one of the things I really didn't like was the author's penchant for forming sentences in a way that I had to read them two or three times and mentally restructure them to understand what was really meant in them. For me, that was not as efficient as it needed to be.
I'm sure he has a fan club, and kudos to them for finding an author they really like. I have creepy authors that I really like. This is not one of them.
I'm sure he has a fan club, and kudos to them for finding an author they really like. I have creepy authors that I really like. This is not one of them.
July 19, 2015
A old prison cut off from the rest of the world by a mega storm that has flooded everything around the prison and knocked out cell towers and landlines phones. The only link left is a small boat which becomes disabled shortly after two special agents arrive to investigate the brutal murder of a inmate. Yeah, this kinda sounds like a place you do not want to be. But hang on, things are just starting to get really strange when one of the special agents disappears. Special Agent Sullivan Shale must find his partner, figure out why everyone here acts so strange and oh yeah deal with the type of threat you'll only find in a really good horror story.
May 16, 2013
This was a very quick read. I did not know what the premise was behind the book when I started it. It started out as a cop story, so I was thinking some kind of murder/mystery kind of thing. Then, things got weird. It is some alien/murder/cop/mystery story. Overall, I thought it was pretty good. The writing on the gory stuff was descriptive enough to make me see it in my head.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews