Finding Euphoria

Euphoria #1

by C. Becker

Hailey Langley refuses to be a victim and has moved on from her traumatic past. But her marriage problems worsen when a deadly illicit drug threatens to draw her into the life she left behind.


Mark Langley has allowed his job to interfere with his marriage, but he never suspected the secrets in Hailey's past might hold the key to solving both of his current investigations.


Together, they must unravel the mystery of the drug called "Euphoria" and find a way to save not only their marriage, but countless lives, before it's too late.

Audible Audio

Published September 12, 2019

About the author

C. Becker is an award-winning author from western Pennsylvania. Becker earned a B.S. degree in Medical Technology and MT (ASCP) certification. She has worked in clinical settings analyzing body fluids and testing drugs of abuse.

As an author, C. Becker has published multiple stories in various genres.

Reviews

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Finding Euphoria” is a genre-crossing story that will appeal to readers of crime, mystery or romance. C. Becker concocts an enjoyable suspenseful plot filled with secrets, betrayals, and scheming!

Read full review in the 2019 September issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Amber Daulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hailey Robinson certainly knows how to keep secrets. After surviving a traumatic, brutal kidnapping as a teenager, she joined the SCA (Special Crimes Agency, a very top-secret government sector) as a spy to combat terrorism. After a mission goes wrong, she resigns from the agency, attends college, and does her best to get her life back together. There she meets Mark Langley, a fellow student, and they fall in love. Fast-forward fourteen years… Hailey and Mark are married with two kids, but his busy job as an agent with the DTA (Drug Trafficking Agency) keeps him away from home and is causing problems in their marriage. Hailey is now a housewife with a multitude of secrets, which is also driving a wedge between her and Mark. After a new dangerous drug hits the street and someone Hailey loves falls victim, she makes a choice that sends her life spiraling out of control.
Wow! What an amazing book. I’m normally a romance reader, but this thriller kept my attention from the first page. Hailey was such a strong, independent, highly intelligent woman, but wowza, she kept a lot of secrets from her husband! Mark was super stressed about his job, and the reader can feel his frustration from being trapped in between his caseloads and spending time with his family.
There are several characters, as well as multiple subplots told from both the good guys’ and the bad guys’ POV. Almost all of the characters were connected in some way, but these coincidences made sense and rounded out the plotlines, bringing everything full circle.
The story is pretty long (about 4500% on my Kindle) with a lot of description and detailed scientific information. Some of the science lingo/explanations confused me, but I understood most of it without getting lost. The narrative is written in third person and through multiple POVs with proper scene breaks. I’m always grateful to read a book where there’s no head-hopping!
I don’t know if Ms. Becker plans to write more books set in this universe, but I hope she does. Most of the loose ends were tied up, but I want to know more about Hailey’s sexy friend, Parker. The poor man deserves a happy ending after all the pain and loss he’s been through.
I definitely like Ms. Becker’s writing style and would love to read more of her work. Make sure you have some tissues handy when you read this book!
5 Stars

Disclaimer – I volunteered to read and review this book. Thank you, C. Becker, for sending me an ebook copy. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape, or form for this review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.

[C.B. Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding Euphoria, Book 1, by C. Becker, was a fast-paced read where the author intertwines two complex stories to create an action-packed thriller that kept me guessing until the last paragraph. The story features a strong, independent heroine who has spent years trying to forget a traumatizing event from her past. Her husband has secrets of his own, and this lack of openness creates a gulf between them.
When a deadly new drug hits the streets, lives are at stake, and the hero and heroine are thrust into a race against time to find the drug source and stop its spread. The many twists and turns in the story make for an enjoyable read.

[Nancy Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Euphoria be C. Becker, was thrilling from beginning to end. A married couple with a deep love find that threatened when other priorities like work and a secret past take precedence. Separately, and unknown to each other, they use seemingly unrelated connections to uncover development and stop distribution of a deadly new drug. When their respective connections begin to overlap, the danger they encounter requires reordering of priorities to rescue and protect eachother. The author brings all the characters, and their motives, full circle to connect the dots. The story is captivating and flows well.

[Bobbi Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by this author which I enjoyed and will be looking for more from this author. This is a dark suspense story that kept me turning pages. There was a couple of times I was left sitting on the edge of seat just waiting to see what would happen next. The action started right from the start and kept coming to the end. You don't want to miss this book. I highly recommend book.

[P E · Rating 5 out of 5]

C. Becker, author of Finding Euphoria, has deftly created a fast-moving crime novel centered on a strong woman steeled by extreme adversity in an unlikely past. Hailey Langley thinks she left that past behind, the one she hides from her husband and his family, until it returns to pull Hailey and us back to fight a new illicit and deadly drug. Euphoria killed the son Hailey gave up. Now she has to stop others from dying. Becker establishes a thread and gathers new ones along the way into a rich tapestry of flawed characters impacting each other’s lives in ways they never imagined. Each is there and fades into the background only to resurface again and coalesce around the themes of love, drugs and death. Hold on to this book, or at least make a list of heroes and villains. You’ll want to revisit the characters before starting the second book of this trilogy.

[C.J. Zahner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fast-moving story of Haley Langley caught my attention from page one and held it until the last page of the epilogue. A debut book by a new author, the novel’s story unfolds brilliantly. Becker begins by describing a kidnapping incident, and then fast forwards several years, introducing various groups of people. Through faint hints, the reader begins to sort out how each character is related to the opening scene.

Drugs are involved. People are dying. Each new scene cleverly offers clues as to who has developed and marketed the new Euphoria drug that kills.

Becker’s character development and pacing is excellent. Her storyline is believable and her dialogue flows in and out of her prose fluently. I fell in love with Hailey and Mark, and found myself reading chapter after chapter, attempting to identify who exactly the protagonist was—which I loved.

While most stories slow somewhat in the middle, this one didn’t. The story unravels creatively as Becker creates thought-provoking incidents that disclose what each person has to do with the deadly drug. Without revealing too much, I’ll say this: Pay attention. Look closely at each character. Everything adds up.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more from Becker. I’d love a sequel with Haley and Mark working together on a case. My compliments to the author.

[Mona Sedrak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Euphoria is a fast-paced gripping thriller that is filled with so many twists and turns it captures the reader from the first page and holds them hostage until the final mind-blowing end.

Hailey Robinson survives a traumatic childhood. As an adult, she appears as an everyday wife and mother of two, but even her husband of ten years doesn’t know who Hailey really is, the horrors she survived as a child, or the secret life she leads.

The fast-paced, suspense-filled plot is complex and revolves around the development of a super drug that is supposed to induce a euphoric state, but in the wrong hands is altered and causes unsuspecting teens to hallucinate and die. Each character is well-developed and their lives are interwoven. Every paragraph moves the plot and multiple subplots forward that the reader is constantly at the edge of their seat wondering what will happen next.

Becker takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride through the world of illegal drug development and sale. Drugs, greed, murder, violence, mayhem, and even romance, Euphoria delivers on every level!

[Madelon Smid · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Finding Euphoria, new author C. Becker writes of a contaminated designer drug about to be launched in a global market and the efforts of agents working for several agencies to track down the manufacturer and get the drug out of circulation. The beginning requires a patient reader as a lot of characters are introduced in several different time lines. However, as I continued into the story the players came together, the action picked up and the plot became clear. The author either did excellent research or is a scientist in her own right, as there is a lot of credible information on the chemical/biological make-up of the drug, what goes wrong with it, and how it causes death in the young people who fall victim to it. I read to learn, and Euphoria satisfied my need for new knowledge on an escalating topic.
The main protagonists are sympathetic characters, showing human failings and emotions, seeking redemption and second chances, which Becker allows them in the end.

[R. Gene Turchin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Euphoria by C. Becker has potential to be the first summer beach read of this year. It is the story of Hailey Langley, a young mother of two with a deep hidden past. Hailey's secret past rears its head and threatens to undermine stability of the new life she has built for herself.
It is a story of a new designer drug gone wrong and the insidious empire of a powerful drug lord behind it.
The twists and turns of the plot will keep your head spinning as you fall deeper and deeper into Hailey's complex life.
Ms Becker is a master of plot and the nuances of subplot that roil beneath dirty waters. The action is non-stop and yet it is also a story of Hailey's love for her husband and family. This one is a true page turner.

[Kathryn Scarborough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Euphoria by Collen Driscoll
5 Stars
This complex story and its two major plots intertwine around each other and form a dense tapestry of many colored threads knotted into twists and turns.
Hailey is a young woman, a mother, a wife, and a former SCA agent. Her husband Mark, a federal agent in the drug enforcement division, doesn’t know about her past. Matters come to a head when Hailey’s former partner at the agency comes to her for help. They must discover how a new drug, killing all who take it, is being manufactured and by whom.
Finding Euphoria is a book that will urge the reader, sitting on the edge of their seat, to turn the pages as quickly as they can.
Brava Ms. Driscoll!
Kathryn Scarborough

[Stephen B King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story by C Becker of a young woman who almost loses her life to kidnappers but fights back to re-gain her health only to learn of her parents death. I liked the characters, and the story moves with a fast pace as the protagonists unknowingly are both trying to stop a gang spreading a deadly drug. Top marks.

[D.V. Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend Finding Euphoria by C. Becker
As a fan of medical thrillers, Finding Euphoria reminds me in many ways of Michael Crichton. Finding Euphoria by C. Becker is a well written and exciting novel. We start in the past and immediately drawn into the horrific life of a young woman, Hailey Robinson. Though not overly graphic, I experienced the events set up the rest of the story through good storytelling. Many turns and twists lead the reader into a world of drugs and crimes and navigate us without losing any of the relationships in the book. Hailey and her husband Mark Langley, deal with many of the problems any couple can. Added to the strain are secrets and lies. Temptations come to both. The strong and varied cast of characters keeps you wondering until a startling moment, in the end, ties the package of Finding Euphoria tight. I certainly look forward to the next book.

[Heather W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Euphoria is an intriguing and enthralling thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Hailey's traumatic secrets from her past come back to haunt her as people are dying from a new drug. Her husband, Mark, shocked by her past, now needs her help to save lives and her marriage. The twists and turns in this book take you on a wild ride into the world of illegal drugs and crime.

This is the first book I have read by C. Becker and I am looking forward to more from this author.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed

The story got me hooked really good about a fourth way in...then didnt want to put it down
Very good read.

[Cathy Bonnstetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Finding Euphoria” takes you on a roller coaster ride with amazing, yet believable twists and turns. It’s one of those books you don’t want to put down until you turn the last page. You don’t just read this one; you see it unfolding thanks to Becker’s careful attention to detail and carefully developed, multi-dimensional characters. These people find themselves in life or death situations with some of the baddest bad guys of the drug underworld as the plot unfolds, and Becker takes you along with them. Get ready for a great read! This one is summer time fun with serious implications and researched innuendos.

[Debby Grahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a story which combines the past with the present, C. Becker keeps you turning the pages from the start. With compelling characters, an intriguing plot, and a climactic ending, Finding Euphoria is a must read for anyone who enjoys romance and suspense.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook.)
"Have you ever thought you knew someone?"
As a teenager, Hayley had been held, a kidnap victim, and tortured before she was rescued, only to then find that her parents had died in a car accident whilst she was captive. Intensive surgery and several years later, she met and married Mark, had two children with him and seemed to have a reasonable marriage. But it was all built on deceipt: she had never revealed her past to him and he was also tied up in his work in the drugs agency. When a deadly new drug starts to claim victims, both Mark and Hayley are going to have to confront their pasts to survive.

The thriller draws in the reader from the beginning with the brief but horrendous drama of the young Hayley watching her fellow prisoners escape as she continues to be held in captivity. Fast forward some eighteen years and the story proper begins. The numerous protagonists are a little difficult to absorb at first, but characterisation is good, as is their conversations and interaction: there is a good, natural feel to this story which belies the rather curious actions which are taken. This is ably assisted by the excellent narration of Nancy Bober, whose delivery fully embraces the entire drama of the piece, gives separate and appropriate voicings to each of the characters and reads with fine intonation and phrasing. Her pace was just a tiny bit slow for this reader but with playback increased to 1.25 it was perfect. A fine performance which really gave added value to the book.

My thanks to the rights holder of Finding Euphoria who, at my request, freely gifted me with a complimentary copy via Audiobook Boom. It exceeded my expectations so that I only briefly had to reach for a suspension of disbelief whilst listening so involved was I in the ongoing story and the fate of the various characters. A definite recommendation to all enjoying the thriller detective genre.

[Jesse · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all: "This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review."

There were some pretty good things about this book, but overall, it was doomed by amateurish writing and premises that were too far flung even for a purported thriller. Also, it hit several of my pet peeves, including faulty medical/pharmacological information, implausible timeline, and the fact that nobody ever acted like people would actually act in a given situation.

For everyone to not know anyone at the beginning of the story, only to realize that everybody is actually super-connected by the end (including two of the main antagonists actually being two of the supposed protagonists being called by nicknames) was a bit too far-fetched. And the way that the backstory of the main protagonist was made to feel very important at the beginning only to be relegated to "hardly worth a mention" for the rest of the story also made it feel off for me.

The narration of the audiobook was generally pretty good. It made the cringe-y moments less so and overall added to the good things about the book.

With some polish and some scaling back of ideas (and a plausibility check or two), there is great potential here. I would definitely be interested in reading more by the author, to see if improvement with age and experience can improve the overall talent that I see.

[Vee Vee · Rating 5 out of 5]

C. Becker's Finding Euphoria is an intricate, addictive thriller! With every twist, a new betrayal is uncovered, complex dynamics coat each chapter, and the dramatic depth to each character kept me hooked. Euphoria as a drug may be fatal, but FInding Euphoria as a book is delightfully addicting and I can't wait for more!

[R.F. Whong · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a PhD biochemist, I enjoy reading medical thrillers. The plot is filled with suspense and unexpected twists, and the character development is strong.

Here are two minor suggestions: (1) Occasionally, lengthy narratives disrupt the pacing. (2) Reducing the frequent use of the word "but" would be advantageous.

Overall, it's a good read