The Face in the Mirror

by Kenneth Johnson

Internationally acclaimed bestselling author Kenneth Johnson (The Man of Legends, V) weaves a metaphysical mystery-thriller of deceit stretching from present-day Manhattan back to mystical Dark Ages. Matt Shaw, hard-working NYU med student, is astounded to receive a full endowment from respected 80-year-old historian Dr. John Zachery. At a celebratory champagne dinner in an elegant Manhattan restaurant, Zachery places an ancient talisman in Matt’s hand and whispers a strange phrase. Matt has a startling, momentary flash of torch-lit, 6th century Stonehenge. After dinner a woozy Matt stumbles homeward through foggy Greenwich Village and is plagued by disturbing visions. Then falling asleep in his flat he experiences dreams that are even more alarming. When he awakens in an unfamiliar mansion bedroom Matt realizes that he’s dealing with something far older and deadlier than he could have because the face Matt sees in the mirror is Zachery’s. Sinister medieval alchemy has allowed Zachery to take over Matt’s young body, his life, and his love, leaving Matt trapped inside an ever-tightening nightmare from which there seems no escape.





A portion of the author's proceeds are donated to support Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres)

207 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 26, 2025

About the author

Kenneth Johnson has been a professional astrologer for forty years. He holds a B.A. in Comparative Religions from California State University Fullerton. He obtained his Master of Arts in Eastern Studies (with an emphasis in Classical Sanskrit) from St. John's College, Santa Fe.
A leading figure in the study of myths and archetypes and their importance to the art of astrology, Kenneth is the author of numerous books and magazine articles, including the well-known Mythic Astrology series (with Arielle Guttman) and Mansions of the Moon: The Lost Zodiac of the Goddess, a study of the lunar zodiac of India. A close student of both Western and Vedic astrology, he has been the managing editor of the Journal of the American College of Vedic Astrology and a frequent contributor to The Mountain Astrologer.
A serious researcher of the culture of the Maya, both ancient and modern, he has spent months with indigenous teachers in remote parts of Guatemala and is the author of Mayan Calendar Astrology: Mapping Your Inner Cosmos, Jaguar Wisdom: An Introduction to the Mayan Calendar, and The Mayan Prophecies: The Renewal of the World 2012-2072.
Throughout the years, Ken has developed a unique approach to the art of astrology, blending contemporary practice with ancient insights. Astrologer, researcher, and writer, Ken lives in Taos, New Mexico.

Reviews

[Milt Theo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Face in the Mirror" is a well-written, intricately plotted occult thriller about body swapping. It starts as a mystery: a freshman surprisingly finds himself the receiver of a rich grant by a famous, old historian, who knew his parents. The mystery deepens when the old man invites the young man to a private dinner in a posh Manhattan restaurant, where an ancient relic (the talisman shown on Keelan Patrick Burke's cover) is placed on both their hands and... the swap occurs! From then on, the story develops into a fast-paced struggle of domination between the two men, as it's not at all clear what's the old man motivation nor what the young guy's chances to recover his body are. Plus the old man's body is dying, so time is short.

For me, what shines through this complex story is the value of friendship, as the young guy's roommate and his girlfriend are the only ones who can help him - if they believe the bizarre and outlandish tale he has to tell them. Some convenient plot twists aside, Johnson's book has several moments of anxiety-inducing close calls and many clever curveballs, especially around the talisman's origins and the old man's skeletons in the cupboard.

"The Face in the Mirror" is an entertaining adventure with lots of action, exciting risk-taking and dangerous escapades. It involves murder and centuries-old secrets, and figures central characters easy to care about (even the old scoundrel is interesting, though he has zero redeeming qualities). Recommended!

Part of the proceeds will be donated to Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres).

[S.E. Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was in my early twenties, I worked as a nursing assistant in a nursing home. I will never forget the morning when I went into a patient's room to help her get ready for breakfast and realized she was not in her right mind. She was in her late eighties and had a history of dementia, but when confused, was pleasantly so, and that day was no exception. She was sweet, bubbly, and chattered my ear off, and I remember finally asking her how old she thought she was. With an ingenuous smile, she looked up at me from her wheelchair and said, "Why, I'm twenty-two."

Later in the day, when she was more oriented, I asked her about this. She was embarrassed about what had happened, then told me in all heartbreaking earnestness: "The strange thing is, I don't feel any different now than when I was twenty-two. Not inside."

I was too young to really grasp that at the time, but those words, that day have come back to me time and again throughout my life ever since, as I watch both myself and those I love, my parents, family, and friends, age.

There's a creeping sort of horror that comes with the realization that even as your body begins to falter and fail, your mind and all its components, the things that make you inherently you remain intact, infallible, and untouched. We will all bear helpless witness to our own slow marches inexorably toward death -- and those of everyone close to us, too. If that isn't horror, I don't know what is.

M. Night Shyamalan tapped into that primal, universal fear in his 2021 movie "Old." Author Kenneth Johnson explores similar themes in his novel, "The Face in the Mirror," available now from Cemetery Dance Publications.

In "The Face in the Mirror," medical student Matthew Shaw navigates a busy and complicated life filled with classes, research work at a university laboratory, and spending quality time with his roommate and best friend Dev, as well as girlfriend Molly. In his early 20s, Matt is young, handsome, athletic, and intelligent. More appealing, however, is his complete obliviousness to this seeming good fortune. He's from humble, if not meager beginnings, and struggles to make ends meet. When he's offered a once-in-a-lifetime endowment from octogenarian anthropologist and scholar Dr. John Zachery, he's flattered and flabbergasted. Zachery offers not only to pay for the rest of Matt's schooling, but to remit all his debts as well, plus give him a more-than generous living allowance to boot. Dr. Zachery asks for nothing in return--at least not out loud, but poor Matt soon discovers that no gift comes without strings attached. Or, in this case, a magic talisman.

It's not really a spoiler (because it's in the book blurb) to say that shortly after meeting Dr. Zachery, Matt wakes up to find, much to his horror, he has become the old man. Zachery, in turn, is now inside Matt's body. In a case of Freaky Friday with a much more malicious angle, this turn of fortune -- or misfortune, as it may be -- was deliberate and calculated, planned years in advance by none other than Zachery himself.

Only, as Matt soon learns, Zachery isn't really who he's claimed all along to be, either. As he begins to unravel the treacherous web of lies, dark magic, and ancient evil that has ensnared him, Matt likewise realizes he's running out of time to try and set things right and get his body back--because Zachery's is failing fast...

I loved this book. It's wonderfully written, a quick and exciting read. Johnson has crafted characters who you bond and empathize with almost from the start, especially Matt, who comes across as a genuinely idealistic, if not naive, and likable kid. Zachery is especially detestable, especially as Johnson reveals all the twisted, cruel lengths he's gone to in order to try and insure Matt can't interfere with, or undo the body swap once it's completed.

I've never been to New York City, where the story is set, and to be honest, lengthy narrative about scenery and settings in a book usually turn me off. But in this case, Johnson wields a deft hand at description, and you can not only tell he knows the Big Apple like the back of his hand, but he loves it, too. You share in that adoration through his words, and almost feel like you're right there with Matt, Molly, and the gang beneath the bright lights and among the hustle and bustle.

After I read "The Face in the Mirror," I knew there was no way Johnson was a newbie to the writing game. And as it turns out, he's not. For God's sake, he's the creative mind behind the classic sci-fi TV series "V," which I watched fiendishly in my youth, as well as "Alien Nation," "The Bionic Woman," and "The Incredible Hulk." (And if you've never heard of these series because you're too young, get the hell off my lawn. You're missing out.)

But all squeeing fangirl moments aside (okay - squeeing fan-middleaged-woman moments), I have to say "The Face in the Mirror" was an incredibly enjoyable read. Well-written, with pitch-perfect buildups of both horror and suspense, Johnson captures all-too well the undeniable helplessness and insidious horror of growing old.

(And if you're like me, and thought the movie "Suitable Flesh" with Heather Graham was a fun little reimagining of a Lovecraft body-swap tale, but made no sense because seriously, as hot as Graham is, what evil eternal entity would ever trade the body of a young, athletic, good-looking college guy for all the perimenopausal and hormonal fun of a middle-aged woman's body, then you're in luck, because the entity makes a more informed and reasonable choice in Johnson's book.)