Manifest Recall

Eli Carver #1

by Alan Baxter

A SUPERNATURAL CRIME THRILLER FROM THE AWARD-WINNING MASTER OF DARK FANTASY

Following a psychotic break, Eli Carver finds himself on the run, behind the wheel of a car that’s not his own, and in the company of a terrified woman he doesn’t know. As layers of ugly truth are peeled back and dark secrets are revealed, the duo find themselves in a struggle for survival when they unravel a mystery that pits them against the most dangerous forces in their lives.

A contemporary southern gothic thriller with frightening supernatural overtones, Alan Baxter’s Manifest Recall explores the tragic life of a hitman who finds himself on the wrong side of his criminal syndicate. Baxter’s adrenaline-fueled approach to storytelling draws readers into Eli Carver’s downward spiral of psychosis and through the darkest realms of lost memories, human guilt and the insurmountable quest for personal redemption.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Novella, Noir, Crime, Fiction, Mystery

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 26, 2018

About the author

My book rating system:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Brilliant, I bloody loved it!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Really good, highly recommended.
⭐⭐⭐ - Enjoyable, well worth a read.

I don't talk about ⭐⭐ and ⭐ reads because I only talking up the good stuff. That's why my Goodreads rarely has anything under a ⭐⭐⭐.

Bio: Alan Baxter is a British-Australian multi-award-winning author of horror, supernatural thrillers, dark fantasy, and crime. He’s also a martial arts expert, a whisky-soaked swear monkey, and dog lover. He creates dark, weird stories among the valleys of southern Tasmania.

Fond him online at www.alanbaxter.com.au

Reviews

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher, Grey Matter Press for a free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first time reading a book written by Alan Baxter. Typically, there's some awkward time for me as I grow acquainted with an author's particular style but not so in Manifest Recall. I felt very comfortable in Baxter's first person narrative and it helped that I have a sweet spot for urban crime dramas (think 24, Breaking Bad and Sons of Anarchy). Baxter seems very capable in this genre and is skilled at keeping to a fast pace while also spending time on important details so that the reader feels like a part of the story and not just a confused outsider.
I love a good stoic, quick witted, tough-guy and the protagonist, Eli Carver quickly won me over to his side. Sure, Carver has plenty of flaws but a flawed hero with bad-guy tendencies make for those inner turmoil moments that I live for--I'm always waiting for that redemptive story that's going to crush my heart. In a stroke of genius, Alan Baxter wrote a fantastic, complicated, female character that pairs perfectly with Carver and I was worried that she wouldn't survive the razor sharp edge of the plot--that she would somehow get written out, but I was delighted when she kept showing up page after page. Carly is a girl in a "man ruled plot" that doesn't fade into the background or get played as the damsel in distress. I loved her and I loved Baxter's fresh take on the "unwilling female sidekick" role. Brilliant.
The reader gets dropped right down into the middle of something-and I'll be damned if I'm going to give away any discoveries or spoilers so instead, I'll just applaud the way the way the story unfolds to reveal itself little by little, like the peeling back of so many onion layers. As new revelations come to light, the way we interact with Eli and Carly evolve and I enjoyed that very much.
I also really appreciated the "back seat drivers" and that will make sense to you if you read this book--WHEN you read this book. I highly recommend it, there was never a flat scene, never a dull moment and there was always something coming around the bend to add a new flavor to the already robust drama. (PS. SUCH A GREAT ENDING) I can't wait for more!

[Barb (Boxermommyreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been wanting to read this book ever since I first stumbled across the cover on Amazon so when the author reached out on Twitter looking for reviewers, I jumped straight away. This book immediately starts in with action. The reader meets Eli Carver. Eli is clearly running from something and just happens to have a young lady in the passenger seat who previously spent a few days tied up in his trunk. The first half of the book we learned how Eli got to this point and in the second half, we learn what he's going to do about it.

There are some paranormal elements present in "Manifest Recall" in the form of ghosts of individuals Eli has encountered in the past (I'm trying not to give a lot away here guys so bear with me). These ghosts accompany Eli on his journey and have the potential to either be his downfall or his saviors.

As the book is on the shorter side, I think it's best to not give too much away. I also think this is a great read to go into knowing little about the synopsis. All I can say is that if you love fast-paced bloody books, then definitely grab this one. And since reading it, I've already accumulated some future reads by the same author.

As I mentioned, I received my copy from the author but it in no way influenced my thoughts.

[Mindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars.

Eli Carver is having a terrible day. He just doesn't know why. After a psychotic break leaves him on the run with a kidnapped woman in his car, Eli spends the first half of the book trying to figure out what happened and how he ended up there. The only problem is, every time Eli gets close to the truth he experiences a blackout period that puts him right back at square one. Not only that, but the ghosts of some of the men he killed are constant passengers too, taunting him while he searches for answers. This part of the book is extremely important for setting up the story, but felt a bit slow compared to the second half of the book. Once Eli remembers that he's a hitman and that he recently experienced the worst day of his life, he's able to finally accept (to a degree) what has happened in order to take action and stop running.

The second half of Manifest Recall is action packed and one hell of a thrill ride. At this point I was fully invested in Eli's story, as well as the story of Carly, his kidnapped companion. The two devise a plan that's pure blood soaked revenge, and once they put that plan in motion the action continues to ratchet up until the cinematic showdown ending. Manifest Recall is one heck of a dose of adrenaline.

[lee_readsbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant read by Alan Baxter!
I'm sorry Mr Baxter, I've had this book for some time and it got lost in all my books but I was rearranging my shelves and voila! So I started reading straight away.
Manifest Recall had me hooked after the first few pages. Baxter has a way of creating characters that I always find a soft spot for, whether they're good or bad.

In this case my soft spot went to Eli Carver, a bad guy set on vengeance and has just had a psychotic breakdown.
Eli wakes to find himself behind the wheel of a car and a woman in the seat next to him. He has total memory loss and has no clue as to why the girl is tied up.

We are drip fed pieces of information about Eli throughout the book through his female passenger who seems to have her own plans in mind and some supernatural beings that hang around Eli like flies on shit.

An urban thriller with supernatural themes.
I highly recommend you read this one!

[D.K. Hundt · Rating 5 out of 5]

’Following a psychotic break, Eli Carver finds himself on the run, behind the wheel of a car that’s not his own, and in the company of a terrified woman he doesn’t know. As layers of ugly truth are peeled back and dark secrets are revealed, the duo find themselves in a struggle for survival when they unravel a mystery that pits them against the most dangerous forces in their lives.’

Supernatural Thriller MANIFEST RECALL, Book One in the Eli Carver Series -

THAT. WAS. INTENSE! Loved It! Well, okay, except for that one scene—My Heart!!

Thank you, Grey Matter Press, for providing me with an eBook of MANIFEST RECALL in exchange for an honest review.

Next up from Baxter, Book Two of the Eli Carver Series – RECALL NIGHT (Yeeesssss!)

[Steve Stred · Rating 4 out of 5]

** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **

Over the last few years, Alan Baxter has not only released some amazing works (Devouring Dark/Served Cold/The Roo), but he’s also become an author that I get truly excited for their new releases. When Baxter announced Recall Night, Book Two in the Eli Carver world, I realized I had Manifest Recall sitting on my Kindle, unread.

How shameful.

What I liked: Eli Carver is a thug. Paid to keep business moving for underground boss Vernon. When he comes back from a blackout episode, he is in a car, no memory of recent events and beside him, tied up is a woman of great importance to Vernon.

Baxter opens this thing up at 100mph and from there keeps finding extra gears to throw more and more action at us, while we slowly learn of what caused the blackout.

Carver is a great character. Baxter makes us root for him long before all the details come out and as his journey is laid out, Carver has a great arc for the redemption of past events.

His companion Carly was another well-crafted character. Smart and strong, her evolution paired well with Carver’s.

What I didn’t like: I personally found the paranormal aspect almost unwarranted. Carver sees the ghosts of prior victims and can hear them speak. Except for a small, philosophical moment near the end, they play such a minor role as to be unnecessary. I was hoping Carver would tell Carly, but that never came about.

Why you should buy this: Baxter has crafted a fast-paced, brutal thriller. Carver kills at will and this makes for a fun, unpredictable novella. Think Jason Statham’s ‘Crank’ with ghosts. I’ve got book two preordered and will dive in on release day. You should as well.

[Brian Steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced novella of noir with supernatural themes, filled with violence, action, and possibly ghosts. Definitely more a thriller than horror, but absolutely engaging. You’ll be hooked by the first page and finish it in a single evening.

[Michael Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eli Carver has a bit of a problem - he's a wanted man and there's a kidnapped woman sitting next to him in the car he's driving. That's not the real problem, though. The real problem is that he can't remember how or why he's gotten into this predicament. As an enforcer for a mob boss, Carver has killed his fair share of people, and a number of them are now sitting in the backseat of his car, rooting for his demise. To make things worse, Carver keeps experiencing lost time, blacking out just as he begins to recall the sequence of events that have put him on the run.

I haven't read Alan Baxter previously, but Manifest Recall was a solid enough introduction that I fully expect to cross paths with this author again in the future. Manifest Recall is satisfyingly violent, dark, and consistently engaging, even when you consider that not a whole lot actually happens in the first half of the book in terms of forward momentum. While there's plenty of information conveyed to the reader as Carver and Carly, the kidnapped woman, converse and Carver begins to recall certain details about himself and his past, the duo are mostly confined to the front seats of the car, driving to parts unknown and with no destination in mind. Baxter punches things up with some brief moments of violence, but much of the story is told in flashback until we hit the book's second half and the characters and readers alike are all caught up to speed. While part one of Manifest Recall is a smooth read, part two really kicks things into high gear as the story races swiftly to its big, action-packed, run-and-gun climax.

Although Manifest Recall is billed as a supernatural crime thriller, it can be read one of two ways. You either accept that the ghosts, each of them one of Carver's victims, are literally supernatural entities that only he can see and speak with, or you chalk up their presence as hallucinations belonging to a damaged man having a psychotic break with reality. Personally, I prefer the second path and while I choose to interpret Baxter's work here as more of a straight-up crime thriller, others may just as comfortably accept Carver being literally haunted. Given its billing, though, I was expecting much more spookiness and was a bit disappointed that Carver's ghosts was the be-all end-all to this story's supernatural element. However, if I approach this title as a straight-up crime story of a killer who is metaphorically haunted by his guilt and suffering an extreme mental break, Manifest Recall becomes supremely satisfying.

[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, Grey Matter Press.]

[Brittney Gibbon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you just need something fun, action packed and easy to digest. Now, typically I get my mobster-biker-gangs-white supremacists-hit men-drug dealer-hero on the run kind of hits from movies or tv shows, rather than books - and if Manifest Recall is anything to go by, I’ve been missing out!

Carver’s story is one of intrigue – what exactly has happened to land him where he is? Why is he on the run? Why can’t he remember anything? And how does Carly fit into it? (Outside of simply being one badass female character, as unwilling an accomplice as she may be).

As the story progresses and we slowly learn of the events that led to Carver’s need for vengeance, it becomes pretty clear that one, Carver may be flawed but he’s flawed in that “not quite a good guy but we’re still gonna get behind him anyway ‘cause he’s been through some shit” kind of way and two, we are headed for a showdown of likely epic proportions.

This was fast paced, punchy, filled to the brim with action and perfectly topped off with a supernatural element that in less-skilled hands could have ruined it entirely but in this case, was simply the icing on the cake that is this tense, bloody, gripping, brutal thriller.

[Al Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take a dash of Goodfellas, a sprinkle of Memento, a teaspoon of American Werewolf and add Commando to taste - that is roughly Manifest Recall.

Part mystery, part paranormal and part psychological thriller, Manifest Recall packs in quite a bit in a relatively short novel. The story revolves around Eli Carver, who finds himself driving a car with a tied-up, scantily clad woman in the passenger seat. How did he get there? Who is the woman? And why doesn't he remember the last couple of days. More to the point, why the hell are the ghosts of people he's killed tagging along for the ride?

Eli is a bad man, yet somehow the author makes us (well me) sympathetic to his cause. The pace doesn't let up for a second (I read it in a couple of hours), and you'll want to know where the hell it is going, and how it all ends up.

My first Alan Baxter read, definitely not my last.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

MotherHorror recommendations never disappoint. This book wasn’t what I was expecting. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting, lol, but regardless, the writing was sharp, the action was gritty and the ending was satisfying.

[Rich D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here at Ink Heist, we are absolute fanatics when it comes to both horror and noir, so when we heard about Alan Baxter's horror/noir mash-up Manifest Recall, we knew this was a book that we had to cover. Combine our love of those genres with the fact that it was being released by Grey Matter Press - one of our favorite publishers - and Manifest Recall had the potential to be everything we could want in a book.
Baxter makes an interesting choice to open Manifest Recall with a quick, mundane scene in order to set the stage for the events that are about to unfold. While the scene itself is simply Eli's recollection of buying the car he is currently sitting in, it showcases Baxter's effortless characterization and serves as a nice transition into the main narrative. Eli purchased the car from a woman with bloodshot eyes, stained teeth and rat-tail hair who was down on her luck. Eli was so sympathetic to the woman's plight, that memory stands out to him even though his other memories are unreachable, scrubbed from his mind. He has no clue where he is or what he's doing and when he looks toward the seat next to him, he doesn't recognize the shivering girl whose wrists are zip-tied together.
As he sits there running through what he can remember, he remembers that he is 28-years-old and that his first hit in New Orleans made him vomit. This scene is one of many that shows how well Baxter is able utilize sensory detail to transport readers into the story.

"It was a hot night, a warm breeze blowing gently across that balcony overlooking Bourbon Street, carrying the aromas of fried food and cigar smoke. My knees were knocking like saplings in a gale. But I did it. I killed him."

It's while Eli is scrambling to collect his memories that the girl speaks up and tells him he has been a robot since Vernon's. One of the first puzzle pieces drops into place when Eli recognizes the name. The "Vernon" the girl mentions is Vernon Sykes, a mobster that has connections throughout New Orleans and a violent streak that strikes fear into anyone who dares to cross him. As Eli and the girl begin to talk about what happened, they realize their lives are in danger and they must work together to have any chance of survival.
Manifest Recall is a gripping noir story with a dose of the supernatural that is largely driven by the characters. Baxter creates a cast of morally complex characters that resemble real people, flaws and all. Don't get me wrong there is no shortage of action and great scenes that make this a lightning fast read, but everything could easily fall apart if you don't care about the characters. A bulk of the story focuses on the interactions between Eli and the mysterious woman (who we are introduced to as Carly) in his passenger seat and their interactions seem natural and add to the tension and mystery bubbling beneath the surface.
I like that Baxter has Eli remember his past in fragments to not only lead readers in the direction the story is going, but also to gradually reveal what kind of man Eli is. Readers learn Eli is a mob enforcer early on, and that revelation makes it easy for readers to assume (myself included) what sort of man he is. However, we learn through these fragmented memories that Eli entered the mob life through traumatic circumstances and that there is more to him than just being a killing machine. Eli remembers his first kill and remembers that he never wanted to get used to the killing, but gradually it changes him. That is readily apparent multiple times throughout Manifest Recall as Eli is still able to recall the skills he learned as an enforcer even though he can't remember portions of his past. He may not have wanted to stick to the criminal path and become a killer, but the fact that he was able to utilize his skills in his fugue state shows that it's a large part of who he is now. The thing that sets Eli apart is that he knows he's not a good person, but that he at least had a code that he followed. At least he thought he did, until he realized he had physically assaulted Carly. Also, the fact that he is constantly recounting his past kills - which plays a rather large role in the story - shows that at least his actions weigh on him and he feels some form of remorse.
While Eli is a great character, I found myself becoming more interested in Carly as I made it further into Manifest Recall. At first glance, she appears to be a victim and completely at Eli's mercy, but she has a satisfying character arc that proves she may be the strongest character in the story. Carly is a bit foul-mouthed and even though she knows Eli is clearly unhinged, she's not afraid to speak her mind and give him shit when he deserves it. I don't want to dive to far into Carly's transformation throughout the story, but it is easily one of the most satisfying parts of the novella and brilliant characterization from Baxter. Despite not knowing each other that well, Carly and Eli have an interesting relationship that is shaped by their dependence on one another for survival and their traumatic pasts.
I sort of touched on Baxter's ability to blend genres in the opening of my review, but I really can't stress enough how well Baxter weaves together elements of multiple genres. Sometimes books that are a melting pot of genres can lean more strongly in one direction or sometimes they just don't work because there are too many ideas vying for prominence and it ends up creating a confusing mess. That issue is nonexistent with Manifest Recall. It works best if you're a fan of both genres, but horror fans could read this and come away thinking it was a damn good horror book and people who enjoy noir fiction could easily feel the same. The balance is perfect and the supernatural elements work extremely well in the context of the story. It was a brilliant move from Baxter and even though there is some doubt as to whether what Eli encounters is real or the product of the extreme stress he endures, there are definitive answers given by the end of the book.
The mystery of just what sort of mess Eli has found himself in is the immediate and effective hook. As the novella progresses and Eli begins piecing together how he got here, the tension keeps escalating and will keep you glued to the pages. When the full picture becomes clear, it hits like a brass knuckle punch to the gut that keeps the reader off-balance and leaves a lasting impression. As the horrors unfold, you will have a visceral reaction. I remember thinking, "No way is he going to go there.." and he did. It's terrible and horrific, but a necessary choice that elevates this story. I don't want to venture into spoiler territory, but this specific scene is just one small example that shows Baxter's immense talent as a writer. Baxter gets readers to connect easily to Eli and his plight even though there are numerous instances that show Eli isn't a good man. You connect with him and want him to succeed in his quest for answers, but at the same time you realize he is a flawed man.
Baxter's writing is sharp and direct and there is not a single lull in the novella's 160 pages. If you are a fan of dark fiction, this is essential reading and this is definitely in contention for my favorite novella of the year. Manifest Recall was the first book I have read of Baxter's, but it left such an impression, I will be checking out everything he releases and I have a feeling you will too. He has another release coming this year from Grey Matter Press called Devouring Dark and trust me when I say you that is going to be one book this year you don't want to miss.

[Holly (The GrimDragon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There is nothing good, nothing wholesome in the life of humans. We’re broken fucking animals, eating each other alive, and I want to stand atop a pile of bones and blood, and scream my fucking defiance at the heavens, and then spill my own life out at my feet and let the blackness take me forever.”

Well, goddamn. Manifest Recall is a firecracker of a novella! Like a swift kick to my metaphorical balls.. in a not unpleasant way. Just so fucking grimy & relentless & dynamic. The equivalent of a heart-stopping action movie. Speaking of which.. may I suggest Tom Hardy in the role of Eli Carver? You’re welcome!

Manifest Recall is indeed action movie worthy, reminiscent of The Punisher with Memento elements. The reader is immediately plunged into Eli Carver’s world of the seemingly unknown, which sets the scene for the rest of the story. Why is Carver on the run? How did he get himself into this mess? Why can’t he remember what happened? How did the mob boss’s daughter end up in the passengers seat & why is she tied up?!

Baxter effortlessly weaves a frenetic pace throughout this gripping revenge story. His gritty, blood-soaked writing constantly punches the reader in the face with each puzzle piece that expertly reveals itself. An explosive blend of horror, noir & urban fantasy that is just utter mayhem. I dug the shit out of it!

He has another release coming out later this year, Devouring Dark, that I am now even more excited to get my little claws all over! If it is as bonkers as this, I know we’ll be in for a delicious ride!

(Thanks to the badass Grey Matter Press for sending me a copy!)

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still don’t know what hit me, but it was fast. If you‘ve ever wondered how to beat the hell out of a reader in less than 200 pages, ask Baxter for a recipe. He does it well.

The story opens with the protagonist (Eli Carver) fleeing down the road in a beaten up old car. He doesn‘t know why he‘s on the run or why there‘s a hardly dressed and terrified young woman in the passenger seat. Did he kidnap her? Probably. Hard to say when ghosts of people he had killed in the past taunt him all the time and root for his demise. 

As Eli’s memories return, we learn that he was a skilled killer and a damn good shot. We learn through flashbacks about the events that led him to his current situation. And trust me when I say Baxter will sucker punch you repeatedly.

Manifest Recall is fast, furious, violent and dark. It’s bleak-ass. It pulls no punches and combines drama, a psychological thriller, over-the-top hitman story and horror elements. With its relentless pace and nervous energy it kept me on the edge of the seat. How does it feel? Imagine a high-octane mix of Lynch’s Lost Highway mystery and inescapable nightmare, Liam Neeson movies’ linear and non-compromising violence and Drive’s bizarre atmosphere.  

If you’re into violent noir action movies with mental break elements, give Manifest Recall a try. It won’t disappoint you. 

[Austrian Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having devoured Mr. Baxter’s “The Gulp”- a collection of short stories based around a fictional village of the same name - I ordered Manifest recall and three other books by Alan, on the recommendations I received from Mother Horror. Manifest Recall is the first of those, and I’d saved it for a weekend I knew was coming where I could just read to my heart's content. So, I was already in a good mood when I started it.

It might well have been the fact that I was in the backseat of a moving car, traveling at 130 km/per hour on my way to visit my in-laws, but I developed tunnel vision, was oblivious to anything and everyone outside of the book, and upon arriving at my destination 2 and a half hours later, with just the Author page left to read, I was basically in a daze. And a happy, thriller-filled one at that.

Manifest Recall takes some cool writing tropes, such as an unreliable narrator, non-sequential storytelling, and paranormal elements, and blends them into not only a coherent whole but also a break-necked pace one. Baxter’s at the top of his game here, I loved the deep pov, we are as confused as the character when days pass by unnoticed, we are as clueless as he, piecing together the puzzle that is his past. There are touches here of the film Memento, story-wise, and all of the action scenes are well done, the only comparison I can think of, offhand, would be some of Lee Child’s work. There are detail nerd’s (like me) moments, the information about rear lights on cars, that make this seem natural, believable, more real than the reality we are escaping from, that are the cherry on the cake. The female lead role, Carly, is well delivered, the nuance given to her, is, I believe, observational profiling, her past well presented. Even side characters like the MC’s wife (no spoilers here) are fleshed out and bustle with their own individual personalities when given their moment in the spotlight. I loved her lines to Vernon, Baxter can write strong female characters, and the meeting of the two felt real. Perhaps the incident with the son was a step too far – not from a sympathy point, but rather, I think we were already on board with the MC’s motivations by that point – but it firmed up the reaction and subsequent chain of events and made the brutality that was to come later, seem something to which we were invested. I say we, I can’t think that anyone would not have been invested by that point.

There are elements here that were left very, very unexplained. I won’t go into spoilers, but there are lines here which I even noted as I came across them, that changed a phenomenon in the book into an actual event – something I had believed a psychosis, into an actual, undeniable manifestation. The explanation of which I will be hounding Mr. Baxter for, in the sequel (s?) to the novel. But my enjoyment of the book made me more than happy to wait – make no mistake, this is just pure intellectual entertainment, an brilliantly presented, roller-coaster ride of a novel. Boy, can Mr. Baxter write, and the flow here is unstoppable. I’m already considering the sequel, “Recall night”, for my ride back home, it would give synchronicity to the entire, wonderful, fully invested tunnel vision experience that is the magnificent Manifest Recall and my weekend away from it all at my in-laws.

Alan, you continue to impress me.

5 out of 5⭐

[Laura Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m going to compare my reading experience to a horse race, as that’s how it felt to me. The horses are loaded into the starting gate. The excitement and uncertainty build. Then the gates open and the story thunders down the track, galloping to an explosive, bloody ending.

Loading the gate: Eli comes back to awareness behind the wheel of a car, a girl in the seat beside him. At least she’s not in the trunk anymore.

In the gate: As Eli untangles his memories of horrific events he also has to deal with some dead men. Ghosts seem to be haunting him and they could be a hindrance or his downfall.

I like when the author presents a bad guy and I end up pulling for him. Eli is a hitman and has killed plenty of men. But I couldn’t help but hope he would win the day.

The gate opens: It’s a mad dash with some bloody, pulse pounding scenes that reminded me of the final showdown from the movie The Roadhouse with Patrick Swayze.

The finish line: A blue ribbon ending.

Did I enjoy this book. Oh, yeah! Would I recommend it? Very much!

I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.

[Paul Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am kicking myself for not reading this sooner. Manifest Recall by Alan Baxter. It is so good. It grabs you pulls you off the cliff. You can’t help but rip through it to get to the inevitable conclusion. I am so glad that I already have the sequel Recall Night in my bloody hands.
•
What is it about you ask? Eli Carver comes out of a fugue not remembering much. He is however, driving a car with a girl wearing zip-tie cuffs and a large tee shirt. As his memory slowly comes back so do his old ghosts to haunt and mock him. Really, that is all I can say without spoilers. Go get this book and read it. You’ll be done by dinner time because you won’t be able to stop to bother eating.

[Brennan LaFaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, but instead of anything resembling a review, I'm just going to treat you to some rejected opening lines for a review:

- Alan Baxter wants the reader who has never done cocaine to understand what's its like to do cocaine.
- Reading this book, I consistently had to remember to breathe. The action was unrelenting and wouldn't quit long enough for me to grab a Diet Coke.
- I've never seen any of the John Wick movies, but I'm assuming there aren't enough ghosts! This has that! And more!
- Ever wish Jack Reacher cursed a lot more and had extremely questionable morals? Have I got a story for you.

Manifest Recall was a thrill-a-minute read, and it's a damn shame that this book is not already being developed as a Netflix movie or some such.

[Karl Drinkwater · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fast-paced, confidently written, with no wasted words and a lean plot. Exactly what I would ask for in a book read for escapist pleasure.

[The Bibliophagist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read. Baxter knows how to spin a tale. This first half is a bit slow as the main character tries to piece together his memory - he has a bit of amnesia after a traumatic event. Note: when this event is revealed, it really is awful - it's heart wrenching and I can see why the mc blocks it out. It was difficult to read.
The second half of the book kicks the motion into high gear. Revenge must be had and the author spares no time in getting things moving.
I don't know that I'd shelve this as horror, per se, it's more of a dark thriller. There are som "ghosts" that appear to the MC, but to me they seem more like pieces of his subconscious rather then entities outside of the MC's psyche.
I look forward to reading more from Alan Baxter.

[Paige Belfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great book, really fast paced and immersive. Blends mob-action with horror seamlessly and with such ferocity it is impossible to put down.

[Mommacat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review Copy

In MANIFEST RECALL author Alan Baxter channeled the late Tom Picirilli in a fast paced brutal mob inspired break with reality tale that left me gasping for more.

Baxter's writing left nothing to be desired. Everything you could ask for was there. Characters were unique and fully described. No situation was left dangling.

Add this to your must read summer list. Add a mint julep and you're good to go.  From Grey Matter Press in paperback and digital coming the end of June.

[Andrew Gillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something brilliantly seductive about a story that grabs you right from the get-go, that immediately and successfully plunges you into a world far removed from your own, making it feel like it's somewhere with which you've always been familiar (and yet not), populated by people who are fully-formed and instantly relatable even if their lives bear zero resemblance to your own.

That prodigious storytelling feat is even more impressive if the story occupies a genre that holds little to no fascination to you.

Manifest Recall is not normally the sort of story I'd read; not because it isn't extremely well-written - author Alan Baxter is a master of his craft, as talented with narrative shifts and vividly-realised characters as he is with dazzling, affecting word play - but because crime-based stories, especially those with a high body count, usually tilt their attention almost wholly towards gory action and graphic violence, eschewing meaningful storylines and character interaction in the process.

But Manifest Recall, which opens with mob hitman Eli Carver in a car he barely remembers buying, speeding along a road he doesn't remember turning onto with a young woman sobbing next to him in next-to-no-clothing, puts paid quickly to any fears that this is story replete with only death and murder and little to no heart or soul.

What becomes almost immediately apparent, testament to the grips-like-super-glue way Baxter establishes and develops his headily-amnesiac premise, is that something is wrong, very wrong; Eli can't remember how he got where he is or why, with memories coming back to him as shattered, disconnected remnants that defy his ability to sort them into any kind of coherent, meaningful pattern.

We are plunged mercilessly into the panicked maelstrom of Eli's very small world which is missing great big pieces, the recalling of which is hindered, as is any substantial forward momentum, by the fugues Eli keeps tumbling into for hours or days at a time.

His psyche is clearly fleeing from something horrifically traumatic but what, and why is he seeing the faces of people he has dispatched in the name of his grubby, amoral employer Vernon Sykes, whose young wife, Carly, is the woman in the car, equal parts terrified and angrily confident.

It's a deliciously unsettling, gothic tumble into the chasms that exists in all of us, those dark, unreachable places that only come to the surface when life has been so badly bruised and beaten to a bloody pulp (much like Eli's many victims) that the only reasonable response is to flee, figuratively and literally from the cold, harsh reality stalking us like some kind of deranged hunter.

What marks this slowly and yet-not-so-slowly unfurling reveal of Eli and his rather misbegotten life, which has just been shaved of its few redeeming features, is how much humanity Baxter has poured into what is at times, quite literally, a graphically-explosive story.

People die and vengeance is taken, and there are scenes where the blood flows scarily abundantly in a tale that is dark, in-your-face and what-the-hell-ish all at once, but Manifest Recall is at heart the story of one man grappling with the elusive ghosts of his own identity, with the oft-times fatal decisions he has made throughout his young life (he is only in his late twenties) and whether there is any way to escape the crushingly dead hand of consequence.

Suffused with the suggestion that there may be something supernatural at work in the banally flawed affairs of man, Manifest Recall is powerful and yet quiet, bombastically violent and yet intimately introspective, a journey through one man's scarred psyche that is writ large against the backdrop of a world long ago gone irredeemably bad.

The innate humanity of the story is what elevates Baxter's engrossing story above so many other crime thrillers.

At every turn, no matter where we are in the bloody chain of events that soak Manifest Recall in a vivid shade of bloody red, we are privy to the sense that Eli, for all his sins, real and imagined, is an inherently good, principled man who long ago lost his way and is trying, in the most hellish of circumstances, to find his way back.

As anyone who has ever sunk to rock bottom, or skirted scarily near to it knows, the adage that "the only way is up" is simply not always true; technically yes, up is the opposing direction but as Eli discovers again and again, simply aiming for it is no guarantee you'll get there.

But Eli aims anyway, providing us with an engrossingly immersive story that acknowledges the brokenness of humanity and the flawed world we inhabit, but amazingly manages to envisage there may be a way to redeem the lost and the bloodied, the twisted and the furious.

Of course, we're left guessing, as we should be in any thriller worth its salt, to the last possible minute to see if any kind of redemption is on the cards, giving Manifest Recall, an existential treatise in gothically frantic clothing, an air of tension that bites savagely and with punchy brio right up to the final heart-pumpingly full-on scenes.

This is life with guns, bullets and man's inhumanity to man soaked through it like litre upon litre of misspent blood, but it is still life, and it is a credit to Baxter's powerfully-arresting writing that this very relatability shines through even in a story so far removed from our everyday reality.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even for my second read of Manifest Recall, this book hooks you quick and keeps a quick pace for the entire ride. Strap yourself in because this book does not give you a second to catch your breath. This book would work well as a standalone, but I'm happy to know that Alan Baxter has more of Eli Carver's story to tell with the follow up, Recall Night.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alan Baxter’s latest release “Manifest Recall” is the literary equivalent of a vicious kick in the nether regions, or if you hail from my Scottish homeland the famous ‘Glaswegian kiss’. Thankfully it’s a relatively short read, and the punches wing in thick and fast, but you should hopefully escape with a few superficial cuts and bruises. But afterwards, whilst your better half gently tends to your aches and pains, you’ll be wishing you could go a few more rounds with damaged enforcer Eli Carver.

First up, if you’ve looking for a book which is deep, meaningful, thoughtful with characters who throw smoky stares at each other over a nice glass of red wine then look elsewhere, you’ve got the wrong book. “Manifest Recall” has more in common with a brutal barfight with a sledgehammer than anything else and wears its violent heart beating on its sleeve. To quote another reviewer who nails it on the head: “bad people doing bad things to other bad people”. Don’t expect pillow fighting. There are no good guys.

In the style of the great film “Memento” we are introduced to Eli Carver in the middle of a major personal crisis. Having had some sort of unspecified breakdown, his memory is fractured, but soon he recalls killing a man when he was 28 years old. But was that yesterday or ten years ago? Moving on, the murders past and present begin to pile up. Eli’s memory returns sporadically, an important device used to spill the key elements of the backstory, and he also has blackouts which can last for hours or longer. Whilst he is in one of these trances he is even more dangerous than usual and that’s saying something.

The novella opens with Eli in a beat-up of car with an attractive young woman he doesn’t recognise, but who most certainly knows him, and is a combination of both scared and pissed off. As his memory returns he remembers the woman as the step-daughter of his gangster boss Vernon Sykes, a young woman he has known since she was a child. So, what’s she doing with him? I’m not going to go into any further with plot spoilers but be prepared for an unrelenting, brutal, and vicious assault which by the time you get to the final pages has a huge body count. Something about the ruthless efficiency of the killing machine Eli is reminded me of the Keanu Reeves character “John Wick”.

“Manifest Recall” isn’t strictly a horror novel, but as layers of ugly truth are peeled back and dark secrets are revealed, there is a lot of horror on offer and the scene in which we discover the reason for Eli’s meltdown is totally uncompromising. It’s also powerfully written and will knock the stuffing out of the most hardened horror freak. The story does have some supernatural overtones with Eli seeing, and having imaginary conversations, with some of his own victims, all of which want him dead. Through very fast paced storytelling, and a masterful economy of words, Baxter balances Eli’s own guilt with his need for revenge in a high quality and very readable thriller which you’ll whizz through in no time.

Will Eli Carver return for a second outing? I hope so… “Manifest Recall” has a very cool and satisfying ending but there is scope for this very likeable bad boy to bounce back and cause more mayhem. If you enjoy unrelenting, almost comic book action, with an atmospheric urban setting this novella is a top quality read.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alan Baxter’s paranormal thriller Manifest Recall (Eli Carver Supernatural Thriller) starts out in a moving car, with Eli Carver behind the wheel. He has no idea where he is, how he got there, or why he has Carly in the passenger seat with her hands tied. Gradually pieces come back to him. He was a hit man for mobster Vernon Sykes. Carly is Vernon’s stepdaughter. Every time he comes closer to remembering anything recent, he blanks out again. Carly seems surprisingly okay with being kidnapped, but she’s decidedly not okay with Eli blanking out and stuffing her in the trunk. As Carly tries to help Eli remember what happened without going over a mental cliff, Eli racks up a body count. He’s also haunted by the ghosts of five of the men he’s killed, all of whom seem ecstatic at the idea that he might get himself offed.

The ghosts are fantastic. There’s a great thread running through everything where you’re wondering whether the ghosts are real or a figment of his imagination. Sometimes it seems like maybe they know things he doesn’t, but it could be explained as him having subconsciously noticed or remembered something. By the end you may know which it is! The ghosts also fight amongst themselves, which is pretty hilarious.

Eli is an excellent character. He’s obviously not an admirable person, as early on we see him kill a cop who did nothing more than knock on his motel door. And, well, that whole hit-man thing. But we also see his first kill, which he did not want to do, but had little choice about if he wanted to live. When he isn’t blanking out he’s treating Carly pretty well. And as we find out more and more about him, he becomes all the more human. Never an admirable man, but one we can sympathize with. Carly, too, is intriguing. Eli’s first memory of her once he returns to full consciousness is that she’s the mob boss’s daughter, but it’s more complicated than that. She’s scared but tough, and does an admirable job of figuring out how to keep Eli from drifting back into his blackouts.

Eli goes after some bad people–biker gangs, white supremacists–but not for any altruistic reason. He needs information. He knows the only way to ever be free is to kill Vernon Sykes, and there are reasons why he needs to hurry in order to accomplish that. There’s plenty of shooting and mayhem.

I really enjoyed this book. I think this makes three I’ve read of Baxter’s, and each one is both very different from and yet equally enjoyable as the last.

Content note for discussion of rape and for lots of shooting and killing.


Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/09/r...

[Harlequin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My experience with Manifest Recall started at around 4am one morning last week, when something had awoken me in the early morning. Rather than head back to bed for a couple more hours disturbed rest, I settled on the sofa and booted this up on my Kindle.

I think I reached just shy of halfway as dawn started to emerge from underneath the blinds. That says something.

Baxter has me on the back foot here as I try to type my thoughts. I usually read straight horror (if you'll allow me to use this loose term), while Manifest Recall is a delicious slice of action-packed crime with a tasty horror sprinkling. I try to consider how elements are fit together, and whereas a hearty dose of gunfire and car chases might pick up the pace of a horror novel, they can detract from the sometimes subtle, nuanced atmosphere of a tale of terror. In Recall, the author flips this around, using horror elements to give the reader a break from the all out action, develop the character of our vigilante hero and provide some of the book's stand out images.

Keeping it vague as to not spoil some of the surprises, the protagonist of the book, Eli Carver, is haunted by his past: the dead, who sometime offer him advice, or mock him, depending on the situation. A certain classic scene in a London porno theatre springs to mind!

Staying with the darker elements of the story, Baxter has created a cracking villain in the shape of mobster Vernon Sykes. I initially pictured him as Vincent D'Onoffrio playing Kingpin in Daredevil, but this representation quickly paled once the full extent of his coldblooded deeds start to be drip fed to the reader. This character really surprised me, and the author made some ballsy choices...ones that make you sit up and really take notice of this read. As I often joke, I love a hard gut punch from a tale.

My only real quibble is that the transition from the second to third act is a little abrupt. The plot has developed nicely and at a perfect pace, but following a fortunate break in Eli's journey, we are suddenly thrown into a high-octane finale. The book had a beat to it, and it felt like perhaps a planned scene had been cut as the author was hungry to get to the all out conclusion. Maybe I'm being super picky, but there's not much else to bitch about.

I'm giving it 4.5/5 bullet-riddled limbs. My advice? Get it, read it, enjoy it...if you can keep up!

[Christine Schlueter · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s the saying? “live and let live”? … well - with Manifest Recall it’s “kill or be killed!”

With Manifest Recall, Alan Baxter delivers yet another disturbing read. And for Alan “disturbing” is a compliment… usually aiming to spook and disquiet his readers with the supernatural, noir and horror themes he writes about.
Even though it took me the entire first chapter to get into the book – all the while thinking “what the frell am I reading here??!!” , it was well worth it to continue reading – once the story behind the main characters, Eli and Carly, slowly began to unravel.
Despite their brutal & dark past and present behaviour, I sympathized with them… (then again, who wouldn’t?)
Both their journeys turn out to move in opposite directions: For one it is a journey from innocence to corruption – for the other the journey is something like the return to “innocence”.
Experiences we make in life shape us as a human being… and the sum of it will see us turn into the person others see before them… to change from the person that we are is a possibility – but not a given: sometimes we turn into the person we were shaped into by our life’s experiences… or by choice… in the end – as usual, it all comes down to the choices people make.
The book (like all of Alan’s books – and Crow Shine in particular) depicts the many facets of mankind (the good, the bad, the ugly and the promising).
He puts the finger into the wound and forces us to ponder human behavior – the likes of which we are faced with every day in RL & challenges us to decide what choice we ourselves would have made if faced with the same situation…
Alan Baxter truly has a knack for grasping the ‘psychology’ of humans… and for writing whacko, twisted characters… ;-)
Manifest Recall is darker and bloodier than his previous books.
The ending I totally did not anticipate… - he really surprised me there…

I can recommend Manifest Recall for those who enjoy a good mindf**k… If you have read Crow Shine, you will enjoy this book… if you haven’t read Crow Shine, then I absolutely recommend you do so immediately!
Despite initial difficulties, I enjoyed the read and am looking forward to what Alan is offering us next…

[Axel G · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a mini John Woo! (Minor spoiler).

It is up to the reader as well as Alan Baxter, should he decide to write a sequel, if it is a supernatural thriller. (If we had a 4.5 star rating option, I’d have to go with that, because I would love more of the supernatural element.)

The Good: It’s fast, it’s mean, it’s dark (noir is too nice a word) and it’s satisfying as FU(dge). It is also a great look into a somewhat troubled mind which is somewhere hovering between good, not so good and bad @$$.
The Bad: Too short, you want a sequel immediately and I’d like more of the supernatural. Also, Eli Carver is just a bit too good at what he does. It helps that he is nuts… :-)

Eli Carver has a problem; it’s not exactly clear if he is overly sane. He suffers from memory loss and he sees ghosts of people he killed. He is also not sure how he came by his female and scared passenger.
The bit of good news is that he starting to piece thinks together and quite sure his head is not screwed on straight.
From here on out you get a thriller with a cross in feel and pace between a road movie a la “Dusk ‘till Dawn” opening sequence, Natural Born Killers with a bit of Frighteners or American Gods thrown in; you may just like this better than the above. Manifest recall is a thriller and a thrilling ride. Pull your feet up and hold on! Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times.

Manifest Recall manages to grab you, sit you down, serve you a drink and play an ominous sound-track while calmly strapping you to the recliner and applying eye-clamps so you finish it in one seating, no questions asked; never mind the toilet breaks.
Great fun but don’t expect any “beach-slow-motion-run-to-embrace-an-cue-the-kiss-and-sunset” moments or guest star visits from the Brady Bunch. It’s a mini John Woo!
I just wanted it to be longer. Great Read!