An End to Etcetera

by B. Robert Conklin

An End to Etcetera is a mystery/suspense novel for the adult literary market about an obsessive-compulsive psychologist who tries to uncover the truth behind her adolescent client’s confession to drowning an autistic boy left in his care. With no evidence to support Leal Porter’s allegation, the school has referred him to Selena Harris for counseling. Selena is going through troubles of her own: she’s separated from a husband who has ditched her for another woman, she’s pregnant after a one-night rebound with a former lover, and she’s moved back to her small hometown in Illinois to take care of her father who has suffered a debilitating stroke. Now she faces the toughest challenge of her career. Although she believes the alleged victim is the product of Leal’s overactive imagination and need for attention, she harbors one major doubt: What if she’s wrong? The novel would appeal to adult readers who enjoy solving psychological puzzles. Working alongside the psychologist, in the role of a detective,

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 30, 2022

About the author

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, B. Robert Conklin (he, him, his) lives, writes, and works, not necessarily in this order, in Columbus, where he and his spouse nurture the ambitions of their three Gen-Z kids, who seem determined to take less-traveled paths of their own. As an outgrowth of personal support of loved ones, he is an advocate for trans rights, eating-disorder recovery, and autism awareness.

His stories have appeared in Blue Moon Literary & Art Review, THAT Literary Magazine, and Kestrel, as well as various ezines. He has also co-authored a college composition textbook to help emerging writers connect with their world. His first two novels placed as back-to-back suspense-genre finalists in the National Indie Excellence® Awards. In a different medium, he is determined to keep posting original cartoons to his Tumblr blog until his followers beg him to stop.

Reviews

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book and the true definition of a slow burn. I will say that in the beginning, I was a little confused. But once I realized how the author chose to write the book, it was easy going from there. This is a very well written psychological mystery – what is really going on with Leal? It kept me wondering and questioning everything that was happening. There is a constant feeling of uneasiness throughout the book, but as a reader, we’re never really sure who is causing the uneasiness. This book would be great of a psychology class to read and analyze. I think the only part that bothered me was that Dr. Harris was talking to Henri about Leal, and to me that broke the doctor/patient confidentiality. I’m not saying that she couldn’t go for help, but she did name him. Otherwise, this is a great read!

[Benjamin X. Wretlind · Rating 5 out of 5]

B. Robert Conklin unfurls a narrative around a fascinating cast of characters, among them a troubled teenager, Leal, and his therapist, Selena. Their story intricately weaves through an unnerving maze of truth and illusion, their professional relationship serving as a dramatic backdrop for exploring these elusive themes.

Each character brings a layer of intrigue. Selena Harris, despite her personal struggles, exudes a relentless humanity in her quest to help Leal, a character shrouded in mystery and charm. Their interplay creates a sense of unease that pervades the novel, pushing both readers and characters alike to question the authenticity of their depicted reality. The plot spirals towards a climax filled with unexpected twists, turning the narrative into a compelling exploration of motive and truth.

The book, despite its somewhat exaggerated conclusion, leaves a lingering impact. Conklin's narrative successfully blends suspense with deep psychological insight. An End to Etcetera stands out as a thoughtfully written tale that effortlessly keeps readers on their toes, immersed in a constant state of uncertainty. Its unique character interactions, layered narrative, and the relentless pull of its intriguing plotline ensure a captivating read from beginning to end.

I am a student of both psychology and epistemology, the study of the mind and the study of knowledge. When I selected "An End to Etcetera" as one of my for review, I did not expect to get both in one beautifully written package.

[Fiona Forsyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review
An End To Etcetera by B. Robert Conklin

Selena is pregnant, in the middle of a divorce, doesn’t know who the father of her child is, and is a psychologist to troubled adolescents. She has the job of assessing the very troubled Leal with a view to his continuance in school, and at first, this seems like high stakes in the context of life in the town of Ovid. (As a classicist currently writing a series about the Roman poet, you can imagine how happy I was just to be reading about a town called Ovid!)
But “An End to Etcetera” is so much more than an examination of small-town life. As we follow Selena’s increasing concern over Leal, layers of Ovid are peeled away and examined coolly and dispassionately - and it takes the whole book before we are convinced that we know what is real and what is the product of Leal’s story-telling mind. In the end, there are no angels or devils, but many flawed people, beautifully- portrayed and presented to the reader without judgement.
The whole narrative is superbly shaped and paced, a slow burn, but with a sense of disquiet that is built up skillfully. The quality of the writing is wonderful, spare, considered and clear. If this book doesn’t get a sled load of awards and become a Book Club hit, then life is unfair!
Note: I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[Clay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a story in which the author lets readers figure things out for themselves rather than making everything obvious. I especially enjoyed not knowing what to believe, which added to the puzzle to be solved. I haven't read many murder mysteries, so I have no idea to what extent this book follows any unwritten rules or expectations for the genre. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed An End to Etcetera; it kept me wondering and pulled me right through.

[Olga Miret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I write this review as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team and thank her and the author for this opportunity.
The author has published stories before, and not only that, but he has studied and taught writing, and although this is my first contact with his work, his level of expertise is evident in all aspects of this novel: plot, characterisation, style...
The description provides enough clues as to the general plot, and in order to avoid spoilers, I will try not to elaborate too much on that aspect of the book. This psychological thriller (for lack of a better categorisation) digs deep into the mind of its characters, and it has a way of grabbing readers’ attention and making us question everything we read and our own minds.
This is a book beautifully constructed. The story is narrated in third-person, from alternating points of view, those of Selena, the therapist (a child and adolescent psychologist), and of one of her patients, Leal, although there are many extras and the story is anything but straight-forward, both in the plot and the way it is told. The writing is beautifully descriptive, and a lot of the novel is taken up by lengthy descriptions of the therapy sessions between the two main characters. Those, though, as Selena notes, consist of Leal narrating a story. This might (or not) be the story of what happened, and what landed him in trouble at school. Nobody seems to believe his version of events, and he insists on narrating that story in chronological order, in maddening detail, despite any attempts made by Selena at changing the pace, bringing up other issues, and trying to complete her report for the school in a timely manner. Selena, who has plenty of insight into what her behaviour should be like and into the need to keep professional boundaries with her patients, starts to pursue other avenues of information, to try to corroborate or disprove the account Leal is offering her. Her efforts keep being thwarted. Some of the people who appear in the boy’s story are no longer there, others are never available or have their own agendas and won’t cooperate fully, and her personal life (especially her pregnancy and her father’s illness) intrudes as well. After all, she has just moved back to live with her father in the small town where she was born, she is going through a divorce, and this pregnancy came quite unexpectedly after some painful losses. The more we read, the more we question everything, sometimes agreeing with the therapist, sometimes wondering about her own mental state.
There are clues and things that might make readers uneasy and raise doubts, and although this is not a standard mystery, readers need to keep their wits about them. Selena keeps sending e-mails to a mentor/lover and perhaps more, with details of the case, in an attempt at supervision. We get access to dreams, a deep mindfulness session with Leal that might uncover things even he is not aware of, and we can’t help but wonder how a boy so young could be as articulate as he is at times. Selena starts going beyond being a detective of the mind (soul, even) and starts digging too deep into matters, putting herself in situations that might not only be unethical but also truly dangerous.
There are plenty of secrets and half-truths in the story, with characters such as Thuster (who might or might not be only a shadow embodying the darkness inside Leal and all of us), a mother who has something to hide, a couple with a strained relationship, a woman who cannot let go of her relationships, a brother who refuses to grow, a disappeared priest, an artist with a peculiar painting style, women with tattoos, mannequins, guns, drownings, non-conventional families, therapists enmeshed in their therapies... The word “leal” means “loyal” in Spanish, and indeed, trust and loyalty are at the heart of the story.
Those of you who love unreliable narrators (as I do) will have a field day with this story. As per the ending... It is one of those endings that makes you reconsider the whole of the novel you have just read. I found it both, satisfying and disturbing. Disturbing because the ending of this novel, which keeps you guessing and second-guessing yourself all the time, does not disappoint in that aspect either. Satisfying because you do get answers to all your questions, although are those “the right” answers? As is the case with the best novels, this one will keep you thinking long after you have turned the last page.
A sample of the writing:
For those of you who might be intrigued by the title, it comes from a conversation between the therapist and Leal’s mother:
She said she just wants it to end —the etcetera.
The etcetera? I asked her what she meant.
You’ll find out soon enough, she told me. With Leal, there’s always one more thing—one damned thing after another to worry about.
Here, Selena is e-mailing her mentor and supervisor, telling him what the experience of her sessions with Leal is like.
And yet, all the while, I have the feeling there is more going on inside his head than is coming across verbally. His focus is perpetually inward. It’s as though there is a feature-length movie unfolding in his imagination, complete with dialogue, pans and zooms, soundstages—who knows, even CGI—and I am like a hungry dog, grateful for tidbits, leftovers, thrown from a table holding a smorgasbord out of my reach.
An example of the type of descriptive writing I so liked:
The wind died away and the surface of the lake became very calm, as still as green glass. She sat by the shore, hands on her stomach, feeling the movements within coming more and more strongly now, so she knew it wouldn’t be long. The father shore of the lake became a distant world, foreign and invisible, shrouded in mist, and the stars of the night sky opened like holes puncturing the canvas of a wide purple umbrella.
I recommend this book to those who love beautiful writing, mind games, stories that make you dig deep into the psychology of the characters, especially if you don’t expect lots of action and a fast pace. Some of the topics that come up in the story might be disturbing (there is domestic violence, and some violent scenes, although not too explicit or extreme) but this is a novel more disturbing by what it makes us think of than what it actually says. You have been warned.

[Roberta Cheadle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a well written and fascinating psychological thriller. Leal Porter, a teenager from a seemingly troubled background, is sent to psychologist, Selina Harris, for counselling sessions following his claim of drowning his younger autistic friend. His mother is not keen on his attendance at the counselling sessions, citing there cost and drain on her health insurance, but the school has made it a condition of his continued enrolment.

Selina has her own problems: she’s pregnant and isn’t sure whether the father is her soon to be ex-husband or an ex-lover with whom she had a one night stand, she's in the process of getting a divorce from her husband, her ex-lover has announced his engagement to be married to another woman, and her elderly father has had a debilitating stroke. Despite, or perhaps because of, these personal issues, Selina becomes increasingly involved with Leal’s rather unbelievable account of the events leading up to the death of his young friend.

The story mainly constitutes Leal’s recounting his version of the events of his summer and involvement with a strange couple. He and his young autistic friend, Thuster, meet a beautiful young woman, Diana, who is married to a wealthy furrier. The two boys help her carry some groceries home and a friendship of sorts develops.

Leal is an unreliable narrator and neither Selena or the reader can tell what parts of his story are truth, if any, or if all of it is true. Is Thuster a real boy or is he a figment of Leal's imagination? What has happened to Thuster's caregiver, who also sometimes cares for Leal? Are the boys really friends with Diana and her husband, Saul, or it that all a lie? What happened to Leal's father the night he died?

These are the questions around which the story line rotates. The book is beautifully written and it is impossible to know, as you read, what the answers to these questions are. Selina is also struggling and feels she is failing with this patient.

Selina is an interesting character with her poor self image and lack of confidence although she appears to be a competent psychologist. She is a bit confused about her relationships and does some strange things which are not unbelievable, just not well thought out. The more you learn about Selina, the easier it us to understand why her life is in such a muddle and why she is so perplexed by Leal. I thought Selina's character was well drawn although I couldn't understand her or relate to her reactions and actions. I ended up feeling sorry for her. Her short sightedness in all aspects of her life and projection of her internal conflicts and confusion onto her relationship with Leal contributed to the terrible situation she ended up in.

This book takes some very unexpected and interesting twists and turns, especially towards the end. A fascinating story with a great ending.

[Elaine Graham-Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. First published on Reedsy.

We know from the very first line that 13-year-old Leal is troubled, but what else he is, is harder to determine. Selena, his therapist, tries to help him, but is she getting the whole story of Leal’s summer? Did he really spend it with the beautiful Diana and her menacing husband, Saul? And did he really drown his silent friend, Thuster, in the lake? As Selena deals with the break-up of her marriage and her pregnancy, she is going to discover that the answers to these questions are more disturbing than she could have imagined.

There’s an air of menace throughout, even though for much of the novel we aren’t sure who is dangerous, or endangered. It’s so well done that the writing remains atmospheric and subtle even when the plot moves from threat to action and brilliantly undercuts the details of the small town in summer which could otherwise have appeared generic. But then, nothing is generic in this unusual and thoughtful novel.

At the heart of it is the unreliable narrator. It is clear from very early on that Leal is not necessarily telling Selena the whole truth in their sessions, but Conklin only lets us see gradually the depth of his deception and self-deception. This is done not just through various characters’ revelations but also through the style of the writing itself. Leal’s accounts of his summer have a dreamlike, detached quality to them, subtly different from the well-observed material detail of the sections from Selena’s point of view.

In contrast to Leal’s story, Selena’s is pitched as grounded in reality, but you’re left wondering whether that is really true. Selena’s emails to her mentor, for example, start to take on a fabulous quality reminiscent of Leal’s narrative. Leal is the troubled kid, the storyteller, but in this novel, maybe everyone tells stories of how they would like the world to be, rather than how it is.

I can imagine literature students many years hence writing essays on this very question. To me, this is one of the determinants of a really good novel, that you go on thinking and wondering about it long after you’ve finished reading. I suspect I’ll be thinking about Leal and Selena for a long time yet.

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

An End to Etcetera is a psychological thriller from debut author B. Robert Conklin. Told from two POVs, in the third person, and from an unreliable narrator, this book will have you questioning everything you are told the whole way through.

Set in the small town of Ovid, our first main character is thirteen-year-old Leal Porter who is a troubled young teen. We never quite know whether Leal lives in a fantasy world, is deluded, or is a psychopath. Leal has been in serious trouble with his school and as part of being allowed to continue to be enrolled there, he has to see a therapist.

Our second main character is therapist Selena Harris who is pregnant and on the verge of getting a divorce. She has recently moved back to Ovid to help care for her father after a stroke and relies on the help of her mentor Henri to make sense of her cases. She has just been assigned a new patient – Leal.

An End to Etcetera is a slow burn of a novel that plays with your head. Now, I’ve read a lot of psychological thrillers in my time and normally I can work out pretty early on what is going on. With this book, I was constantly confused and conflicted but the ending didn’t come as a shock.

The book pretty much revolves around the therapy sessions as Leal talks about drowning his friend Thuster, a silent child, though there are no police charges. He also talks about a woman called Diana and her husband Saul who have taken the boys under their wings – or have they? Do they even exist? Does anything Leal says really happen?

This was a tense read. It drove me mad having to wait for so long to see whether Leal was telling the truth or not. The characters are plentiful but many are not around for long and those that are there for the duration I can’t say I particularly liked or trusted.

An End to Etcetera was one of those books that when you get to the end you are not sure whether you have loved every minute of it or are glad that it is over. It is certainly different, breath-taking, and dark. Overall, if you love psychological thrillers then this is definitely one to pick up.

[Lucas Grayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most subversive aspects of An End to Etcetera is its portrayal of masculinity. Leal is not the kind of male protagonist we’re used to seeing in fiction. He’s emotionally raw, introspective, and visibly vulnerable. He’s a boy who cries, who stares, who stammers, who dreams. He’s also a boy navigating sexual awakening in a world that doesn't offer him any healthy role models. His father is dead, his mother distant, and the men around him like Saul or even Father Mac offer little in the way of emotional mentorship.

And yet, Leal is constantly observing, mimicking, and reflecting. He is a mirror to the toxic behaviors of the adults in his life, but he also actively resists them. His discomfort with Saul’s presence, his sensitivity to Diana’s bruises, his confusion over his role in Thuster’s life all these moments reveal a boy unlearning the scripts of dominance and detachment that are often handed to boys.

This is not a story of toxic masculinity it’s a story of a boy trying not to become toxic, despite everything working against him. That’s a bold choice, and Conklin handles it with quiet brilliance. In a culture still wrestling with what healthy masculinity should look like, Leal Porter might be one of its most honest and important portrayals.

[Lois Nutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been several days since I finished An End to Etcetera, and I’m still thinking about it. That’s the mark of a powerful novel not just how it entertains, but how it echoes. The scenes with the fountain, the lemonades, the tattoos, the therapist’s office, and most of all, the quiet, devastating ambiguity of what happened to Thuster they keep replaying in my head like half remembered dreams.

What’s more, the novel refuses to spoon-feed you answers. Did Leal really kill Thuster? Was Thuster even real? Was Diana a victim, a seductress, or just a woman trying to survive in her own private nightmare? The novel doesn’t settle these questions and that’s its genius. It trusts the reader to wrestle with ambiguity, to embrace the discomfort of not knowing.

Books like this are hard to recommend because they don’t offer easy payoffs. But for readers who crave depth, emotional complexity, and a story that respects the intelligence of its audience, An End to Etcetera is a must-read. It’s not just a novel it’s a haunting.

[Heather Barksdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

“An End to Etcetera” introduces Selena Harris, a psychologist who has been referred to counsel a 13-year-old boy named Leal Porter after he confesses to drowning another young boy named Thuster.

Overall, I found this story to be compelling. Selena is an interesting character, especially in the role of psychologist. She has a good heart, but is clearly flawed and damaged by her past traumas. She’s filled with self doubt which only complicates matters when it comes to her sessions with Leal. And then there’s Leal… I didn’t know what to believe from the very beginning. The details that he recounts are so vivid and at times evidence of a juvenile's development/dreams, but consistently shadowed by a nefarious detail. Find the full blog post at heatherlbarksdale.com

I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.

[Happy Booker · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘An End to Etcetera’ is a mystery suspense book filled with psychological elements. The story begins when Selena Harris is given a case to solve. An autistic child has been murdered, and she has to solve a case and find a troubled kid who is a sociopathic killer. The more Selena searches for answers, the more she doubts herself. The bond she makes with the isolated boy and how the victim connects with her were such a fascinating thing to read. I truly enjoyed the intensity and thought-provoking style of writing and storytelling it possessed.

The author does a great job keeping the pace steady and adding to the thrill of nature. Selene’s’ personality is great. The psychological side of things was very engaging.

I recommend this book to those who like stories with an edge.

[Sam Verba · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wild ride. I never knew what Leal was going to say next in his sessions and with every new development I found myself trying to reader faster just to find out! Not my typical genre (I’m a very big romance and fantasy reader 😆) but this book had me devouring the pages. After getting emotionally attached to Leal and Thuster after the first few chapters, I needed to know more! The intricate weaving of all of the different characters experiences made this book well written and well rounded!

[Lucy Branch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conklin’s slips you into a story which is so smoothly told that before you know it, you are gripped and can’t concentrate on anything else. Loved this book and now want to go back and read it more slowly.

[Rusty Geiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely impressed with this novel—kind of mind-blown, actually. Thoroughly enjoyed the style, dialogue, ability to hold my interest page after page, and Conklin’s breadth and depth of insight. Well crafted story. When does the movie come out?

[Rick Hole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book- excellent characters, I was completely drawn in by their need to know each other, the shifting of the viewpoint between them, their efforts to influence the behavior of the other, and the rising tension between them. I was engaged and surprised to the very end, it's a great read!

[Linda Sabo]

Fascinating, believable characters. A good read and thoroughly enjoyed this. The therapist and Leal are interesting characters that makes this a page turner. Well written.

[Miona Jansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting psychological characters. Is Thuster real or not? Kept me guessing.