The Morpheus Decision (A Pia Sabel Mystery: Sabel Security #10) by Seeley James

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Meet Author Seeley James: 

"His near-death experiences range from talking a jealous husband into putting the gun down to spinning out on an icy freeway in heavy traffic without touching anything. His resume ranges from washing dishes to global technology management. His personal life stretches from homeless at 17, adopting a 3-year-old at 19, getting married at 37, fathering his last child at 43, hiking the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim at 59, and taking the occasional nap.

His writing career ranges from humble beginnings with short stories in The Battered Suitcase, to being awarded a Medallion from the Book Readers Appreciation Group. Seeley is best known for his Sabel Security series of thrillers featuring athlete and heiress Pia Sabel and her bodyguard, the mentally unstable veteran Jacob Stearne. One of them kicks ass and the other talks to the wrong god.

His love of creativity began at an early age, growing up at Frank Lloyd Wright's School of Architecture in Arizona and Wisconsin. He carried his imagination first into a successful career in sales and marketing, and then to his real love: fiction." ~Amazon
Find out more about the author here:

Who killed Chloe England?

When a friend from her days in international soccer, now a British constable, is murdered, Pia Sabel uncovers an assassination ring catering to the ultra-rich – putting her dead center in their crosshairs.

For most of her life, Pia Sabel worked through the pain of losing her parents, threw herself into her work, and lived with insomnia. Now her doctor warns growing paranoia will soon threaten her mental health. She escapes to rural England to mourn the loss of her friend. On arrival, she is attacked by a mob, dismissed by officials, and ridiculed by high society for inquiring about an English Lord and a British institute. The more people tell her not to ask questions, the more she questions their motives.

Unconquered and unafraid, she investigates the murder and exposes a well-connected web of billionaire suspects. Along the way, she touches a nerve, bringing down an avalanche of killers on top of her. Unable to trust anyone, from the handsome Scot she wants to know better to Britain’s titled class, she must unravel the clues before more victims land in the morgue. Peeling back the layers of deceit, lies and cover-ups, Pia finally discovers the truth about who killed Chloe England. A revelation sure to endanger everyone she loves.

★★★★★ Praise for Seeley James’ Sabel Security series

Makes me think of a modern Agatha Christie with an ass-kicking heroine with a thriller ending instead of a fussy Belgian in a drawing room – Melissa K.

A rock-solid, tension-filled ride that is completely entertaining all the way through. -- Ruthie ruthiejones.com

Long before David Baldacci came up with Atlee Pine, we had Pia Sabel, who proves once again to be the best — David Gormer

Plenty of edge of the seat suspense, a splash of well-timed humor, and adventures that leave you wanting more — Susan Gainoutdinov

You can feel them facing evil, staring it in the face and saying, "Bring it on!" — Ann Graham

I loved the character of Pia Sabel – there’s a girl Charlie Fox would team up with any day! — Zoe Sharp, author of the Charlie Fox novels

An excellent fast-moving action thriller — Eric Crown, Founder of F500 company, Insight Enterprises

Numeric Breakdown:
1: didn't like it/skip it
2: it was okay/it wasn't for me
3. liked it/worth a read
4. really liked it/loved it
5. it was amazing/must read!

Assassination, single-minded investigation, and way too many murderous revelations give us a mystery to remember. 

The Morpheus Decision is the tenth book in Seeley James's A Pia Sabel Mystery: Sabel Security series. It gives readers an international mystery that will appeal to anyone looking for a detective crime novel. Despite being the tenth book in the series, I didn't find myself too lost, but I'd promote starting with the first novel as far as clearer background and character knowledge. 

To begin, the start of this book hurls the reader into instant action and curiosity. We're introduced to a woman as she's being murdered, and I have to say, it amps up the anxiety while providing an intense hook. You're drawn into the last moments of Chloe England's life and her last phone call. 

Pia is brought into the murder investigation by DI Jeff Benton when she learns she's the last person Chloe called. Now, Pia wants to figure out who and why Chloe England, once hardcore athlete turned English constable, was killed. Could it have something to do with the dream center at the Morpheus Institute? (This is where I start to see a short-lived parallel to the movie Inception.)

Seeley James gives readers a solid character who is dealing with stress, her past, her present, and the security company her father left her. This leads her seek control in her life in other ways and gain the assistance of a professional mental health expert. Something which I commend the character on and the author for including. I liked Pia's character for the most part and saw her as a leader with determination and perseverance, but as much as I admired her personality, something prevented me from really connecting with her. 
 
Perhaps it's because I'm coming into this party with the tenth book, but I felt a bit afloat on all of the subplot deviations, characters, plot dynamics, and complex weaving of scenes. There's so much information being thrown about and so many characters to remember that it felt difficult keeping up with it all. Also, there were a few characters who kind of bugged me, and they didn't grow on me over time either: Liam Pickford being one example. I'm not entirely sure why, except that I didn't really trust him, and even at the end, I wasn't keen on him or the "conclusion" of his part in the story. 

This would be a worthy read for anyone who appreciates a complicated, suspenseful, and in-depth plot. One of my favorite parts was in the back where the author shares "Truth in Fiction." He's definitely done his homework on what he writes, and I'd say he's thorough and thoughtful. Basically, I liked the concept, appreciated the effort, commend the author for his hard work, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys international crimes and amateur sleuths. This is why I'm giving it a 3/5 rating as "worth a read." 

Thanks to the author and Reedsy Discovery for sharing an ARC copy for me to read and review. 




Thanks for joining me, and as always, Happy Reading!! :)
~Rebecca Reddell, Author

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