menu
{ "item_title" : "The Next Step", "item_author" : [" Mathew J. Shaw "], "item_description" : "What if free will was an illusion-and someone proved it by making you kill?A brilliant profiler is drawn into a psychological game where guilt is manufactured and control is absolute.The Next Step is a dark psychological thriller that pulls readers into a relentless mind game where control, manipulation, and morality collide.Thirty years before the events of Nevaeh: The Story of the Lost, we meet Clayton Trilling-a brilliant savant, elite criminal profiler, and one of the most extraordinary minds ever known. Once a child trapped inside a silent world by autism and his savant syndrome, Clayton rewired his own brain, transforming himself into a weapon against the darkest minds humanity has to offer.Now, as Lead Profiler for the National Bureau of Investigation, Clayton is summoned into a case unlike anything he has ever faced.It begins with a letter.Sealed in blood.Marked with a warning.Signed by The Controller.What follows is not an investigation-it's a psychological gauntlet.Three houses.Three bodies.Seventy-two hours.And one terrifying question:Why did I kill them?As Clayton and an elite team of investigators are dragged into a meticulously designed game, the rules shift constantly. Evidence lies. Reality fractures. Assumptions become traps. Every clue is engineered to exploit how the human brain thinks-and how it fails.The deeper they go, the more horrifying the truth becomes:What if the killers were innocent?What if guilt itself was engineered?What if control could be implanted-wired directly into the brain?And what if Clayton Trilling was never meant to stop the game...but to complete it?A THRILLER THAT GETS INSIDE YOUR HEADThe Next Step blends:Psychological thrillerDark mysteryCrime fictionMind-bending suspenseHigh-stakes intellectual warfareWith themes of:Free will vs. controlMoral responsibilityUnethical experimentationManipulation of perceptionGenius vs. madnessThis is a story where the reader becomes part of the game, forced to question every assumption-right alongside the characters.This isn't just a story.It's a reckoning.", "item_img_path" : "https://covers1.booksamillion.com/covers/bam/1/06/980/695/1069806951_b.jpg", "price_data" : { "retail_price" : "18.99", "online_price" : "18.99", "our_price" : "18.99", "club_price" : "18.99", "savings_pct" : "0", "savings_amt" : "0.00", "club_savings_pct" : "0", "club_savings_amt" : "0.00", "discount_pct" : "10", "store_price" : "" } }
The Next Step|Mathew J. Shaw

The Next Step : The Controller's Game - A Psychological Thriller of Control, Free Will, and Mind Games. A Dark Psychological Crime Thriller

local_shippingShip to Me
In Stock.
FREE Shipping for Club Members help

Overview

What if free will was an illusion-and someone proved it by making you kill?

A brilliant profiler is drawn into a psychological game where guilt is manufactured and control is absolute.

The Next Step is a dark psychological thriller that pulls readers into a relentless mind game where control, manipulation, and morality collide.

Thirty years before the events of Nevaeh: The Story of the Lost, we meet Clayton Trilling-a brilliant savant, elite criminal profiler, and one of the most extraordinary minds ever known. Once a child trapped inside a silent world by autism and his savant syndrome, Clayton rewired his own brain, transforming himself into a weapon against the darkest minds humanity has to offer.

Now, as Lead Profiler for the National Bureau of Investigation, Clayton is summoned into a case unlike anything he has ever faced.

It begins with a letter.

Sealed in blood.

Marked with a warning.

Signed by The Controller.

What follows is not an investigation-it's a psychological gauntlet.

Three houses.

Three bodies.

Seventy-two hours.

And one terrifying question:

Why did I kill them?

As Clayton and an elite team of investigators are dragged into a meticulously designed game, the rules shift constantly. Evidence lies. Reality fractures. Assumptions become traps. Every clue is engineered to exploit how the human brain thinks-and how it fails.

The deeper they go, the more horrifying the truth becomes:

What if the killers were innocent?

What if guilt itself was engineered?

What if control could be implanted-wired directly into the brain?

And what if Clayton Trilling was never meant to stop the game...but to complete it?

A THRILLER THAT GETS INSIDE YOUR HEAD

The Next Step blends:

  • Psychological thriller
  • Dark mystery
  • Crime fiction
  • Mind-bending suspense
  • High-stakes intellectual warfare

With themes of:

  • Free will vs. control
  • Moral responsibility
  • Unethical experimentation
  • Manipulation of perception
  • Genius vs. madness

This is a story where the reader becomes part of the game, forced to question every assumption-right alongside the characters.

This isn't just a story.

It's a reckoning.

Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781069806956
  • ISBN-10: 1069806951
  • Publisher: Twisted Storylines Publishing
  • Publish Date: March 2026
  • Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.74 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.05 pounds
  • Page Count: 358

Related Categories

You May Also Like...

    1

BAM Customer Reviews