Hailey Langley refuses to be a victim and has moved on from her traumatic past. But her marriage problems worsen when a deadly illicit drug threatens to draw her into the life she left behind.Mark Langley has allowed his job to interfere with his marriage, but he never suspected the secrets in Hailey’s past might hold the key to solving both of his current investigations.Together, they must … unravel the mystery of the drug called Euphoria and find a way to save not only their marriage, but countless lives, before it’s too late.
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This is my first book by this author which I enjoyed and will be looking for more from this author. This is a dark suspense story that kept me turning pages. There was a couple of times I was left sitting on the edge of seat just waiting to see what would happen next. The action started right from the start and kept coming to the end. You don’t want to miss this book. I highly recommend book.
With an opening that grabs the reader and doesn’t let go, C. Becker’s Finding Euphoria sweeps us up in a whirlwind of action that propels us to the very end. The author has created a terrific cast of complex characters who have flaws, along with their strength and determination.
Hailey Langley hides a tormented and mysterious past from her husband, Mark, whose job as an agent with a federal drug enforcement agency demands too much of his time away from marriage and family. When a new, unclassified drug slips into circulation with lethal results, Mark must investigate. Ironically, the same investigation propels Hailey back into her past and a dangerous undercover operation that intersects with Mark’s. The struggle to find the new drug and keep it out of the hands of an international cartel launches Mark and Hailey into a fight for their very lives. And a realization of the strength of their love.
Ms. Becker uses her medical and scientific background to bring authority to the plot. So when the elements of that new drug finally are finally unraveled, we are convinced it could really exist.
If you like action, intrigue, snugly woven plots, smart writing, and characters you won’t want to see the last of, you’ll love this book. If I had to ask Ms. Becker one question it would be this: When’s the next installment?
This fast-moving story of Haley Langley caught my attention from page one and held it until the last page of the epilogue. A debut book by a new author, the novel’s story unfolds brilliantly. Becker begins by describing a kidnapping incident, and then fast forwards several years, introducing various groups of people. Through faint hints, the reader begins to sort out how each character is related to the opening scene.
Drugs are involved. People are dying. Each new scene cleverly offers clues as to who has developed and marketed the new Euphoria drug that kills.
Becker’s character development and pacing is excellent. Her storyline is believable and her dialogue flows in and out of her prose fluently. I fell in love with Hailey and Mark, and found myself reading chapter after chapter, attempting to identify who exactly the protagonist was—which I loved.
While most stories slow somewhat in the middle, this one didn’t. The story unravels creatively as Becker relays thought-provoking incidents that disclose what each person has to do with the deadly drug. Without revealing too much, I’ll say this: Pay attention. Look closely at each character. Everything adds up.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more from Becker. I’d love a sequel with Haley and Mark working together on a case. My compliments to the author.
Finding Euphoria is an intriguing and enthralling thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Hailey’s traumatic secrets from her past come back to haunt her as people are dying from a new drug. Her husband, Mark, shocked by her past, now needs her help to save lives and her marriage. The twists and turns in this book take you on a wild ride into the world of illegal drugs and crime.
This is the first book I have read by C. Becker and I am looking forward to more from this author.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
I highly recommend Finding Euphoria by C. Becker
As a fan of medical thrillers, Finding Euphoria reminds me in many ways of Michael Crichton. Finding Euphoria by C. Becker is a well written and exciting novel. We start in the past and immediately drawn into the horrific life of a young woman, Hailey Robinson. Though not overly graphic, I experienced the events set up the rest of the story through good storytelling. Many turns and twists lead the reader into a world of drugs and crimes and navigate us without losing any of the relationships in the book. Hailey and her husband Mark Langley, deal with many of the problems any couple can. Added to the strain are secrets and lies. Temptations come to both. The strong and varied cast of characters keeps you wondering until a startling moment, in the end, ties the package of Finding Euphoria tight. I certainly look forward to the next book.
Well written and researched, interesting characters, thought-provoking and timely topic, unpredictable plot twists and turns.
C. Becker, author of Finding Euphoria, has deftly created a fast-moving crime novel centered on a strong woman steeled by extreme adversity in an unlikely past. Hailey Langley thinks she left that past behind, the one she hides from her husband and his family, until it returns to pull Hailey and us back to fight a new illicit and deadly drug. Euphoria killed the son Hailey gave up. Now she has to stop others from dying. Becker establishes a thread and gathers new ones along the way into a rich tapestry of flawed characters impacting each other’s lives in ways they never imagined. Each is there and fades into the background only to resurface again and coalesce around the themes of love, drugs and death. Hold on to this book, or at least make a list of heroes and villains. You’ll want to revisit the characters before starting the second book of this trilogy.
“Finding Euphoria” takes you on a roller coaster ride with amazing, yet believable twists and turns. It’s one of those books you don’t want to put down until you turn the last page. You don’t just read this one; you see it unfolding thanks to Becker’s careful attention to detail and carefully developed, multi-dimensional characters. These people find themselves in life or death situations with some of the baddest bad guys of the drug underworld as the plot unfolds, and Becker takes you along with them. Get ready for a great read! This one is summer time fun with serious implications and researched innuendos.
Finding Euphoria by C. Becker, caught my attention in the beginning and held it through the epilogue. I wanted to get into the head of each character to see what motivated them. There are twists and turns and unexpected connections. People who are well known to eachother are not really who they portend to be. Secrets, trust issues, past relationships, and dedication to work complicate efforts to uncover development and stop an illicit and deadly new drug from distribution. Romance in a marriage is rekindled through the thrill of danger and rescue while trying to protect eachother from harm. It certainly is a small world, and the author brings the all the characters into a full circle.
In Finding Euphoria, new author C. Becker writes of a contaminated designer drug about to be launched in a global market and the efforts of agents working for several agencies to track down the manufacturer and get the drug out of circulation. The beginning requires a patient reader as a lot of characters are introduced in several different time lines. However, as I continued into the story the players came together, the action picked up and the plot became clear. The author either did excellent research or is a scientist in her own right, as there is a lot of credible information on the chemical/biological make-up of the drug, what goes wrong with it, and how it causes death in the young people who fall victim to it. I read to learn, and Euphoria satisfied my need for new knowledge on an escalating topic.
The main protagonists are sympathetic characters, showing human failings and emotions, seeking redemption and second chances, which Becker allows them in the end.
Hailey Robinson certainly knows how to keep secrets. After surviving a traumatic, brutal kidnapping as a teenager, she joined the SCA (Special Crimes Agency, a very top-secret government sector) as a spy to combat terrorism. After a mission goes wrong, she resigns from the agency, attends college, and does her best to get her life back together. There she meets Mark Langley, a fellow student, and they fall in love. Fast-forward fourteen years… Hailey and Mark are married with two kids, but his busy job as an agent with the DTA (Drug Trafficking Agency) keeps him away from home and is causing problems in their marriage. Hailey is now a housewife with a multitude of secrets, which is also driving a wedge between her and Mark. After a new dangerous drug hits the street and someone Hailey loves falls victim, she makes a choice that sends her life spiraling out of control.
Wow! What an amazing book. I’m normally a romance reader, but this thriller kept my attention from the first page. Hailey was such a strong, independent, highly intelligent woman, but wowza, she kept a lot of secrets from her husband! Mark was super stressed about his job, and the reader can feel his frustration from being trapped in between his caseloads and spending time with his family.
There are several characters, as well as multiple subplots told from both the good guys’ and the bad guys’ POV. Almost all of the characters were connected in some way, but these coincidences made sense and rounded out the plotlines, bringing everything full circle.
The story is pretty long (about 4500% on my Kindle) with a lot of description and detailed scientific information. Some of the science lingo/explanations confused me, but I understood most of it without getting lost. The narrative is written in third person and through multiple POVs with proper scene breaks. I’m always grateful to read a book where there’s no head-hopping!
I don’t know if Ms. Becker plans to write more books set in this universe, but I hope she does. Most of the loose ends were tied up, but I want to know more about Hailey’s sexy friend, Parker. The poor man deserves a happy ending after all the pain and loss he’s been through.
I definitely like Ms. Becker’s writing style and would love to read more of her work. Make sure you have some tissues handy when you read this book!
5 Stars
Disclaimer – I volunteered to read and review this book. Thank you, C. Becker, for sending me an ebook copy. I am not paid or compensated in any way, shape, or form for this review. I will not change or alter this review for any reason unless at my discretion.
Euphoria is a fast-paced gripping thriller that is filled with so many twists and turns it captures the reader from the first page and holds them hostage until the final mind-blowing end.
Hailey Robinson survives a traumatic childhood. As an adult, she appears as an everyday wife and mother of two, but even her husband of ten years doesn’t know who Hailey really is, the horrors she survived as a child, or the secret life she leads.
The fast-paced, suspense-filled plot is complex and revolves around the development of a super drug that is supposed to induce a euphoric state, but in the wrong hands is altered and causes unsuspecting teens to hallucinate and die. Each character is well-developed and their lives are interwoven. Every paragraph moves the plot and multiple subplots forward that the reader is constantly at the edge of their seat wondering what will happen next.
Becker takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride through the world of illegal drug development and sale. Drugs, greed, murder, violence, mayhem, and even romance, Euphoria delivers on every level!