Pebble in the Dark

by Antony Botting

A sci-fi thriller and the first in a series of novels by Antony Botting.
The discovery of a hidden extraterrestrial craft on Earth attracts attention from those who would seek to possess and learn from it.
As the casualties mount, nobody is safe in this action packed story of deception and violence.

The Pebble lay lost and undisturbed for millennia, harbouring answers to eternal questions.
Five sealed auction invitations, sent to heads of state to ensure that the Pebble does not fall into the hands of a clandestine organisation by the name of Onyx, trigger an unforeseen sequence of events.
The residence of Ambassador Francis Sunderland is the venue for a celebration in honour of Wasyl Bohdanov, which takes a turn for the sinister. The Ambassador is contacted by an old friend, but it isn’t a social call.
A young woman will stop at nothing to deliver the Pebble to Onyx. The organisation which took her in and protected her from a terrible past.
The stage is set for humanity’s ultimate struggle for knowledge and power.

Genres: Science Fiction, Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Ebooks

269 pages, Paperback

First published May 9, 2017

About the author

Antony Botting was born in London, England. Graduating from the University of Hull with a Masters in International Law & Politics, he now works in the field of modern slavery and human trafficking.

Playing Host is now available.

twitter.com/AntonyBotting
facebook.com/OfficialAntonyBotting/

Reviews

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can*]

I recieved this via goodreads giveaways in exchange for an honest review. All my opinions are my own:).

*Slowly catching up on my ebook giveaways wins, life stuff happened and got behind haha, plus ebook funk*
----

DNF at 30%

Was looking forward to this one alot. It started off slow but kind of promising so I tried to give it a chance.
Writing was good but ultimately, I was bored *shrugs* Aah well :(

I appreciate winning the book, but unfortunately not for me.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book after winning a signed paperback copy in a Goodreads Giveaway, so thank you to the author for that. It doesn't affect my review though!

The book is a somewhat mysterious tale about the secret auction of an ancient and potentially world-changing artefact, and a clandestine organisation intent on obtaining the item at all costs. It is quite obviously only the first book in a series, as the story is only just opening and there is much left unresolved by the end.

The characters in the book are good and many. There are a few different 'lead' characters, and the story is told from their various viewpoints in different chapters. It all comes together well, however, and it will be very interesting to see how the characters grow and interact in future books in the series. I hope to get more backstory about the characters, as in this opening book they remain mostly unknown.

I enjoyed the book overall. The writing style is subtle and quite elegant, which made a nice change from the edgier writing usually seen in this genre. I think my only criticism would be that I expected to be more excited by the story, and I wasn't really. Don't get me wrong, it isn't boring at all and the story is good and interesting, but it just doesn't have any adrenaline or urgency. You won't be on the edge of your seat for this one. But don't get me wrong - it was still a good read and I am looking forward to reading the next book, but this is why I would give this book 3.5 stars and not 4.

[Susan Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. It is the first book in a series and it was well written. There was a lot going on, so it mostly held my interest throughout. I did find it slow in some areas and in others a bit violent. The author uses his vocabulary to create violent scenes, maybe a bit more graphic than I would usually like.

Overall, the characters were well created. There were some that I didn’t mind and then there were a couple that I really disliked. There was no character that I really took a liking too though. There didn’t seem to be much emphasis on those characters that you might like. Those that I didn’t like were terrible in one way or another.

This author does not have a problem killing off characters either. Quite a few don’t make it far into the story. Overall, the characters weren’t bad and the story wasn’t bad. I would probably give this three and a half stars if I could.

[William Bitner Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre - Science Fiction/Thriller
Pages - 271
Publication Info - Antony Botting - May 7, 2017
Format - Digital
Stars - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

There are times, I think, when books should come with supplies such as seat belts, motion sickness medicine, airline tickets, passports, maps and any number of traveling accoutrements required for international travel. ”Pebble in the Dark (Pebble in the Dark - Book 1)” by Antony Botting, is one such book. I had such a great time navigating through different places, and traveling along with all these wonderful characters. This book is packed to the edges with characters; however, they are not lost in the mix or hard to keep track of. When a book is written with such harmony and rhythm, it’s easy to keep step and dance along with all that’s happening. As I’ve said about other books, the words, the story, and the characters need to sing in harmony with a clear melody. That is achieved in this suspense filled, intriguing and and most entertaining read. This book had for me a bit of a noir feeling to it. It was very descriptive and atmospheric in regard to the locations and activities of the characters. A very nice mix of science fiction and suspense with what looks like much more to come in the next installment, ”Pebble in the Dark - The Trauma (Pebble in the Dark, Book 2)”.

Synopsis (from back cover): A sci-fi thriller and the first in a series of novels by Antony Botting.

The discovery of a hidden extraterrestrial craft on Earth attracts attention from those who would seek to possess and learn from it.

As the casualties mount, nobody is safe in this action packed story of deception and violence.

The Pebble lay lost and undisturbed for millennia, harbouring answers to eternal questions.

Five sealed auction invitations, sent to heads of state to ensure that the Pebble does not fall into the hands of a clandestine organisation by the name of Onyx, trigger an unforeseen sequence of events.

The residence of Ambassador Francis Sunderland is the venue for a celebration in honour of Wasyl Bohdanov, which takes a turn for the sinister. The Ambassador is contacted by an old friend, but it isn’t a social call.

A young woman will stop at nothing to deliver the Pebble to Onyx. The organisation which took her in and protected her from a terrible past.

The stage is set for humanity’s ultimate struggle for knowledge and power.

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

There's an auction for an alien spacecraft. A mysterious organization called Onyx wants it. Nations also want it.

There's a good premise here, but the book doesn't live up to it.

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a Kindle copy of this through a GoodReads Giveaway and I appreciate that very much. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this story as much as I was hoping to. I actually ended up abandoning this one at about the 25% mark. At that point I was losing interest and a little bit of patience. I had a hard time figuring out who some of the characters were supposed to be, their relationship to each other, or why I should care about them. And at 25% there was only the barest hint that this story was science fiction in any way (a mysterious discovery is mentioned but not revealed). This should probably have another run of editing as there were some pacing issues and moments of confusing grammar that ultimately took me out of the story. This was not bad, just boring and in need of a bit of improvement.

[Read Ng · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a GoodReads giveaway of an ebook edition of the first part of a series.

Something about the writing style that made it difficult to get past the first 5 pages. I told myself to just suck it up and read.

This story reminded me of the Preston Child stories. Suspense / thriller with a dash of science fiction.
Well, I did not feel that Botting executed. Not very suspenseful. Science fiction was referred to, but lacked any sense of the author having any understanding of science. I mostly felt bored. I also despise books that really should be called 'Chapters'. No real conclusion. You have to keep reading the story to find out what the mystery is all about. It just did not work for me.

I will be skipping this series. Have a GoodReads.

[Darren Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the interest of full disclosure, I need to state up front that I got a Kindle copy of this book as part of the Goodreads Giveaway program.

Stephen King is notorious for saying that the road to Hell is paved with adverbs. I never used to believe that... and then I read this book.

To be fair, I don't really know what I was expecting going into it. The Giveaway description called it an "action packed story" where the "casualties mount" in a quest to obtain an object of extraterrestrial origin.

And to be fair, the second half of the book lives up to that description. This is why the book ultimately gets three stars instead of one and an incomplete read.

Had I not been determined to slog my way through the book in order to review it (after all, that is the purpose of the giveaways), I would likely have put it down before I even reached the quarter mark. The first half is so filled with grammar issues, including the aforementioned overuse of adverbs, that it kept me from getting immersed in the story the author was trying to tell.

At some point, however, a switch flipped. A gear slipped into place, and the intrigue took over enough that I was yanked out of the story less and less, until I wanted to know what happened next. What is this Pebble, and how will it impact the lives of our protagonists?

Writing a book is hard, and I do not want to minimize the effort that the author expended bringing this tale to his fans. On the positive, the story ultimately pays off, and I am considering picking up the second book.

However, it is also an author's job to make the journey hard on the reader only in an emotional sense, and not to the point where it feels like work just to read it.

If you are the type who enjoys the twists and turns of an espionage tale and don't mind having to wade through too many adverbs and dangling participles (and more than its fair share of telling instead of showing), give it a shot. I think your patience will be rewarded.

If you need a taut thriller that grabs you from page one, however, I recommend looking elsewhere.

The TL;DR version: It's a good story, but the presentation left much to be desired.

[Amy Farley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received my Kindle copy for free through a good reads giveaway.

Pebble in the Dark is an exciting story idea. Full of embassies, and secret auctions and an evil secret society of wealthy powerful members. It has Russians and assassins.

It also lacked compelling characters so I found while the story line should have been a major page turner, I was not invested in the characters enough to care about them.

The last 20 or so pages finally had me invested in what was happening, so I do have high hopes for the second book in the series. This one ends with the mystery still unknown and a decent body count.

[Wiebke (1book1review) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was gifted this book and didn't realise it was classified as a sci-fi espionage thriller. Anybody who knows me knows I get bored by thrillers easily. And unfortunately this happened here as well. I liked the audiobook, it was well done and it was engaging enough to finish the book. But I can't say I cared about the story or the characters, which doesn't mean it's bad, it's just not something I'm super interested in. Characters were flat and stock figures, so nothing to get attached to there.
You might like the book a lot more if you like the genre. It is the first in a trilogy and I am not going to continue to find out where the story with the pebble ends.

[Paige Costinescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Antony Botting's debut novel follows the discovery of the ‘Pebble in the Dark’ a mysterious artefact that may hold the key to understanding the origin of life on Earth. The location of the pebble is offered up at an auction ,to some of the most influential government bodies in the world, triggering a series of events into motion. The narrative is told from the perspective of multiple characters. Whilst some are unknowingly thrust into the world of the pebble, others have been relentlessly pursuing it for years and will stop at nothing to obtain it.

Whilst it is implied that this novel is purely science fiction, there is very little science fiction about it other than the pebble, which hints at being an extra-terrestrial form of life, and a few other details scattered throughout the book. This is in no way a negative thing, instead it is endearing with Botting hinting at the possible pathway the book can take into the realms of science fiction just enough to keep the reader interested. The novel instead plunges the reader into a world of espionage and intrigue which follows more along the lines of a thriller. The fact that the novel is told from multiple perspectives only adds to the suspense with Botting keeping the reader in the dark about many of the characters intentions. This leads the reader to sometimes question the morality of his characters and to wonder whether their intentions are for the better or not. The only thing I would have liked to see a little more of is character development. The characters that Botting has created some engrossing characters that are worth exploring in more depth.

This novel is elegantly written and well-paced giving it a very polished feel. I am looking forward to reading the second instalment of the trilogy!

[Tim Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know this is the authors first novel - and with that in mind I'm going 5 stars for a first effort. This is clearly a story in the realm of science fiction - but it takes a leisurely approach to moving fully into that genre, with a feel of an espionage thriller for much of the book. There is plenty to get your teeth into here, and I will buy the second book as it has held my interest as to where it will go next.

[Kim Melso · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from goodreads giveaways. This book got better toward the end. Honestly I would rate the first half 2 stars and the last half 4.5. The beginning, I was so confused. I really didn’t understand what was going on, who all the characters were, or what they were looking for. I know the mystery of the Pebble is what was causing so much confusion for the characters, but I think too much of that confusion was placed in the reader.

I loved Olivia’s character development and the idea behind her. I hated Henrietta, everything about her was awful. Once the object had actually been found, the book got way more interesting and intriguing. The scifi was able to shine through and the storyline had more depth and detail. Overall I would read any additional books that came out in this series if the writing continued as the style from the end of this book.

[Shirley Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, this tightly woven tale moves quickly. The story is full of twists and turns with many Oh my goodness moments.
When an object as powerful as the pebble is the prized gem for many, the lure to possess it can cause mayhem. Lives are lost. Lies are told. Secrets sold. Who will possess the pebble and will they keep it out of the hands of Onyx? What are the secrets the pebble holds?
This story is set up well for the next installment as this sci-fi thriller is starting to arc.
I gave it 3 stars because there are so many characters introduced that it can be a little befuddling.
I would like to thank Mr. Botting for sending me a copy of this book and allowing me to read his work.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a free Kindle edition through Goodreads giveaways. I’m solidly between a 3 and 4 on this one. I liked the story, but it felt as if all the science fiction was crammed into the last 10 percent of the novel. Prior to that it was more like a political thriller. I wish the science fiction aspect had been more prevalent throughout. I think I understand why it was not, but I would have liked more.

I was waiting for some sort of resolution to wrap up the story at the end. I am okay with books that leave the reader wanting more, but what I was left with was what felt like half a book. It ended so abruptly and I was left wondering if my edition was missing a few chapters.

I’d still read the next book in the series because I want to know what happens next.

[Bill Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a free kindle copy of Pebble in the Dark by Anthony Hitting on a Goodreads giveaway. This is the first book of a series mixing science fiction and suspense. The story revolves around an object found by an archeologist who finds the pebble and sets up an auction between the world's powerful governments for the location of this find. There is also a secret organization that wants the object.
The book starts out slow. There isn't any real suspense and it is a slow start. The first half of the book seemed to drag on for me but it did start to pick up speed later. Unfortunately, it never became very interesting to me. Pebble in the Dark has a good idea but the execution just wasn't there for me.

[Jessica Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a Kindle edition of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.

I really enjoyed this book. If you believe in panspermia or at least entertain the notion of it, then this is a read for you. The story line was fun and keeps you on your toes. I look forward to the next book. There is real promise as to where this story line could go, so I hope the execution of the next one is just as good if not better.

[Kristofer Younger · Rating 1 out of 5]

where’s the sci fi?

23% into the book all i have is damp bomb shelters, dead people, a Benz in deep snow, and some vague notions about an ancient space ship to be auctioned off (by who?) deep under a sheraton in some eastern european country. too much thriller, not enough science fiction.

[Brandi Huffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this audiobook! I listened to it on the way home for Christmas. I'm glad I did! I wish I had the second one on audiobook so I could have continued the story. If you are more of a standalone book kind of person you may not appreciate the way the first book ends. However, if you love a good series this book could be for you.

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goodreads Kindle Copy Win

The story is not as engaging as I expect it to be. It lack something which made it not cohesive as I would like it. I was not emotionally involved in the story nor its main character. I was left disappointed

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book from a giveaway by Goodreads. I always enjoy trying books by different authors, however, this book is not the type of book for me. I found it quite confusing and hard to follow.

[Sahreth Bowden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please keep in mind during this review that the sequel is epic and well worth reading through my minor complaints on the first novel. I don’t normally review a book after I’ve read future books in the series, but I’m glad I waited to read the sequel before critiquing this one. It has allowed me to better appreciate the setup of book one and the author’s writing style as well as see that its slow pace is abandoned in future installments in favor of page-turning action and intrigue. Here are my thoughts on book one only:

As with most first books in a series, ‘Pebble in the Dark’ is a bit slow as it set up its world. It took me a little while to get into, the major factor keeping my attention being the mysteries surrounding the artifact that the characters are on the hunt for (albeit some of them unwillingly). The story starts within the realm of the rich and powerful (admittedly not a setting I personally prefer, but one which has not affected my rating) with a surprise party. Everything seems normal at first and I began to wonder with all the mundane proceedings when the shoe was going to drop.

Behind-the-scenes workings are gradually introduced, quickly (as per the timeline of the world) devolving a celebratory evening into one of unexpected horror. Espionage, world secrets, dubious governments, assassins, and most of all: a precious, ancient artifact that could change everything we thought we knew about the universe. A sense of mystery was maintained throughout the book that I give kudos for. The author kept me guessing as to who amongst the various characters racing to discover the artifact were going to win, IF anyone was going to win, if the item was actually all it was cracked up to be, and most importantly as per my personal reading preferences, constantly questioning the safety of the characters.

That said, I wasn’t hugely invested in any of the characters on an emotional level. This was inexplicably due to how ‘Pebble in the Dark’ is plot-driven, not character-driven. Once again, stories driven more by character is just a personal preference and therefore not reflected in my rating. I could very easily see the book becoming a movie in the vein of Mission Impossible or Indiana Jones.

If you’re looking for a high stakes action thriller with otherworldly aspects and mystery, ‘Pebble in the Dark’ is for you. The longer you read, the more rewarded you are- and this definitely goes for the series overall, not just this first installment.

[Mark Homan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing story

When an organisation wants an object so badly that it would do anything to get it, then there are bound to be casualties. Especially when this object could hold the key to life as we know it.
The characters, and there are plenty of them, are introduced as the story unfolds and I managed to remember who they were, thanks to the descriptive flair of Antony Botting.
I could easily picture each scenario and the characters portrayed in their scenes as they all became entwined in the search for the Pebble.
I can easily see a sequel being written which could be more of a science fiction novel, as the testing of the Pebble continues to reveal more of its secrets. I did enjoy this book and I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy.

[Miann Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thee first thirty minutes of Pebble in the Dark. Well It took less then thirty minutes to grab my attention, in a Sci-fi, espionage, murderer, scientific discovery on a epic scale, Terrified children, hysterical wives, brave police detectives. Also drinks I will try. Great read. I can only say that this book was so good that I went from my headphones to my Bluetooth speaker to keep from missing any of the action. The audiobook book was my purchase and did not disappoint. The narrator was on top of the game when you want it all ( Men, ladies, children, foreign diplomats, spies and politicians) really good and did I say it was also a sci-fi. Yes spaceship too. Huh! What more could I ask for. Well there were a lot of murders also. Buy the audiobook you will never regret it.

[Bill Schindler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pebble in the Dark

The British Ambassador, Francis Sunderland, stationed in Sophia, Belarus is throwing a surprise birthday party at his home for Kasyl. A blizzard is coming which keeps the guests indoors. Francis receives a call asking him to leave his home with Wasyl. He nervously sends his wife and children to the embassy while he is out. The snow is deep and dangerous but compared to what will unfold, it is a warm walk in the park.
Sunderland will live but will not learn to secret of the pebble. Great start to the series. Recommend for those into human psychiatry and future space exploration and business interests hidden from the common man. On to book 2!

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway back in 2018. This is the first thing I've read by the author.

I'm embarrassed to say it took me so long to get to this book and I'd like to apologize to the author for that. This was a strange book initially, I knew it was a sci-fi novel but it seemed more like a spy thriller (i'm not complaining it just caught me off guard). The story has a good flow and pacing and the characters are interesting. It was difficult to determine some of the characters' motivations initially (remember I said it read more like a spy thriller initially). After finishing this book I'm very intrigued to read the sequel.

[Matilda Scotney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast moving, well-written and descriptive novel. Lots of characters, all given life and purpose. The story is still laying the groundwork for its sci fi elements, but as a thriller, it's very good. I was put in mind of a modern Quatermass Experiment (a BBC programme from years ago). The dialogue worked well (with a few unnecessary dialogue tags the author didn't need to add). I liked this book for its ordinary language and real people.

Get it. Be entertained, then look forward to the next one!

[Xavier Hugonet · Rating 5 out of 5]

While marketed as a science fiction book, the first book of the Peddle in the Dark trilogy is actually an action packed espionnage thriller.

We follow several groups (violently) competing to learn of the location, and to reach a macguffin of possible extraterrestrial origin, and it is quite a wild ride.

It’s a very engaging story that fans of both genres should appreciate, which sets the background, characters, and motivations for the next book in the trilogy

[amanda_coffee_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book in a Goodreads giveaway. In return for honest review. This book in the beginning was off for me but I continue to read on and the mystery and thriller part had more towards the end. I am going to buy book to because the ending was good. I recommend this book for anyone who likes thriller and science part of it. Thank you again for this book.

[Missy Nemeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd use my teen's lingo and call this book a vibe. Almost Poe like in mood, it took a few chapters to draw me in. I love short chapters. Decently paced suspense. I learned a bit about Bulgaria. I liked it enough to buy the next two books. Yes, at times it felt contrived, but that didn't detract for me.