I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

From the moment I read the introduction, I expected Malignant to take me on an intense journey. It did not disappoint. The level of intensity went beyond my expectation. Malignant is one of those books where it’s best for the reader to go in blind. I have read several thrillers since the start of the year, but none like this one. From the moment I began reading, I was hooked, and this was before the actual story began.Malignant is told through the eyes of ace reporter Connie Kendall. The author, with his descriptive writing style, pulled me into the story. I felt every emotion the characters experienced. Their fears, pain, sadness and despair. Some scenes literally sent chills down my spine. I tried putting the book aside a few times, but it proved difficult, despite the gruesomeness of some scenes.Teacher intrigued me. I wondered at his motives. The most macabre story of revenge I have read. Teacher came to teach and taught he did. It’s a lesson no one would soon forget. I know I will not be forgetting this story soon.

I may not agree with his actions, but grief can lead to irrational actions, which is what happened in this case. His emotional turmoil led to diabolical actions. I wondered what lesson teacher was trying to impart. Malignant had me guessing a mile a minute, but then I realized I was wasting time trying to figure it all out. Teacher had no plans to reveal his hand until he was good and ready. He left me in the dark just like he did the reporters and law enforcement officials.As the story progressed, the reasoning behind his actions became clear. At that moment I found understood why he did what he did and I could not help but empathize with him. If placed in a similar position, I don’t what I would do. I can safely say I know I would not have had the guts to do what he did. Malignant touched on topics that have been plaguing society for a while. It was dark, chilling, gruesome and shows how dark and desperate the human heart can be. We see how people in high positions abuse their power because of greed. The story further shows the domino effect of a single act of evil.

This was my first Michaelbrent Collings book and I look forward to reading more of his work. Love chilling. twisted and dark stories hen Malignant would be perfect for your library.

This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading