The Diseased By S.M. Thomas

‘The Diseased’ is the latest book in the ‘Paige Hanson’ series by S.M. Thomas.

Paige Hanson wakes up to a question that turns her stomach; “Where is your husband?” As she struggles to grasp the wisps of memory returning to her she begins to realise that there’s more at stake than Leo’s whereabouts. With no other leads in their investigation the State turns on Paige, painting her as the number one suspect in her husbands disappearance. She’s left with no choice but to turn towards the teachings of the one person she swore never to become in order to prove her innocence and, along the way, begins to realise that some questions are best left unanswered.

The story is seen primarily through the eyes of Paige, who’s husband has disappeared and she has no idea where is he or what has happened to him. Set in a dystopian time where where there is Earth 1 and Earth 2, there is little freedom and strict rules. Paige has to live under surveillance from the government as they believe she’s behind Leo’s disappearance but she’s also a key part in finding a cure for the virus that has the world in lockdown.

The story is a bleak and dismal one, that’s not far from ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. In a world, where there’s little hope but is plagued by lies and betrayal. Paige is under extreme pressure, under the watchful eye of her mother-in-law Regina who never approved of her and her own vigilante mother who never lived by the new world rules, preferring to do her own thing.

The story flows in a fast pace and with it being the first book in a series, it really sets the scene and atmosphere of the story.

The characters are an interesting mix of personalities, from the loyal committed residents to those who live their lives in secret, hidden from laws and judgment.

An interesting story that unsettlingly isn’t too far from real life with viruses and lockdowns, ‘The Diseased’ is a tense story about trying to live freely in a controlled world.

You can buy ‘The Diseased’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.