Shackled

A taut, suspense thriller about a girl’s abduction that leaves her best friend emotionally paralyzed, until a chance encounter points her toward the truth…and a terrifying new danger.

In Tom Leveen’s Shackled, sixteen-year-old Pelly has a master plan. After years of therapy, medication, and a stint in a psychiatric hospital, she’s finally ready to re-enter the world.

Pelly has suffered from severe panic attacks ever since her best friend, Tara, disappeared from a mall six years ago. Her plan to take back her life seems to be working, starting with a job at a local indie coffee shop, until an unkempt girl accompanied by an older man walks in. Pelly thinks she’s seen a ghost, until the girl mouths “help me” on the way out, and Pelly knows: she’s just seen Tara.

Determined not to be shackled by her past—and the anxiety, fear, and grief that comes with it—any longer, Pelly determins to save Tara. But in seeking answers through whatever means necessary, she’ll come face-to-face with true evil.

And not all the shackles are in her head…

Praise for SHACKLED

“The story is short and fast-moving, and suspense builds quickly as Pelly puts herself in increasingly dangerous situations with only half-baked plans for getting out of them. Pelly’s anxiety and strategies for managing her mental health—cutting herself, snapping a rubber band, smoking—are well-integrated into her character; this is a book about a person not an issue.” ~ Kirkus

“Really enjoyed this book!! The characters are real. The dialogue is real. This author has a real talent for making you feel like you’re listening to real people having conversations.”  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Amazon review

“I finished this book about an hour ago, and my heart rate just returned to normal.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazon review

“I could not put this down. I read it in one sitting well into the early morning.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazon review

Available at Amazon in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audio.

SHACKLED TRIVIA

~ The way Pelly describes her symptoms are a matter of personal experience by Tom, who suffered with a severe panic disorder for many years.

~ The novel grew from an unfinished story Tom began writing while working as a library aide in the mid-90s. The main character (who became Pelly) worked over the summer at a public library in a small town.

~ The last name of one of the adults in the novel comes from the director of the film Giant Spider Invasion, a poster of which Tom has on the wall in his office. It has a certain quality to it he felt served that particular character quite well (with no offense to the director intended!).

~ Parts of the novel are set near the fictional town in Tom’s earlier novel Random.