The Flesh by E. Bacon is a mind-boggling psychological thriller. Alina Bacca, a young theology student, is attending college in Abilene, TX. She leaves the city life of Chicago and heads to rural Texas, hoping to find soulful peace and spiritual inspiration. Alina believes that the Bible is the single most compelling book ever written, and she wants to study it. Yet, this woman seems to have two distinctive natures: whimsical innocence and unbridled dark passion. Plagued by nightmares, sleep walking and panic attacks, her world goes from tranquil to fear in an instant. She seeks help and solace from friends, (good ones and bad ones) the church and psychological counseling, searching for freedom from her tormented and confused soul. Alina meets Jordan, a former Marine, who has a trouble-filled life of his own. Is this a match made in heaven ... or will the demons of the past haunt them forever?

E. Bacon portrays the harsh realities of carnal nature in The Flesh. At times, the work is hard to follow, but I truly believe that this is intentional due to the twisted mind of the main character, Alina. The characters are depicted to the core of their being, and their thoughts and emotions explode off the pages. The author writes effortlessly and with uninhibited figurative language. The story is told in first person narrative, from the viewpoint of the two main characters. This technique adds to the action and the essence of the thriller. It reads like a high speed car chase, where the characters are racing against each other. While reading, there were times I wanted to put the book down; there was too much to swallow. But I was compelled to keep reading because I had to know what was going to happen. E. Bacon writes a provocative and exhausting roller coaster ride of a thriller. By the end, The Flesh leaves you open-mouthed, stunned and gasping for breath.

The Flesh is the story of slightly kooky grad student, Alina Bacca. When we first meet Alina, she is literally running for her life from an unknown assailant, getting the story off to a heart-pounding pace. But as we get to know Alina, she isn’t kooky or even eccentric; she is diligent about the regimens that keep her healthy, happy and centered. She has uprooted her life to seek “religious fulfillment” at a religious university in Texas. E. Bacon does a fantastic job slowly revealing the multiple causes of Alina’s behavior. A tragic assault upon her and a fire taking her first love have made it difficult for her to often discern fantasy from reality and this is the crux of The Flesh.

Although Alina has always had a passion for theology, it is clear that this is just another way to tether herself to the memory of her dead fiancé. What makes The Flesh such an interesting read is not only Alina’s unusual way of speaking, but the turmoil she feels over her short-lived relationship with Galen. E. Bacon writes so effectively that it is left to the reader to decide if her guilt is based on her religious beliefs or if she feels she is betraying Ethan. This story is written in a very sober manner, mostly free of the drama that makes a story move, but The Flesh doesn’t need it, owing to the depth of characters like Alina and Jordan. Throughout the story you hope Alina will prevail against the darkness, but a small part knows that she doesn’t want it enough to truly fight it. The Flesh is a riveting story that isn’t always what it seems, but is a well written story guaranteed to make you think.