Instinct or Learned? is a psychological thriller that brings us inside the mind of somebody with one of the rarest conditions known to man. The story begins with the Oklahoma City bombing. After losing two of his beloved family members, Erick Anderson begins to have horrible nightmares. Chalking it up to something along the lines of post-traumatic stress disorder, he visits a psychiatrist to find some relief. Dr. Jacob Gottlieb begins his treatment plan, seeing Erick weekly. Dr. Gottlieb, however, quickly realizes that this is more than just a case of typical night terrors. He uses hypnosis, his exceptional journalistic skills, and the help of a private investigator to slowly piece everything together. There is a battle going on for control of Erick’s mind, and it’s becoming ever clearer that he is not the only one who occupies it. Alongside his co-worker Dr. Jim Hanford and Erick’s beautiful wife Sophia, Dr. Gottlieb finds himself more exorcist than doctor, trying to dispel of an unwanted entity from within a man’s psyche. Even more terrifying, the personality slowly trying to take over Erick’s body has already committed a heinous crime.

Instinct or Learned? is a riveting thriller that keeps the reader fully engaged. The incorporation of historical events gives a very plausible feel to this historical fiction novel. It is believable while also being full of excitement. There are some genre-blurring ideas in the story that are seemingly based in science fiction and I really enjoyed how creative those ideas were and how vividly those ideas were presented in the story. It is clear that a lot of research was done by E. Glenn Tickner in preparation for this novel because the mystery at the heart of the story, as well as the breadcrumbs that lead readers to the center of it, is really well-throughout and the historical details serve to color the story all throughout.

While I was engrossed with the story, I would have appreciated more dynamic dialogue and a more palpable chemistry between the characters because what’s given is interesting, I just want to dive a bit deeper.

Instinct or Learned? is an enthralling medical thriller with elements of a noir-esque crime fiction story that gives this novel a unique feel that I rarely find in literature. The level of intrigue throughout this spellbinding suspense novel is off the charts. I was desperate to know what was going on and the slow reveal was entertaining.

Pages: 247 | ASIN: B08V8SXT3R