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MENTICULOUS

A supercomputer so powerful, it pierces the veil of reality.

Broke and desperate, logic-minded software engineer Cooper Timm is thrown a lifeline: a staggering salary to resurrect the world’s most advanced virtual reality system. But, by the end of his first day on the job, a team member is found brutally slaughtered. Cooper’s CEO blames the death on a corporate conspiracy. Cooper isn’t so sure about that… but the hallucinations are making it hard to focus.  


As Cooper and his ex-associate, Leslie Wang, decipher clues left by the system’s deceased creator, they unravel ancient math equations hidden in the system’s source code, leading them to a terrifying truth: the system isn’t just simulating reality; it’s bending it.  


Time is running out. Darkness is closing in. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to know what’s real, what’s virtual, and what’s merely a hallucination. This time… Cooper will need more than logic to rewrite the laws of physics and save himself, the woman he loves… and perhaps even humanity… from the Menticulous.

Coming November 10, 2026

A relentless page-turner, Menticulous is a mind-bending thriller of paranoia, science fiction puzzles, and high-stakes dread that pushes the limits of human understanding.

Ready to pursue the chilling truth?

Just be forewarned. You can't go back from this! 

WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING

KIRKUS REVIEWS

PORTLAND BOOK REVIEW

KIRKUS REVIEWS

 "Te Ronde’s storytelling is as immersive as the Menticulous itself… Nightmares and advanced technology meet in this riveting exploration of the potential dangers of scientific discovery."  

BLUEINK REVIEW

PORTLAND BOOK REVIEW

KIRKUS REVIEWS

 "Te Ronde’s creativity is on full display in his writing style and spiraling plot… a visceral, interactive reading experience that’s dizzying and addictive…"

PORTLAND BOOK REVIEW

PORTLAND BOOK REVIEW

PORTLAND BOOK REVIEW

"The movie in your head is running… that’s the trick James Te Ronde pulls off in his debut… a gut-punch closer that makes you want the sequel…"

MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

FOREWORD CLARION REVIEW

PORTLAND BOOK REVIEW

"Original, exceptional, and a compulsive page-turner of a read from start to finish...Deftly crafted, inherently fascinating, and impressively memorable, Menticulous is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended pick…"

FOREWORD CLARION REVIEW

FOREWORD CLARION REVIEW

FOREWORD CLARION REVIEW

"... [a] fast-moving plot, which shifts with rapidity… a dazzling science fiction novel in which exceptional people go up against an unpredictable virtual reality…"  

READER'S FAVORITE

FOREWORD CLARION REVIEW

FOREWORD CLARION REVIEW

5 OUT 5 STARS IN ALL SIX CATEGORIES!

"… Menticulous kept me immersed from the first scene to the last. … I highly recommend this brilliant novel…"

COMING NOVEMBER 10, 2026

eBook, Hardcover, Paperback, and Large Print!

ISBN:  979-8-9961225-0-9 

PRE-ORDER NOW!

NOT READY TO BUY? START WITH A FREE STORY

Within the Network Mind is a free novelette set in the world of Menticulous!

GET THE FREE STORY
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Copyright © 2026 James Te Ronde - All Rights Reserved.

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