{"id":6448,"date":"2026-05-28T09:51:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T09:51:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=6448"},"modified":"2026-05-28T09:51:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T09:51:23","slug":"pull-by-cj-finch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/?p=6448","title":{"rendered":"Pull by CJ Finch"},"content":{"rendered":"

A tightly paced supernatural thriller involved in the seedy handlings of tech secrets<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In C.J. Finch\u2019s ambitious page-turner Pull, <\/em>a man with the psychic ability to gain people\u2019s memories through mere touch is targeted for high-value unencrypted files by an unknown and equally gifted assailant.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In New York City, Alex Hemsley is the chief technology officer at Sentry Data Security, working with his CEO brother, Drew. When a mysterious package with a flash drive is dropped on his desk the day after one of his team members passes away suddenly, he is shocked to find unencrypted data files of confidential information.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When two other top-tier data warehouses are hacked and their files also show up on Alex\u2019s desk mysteriously, he and Drew realize something big is afoot. Over a friendly \u201cfishing for information\u201d dinner with two women from their competition, Prexler, Alex is drawn to Jessie while Drew chats up Analise. They soon learn they are sisters and their brother, Gideon Prexler, is the CEO of the family business.<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

What Alex and Drew know, however, is that Alex has a special gift: by touching people with his bare skin, he absorbs all their memories. Years ago, Alex used his gift to help the police interrogate a man suspected of abducting, torturing, and killing children; ever since that traumatic moment, Alex wears gloves and avoids people altogether, the crush of humanity\u2019s memories too much to bear. Ever since he was a teenager, Alex learned there were other people like him, other \u201cpullers:\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike an urban legend, unverified and unstudied, there seemed to be a handful of us out there. Living under the radar, away from society\u2019s eager eye, like a bug scrambling away from a jar.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Drew is eager for Alex to \u201cpull\u201d Jessi, Prexler\u2019s CTO, to see what he can find out so he can protect his company. Alex, finding he is warming to Jessie, refuses and their second \u201cdouble date\u201d ends in a fraternal argument. When Jessie moves in to give Alex a kiss on the cheek outside the restaurant, he sees a woman he\u2019d like to be with. But suddenly, tragedy strikes as a van roars up, with gun-wielding men kidnapping Analise and leaving Jessie fatally shot. From here, Finch takes readers on the ultimate head trip that even the best prognosticator could not predict.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the aftermath, Alex and Drew race against time to save Analise, who is being held for ransom. The price? Delivery of the unencrypted data files their company protects: the identities and confidential information of criminals and people in witness protection. Do they give up the files or risk losing Analise\u2019s life? Alex decides to leave fear behind and drop the gloves to help save Jessie\u2019s sister. But at what cost to his own mind? \u201cI couldn\u2019t take the crossover anymore, the memory bleed,\u201d<\/em><\/strong> but he must if they are to save a life.<\/p>\n

Author CJ Finch deftly manages both themes of the story\u2014technology hacking and psychic abilities\u2014with tight pacing and adrenaline-pumping sequences. Memory, mystery, and mental mayhem are the trifecta driving this inventive narrative, while authentic human touch-points (pun intended) ensure readers remain fully invested in the characters. A jaw-dropping finale leaves the door wide open for future installments too. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Pull <\/em>will do just that\u2014pull readers in with its unusual premise, likable protagonist, and the promise there is more to discover in the world of pushers and pullers.<\/p>\n

The post Pull by CJ Finch<\/a> appeared first on Independent Book Review<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A tightly paced supernatural thriller involved in the seedy handlings of tech secrets In C.J. Finch\u2019s ambitious page-turner Pull, a man with the psychic ability to gain people\u2019s memories through mere touch is targeted for high-value unencrypted files by an unknown and equally gifted assailant.\u00a0 In New York City, Alex Hemsley is the chief technology […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6448","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bookreviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6448"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6448"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6448\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookloves.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}