Laois author and podcaster releases exciting new thriller

A Mountmellick author and podcaster has just released his gripping new audio thriller, How It Falls Apart, following the success of his debut novel in just 2024.

Gary Colton published his first novel, Dark Finds, in 2024 which centred around a young detective who falls in love with the serial killer she is trying to catch. His background in psychology and thesis in psychopathy inspired this exciting and dark tale.

Now, Colton has decided to delve into a topic which is just as horrifying, with the dystopian and authoritarian world of How It Falls Apart. 

As Colton himself describes it: "This story immerses you in a totalitarian society ruled by propaganda and fear, where The Authority will stop at nothing to maintain its grip on power."

Speaking to the Leinster Express / Laois Live, Colton said: "I think after coming out of Dark Finds, I wanted to write another thriller. I think the serial killer market is probably a bit saturated and so I was thinking to myself what is scarier than a serial killer? In my estimation anyway, it's a totalitarian regime."

The author explained that he started writing the story in 2024 and during this time he noticed a greater sense of fear in society around autocracy. 

"A lot of the news headlines were kind of circling around division and political polarization. It’s kind of fuelling this, I suppose, nearly fear of a national takeover or a society that is literally stripped of all their identity and all their rights. Obviously we're not there yet, but you can kind of see the warning signs."

Colton continued: "It happens so slowly. It's like the frog slowly boiling in the pot. The motivation behind this book was to really show people what lies ahead if we keep focusing on division and maybe don't stand up to the warning signs of autocratic power. It's to really highlight that horror."

Similar to his last book, How It Falls Apart definitely has a psychological element. However, Colton explained that rather than focusing solely on the individual, the emphasis here is more on society, cultural norms and big topic issues such as freedom.

The story also explores the evolution of AI and if it followed a frightening trajectory where it could know people's behaviour and predict their thoughts.

The audio thriller is available on Spotify for free and chapters are released weekly for listeners to enjoy.

For Colton, releasing the story on Spotify heightens the experience for people. He said: "The cinematic sound design and narration truly draws the listener in, making them feel as though they are part of the characters' world."

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As well as a writer, the Laois man also hosts the fascinating podcast 'Dark Finds' and his hugely popular Instagram page which has over 300,000 followers also runs under the same name.

Colton described the podcast as "very eclectic", with guests varying from Stradbally Parish Priest Father David Vard to ex-cons, cult survivors, writers, and experts in forensics and psychology. Essentially, as Colton said, "people that have a really interesting story."

He even noted: "I've had a genuine psychopath on the show, which was probably one of the most interesting episodes I've done. She wrote a book called Confessions of a Sociopath. She was very open and honest. But that interview was very chilling."