Hollywood movie star Goldie Saint Helen comes out of a coma after a car accident with an altered identity. She now believes she is a hippie detective living in the Sixties, hired to find a missing teenage girl who is about to end up a guinea pig in a CIA drug experiment.

Goldie also thinks screenwriter Blake Deco, her husband, is an intern at her detective agency. For the time being, Blake plays along as advised by the hospital until she recovers her memory. However, sinister plotters think it is better that Goldie does not wake up from her fantasy– and they have their reasons.

The couple finds themselves embroiled in a dangerous situation. Blake must use his past military skills as he raced against the clock to save his wife before she loses her mind forever.

‘Far Out’ is a fun concept, that can be over the top in terms of plot and action sequences, but that only helps to add to its charm. It reads like a blockbuster action film from the 1980s and 90s where it’s enjoyable to suspend your beliefs in an effort to escape reality.

However, the flaw of this novel is that there is too much going on in terms of characters and plot. While it’s part of a series so I understand there is an obligation for some people to reappear, the two halves of the novel feel like different stories in terms of tone. The first half is more character-driven with Blake trying to help his wife return to her normal self while the second half focuses on Blake needing to be an action hero to overcome formidable external obstacles.

While the plot does connect, it did feel like the novel would have greatly improved with editing and reduction. The action sequences are very well-written and these pages are easy to read and digest. Blake and Goldie are interesting characters who seem bigger than life.

The chapters are short and this is a quick and entertaining book to read with a great concept. I just would have liked to see the “Goldie” personality have more impact on the second half since most of the drama in the first half was managing the wife’s amnesia.

Khaled Talib’s books have received reviews in Publishers Weekly and international newspapers. Born and raised in Singapore, the author is also a member of the International Thriller Writers.

Before he started writing thrillers, Khaled was a magazine journalist and public relations consultant. When he is not writing, Khaled spends most of his time reading, baking, and traveling the world.

Dan Kowalski is a novelist and screenwriter based in Virginia. In 2023 his novel ‘Suicide Bridge’ debuted which is going to be followed up with ‘Family Feud’. Several of his screenplays have been optioned by Hollywood production companies with two set to go into production in 2024.