It is always a little leap of faith when selecting a book by an author one is unfamiliar with. Will it be written well? Does it have a strong and sturdy plot with fascinating and intricate characters? Thankfully the answer is yes (mostly) for R.E. Holding's "Metaxysm". The prologue introduces us to some sort of monster/man hybrid that, to borrow my granddaughter's terminology, is just yucky. Quite squid-like, while trying to retain what remains of its human nature, it is on the hunt. At first unclear who or what the prey might be, a late night elderly dog walker and two very high drug addicts all seem to be in imminent peril. But, no. This creature is searching for a particular human. End of prologue. In the first chapter we are introduced to Abby, a relatively new apprentice inventor at Soto Labs, who thus far has failed to produce an actual invention. Her back story is revealed in well timed increments (issues with her parents, thus far only failed romances, etc.) and we learn more about her shadowy, slightly shady employer. Where exactly do all those mysterious supplies come from, materials that are not natural to our planets, and curiously named kits (like paroxysm) containing quirky liquids? And who is this "elf" that stocks all the individual labs every night, sight unseen? And why does it take Ben ( our main supporting character) months to finally take Abby under his wing and start to slowly explain what the deal is in this corporate culture? Will Tony reveal himself to be the slithery snake events seem to indicate? Will Tyler, the stalkerish love interest, manage to redeem himself or will he continue down the wrong path? Holding definitely captures your interest for most of the narrative. And then the story switches up a bit. Holding opts to employ a "choose your ending" strategy and the reader is presented with three options: "Investigator" or "Paralysis" or "Creeps". This is where some readers may be a bit puzzled. I personally was never fond of this sort of book when I was a child-mainly because it forced me to disengage from the fantasy I was enveloped in and reality could, and often did, resurface while I was thinking about which way I wanted the characters to proceed. Also, since many of us are (at least some of the time) utilizing an e-reader instead of a print book, we have to scroll through the other paths which could lead to spotting some of that action. I am not going to share which of the three I picked, though I did actually end up reading all of them (which may very well be the author's intention) and two of them ended with "Mulligan !"(some of you might have to google that definition and it is not the one about the stew, lol)- which sort of restored the author's status for me. Holding has created a bit of a hybrid in this novel-part mystery, part horror, and a little bit of science fiction. Definitely worth a read!