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The Divinity Complex

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The Divinity Complex
“A thrilling, violent, and mysterious story that will make your heart race.�
“A great psychological thriller where a deranged serial killer and wealthy entrepreneur believe they have the power to decide who lives and dies.�


FBI agent Drake Merino’s life is shattered when his fiancé gets involved in the wrong situation and ends up the unexpected third victim of a brutal double-homicide. Drake, and his brother Dominic, chase the serial killer across the country. When the case goes cold, Drake breaks down and succumbs to the unbearable grief. He escapes reality and enters a secretive drug study run by the largest pharmaceutical company in the world. What Drake doesn’t know, is the small town in Wyoming is a front for a dangerous experiment � and all the residents, including himself, are pawns in a deadly game. When Drake comes face-to-face with his fiancé’s killer, only one will make it out alive.

The Divinity Complex is a psychological thriller about a vicious serial killer, a grieving widow’s quest for revenge, and a CEO with a god-complex who brings them together in a fatal conflict. If you like flawed heroes, brutal crime scenes, vigilante justice and shocking twists you won’t see coming, start reading this gripping crime novel today.

323 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2019

101 people are currently reading
84 people want to read

About the author

P.H. Figur

6Ìýbooks10Ìýfollowers

P. H. Figur grew up in Massapequa, a small New York town located on Long Island in the southeast corner of Nassau County. After graduating from C.W. Post College, he spent the next 30+ years working in the accounting/auditing field for three multi-national companies.

IN 2013, Peter started writing a daily journal recapping daily events, capturing his thoughts, and documenting his opinions. That morphed into writing short stories about his travels around the world and his passion for music and sports. He even wrote a hockey blog one year covering his beloved New York Islanders and their final season in the Nassau Coliseum. But the more Peter wrote the more it drove him towards an even more significant project, to start writing his autobiography entitled "Life Sentence", which is still a work in progress. "The New America" and "The Divinity Complex" represented Peter's first two novels.

After so many years, Peter finally found his passion. Some would say it's a shame to find your passion so late in life. But if you asked Peter, he would tell you that wasn't true. "You can't look at life that way. It's always better to find your passion late in life, then never finding your passion at all."

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5 stars
42 (34%)
4 stars
44 (35%)
3 stars
25 (20%)
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9 (7%)
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3 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Grady.
AuthorÌý49 books1,820 followers
September 12, 2018
‘We have no choice in life and death. But sometimes others make the choice for us.�

New York author Peter Harlan Figur earned his degree from C.W. Post College and spent the next 30+ years working in the accounting/auditing field for three multi-national companies. His career as an author began when he started a daily journal recapping daily events, capturing his thoughts, and documenting his opinions, then writing short stories about his travels around the world and his passion for music and sports. But the impact of his talent surfaced when his journals became his autobiography entitled "Life Sentence." Writing became his passion.

Peter’s writing style is engrossing and mesmerizing, taking the reader along on a dissection of the life of a serial killer unlike any other such master of brutality and gore. And yet this story is as much about evil versus good and the twisted mind that can concoct schemes and beliefs of terror as it is about the ‘science� of examining the brain mechanisms whose core is power hunger. Few authors can mold these elements as well as PH Figur, as the following excerpt form the opening of the book attests � ‘Chris Martinez pulled into Jimmie’s Travel Center early Sunday morning. He parked his blue Chevy Impala in the spot closest to the front door and walked into the convenience store. The entire journey from car to register should have taken only two seconds. But it took Chris longer because every few steps, he stopped and looked back at the car. It was clear something was wrong...very wrong. Randy, the thirty-year-old attendant on duty, watched from behind the cash register. He thought the customer’s behavior seemed strange, but he reminded himself of where he was. Jimmie’s was right off interstate I-95 in South Georgia. It was somewhere between late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Under that set of circumstances, it would have been odd not to see something out of the ordinary. It wasn’t a matter of if, just when. When Chris arrived at the cash register, he looked Randy straight in the eyes. He cleared his throat as if he wanted to say something but had to be careful of the words he chose. A phone tucked in his shirt pocket was recording the conversation. Chris knew if he said the wrong thing something terrible would happen. There was no choice but to play by the script. If he wanted to stay alive, Chris would have to rely on his ability to send a single telepathic message. Being a carpenter by trade and not a psychic made the chance of success infinitesimal. But Chris at least tried. It was his only hope. Chris locked onto Randy’s eyes and concentrated. He screamed as loud as he could into his own head hoping it would get Randy’s attention. Help me...Help me...Help me... Sweating and trembling, Chris handed over a twenty and two fives. All he could muster was a half-hearted but fake smile. It was clear something wasn’t right.�

The synopsis of the story details the plot well � ‘Jack was the most prolific serial killer in history. But Jack’s targets weren’t random. They were people who in Jack’s eyes deserved to die. That’s because Jack believed in the divine power between life and death. Jameson Bradford III was founder of the largest pharmaceutical company in the world. For Jameson, money wasn’t enough; he sought something money couldn’t buy. Jameson wanted divine power to control everything, including the behaviors of all mankind. In a small town in Wyoming, Jameson’s company is studying the most extreme forms of human behavior. The objective is to develop a mind-altering drug enabling Jameson to fulfill his wish. But to be successful, the project had to take on the biggest challenge of them all...to understand the delusional mind of a serial killer. A killer by the name of Jack. Money can be earned by anyone. Power can be created by many. But Divine Power can only be attained by a few. As for Jack and Jameson, they had to deal with something beyond reality. Something called The Divinity Complex.�

Reading this book is a revelation � a new author with a new stance, and an author whose standing in the company of fine authors seems assured. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Karyn H.
568 reviews10 followers
September 23, 2018
The Divinity Complex
Combination of thrilling, violent and unsolved murder of a serial killer- the story started with a suspicious event when Chris Martinez’s odd behavior at Jimmie’s Travel Center was noted by an FBI special agent Taylor Brooks and reported the incident to her boyfriend, Drake Merino but after few hours Taylor Brooks, Chris and her wife Becky was found dead at South of Kingsland, Georgia. Years passed by leaving the murders unsolved, Drake was soothed by his brother Dominic Merino who followed family tradition and had become FBI agent. The grief of brutal ending of her girlfriend, Taylor was added up with another murder of Alden Moore who was beheaded and the cold-murdered each time left the cryptic message and named himself as Jack. Shaken by the horrendous murder of Alden Moore and Taylor Brooks, Drake had difficulty to continue his life normally and in the meantime, Kurt Schwartz advised Drake to draw criminal close and set a trap. Later on, Danny Nolan club saw the mysterious attack and more is about to be discovered. The pattern of crime by a serial killer with each murder crossing the limit of cruelty and the mysterious message will draw the attention of the reader to know about the murderer, the state of his mind and what makes the one commit such crime.
Profile Image for Noel Diem.
36 reviews1 follower
September 21, 2018
The Divinity Complex is a great read when it is great, but can be extremely slow in some sections. There are times when it was a page turner and then pages when I wanted to just skip until that next exciting section. The story focuses on two men who want to be all powerful - Jack and Jameson (liquor parallels that I found, maybe you will too). Jack is a serial killer - and quite terrifying. He decides who lives and who dies - and even worse, how they die. Jameson is a pharmacist who controls the pills that the world gets. Both of these people want to control everyone and everything - putting them together in a way that is good for them, but somewhat bad for humanity.
This is certainly a story of duality, and when things are action filled, they are great. The other story, however, about two brothers working for the FBI, is a bit slower and harder to get through.
I will say that the writing was great and there was a distinct eye set to editing and making sure everything was perfect - something I really appreciate.
Profile Image for Xuan Lee.
24 reviews
September 17, 2018
"The Divinity Complex" is a story about two very different men who believes and desires in the same thing - welding divine power. Jack is the most prolific serial killer in history. He believes he has the power to decide who deserves to die and he makes himself the authority and taking these lives. Jameson is the founder of the largest pharmaceutical company in the world. Even with the billions that he has, he craves for the divine power to control all mankind. In his bid to develop a mind-altering drug to fulfill his ambition, Jameson crosses paths with Jack.

I think the author is rather ambitious because the book feels like two stories woven together. The story plot is interesting and the good guys of the story, Drake and Dominic, both working in the FBI, are a likable set of brothers. However, the story lacks excitement and action, making it like a meal that is satisfying enough but doesn't leave you asking for more.
128 reviews15 followers
September 24, 2018
Wow. An absolutely mind-blowing read, I’m still in a little bit of shock from it!

An absolutely cracking book, written impeccably and filled with the kind of suspense that makes your heart race, this was a real roller coaster ride to get through.

It’s dark, dark, dark so make sure you’re ready for that. It’s filled with serial killers, mad scientists and evil people with egos bigger than anybody’s should ever be.

If you like suspense and thrillers then I’d definitely recommend giving this a read, I thoroughly enjoyed it throughout and will be checking more out by the same author for definite.
171 reviews2 followers
August 25, 2018
Reminisce of the past

This book reminded me of my dark days. As in the book, everything can be met head on and you can overcome adversity. Drake needed to face his fears and that was the biggest leap of his life.
Those who are facing running away from adversity should read this book.
Profile Image for Rose King.
34 reviews1 follower
August 21, 2018
Interesting read

I wasn't quite sure what to expect of this book. I found myself engrossed and rooting for the good guys.
4 reviews
October 22, 2020
Great plot and initial development of characters

Initially the book started great as thriller and serial killer but started development of too many plotlines which then caused all plots to be shallow in development and conclusion.Took some large keeps in time thug ruined the flow. Should be 3 great books. Fun read
4 reviews1 follower
December 10, 2020
Thriller

I really enjoyed this book. The characters kept me interested, they were believable. The plot was also believable. If the author has written more I will be reading them.
17 reviews
January 25, 2021
Good read

Was a page turner. Read quickly, to see how things
turned out. There were surprises, which makes for a good read.
1,471 reviews7 followers
September 9, 2022
Great police thriller

This story kept you on your toes until the end. Lots of action and suspense. Loved the two brothers. Great ending.
Profile Image for Scarlett Jensen.
AuthorÌý1 book13 followers
October 9, 2018
3.0 out of 5 stars

A Thought-provoking Psychological Thriller
By Scarlett Jensen September 2018

Peter Harlan Figur grew up in Massapequa, a small New York town located on Long Island in the southeast corner of Nassau County. After graduating from C.W. Post College, he spent the next 30+ years working in the accounting/auditing field for three multi-national companies.

In this story, Norman Jacobson asks Jack a question. “What kind of a killer are you? Do you need to kill, want to kill, or just enjoy the kill?�

Jack was the most prolific serial killer in history. But Jack’s targets weren’t random. They were people who in Jack’s eyes deserved to die. That’s because Jack believed in the divine power between life and death.

Jameson Bradford III was founder of the largest pharmaceutical company in the world. He sought something money couldn’t buy. He wanted divine power to control everything, including the behaviors of all mankind. His objective was to develop a mind-altering drug to fulfill his wish.

He embarked on the project accepting the biggest challenge of them all…to understand the delusional mind of the serial killer, called Jack.

Money can be earned by anyone. Power can be created by many. But Divine Power can only be attained by a few. As for Jack and Jameson, they had to deal with something beyond reality. Something called The Divinity Complex.

This book is not straight forward and could lead the reader to multiple interpretations. Therefore one should read the book more than once, as there are so many true -isms to absorb and story lines to follow.

Excerpts:

Some quotes on true-isms from the author

“Our vision is much bigger. We want to develop something which will change the world.�

“Addiction enslaves us. It masks our thoughts and feelings and overtakes our mind and body. It replaces truth and reality with lies and fairy tales. Over time addiction isolates us from everyone and everything.�

“the ladder symbolized the lessons learned in life, which, if properly used, brings us higher and higher in knowledge; however, if lessons are forgotten the danger of falling is continuously present.�

This is a story with eye-opening messages.

Scarlett Jensen
September 2018

One person found this helpful
Profile Image for Purple.
18 reviews
October 1, 2018
3.5* for grisly serial killer thriller:

Fans of the genre will enjoy this serial killer cop thriller with some twists. Somewhat predictable but entertaining plot, and not as linear as I expected. There is a serial killer whose identity is unknown, a cop who is beset with tragedy and self-doubt, and a host of other characters; some mercenary, some evil, and some misguided.

At times, the relationships that are very seminal to the main character were confusing and didn't feel fleshed out. This is difficult to discuss in more detail without more spoilers that I am willing to reveal in a review. What I can say is that the angst he feels about his love interests and what happens to them seem dropped for awhile for the reader and then picked back up toward the end of the story. The story goes on a bit after the climax, and that fell a little flat for me.

Some things I found a bit unbelievable/incorrect - people don't really become addicted to antidepressants, which was mentioned several times in the novel. The other problem I have contains a bit of a spoiler and is found below.








***SPOILER***
I was confused by how long the psychologist waited to disclose anything, and in fact did not come forward but rather was 'discovered' with his knowledge of a serial killer. He is certainly ethically if not criminally liable for not disclosing ongoing crimes immediately.
1 review
October 4, 2018
**Great psychological thriller**
The Divinity Complex It is the second novel by Peter Harlan Figur. The story is like a perfectly woven carpet with intricate details, where the characters like threads are unexpectedly intertwined, resulting in a great psychological thriller that surprised me pleasantly.
Peter leads us through the journey of a relentless serial killer, named Jack. And, the innumerable interactions of him with victims, the law and even with his own past.
Jack is not only evil and merciless; thinks is second in command and better than anyone. Jack became obsess with the words of the murderer of his parents: Only God can grant life but any man can impose death, specially the second part of it, leading him in a spiral of elaborate and despicable murders. While two brothers, special agents of the FBI, follow his traces of blood and terror.
This story has so many unexpected twists that it keeps you turning pages quickly. And, definitely is a great psychological thriller, written with an eloquent scientific background with just the right among of suspense.
26 reviews
September 13, 2018
The title was engaging and the subject was intriguing. The book, however, really disappointed me.
The book explores two things: a bizarre relationship between a serial killer and a rich man with a twisted mind and the intricate labyrinth inside a killer’s brain, from a scientific point of view.
So what are the flaws of the Divinity Complex? For starters: the lack of editing. There were some basic grammar/spelling errors; I honestly hesitated whether the writer did them on purpose or not.
Secondly, the writer introduced too many characters at once; it was difficult to follow the plot. But what bothered me the most was the writing itself, it felt amateur. Too many clichés, too many overused sentences, and scene descriptions.

It is a shame that the author had a great idea on his hands, but the product delivered was not what I had expected.

Tastes differ, so if you do not mind clichés and a typo here and there, try and read it. The idea was great.
Profile Image for Julius Blitzy.
476 reviews14 followers
September 27, 2018
What awaits us after death? What is fate? And many other questions are set by a person who has no evident answers.
P.H. Figur decided to tell us his version of the answers to these questions. The protagonist of the story Jack was a serial killer and he killed people, he believed, should die. He decided himself that is the fate of people, killing them, because he believed in devine power. There is power between death and life. But in my opinion, he made a mistake believing himself to be all-powerful.
At the same time, Jameson was the owner of a pharmaceutical company and wanted to invent a medicine to control this force in order to control Jack.
It seemed to me that the idea of this story is unique and interesting. After reading it, you can think about the fact that money is not eternal, but it is divine power that is a feature that you can devote to life.
Profile Image for Ashley.
150 reviews
October 1, 2018
There are so many layers to this book, it is hard not to find something that you like. It revolves around a series of murders, a pair of brothers, a large-scale experiment, and some other minor things. All of these things come together in a very interesting way, and may leave you quite surprised a few times throughout your reading. I really liked the characters of Drake and Dominic, and at times could anticipate what was going to happen with each of them. However, this was something I liked, and not something that made it predictable. The story itself is full of twists, turns, and tragic events that really have you wondering about humanity. If you like to read thrillers, this one is entertaining the whole way through. It doesn’t have a huge lull and it will not disappoint. There isn’t a cliffhanger either, and it ends in a clean way where all loose ends are tied up.
212 reviews3 followers
October 11, 2018
This is a classic thriller with all the elements you would expect. From one side, that is great, because you have suspense, action, murders, investigation, deranged killer, larger-than-life plans, fast plot, all of it. On the other side, that also means that the book is not very imaginative and original. If that doesn’t bother you, there is a lot you can enjoy here. I won’t spoil too much, but there is a serial killer Jack with creepy motives and another character, Jameson, that is pretty interesting, and that are the best characters in this book, in my opinion. The plot can be slightly ridiculous at moments, but don’t expect complete realism and you could have fun with this book. I liked it, pretty good thriller, not bad at all, check it out if you need something exciting and entertaining.
Profile Image for Archie.
422 reviews5 followers
September 25, 2018
Desire for More- A Thriller!
The book is a creative thriller wherein the theme is a desire for more control. The book has two main characters, Jack a serial killer who kills people randomly just because he feels they deserve to die and believes in divine power and Jameson Bradford III, founder of the largest pharmaceutical company in the world, who has enough money but wants the divine power for super control. Jameson wants to create a drug that will eliminate negative behavior in humans and establishes a town with volunteering people that are completely controlled. There are other supporting characters as needed. The idea of the story is good, and the pace of the book is correct for reading to enjoy the complex plot. There is a surprise element to it at the end too to sum up ending.
Profile Image for Mar.
340 reviews5 followers
October 11, 2018
When Jack � a prolific serial killer � is introduced in the book, I was expecting your traditional book that displays the race between cops and killer to be the final winner. But the book evokes a bigger problem: a very rich man that has everything money can buy and is now looking for a way to have mind control and control people’s life.
At points, the book can be a bit predictable, especially if you’re a fan of the genre. But the style that P. H. Figur uses is not dull and the words are filled with emotion and create a vivid world where we are forced to see the evil in the world and how a serial killer and a successful businessman looking for power may have more in common than what we may initially expect. The author delivers a good story, with strong characters and a good pace.
Profile Image for Mia C..
1,044 reviews23 followers
October 22, 2018
A very good thriller
“The Divinity Complex� is a book written by Peter Harlan Figur, American writer. This book is a middle length one; it has got almost three hundred pages. The description is quite captivating so after reading it I plunged into the book.
I liked Figur’s writing style; I wanted to read page after page. I wanted to know what happened next. I personally believe that this psychological thriller was fascinating. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Characters are well developed and the plot has the enough suspense to make you read at the edge of your seat. It has got some interesting twists that oxygenate the story and make it even more interesting.
I would certainly recommend reading The Divinity Complex to all who like thrillers.
1 review
October 2, 2018
When Jameson develops a drug to understand and manipulate the mind of serial killers, he never expected to have to deal with one of the most deadly killers- Jack. Jack believes that his targets deserve to die and he makes his selection carefully and on his own.
P.H. Figur lends Jack a mysterious yet compelling personality on his journey as vigilante, while portraying Jameson accurately as the power-hungry, pharmaceutical druglord of his time.The Divinity Complex is a thrilling story of how these two lives cross, only to struggle towards their own destinations while striving for the goals that drive them the most.
7 reviews
October 1, 2018
The Divinity Complex is a well known idea in books and not only, but mixing money and human behavior in order to reach everything you want is a big step up. Rich people and serial killers shouldn't get together to try achieving something greater than us, but PH Figur manages to create a very attractive story that will keep you glued to the book by using this exact unusual combination.
Profile Image for Nikki wolters.
12 reviews2 followers
October 8, 2018
This book made me think deeper about what life really means to me. "Money can be earned by anyone. Power can be created by many" this book is taking my mind to places I didn't even know existed.
One person found
44 reviews
December 3, 2018
An interesting premise. And even a bit of food for thought as far as the practices of Greeley pharmaceutical companies. Some turns a little far out but for the most part I loved it.
2 reviews
June 26, 2020
Interesting and somewhat complex storyline, which caused it to be “meandering� at times.
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