Countdown by Michelle Maddox is a gut wrenching read. Filled with tension this fast paced story is a reality show gone bad – play, win or die. Each level is more challenging than the last, a rollercoaster ride from which there is no escape. It doesn’t stop and you don’t get off – at least not until you’ve seen the ride through.

Kira Jordan has been terrified of the dark ever since her entire family was murdered when she was young. Living on the streets and surviving on her quick reflexes and sharp mind all she wants is to find a better life. Not exactly what she gets when she wakes up in a pitch black room, chained to a metal wall with no clue how she got there.

Soon a voice, which sounds like it is coming from inside her head, tells that she has just a short time to get out of that room or be eliminated from the game. The countdown has begun, what it is she has no idea but she’s about to find out.

Ms. Maddox's intense story and riveting writing makes Countdown incredibly easy to become part of and trapped in this game where you are literally playing for your life. I was on the edge of my seat throughout Countdown and by the time I finished reading I felt like I had run a marathon. There wasn’t a wasted word or a dull moment in this entire book. With the intricate plot and steamy romance you are in for the twisted thrill ride of your life.