About the book, The Catalyst 
When human bodies are found with scales and tails, DNA Detector Kat Crocker is tasked with determining what caused the victims’ abnormalities.
She’s teamed with Detective Greg Prescott, a partnership that neither of them is happy about. Prescott doesn’t believe she should be on a murder investigation, while she blames his father for mishandling the investigation into her father’s death years earlier.
But this is the opportunity Kat’s been waiting for. She wants to prove her DNA Detector—a device created by her late father—can revolutionize police investigations.
Then her device produces impossible results.
The first victim’s DNA is no longer entirely human.
When a second victim appears hours later with similar unimaginable results, Kat and Greg race to find the cause before more people die.
But even as they hunt for answers, someone hunts Kat. Unbeknownst to her, the people behind the mutations need Kat—at least a piece of her—to complete their plan. They will stop at nothing to get what they need.
Kat’s trail leads to a newly released VR game powered by impossible genetics—and to the scientist behind the mutations. The man who has put her in danger. The person she trusted more than anyone in the world.
Buy read and discuss this book:
Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | GoodReads
About the author, Andrea Goyan 
Author Bio – Andrea Goyan is an award-winning author and an avid animal person who grew up being called Goat-Girl and Raccoon-Mama. She is a grateful part of a flock of collaborative Magpie Poets whose first collection, An Illegal Feast, was released in 2025. Andrea also co-hosts MetaStellar Magazine’s “Long-Lost Friends” and “Storytime.” In her spare time, she walks her dogs and loves to paint, especially animal portraits.
Many of her stories are available for free on her website.
Connect with Andrea:
My Thoughts 
Science fiction is often at its most satisfying when it combines imaginative ideas with believable human stakes, and Andrea Goyan’s The Catalyst does exactly that. The novel balances scientific intrigue with questions about responsibility, identity, and the unintended consequences of discovery, creating a story that’s as engaging intellectually as it is entertaining.
Rather than relying on spectacle, Goyan lets the tension build steadily. The scientific elements provide a solid foundation for the mystery, while the story continually expands its focus to examine how individual choices can have far-reaching effects. There’s a quiet confidence to the storytelling that makes the world feel authentic, allowing readers to settle into the narrative even as the stakes continue to rise.
Kat Crocker is an easy protagonist to root for. She comes across as capable, thoughtful, and refreshingly grounded, making her a strong guide through increasingly extraordinary events. I especially appreciated that the book opens with Kat collecting dog feces from a suburban lawn in order to make sure the offending owner was ticketed for the misdeed. The “Double-D” nickname for the DNA detective made me laugh out loud, and that touch of humor helps establish her personality before the larger mystery unfolds.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its pacing. Each revelation arrives at just the right moment, encouraging readers to keep turning pages without feeling manipulated. The scenes are vividly realized, and the various plot threads come together in a way that feels intentional and satisfying.
If I have one reservation, it’s that I wanted the novel to venture even further into its scientific foundations. The central concept is fascinating, but I found myself wanting a deeper explanation of the biological mechanisms at work, particularly how genetic material could move between organisms in the way the story suggests. Readers who prefer harder science fiction may find themselves asking the same questions. Similarly, expanding the world-building just a bit more would have given the speculative elements even greater impact.
Even with those reservations, The Catalyst is a compelling read. Its intriguing premise, memorable protagonist, and carefully constructed suspense make it an enjoyable science fiction thriller that keeps its focus on both ideas and people. While I would have welcomed a little more scientific depth, the novel’s strengths easily outweigh that omission, making it one I’d happily recommend to fans of speculative fiction with a mystery at its core.
Goes well with: A perfectly grilled steak with asparagus tips, enjoyed outdoors under the ever-watchful eyes of a dog absolutely convinced that every bite belongs to them.
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