The Counterfeit Game - Softcover

Stone, Gareth

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798235860001

Publisher: Vaarun Malik, 2026

Synopsis

Silas Mercer has spent months beneath the shadow of his wife's mysterious suicide. Rumors follow him, a local journalist has questioned why no one investigated the death, and Silas has learned to survive by burying himself in work.

Then Celia Vale walks into his company.

Beautiful, intelligent, and frightened of a man she claims never to have met, Celia knows details about Silas that should be impossible to know. She insists she has only one purpose: to prove Silas is innocent-and to show him that he is still capable of being loved.

What begins as suspicion becomes attraction. Attraction becomes obsession. Soon Celia is living with Silas, drawing him into a world of parties, pleasure, drugs, and reckless nights while his empire begins to crumble.

But Silas is not as broken as he appears.

When Celia finds herself behind prison walls, memories of meaningless moments return with terrifying clarity. The packages. The parties. The drugs. The questions. The choices she thought were her own.

Piece by piece, she begins to wonder whether she was ever controlling the game.

And the truth about who she really is-and what Silas knew before she entered his life-may be the dangerous secret of all.

About this title

About the Author

Gareth Stone is an engineer, author, and independent publisher with a passion for stories, people, and places.

Alongside his professional work as an engineer, Gareth has published more than ten books independently, building his writing career through a combination of creativity, curiosity, and a strong belief in telling engaging stories.

Travel is also an important part of Gareth's life and work. His career gives him opportunities to travel around the world, meet people from different cultures, and experience places far beyond his everyday surroundings. Having already visited more than 40 countries, he has developed a fascination with the different personalities, conversations, landscapes, and unexpected encounters that make every journey memorable.

Those experiences often influence the way he approaches fiction. Gareth enjoys observing people, exploring relationships, and finding humour and tension in ordinary situations that can suddenly become extraordinary.

As an independent publisher, he values creative freedom and the direct connection between author and reader. His goal is simple: to create entertaining stories that are easy to fall into, difficult to put down, and memorable long after the final page.

When he is not engineering, writing, publishing, or travelling, Gareth is usually looking for his next story-and there is a good chance it will begin with meeting someone he has never met before, somewhere he has never been before.

Edition details

• Publisher: Vaarun Malik
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798235860001
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240