NEVER RETURN

About the Book

Never Return, the psychological mystery thriller centered on the unexplained disappearance of Jacksonville school teacher Jim Whitmore, returns in an expanded Second Edition that takes its haunting questions of identity, truth, and human resemblance into the age of artificial intelligence. The original mystery begins in 1952 when Jim disappears from a Floridale street ominously known as Never Return. Declared dead and cremated without a body or proof, Jim leaves his fiancée, Mary, searching for answers. Her encounters with men who look remarkably like Jim eventually stretch across cities, countries, and generations, challenging everything she believes about identity and reality. The Second Edition adds seven compelling chapters that deepen the mystery through the emerging possibilities and uncertainties of artificial intelligence. As technology becomes increasingly capable of challenging what people see, hear, remember, and believe, Mary’s search for answers enters unfamiliar territory. The mystery that began decades before the digital age now takes on new dimensions, forcing her to reconsider the evidence of the past and question what can still be trusted. Filled with psychological suspense, generational mystery, unexpected twists, and a final return to the street where everything began, the Second Edition of Never Return invites readers to reconsider an old assumption in a new technological age: Seeing is no longer believing.

About the Author

Dr. Ronald W. Holmes is a prolific author of thirty-three books and the founder of The Holmes Education Post, an online newspaper dedicated to education. With a distinguished career as a teacher, school administrator, test developer, and district superintendent, Dr. Holmes brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his work. His diverse body of writing includes engaging children’s books on topics such as the coronavirus, the solar system, flowers, careers, and school bullying. For adult readers, his books explore important issues like religion, relationships, hazing, workplace bullying, bipolar disorder, health and fitness, educational reform, and navigating the dissertation process. In addition to his writing, Dr. Holmes has led Bible study sessions at his church—both in person and virtually— for the past four years. He earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership, a M.Ed. in Educational Administration and Supervision, and a B.S. in Business Education from Florida A&M University. He also earned a ME.d. in Business Education from Bowling Green State University.