Model 36
Project Amara · Book One
Three years after her twin sister disappeared, Lana Kevellian has stopped expecting answers. Then her light aircraft drops out of the sky over the English countryside, a stranger's phone call saves her life — and suddenly the answers won't stop coming.
They lead her to a secretive compound on a Greek island. To people who speak about Rebecca in the present tense. And to a truth so disturbing it doesn't just rewrite what happened to her sister — it rewrites everything Lana thought she knew about herself, and the world she has lived in her whole life.
Now she carries that truth alone. She can bury it and protect the people she loves — or reveal it, and shatter reality for billions.
If you discovered a truth that changed everything, would you keep it to yourself — or make sure the whole world knew?
For fans of Blake Crouch's Dark Matter, Hervé Le Tellier's The Anomaly, and the creeping paranoia of The Truman Show, Model 36 is a philosophical sci-fi thriller that hooks on the first page and lingers long after the last.
PRE-ORDER ON AMAZON — $3.99 / £2.99
Out 7 August 2026. Free in Kindle Unlimited at launch. Paperback available everywhere.
Book One of the Project Amara series — the sequel is already underway. Newsletter subscribers hear about it first.
Praise for Model 36
“A fast-paced sci-fi thriller that keeps you on your toes with all its secrets that are unraveled one after another... intriguing and hard to put down.”
— Sarah Kristin Becker, Bookseller
“Fast paced with satisfying conflict and resolution and good main characters.”
— Sheila Kasperek, Academic Librarian
“A fascinating blend of science fiction, technology, and suspense... one of those books that stayed in my thoughts after I finished.”
— Alena Bobrysheva, NetGalley reviewer
“An engaging and thrilling novel that continuously had me guess what is actually going on! ... I was so captivated by the story that I didn’t want to put it down.”
— Franziska F., NetGalley reviewer
Questions readers ask
When is Model 36 released?
Model 36 is released on 7 August 2026 as a Kindle ebook ($3.99 / £2.99) and paperback. The ebook is available for pre-order now and will be free to read in Kindle Unlimited at launch.
Is Model 36 part of a series?
Yes. Model 36 is Book One of the Project Amara series by C J Ilex. The sequel is already underway.
Do I need to read The Clearing first?
No. The Clearing is a free companion short story set in the same world. You can read it before or after Model 36 - it is free for newsletter subscribers at cjilex.com/the-clearing.
What kind of book is Model 36?
Model 36 is a philosophical science-fiction thriller about a woman whose search for her missing twin uncovers a truth that could shatter reality for billions. It suits readers who enjoyed Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier, or The Truman Show.