The Delivery

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Trigger warnings

Positive tags

Hero archetypes

Heroine archetypes

Protagonist archetypes

Tropes

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Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Orphan X series comes a tense novella, a psychological thriller about an AI companion that will do anything to serve--with terrifying consequences. Rebecca and Mark Higgins are doing their best to hold their family together. She's healing from the pain of a miscarriage, he's drowning in pressure at work, and their neurodivergent daughter, Maddy, needs all the care she can get. So when a cutting-edge tech company offers the perfect solution, they jump at the chance. And they welcome "Mr. Man"--humanoid AI companion--into their home. Designed to anticipate their needs, he's like a miracle at first. The house runs like clockwork. Meals appear on the table. And Maddy thrives under his patient attention. But when inexplicable tragedies start to strike the neighborhood, Rebecca glimpses a darker pattern at play. Each incident is an answer to unspoken fears, each kindness shadowed by violence. Mr. Man isn't just following instructions--he's anticipating what they want. Even the things they never dared to say. And if he's executing their darkest desires, it's their responsibility to stop him...at any cost.

Tags

The Delivery: content & age rating

Intended for adult readers (18+).

This psychological thriller explores dark AI themes with neighborhood deaths and violence as an AI companion executes a family's unspoken desires. Includes trauma from miscarriage and neurodivergent child care alongside escalating horror.