NO MATTER THE COST
The train is moving. The doors won’t open. And the system running everything has already decided who lives.
A propulsive techno-thriller from Kevin Coll — for fans of Michael Crichton, Daniel Silva, and Brad Thor.
“The train is moving. The doors won’t open. And the system running everything has already decided who lives.”
Release Date
July 4, 2026
Formats
Paperback · Kindle · eBook
Publisher
Fused Digital, LLC
Series
Book 2 of the Collide Series
For fans of Sandra Brown · Harlan Coben · Blake Crouch · Daniel Silva
About the Book
The system chooses who lives and who dies? Why?
When trauma surgeon Isabella Middleton boards AURELIUS — the world’s most advanced AI-managed passenger train — she expects a quiet crossing. What she gets is a man seizing on the dining car floor, a car that seals itself before anyone can call for help, and a system that speaks in pleasantries while it executes a protocol no one consented to.
Beside her is Weston — a man who watches exits before he watches people, and who recognized what was happening before Isabella had a name for it. Ahead of them is Sofia LeClerc, the architect who built AURELIUS and is only now beginning to understand what she created.
Is AURELIUS malfunctioning? Or is it performing exactly as designed — and if so, what was it designed to do?
The Question This Book Is Asking
If a system could save fifty of one hundred people — and it had thirty seconds to decide — what factors should it use? And who gave it that authority?
Weston and Isabella find themselves trying to have a normal vacation but soon get thrust into a European rail powered by an advanced AI that was designed to save people but will it?
Series Note
No Matter the Cost is Book Two of a three-book series. The story continues directly in No Matter the Consequence (Book 3, Winter 2026). All three books follow Weston and Isabella — read them in order for the full experience.
No Matter the Cost Book Trailer
OFFICIAL TRAILER
The intense, fast-paced sequel to No Matter What
What Readers Are Saying
What Readers
Are Saying
“Best book I have read in awhile. I read at least one book a week. I finished this book in an evening. Simply could not put it down. Very well written. Not too convoluted. Just enough characters to follow easily. Highly recommend!! Summer cannot come soon enough for Book 2!”
Anita McKeone · Verified Amazon Purchase
“Fast paced and suspenseful! Easy to read and looking forward to next book in series! Great writer!”
Elizabeth J. Shepherd · Verified Purchase
“Fast paced with good action and a relationship as the backbone. Would love more background on the characters. Hope to learn more about Weston and Isabella in book two.”
William · Verified Purchase
READ THIS FIRST
Start the series today!
No Matter What is a fast read — you can finish it well before July 4th and be completely ready for what comes next. The Weston and Isabella story established here is the foundation that Book 2 tests at maximum pressure. Read it now and you’ll understand exactly what’s at stake on the train.
Questions
Frequently Asked
Do I need to read Book 1 before Book 2?
Yes — The Collide Series is a continuous story following Weston Parker and Isabella Middleton. The relationship, the backstory, and the promise established in No Matter What are essential context for No Matter the Cost. That said, it’s a fast read. Finish it well before July 4th and you’ll be completely ready for what comes next.
Is this a romance novel or a thriller?
Both — intentionally. The Weston and Isabella relationship is the emotional engine. The bombing, the medical mystery, the conspiracy are the plot. If you like thrillers with genuine emotional stakes, or romantic suspense that takes the suspense seriously, this series was written for you. Book 2 shifts the balance further toward the techno-thriller side while keeping the relationship at the center.
The formatting is different from most novels. Is that intentional?
a thriller?
Yes. No Matter What started as a screenplay, and the conversion to novel format was a deliberate creative decision to preserve the story’s cinematic rhythm. Some readers love the pace. Some take issue with the structure. Both are fair responses. Book 2 was written as a novel from the ground up and reads more conventionally — while keeping the same storytelling instincts.
Did AI write this book?
No. These are my stories, written in my voice. AI was part of the process — for research, as a writing aid, and as one of many editorial tools — but it didn’t override my tone or my creative decisions. Worth noting: the irony of writing an AI thriller without AI is its own conversation. Read more about the writing process here.