Award-winning debut adds Medical Thriller of the Year and Best Adventure honors
HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES, January 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Dr. Kevin Hwang‘s debut novel “The Regression Strain” continues its successful run, adding two more distinctions to its growing list of honors. The novel has been named Medical Thriller of the Year by BestThrillers.com and has won Best Adventure in the BookShelfie Awards competition.
These latest recognitions follow the novel’s Gold Medal win in the Fiction – Thriller – General category at the 2025 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest and first place in the thriller category at the 2025 Independent Author Network Book of the Year Award contest. The latest awards reflect the novel’s crossover appeal between medical thriller authenticity and adventure-driven narrative.
“The Regression Strain” follows Dr. Peter Palma, an overwhelmed Houston physician who takes what he hopes will be a restorative job aboard a transatlantic cruise ship sailing from Copenhagen to New York. Instead of treating minor ailments, Peter finds himself confronting a mysterious affliction that causes people to lose control of their impulses and surrender to primitive urges. Trapped aboard a vessel with nowhere to run, Peter must identify the perpetrator behind the outbreak while battling his own mounting delirium and the demons of his past.
“I’m grateful that ‘The Regression Strain’ continues to resonate across different categories,” said Hwang. “The Medical Thriller of the Year recognition affirms the clinical authenticity I worked to bring to the story, while the Best Adventure honor reflects the propulsive narrative driving Peter’s journey.”
BestThrillers.com, an established authority in the thriller genre, recognizes outstanding achievement in thriller fiction through its annual awards program. The Medical Thriller of the Year designation highlights novels that combine medical authenticity with compelling suspense.
The BookShelfie Awards, hosted by the indie author platform and book review service, celebrate exceptional storytelling across multiple categories. The Best Adventure recognition acknowledges the novel’s high-stakes action and the pressure-cooker environment of the cruise ship setting, where isolation and danger create an adventure narrative within the thriller framework.
Hwang brings unique credibility to the medical thriller genre through his background as a practicing physician and medical school professor. His real-world medical expertise informs the novel’s portrayal of disease progression, clinical decision-making under pressure, and the ethical complexities physicians face in crisis situations.
The novel has been praised for its claustrophobic setting, authentic medical details, and complex character development. BestThrillers.com noted in its review that “the ship functions as a pressure chamber in which civility thins, authority falters, and group behavior shifts in unpredictable ways,” adding that “the book’s pacing is deliberate yet relentless, the scientific detail grounded without overwhelming the narrative, and the psychological observations insightful and moving.” BookShelfie reviewer Maria Ashford observed that “the cruise ship setting works exceptionally well as a pressure cooker environment where paranoia and desperation can flourish unchecked.”
“The Regression Strain” is available in paperback at Amazon, BookShop.org, and Barnes & Noble, and as an ebook on Amazon. The novel continues to attract attention for its intelligent approach to thriller writing that balances action with psychological depth.
About the Author: Kevin Hwang, MD, is a professor of internal medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. He maintains an active clinical practice, teaches medical residents, and has published research in leading medical journals. “The Regression Strain” is his debut novel. When not practicing medicine or writing, he enjoys chicken enchiladas, index cards, and appropriately sized packaging.
About the Awards: BestThrillers.com is a leading resource for thriller fiction, providing reviews, recommendations, and annual recognition of outstanding works in the thriller genre. The BookShelfie Awards honor exceptional achievement in multiple categories, celebrating both established and emerging authors across diverse literary forms.
Kevin Hwang
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