Review: You Won’t Believe This: Get swept up in the most stunningly moving and hilarious mystery of the year.

You Won’t Believe This: Get swept up in the most stunningly moving and hilarious mystery of the year. by Adam Baron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cymbeline is having trouble at home and at school, with someone targeting his favourite teacher and his best friend's grandmother not well. Can he help to solve both problems before they run out of time?

This is a great read. I think it's at least the second in a series, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything, there were just a couple of references to things that didn't happen in this story. All the clues come together really satisfyingly, including the ones that didn't seem like clues at the time, and I loved how everything worked out. Apart from that, there's some fabulous history on Boat People weaved carefully in.

I recommend this to everyone.


Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way.



There was music then, and dancing. We watched for a bit and then walked up past the National Gallery, where all the roads were shut. There was an EVEN BIGGER dragon in Leicester Square, after which my mouth literally dropped open. I'd been to the street that is Chinatown itself. But today it ws hung wit red paper lanterns, lots of smaller dragons dancing around beneath them to even more drummers, the sound SO loud as it thudded back off all the buildings. There were men with red-and-gold robes and long fake beards, their hats like snakes. Again I thought about trying to talk to Veronique but she kept pulling me off to see this thing, and that thing, before pointing to the end of the street. Another procession was marching towards us, this one of enormous inflatable pandas which went right over our heads. It was stunning and for a second it felt like I'd been whisked off to China.

But it wsn't just Chinese people. There were white people and black people and Asian people. Outside one shop there were some very British-looking police officers with flags poking out from their uniforms. So we weren't in China; this was my city, where I live. My London. It made me feel bigger, as if there was more to me than I knew about. I looked at Veronique and felt something similar, remembering my thoughts when she'd first told me about Nanai. I'd thought that the Chinese bit of Veronique was, sort of, on the reverse side of her, that it had nothing to do with me. But if this party was here, where I lived, then that part of Veronique was connected to me too. It wasn't a bit of her that was different. Her Chinese bit was mixed in with her British bit. And if this was happening here, where I lived, then I was mixed in with it too.

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Review: Malory Towers: New Class at Malory Towers: Four brand-new Malory Towers

Malory Towers: New Class at Malory Towers: Four brand-new Malory Towers by Enid Blyton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Four new authors write about four new girls attending Malory Towers during Darrell River's years there.

On the plus side, the tone is almost perfect all the way through. I'm not too sure about Mam'zelle in the last one, but I can let it slide. The girls are recognizably themselves - although neither Alicia nor Gwen were ever quite that mean in Enid's stories. The new girls are intriguing and interesting in and of themselves, and the stories go along nicely.

This is a great addition to the classic stories and will go well.



'Shall we show you to your dormy?' asked Sally, her voice shaking. She was an excellent leader but she hated conflict and the tension in the common room was so thick that it felt like a heavy fog hanging in the air. 'It's really lovely.'

'What is that supposed to mean?' Margaret's words were quiet and her eyes bored into Gwen. 'What about my parents?'

'I expect your trunk has been taken upstairs by now,' said Darrell, slightly desperately. She could see that Alicia was loving every second of the confrontation but there was something about Margaret's voice that was making Darrell feel increasingly nervous.

'Oh, you know very well!' Gwen clearly wasn't about to back down. 'My mother married up and your mother married down and that is why I am who I am and you are, well-' she gestured at Maggie -'you.'

There was silence and the rest of the girls held their breath. They were used to arguments between them but they'd never heard anyone say anything so personal and unkind before.

'I'd rather be me with my wonderful parents, than spoilt darling Gwendoline Mary,' murmured Margaret, her face pale. 'There isn't enough money in the world that would make me ever want to swap places with you.' She turned and let her gaze sweep over them all. 'I wouldn't want to be like any of you. Not even for one day.'

And then she turned and ran from the room, her long legs striding across the floor and out of the door before anyone could stop her.

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Review: Check Mates

Check Mates by Stewart Foster
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Felix does his best, but he just can't concentrate in school. No one seems to understand how hard it is. No one but his quiet, closed off grandfather. Granddad's been a bit depressed since Grandma died. Until he comes up with a wonderful plan to help Felix concentrate. He's going to teach him chess!


This is a sweet, nice story about a grandson and grandfather learning to connect with each other. I know a little about the chess, just the basics, and was able to follow perfectly well, so don't be put off if you don't know anything about the game. I also learned some information about the Cold War that I hadn't known before, and that was really interesting to me.

One thing I did think was odd: Felix clearly has ADHD, but he doesn't seem to be getting any help. There's mention that he refused a classroom assistant because he was embarrassed, and he's in an extra reading class, but that's it. No other accommodations for him. This is a minor thing, however.

This is a lovely story that will also lead to discussion topics, and that's a great mix.



"Phew," says Jake. "You had me worried."

"I know," I say, trying to shake the fog out of my head. "They're all dweebs! I don't know what I was thinking."

"You were thinking it was a good idea."

"No, Granddad. I wasn't."

Jake gives me a strange look.

"What?" I say. "I'm not going in there."

"No," says Jake. "It's what you just did. You were talking to your granddad."

"Did I? Was I?"

"Yeah. It's like he's getting inside your head, brainwashing you. Maybe he's a spy. My dad always says he's a bit strange."

"My granddad's not strange," I snap. "And he's not a spy. What does your dad know? He's never even spoken to him."

"Sorry, didn't mean to upset you." Jake puts his arm around my shoulder. "He's not strange. Not really - now let's get some dinner and then we'll go and shoot some hoops."

"Hoops? What is hoops?"

Granddad, I say in my head. You're going to have to stop this.

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Review: I Am Not a Number

I Am Not a Number by Lisa Heathfield
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Traditional Party has been voted in. Ruby doesn't think her life will change too much, but her mother and stepfather aren't sure. There are more soldiers in the street, making sure that women are wearing decent clothes and that there are no lewd displays of affection, like holding hands. Then there are arm bands. Then, in the middle of the night, the buses come...


Lisa Heathfield has a gift for tackling difficult subjects in ways that children can understand. She's already taken on cults and parental abuse; in this new book her topics are nationalism and the Holocaust, obliquely. By subjecting her heroine Ruby to horrors that actually happened to prisoners in the concentration camps, Lisa shows how easy it is to fall prey to othering, and how destructive it can be. The increasing dehumanisation of Ruby and the other inmates is very difficult to read, but it's worth it if it starts conversations about this topic.

I'm also very impressed, as I often am with cult novels, at just how easy it is to alter people's thinking, especially childrens', when you control the narrative. Ruby's sister sees everything that's happening, she knows exactly how they're being treated, but because the guards give her extra biscuits she believes everything they're telling her about their political rivals.

The only thing I would have liked is more information or background on the guards. We learn a little bit about the camp commander, but the rest of the guards are an indistinguishable mass of hatred and anger. No one ever even learns any of their names. I would have liked to know how they came to think this was acceptable. But that's a tiny gripe in an otherwise gripping novel.

This isn't the only book of this type I've read, but in the others the camps are usually for people of a particular race, or religion, or skin colour. In this one, it's strictly along ideological lines, and I can't decide if that's more or less scary; that the people doing this to Ruby and the others probably looked just like them. It's a terrifying, but very important, read.




"You'll learn discipline," the guard says. "You'll run the length of the line and back until I tell you to stop."

"Run?" I'm not at school. Why do they want me to run?

"You haven't heard me properly?" The guard steps closer and raises his whip until it's touching my cheek. "I could help by cleaning out your ears with this."

"Run, for God's sake, Ruby," I hear Mum say.

The line of leather presses into my skin.

"Fine," I say, but I don't look at my mum as I know she'll see the fear i'm trying to hide. I won't look at any of them.

I feel every set of eyes on me as I pass, so I focus on the world beyond the fence. In the distance is a mountain and I look at that. I force myself to see how it doesn't peak in a spike. Maybe it's not a proper mountain but it's more than a hill. It's round at the top and joins another, smaller one. They seem very safe. I imagine myself sitting there, hidden among their shape.

My feet pound the wet ground. It's concrete, so it's easier to get a rhythm. At the end I turn around. this way I can see the entrance to the camp. The fence is high, its barbed wire telling me everything. I hadn't noticed the watchtower close to the gate, but it's clear as anything now.There's a guard in it and the silhouette of a gun.

I concentrate on Mum's face as I run back down the line. Her eyes are wild with anger, but her face is stone. Darren holds tight to her hand and he nods at me and says something, but I don't hear it. It's enough though. He's willing me on and it gives me strength.

I know I run past Luke, but I'm too embarrassed to look at him. I'm sweaty and soaked and I know he loves me whatever, but I don't want him to see me like this. I'll have to run past him again and again, looking worse and worse, until the pig of a guard says I can stop.

My legs are beginning to burn as I turn at the end, facing the mountain again. I wish I could look more to the sky but the rain isn't stopping. So I keep going. Running on. Trying to count the sound of my feet on the ground.

"You can do this, Ruby." This time I catch Darren's words and I use them as fuel.

I'm thirsty, but the water falling on me isn't enough.

The guard doesn't tell me it's over. I've never been good at running far and my lungs feel filled with fire. Someone has lit a match in them and now every breath sparks new flames. A stitch is gripping my side.

I'm sure the rain is weakening.

But now they'll be able to see that I'm crying.

I don't mean to but I look at Luke as I pass. I wish I hadn't. It's hopeless despair on his face. His dad is holding his arm, as if stopping him from trying to help me. I won't look at him again. It's made my heart hurt worse and my tears now are for more than just agony and exhaustion and hunger.

A guard grabs me by the shoulder. I collapse into him and he wipes me away like a piece of dirt.

"You may stop," he says, pushing me back into the line between a child and an older man. "Have you learned your lesson?"

I nod, hardly able to hold my head straight.

"I didn't hear your answer," the guard shouts. "Maybe you'd like to run again? Or have you learned your lesson?"

"Yes," I say. My voice squeezes out through my spiky breathing.

"Good."

When he walks away, the man next to me puts out his arm to hold me up.

"You did well," he whispers as finally the rain begins to dry.

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Review: The Virtue of Sin

The Virtue of Sin by Shannon Schuren
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love cult stories, but I feel like this one was confused about what it wanted to say. The rotating PoVs made it difficult to develop any attachment to any character, and nothing much happened until almost the end, when All The Things happened.

It's not awful; it's a chillingly realistic depiction of a cult, and of how easily a clever con man can keep a whole group of people scared and compliant. It just could have been so much better.




“That’s what I used to think, too. But you know what? There is a choice. I could keep being good Miriam, the girl who does what she’s told. The one who goes along with what everybody else wants. The one who keeps her mouth shut.” I step back, farther into the shadows . But if I keep being this Miriam, I may as well disappear altogether.

“Or what?” he asks, leaning forward. “What else can you do?”

“I can start thinking for myself.”

And there arose a disagreement between them, so sharp they parted ways. —Acts 15: 39

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Review: Fan the Fame

Fan the Fame by Anna Priemaza
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Told from three points of view, this novel tackles misogyny and bullying in the world of video game streaming.


If it weren't for Sam's storyline, this would be a lower rating for me. I didn't like the two girls; they seemed amoral and willing to be cruel to get what they wanted. And after the whole buildup of the story, the fallout was briefly dealt with in the epilogue.

However, this made slightly more sense when I read the author's note and realised that Sam's storyline was the whole point of the novel. I loved the friends he made at the con, who accepted him as he was and made an effort to make sure he knew it.

So it's good, but sadly not great for me.


Legs pushes the door open for both of us, and we step into the convention center. It feels more chaotic than last night, somehow, even though there probably aren’t as many people here yet as there were then. Legs and I both step to the side to take it in.

We’re in a wide hallway, wide enough that there are short faux-leather chairs clustered into seating areas along the right wall behind a row of enormous cream pillars, and there’s still plenty of room for the growing crowd of Legends of the Stone enthusiasts to walk through or mill about or stare up at the huge posters on the wall—including one big one of my brother. I don’t know how I missed seeing that last night. Ick. No one needs to see Cody’s face blown up as big as the sun.

The thing I didn’t realize about geek conventions before is that some of the stereotypes about geeks are actually true. I mean, not across the board, but amid the brilliant cosplay and geek chic, there are the clusters of guys in sweatpants and oversize shirts, with questionable hygiene. Part of me wants to yell at them for giving nerds a bad name, but another part of me wishes I could wear sweatpants and an oversize shirt and not care if people thought I looked sloppy.

Except, don’t actually be sloppy about the hygiene part, folks. Can we all agree right here right now that good hygiene is a vital cornerstone of the society we live in?

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Review: The Garden of Lost Secrets

The Garden of Lost Secrets by A M Howell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clara is staying with her aunt and uncle while her father recovers from a gas attack during the Great War. She remembers them as kind figures, joking and laughing, but the two bleak, strained adults who take her in are almost strangers. They both work for an Earl and while Clara tries to make herself helpful in the grounds and their tiny cottage, she notices some things that don't quite add up...

This would be a fantastic additional novel for a class studying the First World War, as it deals with how things were going in Britain with most of the men away. It also talks about something I had never known; England's farmers were growing pineapples in hothouses! It's interesting to learn about the different types. The writing is so atmospheric it's like being there, in the damp warm hothouses and the damp, freezing coal cellars.

I want to mention the writing again, as it is amazing. Crows bustled in the sky like black handkerchiefs is just one example of this, keeping the lines perfectly readable but still very evocative.

I recommend this to anyone at all interested in the War or in a good mystery story.


I received a proof copy which did not affect my review in any way.


The windows rattled gently in the wind. A scuffle on the gravel outside.

"What was that?" whispered Will.

Another scuffle.

Clara's breath caught in her throat.

A scrabbling, sniffing noise just beyond the glass.

"An animal - a rat maybe," Will whispered. "On the hunt for some food." He brought his hands to his cheeks and twitched his fingers like whiskers.

Clara rolled her eyes, smiling. The weight of her secret felt a fraction lighter now that she had shared it. She focused on one of the pineapples, sitting proudly in its planting bed, the thin crown of leaves, the quilted fruit. Will was right. She should open the envelope. She would open the envelope. But once she did, she knew that things would be different. And sitting there, in the warmth, listening to the drip-drip-drip of condensation, a new friend by her side, she wasn't so sure she wanted things to change just yet.

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Review: Collision

Collision by Victor Dixen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Leonor and the other colonists have new difficulties to overcome in this final part of the trilogy. As personality conflicts among the team and policital troubles on Earth multiply, they have to use what little power they have to keep themselves alive and healthy.


First, the bad. The translation problems have continued into this one. Although the story is very readable, it's full of flowery phrases and people telling each other things they already know. For instance, the head of Eden foods is asked "Miss Delville, James has just woken from his nap, and hes calling for you. Shall I bring him to you, or are you too busy following the progress of Logan, the new Eden foods-sponsored candidate?" Again, the person being addressed is the head of Eden foods. She knows exactly who Logan is, as does the person addressing her. The only function of that line of dialogue is to tell us who Logan is, and since he never appears or is mentioned again after that line it's a little pointless.

However, apart from that, this is a good read, if a little draggy in spots. I didn't predict most of the twists and I was excited to know what would happen next. As another reviewer has said, it doesn't exactly tie everything up in a neat bow, but we know enough to guess how things will turn out.

I've enjoyed this trilogy immensely and I hope that more of Victor's books will be translated.

I received a copy of this book and chose to write an honest review.


"If you kill him out of selfishness, just to calm your anger, you'll also be killing the one thing we have left," I say, my voice hoarse, struggling to keep my emotion in check. "You'll shatter that one precious thing Marcus himself almost managed to destroy; us."

I catch my breath at that word; us.

I summon all my strength, all my being, to support me, and I repeat it in a voice that is suddenly much more certain.

"Us. Our cohesion. Our mutual trust. What has bound us to one another since the very beginning. What will maybe allow us to make it through this one day. We can't let Marcus's treachery divide us; just the opposite, we need to make it bind us even tighter together. If he has to die, it's up to the gorup to decide. And if the group decides he must, then I'll be the one to execute him. I swear it."

Alexei glances around, at the nine other pioneers frozen in front of Marcus; then, slowly, he puts his boot back down on the floor and moves a few steps away.

"We are going to judge Marcus," I say finally, a lump in my throut, without so much as a glance at the human wreck slumped on the floor. "That's the only way we can survive what he's done to us. But not right away. We need to concentrate on the storm now, and on the space elevator, and on the fact that we're about to go back on the air. We'll shut the accused in the seventh habitat, we'll return to the Garden and later we'll organise his trial."

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Review: The Good Thieves

The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A good old fashioned adventure set in New York City, with a disparate group of people brought together to right an awful wrong. Vita is a wonderful character, leading her troupe unfalteringly in defense of her beloved grandfather. It's an exciting read and will interest anyone who enjoys heists or found family stories.

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Review: Darkwood

Darkwood by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This title has been compared to Terry Pratchett a lot. It's not quite accurate; this is rather more manic and less subtle than Terry's work. But that's not a diss on Darkwood, which is a clever, funny story about prejudice and magic. The characters are mostly well drawn - poor Buttercup doesn't get much personality, being motherly and turning things into cake are her only two characteristics. But the others are well written, and with a clear sequel hook at the end Buttercup might gain some personality in the next one. I'll happily be there to read it, to see what happens next.


I received an ARC and chose to write an honest review.

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Review: The Hormone Diaries: The Bloody Truth About Our Periods

The Hormone Diaries: The Bloody Truth About Our Periods by Hannah Witton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

PERIODS. It's not a dirty word, and yet we're supposed to hide it away, pretend it doesn't happen, keep it quiet and away from anywhere other people might see it. Hannah Witton is on a crusade to change that, bringing these discussions back into the mainstream.

This is a great read, clear and concise without being overly graphic. I liked the letters from real women, showing the huge range of symptoms and problems women can suffer with.

If we want people to start taking 'women's problems' seriously, we need to get these discussions started, and this is a fantastic way to do it. Just brilliant.

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Review: The Paper & Hearts Society

The Paper & Hearts Society by Lucy Powrie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tabby is hoping that her new town will mean an end to her old problems. Hoping for some new friends, she joins a book club and is soon happily embroiled in their plans and schemes. The past she'd hoped to leave behind is not finished with her, though, and it threatens everything she's built for herself in this new life.

What a fantastic read. All the characters suffer with various forms of anxiety and none of them are made fun of or made to feel lesser; they're treated with care and respect by the other characters. Even during the inevitable fallout they mostly listen to each other. It's refreshing to see. This will be a great book for tweens to read, as it tackles some heavy topics, most notably social media bullying. I think this will do really well.


I received a proof copy of this book, which did not affect my review in any way.

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Review: Queen of Ruin

Queen of Ruin by Tracy Banghart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Viridia, women are objects, not people. Beautiful, demure, obedient objects. Those who disobey are killed or sent to the island prison of Mount Ruin, forced to fight and kill for the guards' amusement. Serina has successfully led an uprising against them, but they are now trapped on the island, pinning all their hopes on the next supply ship. Serina's thoughts are with Nomi, though, left behind in the palace at the mercy of the cruel Superior. Together, these girls can destroy a country. If they can find their power.

This was a brilliant follow up to Grace and Fury. There was enough recapping for me to remember what happened in the last book, but not so much that it seemed out of place. Serina and Nomi continued to grow as characters, facing awful situations head on. The rest of the characters are distinct enough for it to really matter when they start fighting. The ending was clever and about the only way things could really have worked out. I'm glad the story wasn't dragged out longer; this felt like the right length.

I received an ARC of this title and chose to review it honestly.


Serina couldn’t mistake the naked misery in her sister’s voice. “He . . . he must care for you, to let you go.” Nomi’s face crumpled. Understanding dawned. “But you cared for Asa.”

Nomi’s voice hardened. “I thought I did. I trusted him, and he used me. He used my affection for him, my love for you, for his own ends. He killed his father and tried to kill his brother, and he shipped me off to prison . . . but before all of that he kissed me and told me he wanted me to be queen, and I believed him.”

Serina put her arms around Nomi, aching for her sister. She sat in silence, holding Nomi as she cried, just as she’d done when they were children. The moment was bittersweet; Serina hated that Nomi was hurting, but she was also grateful to be able to comfort her. Not long ago, she’d been certain she’d never get this chance again.

After a while, she murmured, “Asa will pay for what he’s done. I am certain.”

Nomi cleaned her face on the edge of her shirt. “I hope so.”

They curled into each other’s arms and listened to the surf and let the wind whip through their hair, and soon enough, dawn found them.

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New Titles

#murdermostunladylike by @redbreastedbird is celebrating ten years with this fabulous signed, hardback edition! It includes extra content for you to enjoy. Complete your collection today.

Review: Maresi Red Mantle

Maresi Red Mantle by Maria Turtschaninoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maresi has spent years closeted in the Red Abbey, learning all they could teach her, satiating her thirst for knowledge. Now she has decided it's time to return home and help her people with her new wisdom. Home is not as she remembers it, though, and she will have to find a way to fit in without betraying her true self. And always, on the edge of her perception, the Crone is waiting for her to open the door to Death once again.


I have to be honest and say that I enjoyed Maresi better than Naondel, but this third book is every bit as good as the first one, if a little slower to start. Maresi's struggles and triumphs had me gripped and I was excited to keep reading and see what would happen, even though I've never really enjoyed epistolary format. It worked well in this case, though. And the translation is fantastic, no awkward phrases or anything that pulled me out of the story.

A brilliant ending to a wonderful trilogy.



I sat wrapped up in my bloodsnail-red cloak and stared into the embers of the dying fire. My skin tingled and crawled. The ground was humming and trembling beneath the soles of my feet. The snake ring on my finger was freezing cold. Then the full moon rose over the valley and cast her white light over the silvery forest.

Suddenly a handful of stars detached and shot across the firmament, flying away like darting swallows. I held my breath. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, Venerable Mother. And there, under raining stars, I wept.

"The world is so cruel, most venerable Crone," I whispered. "And I am so small. There is so little I can do."

I had never spoken to her in this way before.
Maresi, the Crone replied. My daughter.

There was warmth in her voice, but there was also a caution. A thought struck me; if I truly am the daughter of the Crone, if I am hers, perhaps I am capable of more than I believe. Perhaps I am more than just myself.

The next day I took a fallen branch from our family's silverwood tree. I am keeping it and carving a staff. I need some support, for I have the feeling that a storm is coming.

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Review: Evie and the Animals

Evie and the Animals by Matt Haig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A sweet story about Evie, who has the power to talk to animals, and her battle both to be accepted and to fend off a villain with the same power. I was expecting an all out showdown between the two and was pleasantly surprised when the whole matter was decided by something Evie had done as a toddler years before. It's a good lesson without being too preachy; what you put out into the world comes back around to you. I hope Matt plans to write more in this series, as they're perfect for early readers.

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Review: The Chosen

The Chosen by Taran Matharu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cade is just trying to get through an unfair sentence in a reform school without finding too much trouble. He doesn't want anything to do with Finch, the school's bully, or any of the other boys. The choice is taken from him, though, when he finds himself on a strange, alien world, surrounded by peril at every turn. Forced to find allies anywhere he can, Cade finds himself a player in a game he doesn't understand, for stakes that are unimaginably high.


This reads just a little younger than Taran's first series, but it's every bit as exciting and nail biting. The characters are a little less well developed, but there's time in the rest of the books and I like what we've seen so far. This book covers the first 'round' of the game nicely, while still leaving plenty of hooks for the next title. I love the setting; Taran describes it really well and I'm eager to see more of it.

A fantastic start to what promises to be a great new series.

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Review: The Curious Dreamer’s Dream Essentials

The Curious Dreamer’s Dream Essentials by Nancy Wagaman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fascinating read. It's not exactly a dictionary, although it does include some of the most common symbols; it's more about the act of interpreting your dreams, giving tips and hints about your state of mind, rituals to help you remember and much more. I think once you've read it through once you'll probably be dipping in and out of it, but that's no harm and it's a very handy one to reference. I've started using it on my dreams! (No, I'm not telling you the meanings.) It includes suggested further reading if you're interested in the topic at all.

A great book for beginners or for dream aficionados.


I received a free copy and chose to write an honest review.

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Review: The Passengers

The Passengers by John Marrs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Self driving cars are now the rule, not the exception. Britain's roads are full of them. Traffic jams are a thing of the past, pollution is down, people are calmer...it's all good, right?

Apart from the eight people who have found themselves trapped in their car, unable to control the course, unable to communicate with anyone. They are unwilling victims of Hackers determined to prove that cars are not as safe as they're claimed to be. And the public will have to choose; which one will survive, and which ones will die? They're on a collision course, quite literally...


I've read one other John Marrs book, The OneThe One, which is referenced a couple of times in this one. They're both very effective thrillers with multiple POVs. John is very skilled at projecting technology a couple of decades into the future and imagining what it will be like - this one is set sometime after the 2020s, but if there's a more specific time than that I missed it. I wouldn't be surprised, I was reading very quickly trying to find out what would happen. He's very good at making you feel one way about a character, then revealing something that makes you feel another.

I'll be watching out for more John Marrs books in the future, I'd definitely enjoy visiting this world again.



Panic rose inside Shabana in the same way it did when she heard Vihaan slamming the front door after a night out. If he was drunk, he was angry. And if he was angry, he was going to release his aggression upon his wife by doing what he wanted to her while she laid still, eyes closed and fists balled, dreaming of a better life.
Other voices began to fill her car, more words and languages that she didn’t understand, along with haunting cries, shouting and people in distress. ‘What is happening ?’ she pleaded aloud. ‘I don’t like this, please, can you make the car stop? I would like to get out.’ She pushed a button on the door hoping it would open, but nothing happened.
She looked at the phone Reyansh had given her and pressed the green button, holding it to her ear. ‘Reyansh ?’ she asked. ‘Reyansh, son, can you hear me? Are you there? Please?’
But there was no reply. Shabana had a feeling the new life she dared to dream of was already slipping from her grasp.

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