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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Travelers in Books
Sep 8, 2021
147 of 250
Book
The Travelers
By Chris Pavone
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
It’s 3:00am. Do you know where your husband is?
Meet Will Rhodes: travel writer, recently married, barely solvent, his idealism rapidly giving way to disillusionment and the worry that he’s living the wrong life. Then one night, on assignment for the award-winning Travelers magazine in the wine region of Argentina, a beautiful woman makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Soon Will’s bad choices—and dark secrets—take him across Europe, from a chateau in Bordeaux to a midnight raid on a Paris mansion, from a dive bar in Dublin to a mega-yacht in the Mediterranean and an isolated cabin perched on the rugged cliffs of Iceland. As he’s drawn further into a tangled web of international intrigue, it becomes clear that nothing about Will Rhodes was ever ordinary, that the network of deception ensnaring him is part of an immense and deadly conspiracy with terrifying global implications—and that the people closest to him may pose the greatest threat of all.
It’s 3:00am. Your husband has just become a spy.
I can appreciate where and what the author was trying to do but this just didn’t grab me at all! It was a hard slog through. Two stars may seem a bit mean and I would encourage people to at least give it a go especially if you enjoy spy novels.
Book
The Travelers
By Chris Pavone
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
It’s 3:00am. Do you know where your husband is?
Meet Will Rhodes: travel writer, recently married, barely solvent, his idealism rapidly giving way to disillusionment and the worry that he’s living the wrong life. Then one night, on assignment for the award-winning Travelers magazine in the wine region of Argentina, a beautiful woman makes him an offer he can’t refuse. Soon Will’s bad choices—and dark secrets—take him across Europe, from a chateau in Bordeaux to a midnight raid on a Paris mansion, from a dive bar in Dublin to a mega-yacht in the Mediterranean and an isolated cabin perched on the rugged cliffs of Iceland. As he’s drawn further into a tangled web of international intrigue, it becomes clear that nothing about Will Rhodes was ever ordinary, that the network of deception ensnaring him is part of an immense and deadly conspiracy with terrifying global implications—and that the people closest to him may pose the greatest threat of all.
It’s 3:00am. Your husband has just become a spy.
I can appreciate where and what the author was trying to do but this just didn’t grab me at all! It was a hard slog through. Two stars may seem a bit mean and I would encourage people to at least give it a go especially if you enjoy spy novels.
Debbiereadsbook (1454 KP) rated King of the Mountain (Love at Lake Clyde #1) in Books
Oct 13, 2023
quite the betrayal I saw coming.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I liked this, I liked it a lot.
Clifford is racing in his final Tour de France, he needs total focus on winning. Meeting the lost student in Paris throws him, but Gabe pushes buttons he didn't know needed pushing, at least, not for a long LONG time. Can they see it through, for Clifford to win his final tour and then be with Gabe?
I found this quite an easy read, but I needed that right now. It flows and ebbs, as does the relationship between Clifford and Gabe. The big gap in the time line was necessary, I think, for them to fully recover from France, and be open to moving on.
That things were conspiring against them was obvious, but just how far that conspiracy and plan went was quite the betrayal. I liked that I saw that coming, to be honest. Something was said, and I had alarm bells ringing, much as Clifford did but I put the pieces together faster than he did.
I liked how things sorted themselves out, in the end.
It was, like I said, an easy read. Some steam and smexy times, some drama and some emotional times.
If I reading things correctly, this is the author's first book under this name. I'd like to follow them as they hone their craft.
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
I liked this, I liked it a lot.
Clifford is racing in his final Tour de France, he needs total focus on winning. Meeting the lost student in Paris throws him, but Gabe pushes buttons he didn't know needed pushing, at least, not for a long LONG time. Can they see it through, for Clifford to win his final tour and then be with Gabe?
I found this quite an easy read, but I needed that right now. It flows and ebbs, as does the relationship between Clifford and Gabe. The big gap in the time line was necessary, I think, for them to fully recover from France, and be open to moving on.
That things were conspiring against them was obvious, but just how far that conspiracy and plan went was quite the betrayal. I liked that I saw that coming, to be honest. Something was said, and I had alarm bells ringing, much as Clifford did but I put the pieces together faster than he did.
I liked how things sorted themselves out, in the end.
It was, like I said, an easy read. Some steam and smexy times, some drama and some emotional times.
If I reading things correctly, this is the author's first book under this name. I'd like to follow them as they hone their craft.
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated Racing the Light in Books
Jun 17, 2023
Elvis Cole is in a Race to Find a Missing Man
PI Elvis Cole’s latest client is a mother who insists that her son, Josh, is missing. She sounds like a conspiracy nut, and it doesn’t help that Josh hosts a podcast about aliens and other out there topics. But Elvis gives himself a day to figure out what he thinks of the case, and in that time he realizes that someone dangerous is very interested in where Josh is. Can Elvis find him in time?
As usual, this book was a mixed bag for me. The case was interesting, although some of the events were entirely predictable to anyone who has read this series on a regular basis. While I do like Elvis and his partner, Joe Pike, I still find Joe to be a rather thin character. The new characters are also definitely on the thin side, and many of them are annoying. In fact, at times the plot seemed to be based on the characters doing the absolutely stupidest things they could do and Elvis trying to save them. There’s also quite a bit of adult content in this book, more so than I really thought it needed. There are lots of point of view changes, but I never had a hard time with them since they were clearly labeled and happened at chapter breaks. Fans will be interested in the sub-plot here. There are things I enjoyed, but once again, this is an average entry in an average series.
As usual, this book was a mixed bag for me. The case was interesting, although some of the events were entirely predictable to anyone who has read this series on a regular basis. While I do like Elvis and his partner, Joe Pike, I still find Joe to be a rather thin character. The new characters are also definitely on the thin side, and many of them are annoying. In fact, at times the plot seemed to be based on the characters doing the absolutely stupidest things they could do and Elvis trying to save them. There’s also quite a bit of adult content in this book, more so than I really thought it needed. There are lots of point of view changes, but I never had a hard time with them since they were clearly labeled and happened at chapter breaks. Fans will be interested in the sub-plot here. There are things I enjoyed, but once again, this is an average entry in an average series.
Jordan Binkerd (567 KP) rated Mercy Kill (X-Wing #10) in Books
Aug 15, 2019 (Updated Aug 20, 2019)
Note: this review is transposted from my personal review blog, and so was originally written several years ago. I figured if I reposted it here, someone might actually read it….
NOTE: This novel is no longer canon following Disney’s acquisition of Star Wars. That’s not to say it isn’t good, just that it belongs to the old Canon - I prefer to think of it as an alternate universe.
Do you remember fondly the Star Wars novels of the 90s? Are you into Star Wars but a newcomer to the Expanded Universe? Do you enjoy your Star Wars with an undertone of comedy, so long as a certain floppy-eared terror is nowhere in sight? If so, X-WING: MERCY KILL may be a good book for you to check out.
Unlike most of the books being released set in the “modern” era of the Star Wars universe (44 ABY–i.e., 44 Years post-Episode IV), MERCY KILL lets you jump right in, more or less without knowing the situation to that point. A lot of the others you could read cold, but they wouldn’t make much sense. MERCY KILL, however, has little to do with the ongoing plot of the Expanded Universe. It’s rooted in recent events, but the setup is very simple and easily grasped. It would pay to know the characters from the X-Wing novels of the 90s, but even that is not really necessary. You could check out three or four articles on Wookiepedia and be fine–I did, just to refresh my memory.
So….here’s what you need to know. In the 90s, they published a series of comics and then novels based around Rogue Squadron, led by Wedge Antilles and a number of the X-Wing pilots from the films along with some new faces. These comics and the first four novels were written by Michael Stackpole, but after the fourth he dropped out for a while citing other commitments he had to work on. So they hired in Aaron Allston to continue the series. Allston decided to let the Rogues go off on their own adventures while he created a new team for his novels–Wraith Squadron, a team of X-Wing pilots who would work equally well as a ground-based commando team. The result was a cross between The A-Team and The Dirty Dozen, with some aerial action thrown in. For the purposes of this new novel, notable characters included Garik “Face” Loran, a child star turned soldier and the eventual commander of the Wraiths; and Voort “Piggy” SaBinring, a genetically-modified Gamorrean. There are a few other returning faces, but these were the better developed and you can probably get by just knowing them.
The Star Wars publishing event of the early 2000s was the New Jedi Order series, in which a race of extra-galactic aliens called the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the Galaxy Far, Far Away and sought to subjugate its people. They almost did it, and they changed the way Star Wars novels worked in the process. Characters–MAIN CHARACTERS–died. Chewbacca, Han and Leia’s youngest son Anakin Solo, and countless others fell to the military might of the invaders. There have been other upheavals since, most notably a second Galactic Civil War when Han and Leia’s oldest son Jacen Solo fell to the Dark Side. In the aftermath of that war, a conspiracy was formed to take over both the Galactic Alliance and the Empire and merge them together once again, recapturing the glory of the height of the Old Empire. This conspiracy failed, but it may not have been completely rooted out…..
In this book, Garik Loran is called out of retirement by the head of the Alliance military. He wants Loran to quietly look into rumors that an up-and-coming officer may have been connected to the Lecerson Conspiracy. Wraith Squadron is back in business! The resulting adventure is a fun trip, dealing both in nostalgia for those of us who read the adventures of the original Wraiths long ago and in action that newer fans can get into, all the while serving up Allston’s signature undertone of humor mixed with heart. I heartily recommend it. The one caveat I will mention for fans of the original books is that there is comparatively little aerial combat in this book. The plot doesn’t call for it, and I certainly didn’t really miss it too much, but some may be disappointed by that.
If you want more reading suggestions, the X-Wing: Rogue Squadron comics and X-Wing novels are quite good. If you wanted to enhance your experience with this book, I would have you read at least the novels, but you may not have the patience for all nine of the previous books. If not, I won’t hold it against you.
Content-wise, they keep the Star Wars novels pretty PG. Mild language, mild violence, mild innuendos…..nothing to worry about.
Original post: https://jordanbinkerd.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/review-star-wars-x-wing-mercy-kill-by-aaron-allston/
NOTE: This novel is no longer canon following Disney’s acquisition of Star Wars. That’s not to say it isn’t good, just that it belongs to the old Canon - I prefer to think of it as an alternate universe.
Do you remember fondly the Star Wars novels of the 90s? Are you into Star Wars but a newcomer to the Expanded Universe? Do you enjoy your Star Wars with an undertone of comedy, so long as a certain floppy-eared terror is nowhere in sight? If so, X-WING: MERCY KILL may be a good book for you to check out.
Unlike most of the books being released set in the “modern” era of the Star Wars universe (44 ABY–i.e., 44 Years post-Episode IV), MERCY KILL lets you jump right in, more or less without knowing the situation to that point. A lot of the others you could read cold, but they wouldn’t make much sense. MERCY KILL, however, has little to do with the ongoing plot of the Expanded Universe. It’s rooted in recent events, but the setup is very simple and easily grasped. It would pay to know the characters from the X-Wing novels of the 90s, but even that is not really necessary. You could check out three or four articles on Wookiepedia and be fine–I did, just to refresh my memory.
So….here’s what you need to know. In the 90s, they published a series of comics and then novels based around Rogue Squadron, led by Wedge Antilles and a number of the X-Wing pilots from the films along with some new faces. These comics and the first four novels were written by Michael Stackpole, but after the fourth he dropped out for a while citing other commitments he had to work on. So they hired in Aaron Allston to continue the series. Allston decided to let the Rogues go off on their own adventures while he created a new team for his novels–Wraith Squadron, a team of X-Wing pilots who would work equally well as a ground-based commando team. The result was a cross between The A-Team and The Dirty Dozen, with some aerial action thrown in. For the purposes of this new novel, notable characters included Garik “Face” Loran, a child star turned soldier and the eventual commander of the Wraiths; and Voort “Piggy” SaBinring, a genetically-modified Gamorrean. There are a few other returning faces, but these were the better developed and you can probably get by just knowing them.
The Star Wars publishing event of the early 2000s was the New Jedi Order series, in which a race of extra-galactic aliens called the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the Galaxy Far, Far Away and sought to subjugate its people. They almost did it, and they changed the way Star Wars novels worked in the process. Characters–MAIN CHARACTERS–died. Chewbacca, Han and Leia’s youngest son Anakin Solo, and countless others fell to the military might of the invaders. There have been other upheavals since, most notably a second Galactic Civil War when Han and Leia’s oldest son Jacen Solo fell to the Dark Side. In the aftermath of that war, a conspiracy was formed to take over both the Galactic Alliance and the Empire and merge them together once again, recapturing the glory of the height of the Old Empire. This conspiracy failed, but it may not have been completely rooted out…..
In this book, Garik Loran is called out of retirement by the head of the Alliance military. He wants Loran to quietly look into rumors that an up-and-coming officer may have been connected to the Lecerson Conspiracy. Wraith Squadron is back in business! The resulting adventure is a fun trip, dealing both in nostalgia for those of us who read the adventures of the original Wraiths long ago and in action that newer fans can get into, all the while serving up Allston’s signature undertone of humor mixed with heart. I heartily recommend it. The one caveat I will mention for fans of the original books is that there is comparatively little aerial combat in this book. The plot doesn’t call for it, and I certainly didn’t really miss it too much, but some may be disappointed by that.
If you want more reading suggestions, the X-Wing: Rogue Squadron comics and X-Wing novels are quite good. If you wanted to enhance your experience with this book, I would have you read at least the novels, but you may not have the patience for all nine of the previous books. If not, I won’t hold it against you.
Content-wise, they keep the Star Wars novels pretty PG. Mild language, mild violence, mild innuendos…..nothing to worry about.
Original post: https://jordanbinkerd.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/review-star-wars-x-wing-mercy-kill-by-aaron-allston/
Tara (6 KP) rated Ink Iron and Glass in Books
Jul 3, 2018
Has some twists you don't see coming! Keeps you guessing. Keeps building to the end. Makes you wish you had the next book ready so you can find out what happens next. (1 more)
Wasn't a complete cliffhanger, but it did leave you with questions. General curiosity to how the story will continue.
Keep with it!
Book Sleeve Description -
Can she write a world gone wrong?
A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation, where her mother - a noted scriptologist - constantly alters and expands their reality.
But when her home is attacked and her mother kidnapped, Elsa is forced to cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative Victorian Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of young scientists with a gift for mechanics, alchemy, or scriptology - and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and tragic past. She recruits the help of these fellow geniuses just as an assassin arrives on their doorstep.
In this thrilling debut, worlds collide as Elsa unveils a deep political conspiracy seeking to unlock the most dangerous weapon ever created - and only she can stop it.
Wish I had the second book so I can find out what happens!
New type of YA story.
Refreshing.
Can start off slow...trust me...stick with it!
Can she write a world gone wrong?
A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation, where her mother - a noted scriptologist - constantly alters and expands their reality.
But when her home is attacked and her mother kidnapped, Elsa is forced to cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative Victorian Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of young scientists with a gift for mechanics, alchemy, or scriptology - and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and tragic past. She recruits the help of these fellow geniuses just as an assassin arrives on their doorstep.
In this thrilling debut, worlds collide as Elsa unveils a deep political conspiracy seeking to unlock the most dangerous weapon ever created - and only she can stop it.
Wish I had the second book so I can find out what happens!
New type of YA story.
Refreshing.
Can start off slow...trust me...stick with it!
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated An Angel Came Down: The Angel of All Cannings in Books
Nov 8, 2019
My wife was the assistant manager of the little community shop in All Cannings (a small village in Wiltshire) and the author was a regular customer. When he couldn't get any interest in his story set around the village from a publisher he decided to publish it himself - and so we are the proud owners of a copy of this work. It doesn't feature any cover art - the book is simply white with the title writtien in black writing, something that is more effective and chilling than any picture could be.
Written for young adults, this tells the story of a group of friends who investigate the appearance of an 'angel' - a white mark on the hillside near their home, which intriguingly they are warned away from by some officials. The area is famous for its crop circles and soon it becomes clear there is a link between crop circles and secret military testing. Despite the danger the children pursue the truth.
The plot works well with the children (and the reader) wanting to find out more as each part of the conspiracy is uncovered and it is immensely readable. The children are likeable and the adults they encounter are by turns helpful and friendly or threatening and scary.
There are faults - the children sometimes act older than their ages and there is an event late in the book which is morally questionable. But overall this is a very sound and credible novel. It is such a shame that it was written a few years before eBooks took off, when it might have seen a much wider audience.
Written for young adults, this tells the story of a group of friends who investigate the appearance of an 'angel' - a white mark on the hillside near their home, which intriguingly they are warned away from by some officials. The area is famous for its crop circles and soon it becomes clear there is a link between crop circles and secret military testing. Despite the danger the children pursue the truth.
The plot works well with the children (and the reader) wanting to find out more as each part of the conspiracy is uncovered and it is immensely readable. The children are likeable and the adults they encounter are by turns helpful and friendly or threatening and scary.
There are faults - the children sometimes act older than their ages and there is an event late in the book which is morally questionable. But overall this is a very sound and credible novel. It is such a shame that it was written a few years before eBooks took off, when it might have seen a much wider audience.
Ross (3284 KP) rated God of Broken Things in Books
Aug 1, 2019
Excellent conclusion to the duology
* I received an advance copy of this book from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *
The second and final book in the short series (for once an author who is willing to restrict his series to two books rather than padding out to a trilogy with a low quality middle book!) continues Edrin Walker's fight for his life. Where in the first book the coward found himself accidentally returning to the city where he was banished from, and thrown into a conspiracy to destroy the city, here he is more of a willing participant.
The scarrabus (the mind-controlling parasite race) are rife in the city and Walker starts to uncover their plot. Events see him sent to hold off a fast approaching army, where he once again battles with mind-controlled mages and warriors.
The action is thick and fast in this book, and while there are some metaphysical sections, and some epic sections of exposition it keeps the reader engaged throughout.
Walker is a likeable, though thoroughly detestable selfish coward who sometimes ends up doing the right things, if not for the right reason. His magic power of mind-control is used more here than in the first book (where I felt it had been a little neglected for fear of being a Mary Sue), but not over-used and at times it wonderfully helps the story move along while his body can't allow him to be in the thick of the action.
There are twists and conflict galore in this brilliant gritty conclusion to a great story with some really strong, original characters.
The second and final book in the short series (for once an author who is willing to restrict his series to two books rather than padding out to a trilogy with a low quality middle book!) continues Edrin Walker's fight for his life. Where in the first book the coward found himself accidentally returning to the city where he was banished from, and thrown into a conspiracy to destroy the city, here he is more of a willing participant.
The scarrabus (the mind-controlling parasite race) are rife in the city and Walker starts to uncover their plot. Events see him sent to hold off a fast approaching army, where he once again battles with mind-controlled mages and warriors.
The action is thick and fast in this book, and while there are some metaphysical sections, and some epic sections of exposition it keeps the reader engaged throughout.
Walker is a likeable, though thoroughly detestable selfish coward who sometimes ends up doing the right things, if not for the right reason. His magic power of mind-control is used more here than in the first book (where I felt it had been a little neglected for fear of being a Mary Sue), but not over-used and at times it wonderfully helps the story move along while his body can't allow him to be in the thick of the action.
There are twists and conflict galore in this brilliant gritty conclusion to a great story with some really strong, original characters.
Ross (3284 KP) rated The Shattered Realm of Ardor Benn in Books
Mar 12, 2021
Fantastic fantasy heist follow-up
I received an advance copy of this book from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The second Ardor Benn book is another epic tale of the ruse artist taking on the royal family. The first book saw Ard's efforts depose the current king and save the dragon race (and hence the world). Sadly, the replacement royalty is no better and the Great Chain is now scattered into different, warring islands. Ard finds himself embroiled in a plot to unearth the conspiracy that the new king's dead nephew, and the rightful heir, is not actually dead.
There is also an interesting new subplot where we see a university professor tasked with discovering new Grit types (the world's magic system, whereby different materials once digested and fired by a dragon produce different magical results). This angle, like the industrial/medical revolution is surprisingly thrilling, with additional intrigue as the results become the interests of some unsavoury characters.
Ard and Raek are once again superb and quickly put together a plot to infiltrate a secret criminal underworld and discover the whereabouts of the true king. The secrecy and plotting, and use of the world's magic makes for some excellent exciting passages.
There are the usual twists and turns along the way, as the security measures in place in the secret society make it hard for Ard to progress too quickly.
As with the first book, the true nature of this strange world is unveiled a little more over the course of the book in spectacular fashion.
A wonderful fun read.
The second Ardor Benn book is another epic tale of the ruse artist taking on the royal family. The first book saw Ard's efforts depose the current king and save the dragon race (and hence the world). Sadly, the replacement royalty is no better and the Great Chain is now scattered into different, warring islands. Ard finds himself embroiled in a plot to unearth the conspiracy that the new king's dead nephew, and the rightful heir, is not actually dead.
There is also an interesting new subplot where we see a university professor tasked with discovering new Grit types (the world's magic system, whereby different materials once digested and fired by a dragon produce different magical results). This angle, like the industrial/medical revolution is surprisingly thrilling, with additional intrigue as the results become the interests of some unsavoury characters.
Ard and Raek are once again superb and quickly put together a plot to infiltrate a secret criminal underworld and discover the whereabouts of the true king. The secrecy and plotting, and use of the world's magic makes for some excellent exciting passages.
There are the usual twists and turns along the way, as the security measures in place in the secret society make it hard for Ard to progress too quickly.
As with the first book, the true nature of this strange world is unveiled a little more over the course of the book in spectacular fashion.
A wonderful fun read.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Disappeared (Jenny Cooper #2) in Books
Dec 11, 2020
205
Kindle
The Disappeared ( Coroner Jenny Cooper book 2)
By Matthew Hall
Review via Smashbomb! Link posted in commenonce read.
Two missing students. One sinister cover-up.
Two young British students, Nazim Jamal and Rafi Hassan vanish without a trace. The police tell their parents that the boys had been under surveillance, that it was likely they left the country to pursue their dangerous new ideals. Seven years later, Nazim's grief-stricken mother is still unconvinced. Jenny Cooper is her last hope.
Jenny is finally beginning to settle into her role as Coroner for the Severn Valley; the ghosts of her past that threatened to topple her, banished to the sidelines once more. But as the inquest into Nazim's disappearance gets underway, the stink of corruption and conspiracy becomes clear . . .
As the pressure from above increases, a code of silence is imposed on the inquest and events begin to spiral out of all control, pushing Jenny to breaking point. For how could she have known that by unravelling the mysteries of the disappeared, she would begin to unearth her own buried secrets?
I enjoyed this book so much! I really connected with Jenny I found a lot of common ground with her and with the two surrounding cities of Birmingham and Bristol! I sometimes struggle when a male author writes a female lead but Hall does it brilliantly! The story was interesting it kept you gripped from the start. The struggle for Jenny is balancing her being a mother with her high powered career all while having mental health issues caused by real life situations! I genuinely couldn’t put it down!
Kindle
The Disappeared ( Coroner Jenny Cooper book 2)
By Matthew Hall
Review via Smashbomb! Link posted in commenonce read.
Two missing students. One sinister cover-up.
Two young British students, Nazim Jamal and Rafi Hassan vanish without a trace. The police tell their parents that the boys had been under surveillance, that it was likely they left the country to pursue their dangerous new ideals. Seven years later, Nazim's grief-stricken mother is still unconvinced. Jenny Cooper is her last hope.
Jenny is finally beginning to settle into her role as Coroner for the Severn Valley; the ghosts of her past that threatened to topple her, banished to the sidelines once more. But as the inquest into Nazim's disappearance gets underway, the stink of corruption and conspiracy becomes clear . . .
As the pressure from above increases, a code of silence is imposed on the inquest and events begin to spiral out of all control, pushing Jenny to breaking point. For how could she have known that by unravelling the mysteries of the disappeared, she would begin to unearth her own buried secrets?
I enjoyed this book so much! I really connected with Jenny I found a lot of common ground with her and with the two surrounding cities of Birmingham and Bristol! I sometimes struggle when a male author writes a female lead but Hall does it brilliantly! The story was interesting it kept you gripped from the start. The struggle for Jenny is balancing her being a mother with her high powered career all while having mental health issues caused by real life situations! I genuinely couldn’t put it down!
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Marriage Act in Books
Jan 22, 2023
Set in a time not too far away, this is a dark and rather creepy tale that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Would you 'upgrade' your marriage if it meant getting preferential treatment ... the best jobs, the best houses, better health care, education, etc., etc., etc.? But then what if that meant artificial intelligence was listening in to snap shots of your conversations and then analysing them to make sure you are keeping to the terms of your marriage? And if not, a scale of interventions would be put into action. Would you still do it? Well, The Marriage Act will probably make you think again!
Mr Marrs certainly gets you thinking and poses really interesting questions and dilemmas in this well plotted, perfectly paced book told from the viewpoints of his well created characters and with some great twists and turns.
Thoroughly enjoyable and quite an unsettling book that actually doesn't feel that far from becoming a reality! How many have an Alexa, Siri or similar digital voice assistant in the home or on your wrist that just sits there? I'm not a conspiracy theorist, however I imagine it wouldn't take much for a law to be passed in the name of improving the economy or society in some way, then a switch is flicked and the process would start ... definitely not beyond the realms of reality and very scary!
This is the second of Mr Marrs' books I have enjoyed and I will definitely read more in the future and thanks must go to Pan Macmillan, Macmillan and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Marriage Act.
Would you 'upgrade' your marriage if it meant getting preferential treatment ... the best jobs, the best houses, better health care, education, etc., etc., etc.? But then what if that meant artificial intelligence was listening in to snap shots of your conversations and then analysing them to make sure you are keeping to the terms of your marriage? And if not, a scale of interventions would be put into action. Would you still do it? Well, The Marriage Act will probably make you think again!
Mr Marrs certainly gets you thinking and poses really interesting questions and dilemmas in this well plotted, perfectly paced book told from the viewpoints of his well created characters and with some great twists and turns.
Thoroughly enjoyable and quite an unsettling book that actually doesn't feel that far from becoming a reality! How many have an Alexa, Siri or similar digital voice assistant in the home or on your wrist that just sits there? I'm not a conspiracy theorist, however I imagine it wouldn't take much for a law to be passed in the name of improving the economy or society in some way, then a switch is flicked and the process would start ... definitely not beyond the realms of reality and very scary!
This is the second of Mr Marrs' books I have enjoyed and I will definitely read more in the future and thanks must go to Pan Macmillan, Macmillan and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Marriage Act.