In the Blink of An Eye - Jo Callaghan

There have been so many series and books have about how technology is raiding our lives either through surveillance (BBC series - Capture), medical advancements  or even our social interactions on digital platforms.  

Jo Callagan's In the blink of An Eye takes on the challenge of exploring the concept of technology - in the form of an AI Hologram - taking on the role of an assistant police detective to solve a cold case.

Blurb:

When DCS Kate is asked to head a pilot exploring the use of AI in policing, she responds with extreme resistance. How can technology compare with years of experience and gut instinct? However, unable to resist a challenge she takes it on. But things take an sinister turn when the cold cases they have been working on suddenly become active and danger seems to be much closer than ever.

Between human instinct versus calculation, logic versus experience, who will get there first?

My review:

• In this debut, Callaghan introduces DCS Kate, an officer with years of experience who finds herself saddled with a hologram to solve a cold case. The persona of DCS Kat is well etched,  her battles - on professional and personal fronts - hits a chord with the reader.

• I enjoyed the office humour, the work tensions and how the adhoc team finds a way to settle into their roles. Callaghan captures the difficulties of handling a team, the tensions between colleagues with humour and sharp observation.        

• I enjoyed the tussle between Lock and Kat and how they played to their strengths. Callaghan does a great job of balancing out both viewpoints while keep the plot moving - brilliantly juggled.

• Once I took to DCS Kate and her team and settled into the narrative, I was really enjoying the ride, so much that I was beginning to feel smug thinking that I could see what the story was moving towards. But then the finale, oh gosh the blink of an eye, that really got me. That was my wow moment!

An intelligent thriller that handles a very topical theme within the trappings of a good old thriller - the kind that keep us turning pages. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster for an advance copy.

In the blink of an eye is published by Simon and Schuster and is out now.

 

   

The Curfew - T M Logan

 

T.M.Logan's latest is a great read. Especially since I was looking for a racy, engaging thriller and knew I was in good hands when I picked it up. What I love about his books is the compelling narrative with a set of characters to care about. And I was totally taken in by Andy, the father of a boy who broke his curfew which is where the story begins. Gosh what a hook of a premise to delve into!

Gist:

Andy and Laura love their kids. Their son Connor has just completed his exams and is out with friends. The parents have been assured that he will be back by midnight. 

Except when he doesn't, it sets off a series of events that shake the families up completely.

Because five teenagers went into the woods and only four came back.

Telling the truth may not be a good thing at this point after all.

My review:

• I picked it up at a time when I wanted a comfort read. This read which paints a parent's worst nightmare brought me out of a reading slump.

• I love the characters and the relatable situations. I loved how Andy the calm and composed GP functions as a rattled father. His quest to get his son out of trouble, the Boyd family with their quirks and traits, the way old insecurities surface in the face of this difficult situation has been beautifully portrayed.

• The storytelling is amazing, very plot driven and even as the reader is trying to guess what or who had done what, the twists keep coming and surprising the reader.

• I had an inkling of what could have happened and yet was taken aback by the twists in the story. Wow, loved the way the story turns.

I finished this in two sittings, such is the compelling nature of the narrative.

Highly recommended if you are looking for a good contemporary thriller story that keeps you racing through the pages.

  

Ajay and the Mumbai Sun - Varsha Shah

Varsha Shah's debut has all elements of a crackling read. A page turning adventure about a boy and his friends work hard to tackle corruption and greed.

Gist:

Ajay has always lived on the railway platform. He doesn't know who his parents are but he knows what he wants to be a journalist. He is fascinated by the world of news and together with a group of friends brings out a printed edition. But then Ajay quickly discovers that in his quest of news, danger is lurking around the corner and he will need the help of his friends before it gets too dangerous.

My review:

• The setting of the railway platform is truly amazing. Mumbai trains are an intrinsic part of the city's identity and Shah does a good job of panning out the story in the initial pages.

• The story is beautifully laid out and the character of Ajay is etched out well. Love Shah paints a flawed character rather than picture perfect and allows the reader to accompany him on his learning curve. 

• The story moves very fast is very pacy, great for young readers.

A great read. Have already bought copies to gift!

Best of Friends - Kamila Shamsie

I love Shamsie's writing. She has a very understated way of building worlds and bringing readers into it. I enjoyed learning about the two teenagers from different social strata and their friendship with ample foreshadowing in the initial chapters, as the atmosphere builds up for the reader to know something is going to happen.

However, I struggled with the London part of th
e story. Found lots of elements jostling for space; as role of technology in society, gender roles, relationships, immigration, politics. Shamsie's skill comes to fore at balancing all these elements and yet sometimes I struggled to keep up. Maybe it's just me, but the pace felt forced and it slowed it down for me.

I did not see the story turning the way it did. I loved being surprised as a reader and it is at this point that the story really started working for me, for by then I was fully invested in the characters.

Shamsie's ability to manoeuvre language and her sharp observations make for a great reading experience. Besides, she tends to be quite topical, and her stories are a reflection of contemporary society, yet another big plus.

Overall a great reading experience. Recommended.

The Last House - R G Adams

This is RG Adams' second novel after The Allegation. I really enjoyed reading about this character who is raised by the same social care system that she eventually works for. This new novel is an engaging read about a family, that seems like a low profile case for the department until Kit decide to get involved.  

Gist:

When a call comes to Sandbeach Child services about a 17-year-old boy Dylan Meredith, Kit remembers how her brother who was let down by the same services 10 years ago. In a bid to investigate she finds herself in an area that takes her back to her childhood. 

Perhaps it is gut instinct or just her personal experience clouding judgement but Kit feels something is not  right. Her superiors do not support Kit especially with their team being scrutinised through a staff inspection. Will Kit give in to the pressure or go against her bosses and risk consequences?  

My Review:

• Adams' debut novel The Allegation introduces Kit, a social worker who goes out of her way to discover the truth. It was great to meet Kit again and learn some more about her turbulent life in this latest novel.   

• The character of Kit with her fallacies is perfectly placed to investigate the cases that come through to her team.

• The juxtaposition of Kit's personal life with her professional life layers the story well. At one point it feels that there are two narratives and Adams's skill ensure that the two disparate threads echo similar sentiments.

• The psychological theory behind Dylan and Rhian's behaviour is not an easy one to explain and there are times when the information tends to bog down the story. However, it picks up pace once Kit defies the system to follow her gut instinct to save the family.

• Adams deftly weaves in her work experience in the sector to deliver a story about a system as fascinating as the NHS and yet never gets the attention it deserves.  

Kit as the protaganist is truly an unusual character and with each book, I feel a bit more invested in her life and cases. I will certainly be looking forward to Adams' next one and I am sure you will too if you like engaging and enlightening reads. 

The Last House is published by Riverrun books and is out now. 

    

  

Black Cake - Charmaine Wilkerson

A fabulous book that is easily one of my best reads of this. A story that is haunting and unravels so beautifully while working at so many levels.

Gist:

It begins when Benny and Byron discover their dead mother has left them a voice recording to listen to a special Caribbean black cake in the freezer.

What happens then is unravelling of secrets and some truths of the past sixty years and over so many continents.

My review:

A magnificient story about family, relationships and how time plays a role in deciding what our truths are. 

Loved the characer of Byron, Benny and Eleanor and the way it takes the reader through islands, countries and continents sweeping through so many lives as they tell their story.

The narrative flows so smoothly that one can only admire Wilkerson's ability to create so many different worlds and stay true to them. The short chapters are packed with information and skill and the way the story is told is amazing.

One of my favourite chapters is How to become a college dropout, a chapter of a few lines but which encapsulates the character's life and motivations in a one single paragraph. Amazing.   

A fantastic read. If you are a reader, then this is a book you shouldn't miss out on.

Princess Sophia Duleep Singh - Sufiya Ahmed

 At primary school, I couldn't add to my daughter's knowledge of any British Asian women who she could look up to. Thanks  to Sufiya Ahmed, my daughter and I enjoyed reading the My Story series. 

British Indian Noor Inayat Khan's story was the first one we read and totally loved it! And therefore the excitement for this one too.

Gist:

Little Sophia is travelling to India with her siblings and father when they are asked to get off the Ship and she watches her father Maharaja Ranjit Singh arrested. This is how we are introduced to Sophia and learn about an interesting life that works as an inspiration for many girls.

Review:

The story is told in bits and pieces through many significant events of the princess's life. The style is simple and the narrative flows well to keep interest.

It is not a straightforward tale of struggle and identity but a more subtle one since the princesss leads a so called privileged life. Ahmed succeeds in showing how this princess's life had its own set of complications and yet she manages to rise above those restrictions and crave an identity for herself.

An enlightening, pacy read for adults, an endearing read for young minds.