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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
๐ญExcellent Addition to the series!
DCS Kat Frank and Artificially Intelligent Detecting Entity (AIDE) Lock are back with new killers to catch but this time they won't be solving cold cases but a frontline murder that rapidly becomes a national news story. The case they are assigned to is an unusual one. A man is found naked, his ears having been removed, and crucified. Clearly, this is a murder that someone wanted to discover. But will their combined skills be a help or hindrance in trying to solve the case? Unfortunately, when a second crucified corpse is discovered - this time with his eyes removed - the press starts to circle and there is increasing pressure to get results.
Callaghan never gives too much away, which allows plenty of time for us armchair sleuths to work out the motive for the crimes and the who. I do enjoy a crime thriller more when I feel part of the investigation.
The strength of this book is Lock. Heโs so literal and fumbles along learning how to interact with his human co-workers. For a hologram heโs got a wicked sense of humour ๐ I really enjoy the futuristic element to these books. So clever. Heโs such a fascinating character, but he isnโt without flaws. He isnโt able to read body language and doesnโt pick up on sarcasm or other human traits that take us human years to learn. Which often leaves his partner in crime, Kat having to explain the nuances of human behaviour. Itโs these moments that add a dose of light humour to this dark tale. He (his preferred pronouns are he/him - to align with his holographic representation) is so wonderful that I couldnโt help but like him enormously. He becomes more and more human-like as he learns during the course of the investigation.
I found Kat, Lockโs โbossโ, very engaging. She has a fine sense of humour, and is grounded and personable, despite grieving the recent loss of her husband. Her team are very loyal, even skipping the Christmas party to ensure they solve the murders before another team can take over the investigation. I also really enjoyed the quirky, flamboyant Judith, the pathologist.
There is much to love about this story. The characters are well-written. The plot is intriguing. The pace is just right. The relationship between Kat and Lock is fascinating and growing with each book. Great writing which keeps the reader engaged and wanting more!
Overall, thereโs a dollop of ancient history, an examination of loss and grief, lots of red herrings as well as toxic masculinity and misogyny, all sewn up into a clever, hugely engaging and futuristic, yet grounded, crime thriller.
Another brilliant read in this series. Jo Callaghan is quickly becoming one of my MUST-READ authors!
๐.๐ I canโt be the only one thinking that the closing pages offered us an insight into what might be part of the focus for book three (which Iโm assuming is in the pipeline) but Iโm intrigued to see how Callaghan develops our central cast and their relationships.
๐ธ๐ด๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐: โญโญโญโญ
๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐: 4.39 (586)
๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐: Crime Fiction, Thriller, Science Fiction, Police Procedural and Mystery
๐ธ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐: Kat and Lock (Book 2)
๐ธ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐: Yes!!
Itโs worth reading the books. There are so many layers to this book, with a fascinating character that adds a whole extra dimension to the typical police procedural novel. Itโs highly original, flawlessly paced, and extremely entertaining. It's a book any crime lover will relish.
๐ธ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ธ๐๐๐๐๐:
"A widowed friend of mine said the worst thing about losing her husband was that you have everyone to do something with, but no one to do nothing with.โ
DCS Kat Frank and Artificially Intelligent Detecting Entity (AIDE) Lock are back with new killers to catch but this time they won't be solving cold cases but a frontline murder that rapidly becomes a national news story. The case they are assigned to is an unusual one. A man is found naked, his ears having been removed, and crucified. Clearly, this is a murder that someone wanted to discover. But will their combined skills be a help or hindrance in trying to solve the case? Unfortunately, when a second crucified corpse is discovered - this time with his eyes removed - the press starts to circle and there is increasing pressure to get results.
Callaghan never gives too much away, which allows plenty of time for us armchair sleuths to work out the motive for the crimes and the who. I do enjoy a crime thriller more when I feel part of the investigation.
The strength of this book is Lock. Heโs so literal and fumbles along learning how to interact with his human co-workers. For a hologram heโs got a wicked sense of humour ๐ I really enjoy the futuristic element to these books. So clever. Heโs such a fascinating character, but he isnโt without flaws. He isnโt able to read body language and doesnโt pick up on sarcasm or other human traits that take us human years to learn. Which often leaves his partner in crime, Kat having to explain the nuances of human behaviour. Itโs these moments that add a dose of light humour to this dark tale. He (his preferred pronouns are he/him - to align with his holographic representation) is so wonderful that I couldnโt help but like him enormously. He becomes more and more human-like as he learns during the course of the investigation.
I found Kat, Lockโs โbossโ, very engaging. She has a fine sense of humour, and is grounded and personable, despite grieving the recent loss of her husband. Her team are very loyal, even skipping the Christmas party to ensure they solve the murders before another team can take over the investigation. I also really enjoyed the quirky, flamboyant Judith, the pathologist.
There is much to love about this story. The characters are well-written. The plot is intriguing. The pace is just right. The relationship between Kat and Lock is fascinating and growing with each book. Great writing which keeps the reader engaged and wanting more!
Overall, thereโs a dollop of ancient history, an examination of loss and grief, lots of red herrings as well as toxic masculinity and misogyny, all sewn up into a clever, hugely engaging and futuristic, yet grounded, crime thriller.
Another brilliant read in this series. Jo Callaghan is quickly becoming one of my MUST-READ authors!
๐.๐ I canโt be the only one thinking that the closing pages offered us an insight into what might be part of the focus for book three (which Iโm assuming is in the pipeline) but Iโm intrigued to see how Callaghan develops our central cast and their relationships.
๐ธ๐ด๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐: โญโญโญโญ
๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐: 4.39 (586)
๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐: Crime Fiction, Thriller, Science Fiction, Police Procedural and Mystery
๐ธ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐: Kat and Lock (Book 2)
๐ธ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐: Yes!!
Itโs worth reading the books. There are so many layers to this book, with a fascinating character that adds a whole extra dimension to the typical police procedural novel. Itโs highly original, flawlessly paced, and extremely entertaining. It's a book any crime lover will relish.
๐ธ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ธ๐๐๐๐๐:
"A widowed friend of mine said the worst thing about losing her husband was that you have everyone to do something with, but no one to do nothing with.โ
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
As soon as I saw the audiobook was available, I got it. I love the first book in this series and was eagerly waiting for the next :D
So here we are, with DS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock going into their first live case. This is a risky move, but a necessary one if Lock is going to fulfil his function. The press frenzy is foreseeable but I still despise it; I hate the vulture quality of today's press, in which everything is permissible if it gets you a good headline. Decency and compassion aren't part of the game.
And it isn't only Lock that stirs the press: the case is a strange one: a crucified man, naked, with his ears cut off. There is enough weirdness to grant lots of attention from the media.
Again, we see all of them teaming up to solve the case and in doing so, we are made aware of the strengths and limitations of both, humans and AI.
Now, I have to say that the first book was better; maybe it feels this way because of how strongly the author's political ideas are pushed into the story. Don't get me wrong, I mostly agree with all of them (I'm sure men would react EXACTLY like that if they were told to better not to pick up women at the pub) but I could do with a little more subtlety.
And I love Lock, you know that. But I think it's time to stop making him have so many humans-are-confusing moments; he's a learning AI, he should be able to get idioms by now. ChatGPT can, why can't he? Or should I say it? Nah, I'll go with he, sorry Kat *laughs*
Still, I'm still in love with the premise and will be waiting just as eager for the next book *g*
So here we are, with DS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock going into their first live case. This is a risky move, but a necessary one if Lock is going to fulfil his function. The press frenzy is foreseeable but I still despise it; I hate the vulture quality of today's press, in which everything is permissible if it gets you a good headline. Decency and compassion aren't part of the game.
And it isn't only Lock that stirs the press: the case is a strange one: a crucified man, naked, with his ears cut off. There is enough weirdness to grant lots of attention from the media.
Again, we see all of them teaming up to solve the case and in doing so, we are made aware of the strengths and limitations of both, humans and AI.
Now, I have to say that the first book was better; maybe it feels this way because of how strongly the author's political ideas are pushed into the story. Don't get me wrong, I mostly agree with all of them (I'm sure men would react EXACTLY like that if they were told to better not to pick up women at the pub) but I could do with a little more subtlety.
And I love Lock, you know that. But I think it's time to stop making him have so many humans-are-confusing moments; he's a learning AI, he should be able to get idioms by now. ChatGPT can, why can't he? Or should I say it? Nah, I'll go with he, sorry Kat *laughs*
Still, I'm still in love with the premise and will be waiting just as eager for the next book *g*
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent
Thank you Simon & Schuster UK for the ARC. IYKYK my reviews are always honest.
writing: solid | plot: unfocused | ending: tbh I'm glad I'm done | 2.5 rounded down i'm sorry
my opinion
I absolutely LOVED book #1 (banger alert was issued) but this? *whispers* no. Tbh I'll probably sound like and old man shaking his fist at kids skateboarding past his house but that is not my intention, so please forgive me. Also, please do not make any assumptions about my political beliefsโjust because you vote a certain way, doesn't mean you have to blindly agree with every sentiment associated with that ideology. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
I hate to say this, but this book was trying way too hard to be woke. I think this type of wokeness will appeal to a certain demographic of people that I will not name, but it certainly wasn't for me. Every woman jumped at the opportunity to make a statement about gender inequality, even when it didn't suit their character or the situation.
Is misogyny real? 100%. Is racism real? 100%. But nearly every social commentary moment in this book was a case of trying to make orange juice out of apples. For instance, does DI Hassan expressing concern over Professor Okonedo participating in her first ever press conference because she's a sitting duck for clickbait hungry journalists warrant this accusation of misogyny: "Oh, I see. You think that only a fully trained male police officer can be trusted to talk to the media? Someone like yourself, perhaps?" Girl wut?? The DCS leading the presser is a woman... and the comms director supervising is also a woman........ ???? What's happening?? And does it make sense for a businesswoman who has connections to organized crime to say something like "you think every successful woman must be crooked." But... you ... are... ???? HALP.
What I loved about book #1 was the agenda-free exploration of the pros and cons of generative AI in law enforcement. But due to all the politicking, AIDE Lock played a small role in this book. Yes, there were funny moments that highlighted how irrationally confusing human behaviour is, but other than the new tech involving post-mortems, I didn't get anything else out of it.
The case itself was pretty predictable, which is fine, if the book delivers in other areas. Unfortunately the mailbox remained empty as no deliveries were made (don't worry, I'll throw tomatoes at myself for that one). No spoilies but while the motivation for the baddie was totally understandable, the extra layer of symbolism was too much for me to handle because I was already so annoyed with all the wokeness.
Anyways. This ends on a cliffhanger and yes I will be tuning in. Hopefully she picks a lane or at least chooses the right moments to get her social justice warrior on. Again, I sound like I wear a red hat if you know what I mean, but the "incidents" in this book made absolutely no damn sense. If she had removed a solid 90% of this, it would've been a much more enjoyable read.
pros and cons
pros: some funny moments, prologue was BANGING... GREAT start, interesting to learn about new tech for PMs
cons: switching between job titles and first names (DI Hassan and Rayan) was super confusing and unnecessary, so woke I was an insomniac reading this, symbolism felt forced, trying to do too many things at once โ the deep dive into gen AI is enough I promise you
____
Check out my YouTube and my TikTok
writing: solid | plot: unfocused | ending: tbh I'm glad I'm done | 2.5 rounded down i'm sorry
my opinion
I absolutely LOVED book #1 (banger alert was issued) but this? *whispers* no. Tbh I'll probably sound like and old man shaking his fist at kids skateboarding past his house but that is not my intention, so please forgive me. Also, please do not make any assumptions about my political beliefsโjust because you vote a certain way, doesn't mean you have to blindly agree with every sentiment associated with that ideology. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
I hate to say this, but this book was trying way too hard to be woke. I think this type of wokeness will appeal to a certain demographic of people that I will not name, but it certainly wasn't for me. Every woman jumped at the opportunity to make a statement about gender inequality, even when it didn't suit their character or the situation.
Is misogyny real? 100%. Is racism real? 100%. But nearly every social commentary moment in this book was a case of trying to make orange juice out of apples. For instance, does DI Hassan expressing concern over Professor Okonedo participating in her first ever press conference because she's a sitting duck for clickbait hungry journalists warrant this accusation of misogyny: "Oh, I see. You think that only a fully trained male police officer can be trusted to talk to the media? Someone like yourself, perhaps?" Girl wut?? The DCS leading the presser is a woman... and the comms director supervising is also a woman........ ???? What's happening?? And does it make sense for a businesswoman who has connections to organized crime to say something like "you think every successful woman must be crooked." But... you ... are... ???? HALP.
What I loved about book #1 was the agenda-free exploration of the pros and cons of generative AI in law enforcement. But due to all the politicking, AIDE Lock played a small role in this book. Yes, there were funny moments that highlighted how irrationally confusing human behaviour is, but other than the new tech involving post-mortems, I didn't get anything else out of it.
The case itself was pretty predictable, which is fine, if the book delivers in other areas. Unfortunately the mailbox remained empty as no deliveries were made (don't worry, I'll throw tomatoes at myself for that one). No spoilies but while the motivation for the baddie was totally understandable, the extra layer of symbolism was too much for me to handle because I was already so annoyed with all the wokeness.
Anyways. This ends on a cliffhanger and yes I will be tuning in. Hopefully she picks a lane or at least chooses the right moments to get her social justice warrior on. Again, I sound like I wear a red hat if you know what I mean, but the "incidents" in this book made absolutely no damn sense. If she had removed a solid 90% of this, it would've been a much more enjoyable read.
pros and cons
pros: some funny moments, prologue was BANGING... GREAT start, interesting to learn about new tech for PMs
cons: switching between job titles and first names (DI Hassan and Rayan) was super confusing and unnecessary, so woke I was an insomniac reading this, symbolism felt forced, trying to do too many things at once โ the deep dive into gen AI is enough I promise you
____
Check out my YouTube and my TikTok
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes