You know when you pick up a John Marrs book that you won’t be getting much sleep! Firstly because you’ll be reading way into the night, and secondly because his books are so thought-provoking (and slightly disturbing, let’s not lie), that they keep you awake as your mind races with thoughts and ideas that you never even knew could exist!

I’ve loved every one of John’s books, (I’m proud to be one of a very exclusive group known as the John Marrs Groupies) but thought this was his best so far. Picture the scene … somewhere, sometime in the not too distant future, technology has progressed to the point that we’re now zooting around in driverless cars!! (I’m a bit too much of a control freak myself, so can’t see myself doing this, but whatever floats your boat – or drives your car – as the saying goes …) So … one fine morning, 8 completely unrelated individuals leave their homes, get into their vehicles, instruct them to go wherever it is they want to go; they sit back and expect the cars to do the rest … and all’s fine and dandy, as it’s been every other day … until it isn’t!

Shortly after leaving their homes, it’s brought to their attention that the vehicles they’re in are actually under the control of a hacker! I’m telling you, the thought of it gives me chills! They’re on a collision course and in exactly 2.5 hours they’re going to all crash into each other and die! There’s absolutely nothing they can do – they’re innocent pawns in someone’s sick, evil game. But wait … keep reading … are they actually as innocent and as randomly selected as we originally think they are?

Meanwhile, a group of government-appointment individuals are sequestered away in a room, deciding on how to rule in accidents that have been brought before them, relating to these self-driven vehicles. Before they know it, ‘The Hacker’ has made contact with them and informed them of his plans, allowing them a quick inside look at what he’s plotting for his 8 vehicles, before broadcasting the entire proceedings onto international social media channels for the world to vote on who should be allowed to live, while the others continue on their collision course!

This puts the whole concept of choice, responsibility, judgment, prejudice, morality, perception and control into an entirely new light! And it led me to thinking … are we actually passengers in our everyday lives? How much control do we take? Do we sometimes feel like things get so hectically insane that our lives have been hacked? We need to realise that our lives are our own and we do have it within ourselves to take control and make our lives what we want them to be!!

This is a brilliant fast-paced story that has so many twists and turns that they’re impossible to anticipate. You’ll question every single character in the story, before questioning yourself. You’ll think you’ve got the answers before they’re cruelly snatched out of your hands. You’ll find yourself challenged by numerous moral choices, and then you’ll be faced with judging each of Marrs’s character’s and their integrity before turning on yourself once again. And you will gasp … over and over, and over again! Oh, and remember to breathe!! I found myself holding my breath so many times it was just ridiculous!!

Since reading this book, I’ve heard mention of self-driving cars in the media numerous times. I’m not sure if this had ever been discussed before and I’d just never paid attention, but now whenever I hear of it, I shiver! And then I want to quickly contact John and tell him about the latest technological advances – although I’m pretty sure he already knows all about them!

This gets 5 huge, enormous, gob-smackingly massive stars from me … actually, I think it should get a whole lot more!!!

I can’t wait to see what John’s got in store for us next time around! Do yourself a favour and read ALL of his books. I’d love to hear which one’s your favourite!

This will probably be my number one best book read of 2019. It was spine chillingly good and I can't really envisage another book this year making me stop and think "this really could happen" quite the way this one has.

It has more OMG moments than you could shake a stick at where you actually grip your face in horror at what is unfolding before your eyes; as is the case for the characters within the book.

As you may have gathered from the synopsis, the plot revolves around driverless cars not too far into the future and what happens when their unhackable computer controls are hacked. There is always someone out there just bursting to prove a point.

However there's far more to The Hacker's motives than merely proving computers can be hacked and with devastating consequences. It is a tale of morals, ethics and human nature at its worst.

It's a story that reflects how judgmental society has become and how all too willingly it will base those judgements on the flimsiest of evidence. The infuence of social media plays heavily throughout the plot.

The thing is, this book is perhaps a little too true to life than is comfortable. It's difficult to say exactly what as I wouldn't want to give anything away. Lets just say I think the author has our so called democracy well and truly weighed up and I can imagine certain scenario's within the book happening in real life all too easily.

The book is very tense throughout, the passengers' fear is palpable. There are so many knife edge moments and unexpected twists right to the very end. I really enjoyed this book. It does make you think and wonder how far technology will go and at what point it will start to overtake and destroy us. The Internet of Things is certainly something to be wary of - I think. As for a driverless car future? After reading this book I'm just going to stick with my e-bike thanks.

A jury, carefully selected with a government official and members of the public having to take their turn to "vote" on who is at fault in car accident. Set in the not to distance future we have level five cars, they control everything and the driver can just relax, as a passenger. When one of the meetings is interrupted by a hacker who has taken control of eight of these cars and advising in two and a half hours they will die. Tempers flare, emotions are high, the public will get a say in the votes, eight seemingly innocent people's lives hang by a madman's decision, who will survive.

So we hear a wee bit about the passengers, the government official is warned there will be consequences for failure to comply. The public and watching and voting, the poor people are trapped in their cars and chapter after chapter the tension is building. Just when you think you have it sussed where the book is gone the author flings a curve ball, you know nothing, only what the hacker chooses.

Corruption, lack of morality, trial by public, life and death, lies, destruction, love and absolute anarchy. The tension builds up quickly and keeps you hooked, you just want to see what is coming next, who will be next, will anyone survive. The book also lets you look at the darker side of humanity, yes it is a fiction book but go onto almost any social media and look at the comments. You could easily see this being a reality and I think that is what is scary about this book, the potential. We see how dark humans can go, how fast technology is developing and how much humans rely on it, but when it goes wrong.....fantastic read. This wasn't my first by Marrs and it won't be my last 4/5 for me this time.

"The Passengers" takes us to a world with self - driving cars... You don't have to do anything, you are a passenger that simply sits in the car. Traffic congestion, pollution and accidents has gone down significantly. The cars are, of course, unhackable... That is, until one day, the system IS hacked. Eight "passengers" are on their way to different locations when suddenly they're told their cars are taken over and soon they're going to die in an accident. The governing body that oversees the driverless cars and the whole of AI technology are contacted and they, as well as some of the normal people serving in a jury, are to choose who of the 8 people should be saved and why. It is all, of course, streamed to social media and the general public also gets involved. The race against time begins - is it possible to save those people?

There was a great cast of characters. Among the passengers we have a refugee woman, an Indian woman with a family that was abused by her husband and who doesn't speak English, a wife and husband of ten years, both in two different cars, a pregnant woman, a famous actress, an army veteran and a young man who's down on his luck. Each of them is trapped, their routes being taken over, their destination programmed. After two and a half hours one of them will live, while the rest will die. A group of jury members, who are actually investigating who's at fault when there is a car accident and people die (and it's almost never the car's fault!), are dragged into the hacker's game. The only jury member who makes a stand against the hacker and the other members is Libby, a mental health nurse with a great dislike of the driverless cars.

It was a great story about manipulation and the dangers of technology. It was horrifying to see how easily you can manipulate people, showing them this what you want them to see, and actually how people react, where their morals lie, how easy it is to led them. I was very involved in the characters' lives though I didn't allowed myself to judge them, waiting for the outcome. And the fact that the author actually didn't care which of the character should die, not falling onto pieces over them, was a great and refreshing change. He also brilliantly captured the mob mentality on social media and on the streets.

But. And there is a "but", sadly. For me the book has a great premise, it started brilliantly and the development was also great, though I must admit that there were already moments that it seemed to me that the author had a great idea but then wasn't sure how to direct it furthermore, how to bite it to make it thrilling. And then came the end that was a disappointment for me. I was expecting a mind - blowing, fireworks ending but it simply felt flat and not complete, not wrapped up. It seemed as if the idea petered away, and I'm really sad about this as I was hoping for so much more from John Marrs. Don't get me wrong, please, I was hooked to the pages, I vibrated together with the characters, I wanted to punch some of them in their faces and kept everything crossed for the others, and then it was as if the balloon has deflated. Sadly.

But altogether, it was a fast - paced and full of twists and turns story and although it touched upon some difficult and thought - provoking issues, it was an easy read, surprising you with the development of the story. The author has brilliantly captured the future world - he made it scary and dangerous and it really freaked me out to see that people not only allow the electronic devices decide for them but they're also not afraid to play with other people's lives. It was accomplished and unsettling and I am so truly sorry and also sad that it didn't work for me - I wanted to love this book but I also wanted more substance and better execution. However, I know there is so much potential in John Marrs' writing, his books are original and unique and I'll be reading whatever he writes in the future.

Yet again John Marrs has come up with a plot line that keeps you guessing and is so original. Not easy in this day and age. He never ceases to amaze. Didn’t know where this was going right up until I was told. Very clever twist.
Greed, self importance, secrets and lies create a web of intrigue. Highly recommend this one.

I was so excited to hear about this book and was desperate to get my hands on it. I have heard great things about John Marrs but this is the first of his I have read.
In the near future, all vehicles in the UK have been replaced with Level 5 self drive cars - these have no manual override, no steering wheel and no brakes. They run completely using AI and since their introduction, there are hardly any accidents, less pollution and no traffic jams. In theory nothing can go wrong...
Then 8 self-drive cars are set on a fatal collision course by a cyber hacker. They contain people from all walks of like - a well known veteran actress, a woman who is 7 months pregnant, a husband and wife (in separate cars), a young man who is down on his luck and is suicidal, an Indian woman who speaks no English who is escaping from her abusive husband, an elderly war veteran and an asylum seeker. Meanwhile, a group of jury members who are investigating who is at fault when there is a road accident are dragged into the hackers game - he demands that they choose who should be the first to die. And to add to the pressure, the whole thing is being streamed on social media
The only jury member to make a stand against the hacker is Libby - a mental health nurse who is a reluctant member of the jury. She has a strong dislike of autonomous vehicles and campaigned against their introduction.
I work in the automotive industry (and write a newsletter on autonomous vehicles and their technology) and this touched on all the potential problems with these cars. Cybersecurity is obviously a big sticking point on the future introduction to self-drive cars and also if people will trust the AI behind them! This was a great original thriller - several unexpected things happened that left me literally with my mouth hanging open with shock. It was a clever idea to look to the near future and write a thriller based on technology we might all be using soon.
I also liked the way he used social media - how mob mentality can take place, especially through the anonymity of Twitter - a selection of hashtags trending while the situation is going on include #EnglishBeforeImmigrants, #SaveThemAll and #SendingPositiveVibes are trending as well as hashtags demanding certain Passengers are killed or saved.
A great premise and brilliantly executed, it certainly lived up to my expectations.

John Marrs is one of my 'go to' authors, he has a knack of looking at different situations or potential innovations and crafting a compelling, utterly plausible and extremely unnerving story from them.

The Passengers is written with his trademark intelligent writing, brilliantly paced with fabulous characters, twists, shocks and nail-biting suspense aplenty! The concept of driver-less cars is presented alongside the best and worst of human nature and social media and the resultant novel is just electrifying.

To risk dropping any spoilers I can only say stop dithering, click now, ensuring you free up a few hours as you won't want to put this book down, even for sleep!

John Marrs has gone and done it again! A timely technothriller premise and superb execution make this a pleasure to read; I'd even go as far as to say that it's his best thriller to date and that is indeed saying something. From the moment you eagerly consume the first page, you are expertly held in a vice-like grip where putting it down is simply not an option. This is the type of book that will make you read through the night despite having to work in the morning, the type of book that means you burn your dinner, the type of book that makes you miss your stop on the train. In other words, the very best type of book. It's a long time since I encountered a novel quite as topical and absolutely riveting. Marrs has been one of my favourite writers for many years, but this cements his place even more and shows him at the very top of his game. In fact, this is so good it puts other crime fiction to shame.

Now, the twists and turns in The Passengers are plentiful and although I read at least 500 books, most of which are from this genre, I failed to predict exactly what was going to happen, and boy, you have to love it when that happens. There's nothing worse than a predictable thriller now is there? Even though it is heavily based in a future world where technological advances have changed the way we live Marrs masterfully makes it plausible when it could've quite easily have been outrageously improbable. As always, it's well written with a cast of beautifully developed and engaging characters and thrilling from picking up until putting it down. If it doesn't have you on the edge of your seat then please book an appointment with your GP as there is seriously something wrong.

A five-star page-turner which is an absolute must-read, and one of the most accomplished, addictive, unsettling and entertaining thrillers I've ever had the pleasure to devour. It will no doubt cement his status in the hearts and minds of long-term fans and gain him many new disciples.

Many thanks to Del Rey for an ARC.

An inquest is being held to determine who is at fault during accidents with driverless cars…..the car or the human…a jury watches videos of accidents and makes decisions on quite basic information….the car is usually exonerated.

But, then 8 driverless cars are taken over by The Hacker, the inquest jury, headed by MP Jack Larsson is told to decide who of the 8 will survive…

They are given a chance to interview each person to make an informed decision, Libby though, knows one of the Passengers….Jude, the person she met in a bar and believes he is the One.

It taps into our fear of a loss of control, being in a car with no driver…..would my life be deemed worth saving over that of someone else in an accident….

What follows is one of the most twisty thrillers I’ve read. There are so many secrets and lies to keep you guessing right to the breathtaking end. A definite must read for any lover of a dark thriller……a thought provoking nail biter….a brilliant 5 * read.

I would like to thank the publishers, the author and netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book for free and this is my honest and unbiased review.

There are so many layers to this thriller - just when you think you have the answer, the question changes.
In the near future driver less cars have been introduced to Britain. According to the Government they are safer, cause fewer accidents and fatalities - but they lack human empathy. Still some people oppose progress and 8 of these 'unhackable' cars are hacked and locked on a collision course with each other. Information about the passengers is dripped throughout the book both to the reader and to the people judging on social media.
This is a riveting moralistic tale which questions the ethics of progress in mankind and the morals of a social media led culture.
Is social media taking over our lives? Do the Governments of today have too much information about us?
Can Artificial Intelligence be the future?
Some interesting questions have been asked in this novel, certainly food for thought.

“The only thing you need to know at this point is that in two hours and thirty minutes from now, it is highly likely that you will be dead.”

John Marrs has done it again and we think this may just be our favourite book by this Author to date. Wow…just wow! Honestly, if you haven’t picked up a book by this magnificent Author yet, you are doing yourself a disservice. Not only is John Marrs a master of the written word, but he is also a master of character development, storyline twists, suspense, relevance, intelligent writing and the gift of creating something inherently unique. John Marrs has mastered the art of compelling his readers by sucking them into his world, turning something conceivably possible into reality whilst fictionalising concepts that on the whole aren’t entirely unrealistic. Whilst creating a thrilling tale, he drops in current mainstream subjects, baring naked souls in a magnifying mirror which highlights the imperfections in humanity as well as the importance of issues close to every single one of us. We want to give a standing ovation to John Marrs for writing a fast-paced story of intensity, thrilling intrigue and suspense with a focus on human behaviour and the consequences of innovative greed and corruption.

“I have taken eight of your autonomous cars – the same vehicles your government promised were impossible to penetrate or corrupt – and taken them over to operate as I see fit. These passengers represent different walks of modern British life.”

On a ‘regular’ day eight individuals get into a self-drive car, which has now become the chosen and imposed way to commute, promoting safety as well as reducing congestion. Two of these people are sadly caught up in a horrific web of vengeance, whereas the other six have been chosen for reasons known only by the man dubbed, ‘The Hacker’.

“Sensitive material is supposed to be removed from the public domain and erased.”
“Nothing disappears any more. Everything is somewhere. All that’s private becomes public in the end.”

John Marrs skilfully introduces us to the six passengers, and in a few chapters, he ensures that we have a connection, an opinion and an emotional connection to each and every one of them. However, as with everything in life, we either see what we want to see or what we’re led to believe through what is cunningly portrayed. How well do you truly know someone from the persona that they’ve chosen to portray? Not only that, how many can hold a hand up and say they haven’t experienced regrets of actions or words in their past? Magnify this with the additional curse of social media and the ease of one clicking online hiding behind a screen.

“You cherry picked nuggets of information to encourage us and social media to vote in a particular way…You told the people what they wanted to hear to make their decision easier.”

Six people on way to a grand crescendo of inevitable death, each having to face their own truth and the judgement of the world that is watching online. Another group of individuals in charge of the harrowing decision forced upon them of who lives, whilst listening and watching the tragedy play out before their eyes through a direct live connection to every single car. A world watching, tweeting and voicing their opinions through hashtags; it’s a voyeuristic train crash of compulsion. The Hacker is the master puppeteer who forces truths and the unmasking of his passengers. What are the motives and why have these passengers been handpicked? What is the influence of social media and how much weight does it hold? At times we felt we were reading a truth, a compelling insight into the world we live in today with a somewhat advanced spin from which we couldn’t look away.

“When people are part of a mob, they stop being individuals, their inhibitions disappear, they don’t follow their normal moral compass.”
“But mob mentality and the anonymity of being behind a keyboard means people are braver when they’re together.”

We cannot stress how much we love John Marrs. He has written some of our favourite books and when we need that suspenseful thrill, the psychological drama and the relevance of humanity today, we know he will deliver every single time. Once again, through his fiction, John Marrs shines a spotlight on social issues today; the pitfalls of social media, mob mentality and standing in judgement with limited knowledge. His writing is outstanding, his characters have such depth and his storylines are addictive. An added bonus was a reference to the first book we read by this Author, The One. We didn’t move, we skipped breaths and we once again sat in compelled astonishment at just how bloody amazing John Marrs truly is!

“The only thing you need to know at this point is that in two hours and thirty minutes from now, it is highly likely that you will be dead.”

John Marrs has done it again and we think this may just be our favourite book by this Author to date. Wow…just wow! Honestly, if you haven’t picked up a book by this magnificent Author yet, you are doing yourself a disservice. Not only is John Marrs a master of the written word, but he is also a master of character development, storyline twists, suspense, relevance, intelligent writing and the gift of creating something inherently unique. John Marrs has mastered the art of compelling his readers by sucking them into his world, turning something conceivably possible into reality whilst fictionalising concepts that on the whole aren’t entirely unrealistic. Whilst creating a thrilling tale, he drops in current mainstream subjects, baring naked souls in a magnifying mirror which highlights the imperfections in humanity as well as the importance of issues close to every single one of us. We want to give a standing ovation to John Marrs for writing a fast-paced story of intensity, thrilling intrigue and suspense with a focus on human behaviour and the consequences of innovative greed and corruption.

“I have taken eight of your autonomous cars – the same vehicles your government promised were impossible to penetrate or corrupt – and taken them over to operate as I see fit. These passengers represent different walks of modern British life.”

On a ‘regular’ day eight individuals get into a self-drive car, which has now become the chosen and imposed way to commute, promoting safety as well as reducing congestion. Two of these people are sadly caught up in a horrific web of vengeance, whereas the other six have been chosen for reasons known only by the man dubbed, ‘The Hacker’.

“Sensitive material is supposed to be removed from the public domain and erased.”
“Nothing disappears any more. Everything is somewhere. All that’s private becomes public in the end.”

John Marrs skilfully introduces us to the six passengers, and in a few chapters, he ensures that we have a connection, an opinion and an emotional connection to each and every one of them. However, as with everything in life, we either see what we want to see or what we’re led to believe through what is cunningly portrayed. How well do you truly know someone from the persona that they’ve chosen to portray? Not only that, how many can hold a hand up and say they haven’t experienced regrets of actions or words in their past? Magnify this with the additional curse of social media and the ease of one clicking online hiding behind a screen.

“You cherry picked nuggets of information to encourage us and social media to vote in a particular way…You told the people what they wanted to hear to make their decision easier.”

Six people on way to a grand crescendo of inevitable death, each having to face their own truth and the judgement of the world that is watching online. Another group of individuals in charge of the harrowing decision forced upon them of who lives, whilst listening and watching the tragedy play out before their eyes through a direct live connection to every single car. A world watching, tweeting and voicing their opinions through hashtags; it’s a voyeuristic train crash of compulsion. The Hacker is the master puppeteer who forces truths and the unmasking of his passengers. What are the motives and why have these passengers been handpicked? What is the influence of social media and how much weight does it hold? At times we felt we were reading a truth, a compelling insight into the world we live in today with a somewhat advanced spin from which we couldn’t look away.

“When people are part of a mob, they stop being individuals, their inhibitions disappear, they don’t follow their normal moral compass.”
“But mob mentality and the anonymity of being behind a keyboard means people are braver when they’re together.”

We cannot stress how much we love John Marrs. He has written some of our favourite books and when we need that suspenseful thrill, the psychological drama and the relevance of humanity today, we know he will deliver every single time. Once again, through his fiction, John Marrs shines a spotlight on social issues today; the pitfalls of social media, mob mentality and standing in judgement with limited knowledge. His writing is outstanding, his characters have such depth and his storylines are addictive. An added bonus was a reference to the first book we read by this Author, The One. We didn’t move, we skipped breaths and we once again sat in compelled astonishment at just how bloody amazing John Marrs truly is!

In a not-far future, driverless cars have taken over the roads. The government has assured that they are safe and secure until eight strangers are taken hostage inside their own cars by an hacker. Only one of them will survive and a jury and social media will decide who that person will be. The eight hostages were not chosen randomly and, as the hacker reveals all their dark secrets, we see the opinion of the world change as they try to decide who will survive.

THE PASSENGERS is such a terrific and twisty novel. The author takes us in a future world where technological devices have completely taken over people’s lives. They control what they eat, what they buy, what they like and what they don’t like. They keep track of their heartbeats, their blood pressure, and how dry are their eyes. A world where cars drive themselves and choose the best route to take and whether and when to brake at a road accident. This world is really scary, it felt a bit too realistic and it freaked me out the way people rely not only on their electronics, but also on their social media where people don’t seem to realize that they are playing with other people’s lives. It’s a world where people seem to have become robots and lost empathy and feelings for others, where they deem more important what kind of shoes someone’s wearing and not the fact that eight people may die.

I love John’s Marrs writing and his books always keep me glued to the page. This one in particularly kept me literally on the edge of my seat, with its high tension, the many twists that keep coming until the very last page, with its thought-provoking plot, and its complex characters. THE PASSENGERS is a futuristic thriller that will take you completely by surprise, a must-read for 2019!

The Passengers by John Marrs

One morning a number of individuals think nothing of the journeys they’re about to undertake. They each get into their cars and set off. None of them will get to their destination. Each of the cars is fully automated, without steering wheels or controls, the driver is no longer a driver. He or she is just a passenger driven by an AI. Having control of the radio or tv screen is about the only power that the passengers have, but these people are about to lose even that. A few minutes into the journey they hear a voice and it tells them something that some of them believe must be a hoax – or even a reality TV show game. Their journey will take two and a half hours and at the end of that time, they will probably be dead. And it will all be filmed and projected into TVs and social media streams across the land. Viewers will be asked to make a choice.

Meanwhile, watching on is Libby. Libby is the civilian member of a curious jury that meets to decide who is liable in the event of an accident involving driverless cars. Is it the fault of the victim or the car? But their heated discussions are interrupted by the display of the drama playing out in front of an increasingly large and opinionated audience. As Libby and everyone else meets the helpless, panicked passenger, Libby realises with a shock that one of them looks very familiar to her indeed.

The Passengers is a book that I had to read the moment I was fortunate enough to obtain an advance copy. The premise is, undeniably, a little ridiculous but it is absolutely riveting! Set in the near future, this is a world in which social media is king and when people have got more time to spend on it due to the luxury of being driven around in cars by AI systems. There are sinister connotations to both of these concepts and John Marrs explores them to the full and I was hanging onto every single word.

The passengers are a fascinating and varied bunch, including a young pregnant woman, a suicidal man, an ageing movie and TV star, an unhappily married couple (each in their separate cars), a refugee, a woman escaping an abusive husband, an old soldier, and so on. It’s up to the public, and Libby’s jury, to save them, and social media will be shown at its very worst as it uses preconceptions about colour, gender, morality, religion, age to condemn the innocent – or the guilty. It is so gripping! We see the world at its worst.

One of the (many) things that kept me so hooked on the book is the author’s incredible talent for ending many of the chapters with such a shocking revelation or cliff hanger that at times I was utterly gobsmacked! I even had to mute a squeal when I was reading an especially jawdropping moment on the bus. But these moments aren’t rare. They happen time after time and I was left in utter awe of their creator’s skill.

I’m quite good at identifying the villain in thrillers and crime novels but The Passengers kept me in complete and happy ignorance until the very end. That is such a treat in itself. But this was more than equalled by the brilliant storytelling, the tension that is maintained from the very first page, the shocks that jolted me upright at regular and yet unexpected intervals, and the sheer entertainment of enjoying a sensational, slightly preposterous, story, made so real and thrilling. If you want a fun read, look no further!

OMG! It’s been a while since I read a five star book! This was amazing. Absolutely loved it. A must read. I devoured it. A fast paced, page turner of a read that you won’t be able to put down. It will be all you think about.

Set in the future, driverless cars! One dark, twisted, disturbed and clever hacker messing with peoples lives and minds… Brilliantly written. A unique story, I can safely say I have not read anything like this before and was hooked, its different. One of a kind. I think I’d be against driverless cars myself if it ever came to it.

I felt so sorry for Libby caught in the middle of it all, made worse by the fact she knows one of the passengers. I must state that Jack’s character was a bit of a douche (being polite).

The book also links to social media and how people (most of us) put that before our actual actions, thoughts and feelings. Anyone can hide behind a screen which is sad and join in with these sick games… If this happened in real life you just wouldn’t would you? Well I guess there will always be a few who do. Eye opening. Shocking.

A well deserved five stars, highly recommend! A must buy. A must read. Will be going into my top twenty of 2019. Unforgettable.

John Marrs has really hit a chord with this book. As the world slowly wakes up to all that technology can offer and is even slower to open its eyes to the downside of that technology, Marrs compels his readers to stare technology in the face in a game of chicken. And we do not win.

In the not at all distant future, driverless cars are the acceptable norm. There are levels of driverless car, but of course everyone wants the latest model; the one you can sit in and watch TV while you are transported, or put your make up on, or even if you are so minded, have a glass of wine or take a business meeting.

Should a driverless car ever be involved in an accident, a panel will be convened to determine fault.

Then one day, in a shocking occurrence that no-one ever believed possible, eight of the ‘unhackable’ cars are taken over by ‘The Hacker’. Each passenger is locked into their vehicle and each is told that in two and a half hours they will be dead.

All of this happens while the panel is convened; indeed, it seems it is directed at them. For ‘The Hacker’ tells them that it is possible to save one passenger – and their job is to decide which one. To help them, the entire proceedings are broadcast over social media so that the public, too, can voice an opinion.

Marrs plays brilliantly with a number of issues here. From the rush to judgement of social media to the way in which social media can help blur reality over perception, Marrs plays very well with the ugly side of mob mentality. In a series of shocking moments, Marrs very quickly brings home the judgemental side of a social media mob.

The Passengers works so well because it is built on plausibility. With some explosive moments and more than a few outstanding twists, Marrs has touched several raw nerves here in order to bring home an outstanding and quite terrifying thriller which deserves huge recognition.

Verdict: The Passengers is an innovative, intense, fast-paced thriller of a ride. Buckle up and get started.

I’m all for advances in technology, if it involves self-drive cars as someone who never got the hang of driving it sounds like the perfect mode of transport or so I thought! Now I’ve read The Passengers by John Marrs I’ve done a U turn (excuse the pun) and I will definitely stick to riding my bike! The Passenger a futuristic novel set in the not to distance future blew me away its original, taut and brilliantly written. I read this book at every opportunity, irritated by the slightest disturbance, which for me is always a sign of a fantastic read.

The Passengers begins with eight driverless cars have their systems hacked and set on a collusion course, unfortunately for the eight passengers, but even more so when their fates are in the hands of the public who have to vote via social media which one should survive, and that’s where the story gets very interesting. Each passenger appears to be an ordinary person going about their day-to-day life’s, it’s only when the author digs deeper into each character you realise that some are lying by omission, others have dark secrets or appear to be living a lie. What terrible things has each person committed, that they find themselves caught up in hackers very twisted games?

The author has created a bunch of fascinating but flawed characters and none of them are as they first appear, as each of their stories unfold you will gasp with shock, fight back the disgust, and sympathise with some characters, but you can’t help forming an opinion of which passenger should die. Which leaves you with a dilemma what if you choose the wrong passenger swayed by the bare facts or what you read or saw on social media? This gives the read an interactive feel as you ponder various moral dilemmas the hacker presents. From the moment someone hack the passengers cars, you sense their bewilderment, and as events take a far more sinister tone, their fear is palatable.

The Passenger is an edge of your seat read, one where you are thrown into the thick of the action from the start, where every chapter leaves you with a mother of a cliffhanger, urging you on to its explosive conclusion. This novel without any doubt is one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve had the pleasure to read in a long time. I’m sure this book will be snapped up for a TV adaptation following in the footsteps of The One, yes it really is that good. Would I recommend The Passengers it’s a HUGE “yes”, it’s definitely one that will be on my top reads of 2019. A word of advice buy it now, expect the unexpected and buckle up for a hell of a ride.

This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

Its been a few days since I finished this book, and I still haven’t wrapped my head around the chain of events. ‘The Passengers’ is an intense, fast-paced, bone-chilling, conflicting and an outstanding modern-day thriller that takes us through the darker, more dangerous side of innovation and how humans wouldn’t mind playing ‘God’ now and then.

8 passengers who are supposed to die in the next 2 hours, an enthusiastic audience, and a bunch of lawmakers/judges are what comprises this story. The use of tactics and logic has been brilliantly done, which makes this thriller gripping right from the start. What astonished me the most is the author’s ability to keep the audience engaged to one storyline, all the while plotting a marvelous twist to the tale.

‘The Passengers’ adds a question mark to one’s morals, sense of judgment under pressure, the basis of artificial intelligence and social media as a whole. Here is a book that has been well planned and executed, a thriller that is thrilling and horrendous at equal measures and a cast that defines the grey zone.

Eight self-drive cars set on a collision course. Who lives, who dies? You decide.

When someone hacks into the systems of eight self-drive cars, their passengers are set on a fatal collision course.

The passengers are: a TV star, a pregnant young woman, a disabled war hero, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant, a husband and wife - and parents of two - who are travelling in separate vehicles and a suicidal man. Now the public have to judge who should survive but are the passengers all that they first seem?

The Passengers is set in the future where driverless cars are the new mode of transport and talk of Brexit is most definitely yesterday's fish & chip wrappers. The concept of this story is brilliant and John Marrs, once again, has written a book that is so out there but at the same time so totally believable because of how technology is changing, that this could be what our future will look like. I'm not going to give an insight into what happens in this book for fear of giving too much away, which is why I've included the blurb above, I suggest you pick it up and read it for yourself. What I will say is that this is an edge of your seat, rollercoaster ride of a book that will keep you guessing at every twist and turn that is thrown at you, chapter after chapter and will have you screaming to go faster. I could not put this book down and read it in a day. I loved how the author made regular references to the subject of his earlier book, The One and if this book doesn't get commissioned for a TV series on Netflix as well I will be surprised.

I'd like to thank Penguin Random House UK and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon on publication day.

Set in the not to distant future, we now have fully AI self driven cars that need no human control at all. Just tell it where you would like to go, sit back, relax, even have a glass of wine to two. Drink driving is a thing of the past with these new cars. The numbers of fatal car accidents has decreased exponentially but when a fatality involving one of the self drive cars does happen an inquest is opened to ascertain blame. Was the accident caused through fault of the AI or human fault.

The panel of 5 consists of a Member of Parliament and Transport Minister Jack Larsson, a barrister Fiona Prentice, a member of Religious Pluralists Muriel Davidson, a representative of the General Medical Council Doctor Matthew Nelson, and a randomly selected member of the public that is summoned for mandatory jury duty. This weeks mandatory jury member is Libby Dixon.

Libby is not a fan of level five driverless cars after witnessing a fatal collision killing 3 people. The car could have saved those three lives if it had swerved into an unoccupied parked car to miss them but instead chose to try to brake ultimately hit the two women and a child killing all three.

As the inquests begin on the second day, the unhackable, safe fully autonomous cars, eight cars have been hacked and taken over by an unknown, referred to as The Hacker. Each passenger has been told that they are all being taking to an undisclosed destination and that in two hours and thirty minutes from now, it is highly likely that they will be dead.

All of which is being broadcast live over social media. The Hacker is put up streams from inside each car as well as from cameras hidden in the conference room the inquest is being held, so not only can members of the public see the Passengers they get to see the faces of the jurors. The general public knows about the inquests into driverless car fatalities but up until now the members of that panel has been classified information.

The Hacker ups the ante by telling the jury and the public that they will each get a vote on which Passenger they would like to save. One person will live, the other seven are set on a collision course into each other as well as explosives in each of their cars.

How you go about prioritising one persons life over someone elses because if they don’t choose, all eight will die.

They jury get ten minuets per Passenger to interview them and find out why each person thinks they should be saved. Once all eight passengers have had their ten minutes voting begins, in the conference room and online across social media.

But each Passenger has a secret, a secret that the Hacker knows, and with each revelation the Hacker makes brings about some insanely clever plot twists!

From the first to the last page this book is a full throttle thriller that once you begin you wont be able to turn the pages fast enough. Filled with great characters, even the unlikable ones are portrayed so well that you cant help but feel the urge to give them a slap around the face yourself!

This is a brilliantly clever, twisty, jaw droppingly good book that you wont want to miss!

The Passengers will be out to buy in digital format on 01 April 2019 in the UK and the paperback edition on 30 May 2019. It is available to pre-order now

A huge Thank You to the author John Marrs, publishers Penguin Random House UK, Ebury Publishing and NetGalley for my digital edition of this book in exchange for an honest, independent book review.

https://debbiesbookreviews.wordpress.com/2019/03/24/the-passengers-by-john-marrs/