I was completely blown away by this highly plausible futuristic thriller. It was a fast paced novel revolving around eight automated self- drive cars that have been hacked by an unknown asssilant. Its not just a horrific joyride, it's a bloodthirsty thrill with one aim: in 2.5 hours one of the kidnapped individuals will be dead, but who? The concept is very big brother's evil twin that will leave your heart racing due to the adrenaline high.

The female protagonist in which the narrative is mainly viewed from is Libby who has been called up for vehicle inquest jury duty to help determine who was in fault of a recent motor vehicle pedestrian accident. She must help decide if it was down to human error or a malfunctioning self driving vehicle. I really loved Libby, she was a strong independant female character who you just couldn't help root for, whereas others made you want to punch in the face.... if they were real that is! The multiple narratives (including passengers POV) worked unbelievably well, they all had their own personalities and histories.

The storyline itself was fast paced with short chapters that left you teetering on multiple cliff edges nudging you towards one more chapter. For two days I carried The Passengers everywhere in the hope that i'd get a spare five minutes so I that I could squeeze in more pages. I thoroughly enjoyed this warped novel that felt like a literary hybrid of the Saw films and Speed!

I loved reading as the stories and secrets of the hijacking victims started to unravel, bombing truths and revelations in this unputdownable heart racing thriller.

I think the whole storyline has a meaningful underlining moral of the story that hugely revolves around societies increased dependency on all things technological, from fitbits to online banking and also what information we willingly share on social media. You may be thinking 'and?' Well dearest readers this is where 'plausible storyline' comes in to play, this makes it so much easier for hackers to access your information and one day you may become a victim of a omnipresent hijackers. Sobering thought isn't it?! John Marrs has done a bloody fantastic job,FANTASTIC,and you should most definitley put The Passengers on your list of books to be read, you can thank me later for that recommendation.

This was my first John Marrs book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The story of the driverless cars being hacked was very original and interesting to read about. I like it when an unexpected idea appears in a book. And also, where technology and AI is head today, it's really not impossible :)
It was also full of twists and turns, kept me guessing and guessing. I enjoyed the writing and the pace of the book as well.

All in all, I really liked this book and Marrs, so I will be reading more from him.
Thanks a lot NetGalley and the publisher for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

It’s the age of the driverless car. Eight passengers, completely different from each, other go on a journey in their day to day lives. When the cars are hacked and suddenly their journeys are changed and they are told by the hacker, that they are on a collision course to their deaths.
Meanwhile in a secret facility, a jury and a group of MPs’ are attending a inquest. When, The Hacker gets in contact with them and gives them the power to decide who lives and who dies. Also, Social media get involved and then the media. The hacker like with social media, we find out a fraction of what goes on in each passengers’ lives, to determine which one of the passengers should survive.
I must confess this is the first John Marrs book I have read. I do own a copy of The One but not around to reading it yet and I know how highly John Marrs is recognised for work. I really like this book not just because of the originality and the gripping storyline. But because of the ethics and morality behind this book. How well really do we know people that are famous which can be celebrity or government or just come into the public eye for something they have done and that we only see part of their lives. How can we decide if they live or die in that small bit of information? How do we as a person like to be perceived? I think when this book comes out it will be one of them books that people will talk about for some time.
The only quibble I have with this book Part three of the book seems a bit farfetched. So, in that case I give this book 4.5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a copy of this book.

Wow ... what a book this has to be one of those books you must read this year!

I have not read any books by John Marrs, but already Downloaded The One and shall be reading this very soon and even found him referencing his first book in The Passengers which is pretty cool. I also would love this book to be a Netflix series.

So the world now has cars that drive itself were passengers need to do nothing but pop their destination into a computer and off they go. The system is meant to be perfectly safe reliable and UN-hackable until one day the system is Hacked and 8 passengers are chosen. Once you progress more into the story you find that these few have been chosen for various reasons and now the world needs to pick who lives and who dies. The twists and turns are just amazing and so cleverly worked out with an explosive end to finish this is one of those books where you think what book will I read next to top that !!!

With every page I just loved the book and could not put this down I have spoken to many about how they must read this book. It's one of those books that will stay with me for a long time. and if I could give this book more than five stars I would in a heartbeat !!!

Eight driverless cars have their operation systems hacked and are on a collision course. The passengers are told that there is a high probability that they will die in the next 2 hours. and through hidden cameras in the cars we see their reactions and the reactions of the social media.

Will I be getting into auto driven cars in the future? Well Mr Marrs, for someone who suffers from claustrophobia so badly I get a small panic when I hear the click when I get into an auto locking car, the answer is no!

Did I enjoy this book? You bet I did! I also liked the fact that there were references to John Marrs previous book The One. I hope The Passengers is also bought up by netflix it would make a good sequel to The One.

This is the first book I have read by John Marrs and I quite enjoyed it. The concept of the story of the driverless cars being hacked is a little scary but I can quite see how it could happen in the future as we rely more and more on technology. I loved the twists and turns and finding out the secrets of the people who were seemingly innocent at first but all had skeletons in their closet. Just as you think you have guessed what is happening something happens to prove your theory wrong. All in a all a great suspenseful read.

Although I liked the characters in this book and thought it was well written and well researched, I found the story incredibly far fetched. It definitely wasn’t for me.

I went to a very interesting cyber hacking event this week and I couldn’t help myself, I had to just ask the host about the hacking capabilities of self-driving cars. I was loudly assured that at this point there are no threats…….. but quietly told that it can’t be ruled out in future as hackers evolve with technology.

This story is set in the not too distant future where self-driving cars are ubiquitous. Traffic congestion, accidents and pollution has gone down dramatically. New industries and jobs have been built around this revolution in transportation.

8 different people get up on a fateful morning, order their cars and get in to start their day. But they will never reach their destinations. Very quickly they realise that their cars have been taken over by someone else who is hell bent on ensuring that their cars will collide in the next few hours.

The governing body that oversees the efficacy of AI technology are contacted by the Hacker, forcing them to choose which passengers live or die. The general public also get involved as footage of the panicked passengers are streamed to social media. A flurry of hashtags are born and the story almost takes on a reality TV feel.

This is my second book by John Marrs and I think he will become one of my go-to authors for easy fun reads. I also enjoyed the way that mob mentality on social media was explored and how the secrets of each passenger was revealed.

This is one of those books that should be saved for a holiday as you would probably want to read this undisturbed.

Recommended

Brilliantly written! I couldn’t put it down and found myself itching to get back into it at every opportunity. The storyline is something that can easily be imagined with how technology is developing. The characters are all interesting in their own way, with a few likeable and a few not so likeable. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be recommending it.

What a fantastic book this was. John Marrs books are all fantastic and never diasapoint me. This one was very cleverly written and full of twists and turns. A very unique storyline. Would highly recommend this book.

O.M.G I am gobsmacked !!! What an absolutely stunner of a book from pen (or typing fingers) of the wonderful John Marrs as once again he writes a brilliant, futuristically scary story that is totally different from anything I have read before it’s a completely original plot and to say it was compulsive is an understatement !! Full of fun, intrigue and suspense it just grabs you by the throat and pulls you into a plot that you really are never sure what the hell is going to happen next, it’s so different and the cast of characters are fabulously written, some likeable, some not, it’s packed with twists aplenty and more. I guess you can see by my enthusiasm I loved it and I am not going to go on about the story other than to say I really can recommend this one as book you don’t want to miss out on so grab it as soon as you can hide away somewhere and just read and read you won’t want to put it down !! All the stars and more for this unmissable, brilliant book .
My thanks to NetGalley, the brilliant John Marrs and Penguin Random House UK for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved the idea of this book, but unfortunately I didn’t connect with the story, it might just be me, I DNF’d at 60% but will be trying to pick it up again in the future

Anyone who follows me on Facebook or is a member of THE Book Club knows that I am a HUGE fan of John Marrs and am lucky enough to call him a friend and also honoured to be featured in a cameo role in his last 5 books.  When John wrote THE PASSENGERS he kept telling me I wouldn't enjoy it, but as usual I totally ignored him and started the book with an open mind.

If you've read any of John Marrs' previous books then you know you are in for an original story line full of fascinating characters who all tell their story through their own voices and chapters and somehow are all brought together in a clever and gripping way and THE PASSENGERS does exactly that.

THE PASSENGERS is set in the not-too-distant future and is similar in concept to THE ONE which focuses on what happens when technology is taken to the next level and the consequences on the human race.  In this book driver-less cars are now the norm and in the level 5 automobiles there isn't an override option, a steering wheel or even brakes and the passengers rely 100% on technology to take them from A to B.

Eight seemingly random and unconnected "Passengers" get into their driver-less cars one morning and within moments their cars are hacked, they are told they will die within 2.5 hours and their fate is streamed live to the world via social media.  Meanwhile over in a non-disclosed government building a select group of MP's, doctors, lawyers and religious representatives are taking part in a top secret jury and inquest. Within moments of the hacker hijacking the cars he has made contact with this group and given them sole responsibility for the deaths of the 8 passengers.

In the usual "Marrs manner" you can expect the unexpected, twists, turns, shocks and several OMG moments.  I absolutely love how John manages to weave connections between the characters, make you feel sympathy one moment and utter disgust the next and keep you, the reader, on your toes throughout the journey.  Another cracking read.

Having enjoyed previous books by this author, I was excited to see what this latest offering had in store.

The idea of the hacked driverless cars is a brilliant concept and was really well executed. There were plenty of secrets on the part of all the characters which were revealed to the reader in dramatic fashion. The plot has many twists and turns, most of which I didn't see coming. I was gripped right from the start.

It's taken me about a week to be able to put into words how incredibly epic this book really is. It has spurned conversations and debates among my family and friends as they asked about what i'm reading. It has made me think about the future of technology and of the amount of control and trust we place in power and convenience.
I loved every single character in this, even the ones I came to despise. They are so true to life and represent so many facets and flaws in humankind. They are written so well with depth and passion that it creates an incredible curiosity as the plot unfolds.
The idea, the very concept that in the future driver-less cars will be so commonplace and that the forces empowered to govern can be so easily manipulated. It's phenomenal to me to be reading a story set not too far in the future where we will rely so heavily on computers that do the thinking for us and on technology that it supposed to help us keep connected. Since reading The Passengers I've had conversations about growing up as the internet expanded, as mobile phones became smart phones and how technology has changed over the last 30 years, how technology may change in the next 30-50 years and what that means for our children and our children's children. I think the most compelling thing about this book, besides needing to know the outcome, is that it's so plausible and I'm left thinking that not only is this future a possibility, but wondering at what point this really happens. As ever John seems to have created an emotional and heart rendering tale that plays on peoples curiosity and fear. I encourage everyone to read it, it's bloody brilliant!

Absolutely blooming fabulous! I sincerely hope there is another story that ties in and we get to find out what happens! I don’t want to give anything away, but if you love a bit of mystery and suspense, then this is one to read.

This is a thriller with a sci-fi feel to it.
Eight different passengers are stuck in their self-drive cars, heading for a collision course.
There’s a ‘jury’ which had been convened to debate another issue involving self-drive cars and is rail-roaded into becoming the grand jury for deciding who should survive the collision.
We also have the participation of the public via social media, with voting and liking of various passengers. There is a secret operator behind the whole set up and no one knows who this is.
Each of the passengers has a secret. Some of these secrets are dark and they are not all as they seem. The secrets are revealed to the public and this influences the voting.
It was an easy read. It has a nice style which skips from page to page and I finished it quickly.
The only part which didn’t work for me was the romance between one of the jury and one of the passengers.
This author gets a lot of praise so I was probably expecting more substance and more tension, but it was original and a good light read.

I enjoyed this unusual take on what initially appears to be AI controlled vehicles gone wrong, but it soon becomes clear that the wrong doer is human. The story is complex and emotive, and as we head into a future that looks as if it will be very similar to that in the book, this story presents the reader with many quandaries.

This is a great premise, in the current climate of fear of impending AI, and I was swept up in the story and caught out by the twists. If I'd scored it immediately after I finished reading it, I would have given it 4 stars. However, the more I thought about it, the less sense some aspects of it made to me. Warning, spoilers ahead. Despite the explanation given, there was no need to have someone on the jury of their choosing, it would have played out the same way. And there was definitely no need to have one of the hackers in one of the cars, all that did was give away the face of one of them. The story would still have worked if Libby had happened to know a (genuine) .passenger.

"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?"


Everytime I read a John Marrs book, i'm gripped right from the start and then taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and The Passengers was no different!

It was written so cleverly from start to finish that i literally couldn't put it down. The characters were believable and well developed - that there were ones i loved, ones i hated and ones that i was neutral about. Everytime i wanted to guess the next twist in the plot, i never got it quite right which is an amazing skill of Marrs.

An easy 5 star read that i will remember for a long time!