Once they were a happy family of four until three years ago. Ethan and Nikki Rhodes four year old daughter, Grace ran out I front of a car. Grace was Bellas twin sister. Bella has ot spoken since that tragic day. They reluctantly decide it's time to leave the house they are currently living I and over to a very modern house, 17 Church Row. The house is full of modern technology and voice activated gadgets. The house has it's on AI, a personal assistant called Alice. We also get intermittent chapters about someone called Katy whoe father had tried to kill her.

I always thought it would be nice to have a voice recognition house where all I had to do was sit in my chair and sish out orders. But after reading this book, I think I've changed my mind. It got to the point where Alice knew what was required from her before she was asked. The story is told from three points of view, the main voice being Nikki. The second person was Catriona Fisher, designer of 17 Church Row. The third voice is Katy who we learn that her father is trying to kill her. We do not learn until much later in the book who Katy is. This dual storyline does work and they both eventually tie up together. There are a few twists throughout the book. It seemed a bit far fetched but I could actually see some of the events happening. The plotline is something different than normal. A well crafted story.

After losing one of their twin daughters, Nikki and Ethan decide to move and start afresh with their remaining daughter Bella. They find the perfect home complete with it's own computer that can do everything but then Bella is kidnapped and suddenly their house no longer feels safe but who is behind it all.

Wow what a dramatic story. The scary realism if our dependence on technology and the possibility of this happening one day makes this so much scarier. The story itself starts off slowly but once the action begins, it's so gripping. The ending was very clever too. I figured out some of the twists like who Katy was but others were so cleverly done. The writing is descriptive and builds up the plot very well. I was able to read this in one day as I was desperate to know what would happen. A brilliant, scary thriller.

You know you’re on to a winner when you are shouting about a book in group message before you have even finished it. Well I have finished it and I’m now going to really shout about it. THIS IS BRILLIANT!

This threw me a real curveball as it’s not the standard thriller I was expecting. It’s techy, with AI sci fi thrown in too. But don’t let that scare you as even this complete technophobe understood it.

This book is mostly about what is left of the Rhodes family as they try and pick up the pieces after the devastating loss of one of their daughters and their move into the latest state of the art smart home. What could possibly go wrong ? Well just imagine Alexa channeling Annie Wilkes and you will get a rough idea.

I loved the Rhodes family especially Nikki, who although she is still in the hellish nightmare that is grief and suffering panic attacks, all she wants is to help Bella who hasn’t spoken a word without her tablet since Grace died.

I sometimes find the faster pace a book has sometimes the plot or characters take a back seat to the action. Not in this case, the timing is perfect but nothing suffers because of it.

I’m sure this was meant to make you question how far AI can go and once that Pandora’s box is open it will be impossible to go back. For this 70’s kid who sees how much has already changed I’m pretty sure we are already on our way there. Alexa please close blog……..

**3.5 stars but rounded up to 4 for NetGalley, Goodreads and Amazon**

I received a free eARC of 17 Church Row but that has in no way influenced my review.

I am a huge fan of James Carol’s writing. If Mr Carol writes it, you can guarantee I’ll be reading it as soon as humanly possible. His Jefferson Winter series is absolutely sublime and his standalone novels (of which 17 Church Row is one) are all thrilling, captivating reads. If you’ve never picked up a James Carol novel then you’re really, REALLY missing out.

Nikki Rhodes took her eyes off her twin daughters for only a split second, and that was all it took for tragedy to strike. Nikki knows their lives have changed forever when she hears the screeching of tyres and sees the front door swinging wide open. Learning to rebuild their lives after the loss of Grace is the toughest thing they’ve had to face, but particularly for Bella – Grace’s twin sister – who hasn’t spoken since the accident. When Ethan suggests they move house, leaving behind the painful memories, Nikki doesn’t know what to do for the best. But radio DJ, Ethan has found the perfect house for them – 17 Church Row in Kensington. It’s the house of the future and architect, Catriona is looking to build many, many more. Having a media star like Ethan Rhodes move into her project is a gold mine. You just can’t buy that kind of publicity! 17 Church Row is a futuristic abode decked out with the latest in AI technology. The house is run by ‘Alice’ who can answer to your every whim and is always one step ahead of you. The pain of losing Grace will be with the family forever. Bella is their number one priority now and they have to do everything they can to make her life as happy and as fulfilled as possible. And there’s always the chance that this change of scene could be the catalyst to get Bella to talk again. But what if their new safe haven isn’t as safe and secure as they believe…?

If memory serves I’ve said this before: Woah! If this is the future then I’m locking myself in a library and NEVER, EVER leaving! The last time I said that it was about self-driving cars. I think it’s fair to say I feel the same about self-driving houses! Oh.My.Goodness. This futuristic thriller is one scary read and I’m quite happy in my very normal, very non-AI house – thank you very much! If you had presented 17 Church Row to be me before I read this book I would have bitten your hand off. Modern, sleek, visually stunning. Carol paints a beautiful aesthetic with his words. But I’ve read the book. You can keep your all-singing, all-dancing house!

This is an entertaining thriller and with some interesting characters. I really felt for Nikki who was punishing herself on a daily basis over her daughter’s death. To want to escape the memories but at the same time not feel able to leave them behind, what a tough decision to make. And poor little Bella broke my heart on a number of occasions. I did feel one of the characters was only part of the story to move the plot along – a bit like being a red jerseyed ensign about to embark on your first mission with Captain James T. Kirk to an alien planet. You’ve had a few lines, played a small part and now we all know you’re going to get in in the neck! It wasn’t a huge surprise for me when something questionable happened to them. The architect, Catriona, is also super creepy…yuck!

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I would recommend all of James Carol’s books as they are all brilliant. If you’re in the mood for something a little bit different then this is the book for you. It’s quite terrifying to think this is how we could be living in the future. Quite an eye-opener. And yes, my Alexa is now in the bin….

I chose to read and review an eARC of 17 Church Row. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

3.5 stars
After Nikki, Ethan and Bella move into their new dream home at 17 Church Row, they get far more than they bargained for with their high tech virtual assistant, Alice. Imagine if Alexa could think for herself, and started to control your life… Then bad things start to happen to people as Nikki battles with her past. There’s a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming, and the plot is full of hooks and suspense. Overall I found this book a highly entertaining read, and had to finish it to find out what happened. The plot is a little far-fetched, but it’s a stretch of the imagination into what the future of AI might be, and for that reason it’s pretty chilling as a concept.

There were a few things that I found a little distracting and the reason why for me this book is more 3 than 4 stars. The characters were at times a little nonchalant in their reactions to the terrible things that were going on in their lives, so I couldn’t always relate to them. Parts of the book seemed to jump around a bit and although plot twists were shocking, they were a little jarring in places. I also felt at times there was a little too much telling about the backstory at a time when I thought the character in question would not be thinking about their past in such a detached way.

But overall a good thriller that has a good plot that kept me turning the pages. It’s certainly got some good reviews. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my personal review.

As a huge fan of James Carol's 'Jefferson Winter' series, I could NOT wait to get my hands on his latest book! This author is a machine when it comes to instigating suspense and leaving readers hanging, and I had high hopes that this book would follow suit.

I can't even begin to imagine what Nikki and Ethan went through when they lost their young daughter - the thought of it sends shivers down my spine and, even though the subject is one guaranteed to trigger some sort of emotion, I thought it was a very intriguing way to grab the readers attention. Especially seeing as their other daughter, Bella, is no longer vocal. 

Straight away my mind flooded with questions. Why is Bella no longer able to speak? What is stopping her talking? Is it the shock? The fact that she has lost her sibling? Or is something else troubling Bella? With so much heartbreak already in her young life, Bella's parents move house to create a fresh start with fresh memories. But, once again, the family got more than what they bargained for.

We have all heard of Alexa and her distantly related cousins, but how safe are those gadgets? A lot of us have them in our homes, shouting for Alexa, or Google, to turn on music for us when we cannot be bothered to push buttons ourselves. Plus, those with children know how easy it is for young ones to communicate with a magic box that talks to you. Jame Carol was very clever to hone in on a subject that is incredibly topical in today's society, and is something that will definitely get people talking about. Well, after re-checking their gadgets settings of course!

I thought that the intrigue level to the storyline had James Carol's signature style written all over it (pardon the pun)! I must say that I did find the storyline to be very predictable and didn't leave much room for surprises, which meant that, despite being intrigued about the next move in Nikki and Ethan's lives, I felt as though I could already see the aftermath of their chosen choices before it was written in black and white.

I enjoyed the vibe of the concept, and I enjoyed the way in which the author really got into the readers sub conscience. It's not my most favourite book that the author has written, yet I still appreciated the multi-layered storyline and clever hook. All in all, I cannot really complain at all!

This book will want you to disconnect every wifi controlled device in your home.

A very interesting concept for a book. A family suffering from a family tragedy move to make a fresh start. The house is ultra modern and the 'AI' Alice is able to anticipate their every move until she decides to take control..

A great read. I would like to see more books by this author

I really enjoyed this book. Ethan and Nikki move in to a new, state of the art house. The house has it's own AI, a personal assistant called Alice, who is a much more sophisticated version of Alexa. But is Alice who she says she is? And what happens when she becomes completely out of control? I won't say anymore as I don't want to spoil the story, but it's a terrifying read! From now on I'll make sure I never say anything which might upset Alexa!!!
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

This is book looking at the modern age of technology not just from now, but the possibilities in the future or not. We enjoy so many more computerised devices now compared to just 30 years ago, things have moved on fast. We have machines that we can ask to switch the television on, or play a certain track of music. We see an actor or celebrity on the television, and know we have seen them in something else but can’t remember, so out comes a phone or iPad, and we search that person, finding out whatever we want to know in most cases. Then most people are constantly checking their Facebook page, twitter or adding a photo to Instagram. Technology is taking over. Now the wizards of technology are working on driverless cars. So who know what will come next, will it be a whole house where every need is anticipated by AI.

There are two stories running alongside each other through this novel, one where it appears a young girl is telling how her father had tried to murder her. Then the other and main part of the story is of the Rhodes family.

Nikki and Ethan Rhodes had gone through so much, they had lost their daughter Grace in a tragic road accident. Their other daughter Bella hasn’t spoken a word since that day, all her communications are done through an iPad. The family decides that they need to move house, to make a complete fresh start, they see a house which is newly designed by Catriona Fisher a house of the future. The house has everything you could wish for and more, it seems to be the ideal solution, it will be safe and secure which is what they feel they need. But how safe will they really be in 17 Church row?

Far from being their dream home, this becomes more like a nightmare, where everything is going well until it isn’t! Alice a sophisticated AI controls the house, she knows when Vikki is having a panic attack and can calm her down, calm her breathing, this reducing her heart rate. But what if Alice decides she wants to take over everything? What if she wants to manipulate the people in the house? If she sees them as inferior.

The story is told through three POV the main one is Nikki, the panic attacks are described with such accuracy, how debilitating anxiety and panic can be. Having personally suffered from this for many years the description was spot on by the author. The second point of view is that of Catriona Fisher. The final narrator is more sinister with chapters dotted through the book.

There are a few plot twists through the book. I’m not sure how far these things could go as it will be in the future, if anything like this is ever invented, as far as we know! I am not sure how much of this story I believed, but it is fiction and anything can go, and it made for an interesting storyline. I liked Nikki her character was totally believable and relatable. The plot itself was good, something different and engaging. There were a few bits I thought weren’t really needed but that’s just my opinion.. it does make you think of the gadgets already within the home now and what they can monitor or hear, or in some cases see.

I would like to thank # Netgalley and #Zaffrepublishers for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

This was a great story, it tells of a family who lived through the tragedy of an accident taking away one of their children. They wanted a fresh start but regretted their decision to move to a new house run by AI.

It was an interesting premise and kept me entertained throughout. It did make the reader very aware of how much we rely on technology and what we would do if something were to go wrong.

This is actually the second book that I’ve read this year that has a thriller built around an Alexa type virtual assistant and it’s a very topical and thought provoking storyline that proves very intriguing. In this case the AI was called Alice and it completely ran the household at 17 Church Row. You want pizza? Ask Alice to order some in. You want doors to open? Ask Alice! In fact, pretty soon Alice became able to do things even before she was asked which sounds great doesn’t it? But for Ethan and Nikki this is their new start and Alice seems to be causing problems instead of making things easier for the family.

I did feel very sorry for Ethan and Nikki as they were struggling to raise a daughter who had been separated from her twin in horrific circumstances. Bella has been rendered speechless by what she witnessed and communicates via her tablet. The move to 17 Church Row was supposed to bring them all closer together but right from the start something seems “off” and I found that I wasn’t sure who I could trust. The architect who designed the house seemed to remain fully invested in the property even though it was no longer hers to worry about. And there were others who also seemed to have an overly keen interest in the home and the new family within its walls. There is an unknown narrator who’s voice echos throughout the narrative and I thought I knew who this was but (talk about misdirection!) I was actually shocked when I realised who’s POV this turned out to be!

This was an interesting and relevant techno thriller that really does make you sit up and think about the way our technology is heading and I find it an incredibly scary direction to be facing. I already hate the way I can be talking about a certain brand or object and then be hit with adverts for it all over my social media channels! But our lives are now intrinsically linked with this kind of technology and it can only go forward from here so let’s hope it develops in a positive way.

This is a gripping storyline that would work perfectly transferred to the big screen as it has a slow burning and disturbing menace that gradually creeps up on you and I’d love to see it made into a film. It left me with goosebumps long after I’d finished it.

A family recovering from the loss of one of their children moves into an ultra-hi-tech house for a fresh start. Nikki and Ethan hope that their new home will help them heal and maybe their daughter Bella will start talking again.
Their new best friend 'Alice' can anticipate their every need and although there are a few glitches, it seems like things may be about to get better at last.
But Nikki, Ethan and Bella are about to get caught up in a revenge plot they could not see coming. How will they survive in a house that can control their every move?

17 Church Row is a fast-paced, tense and chilling thriller that will have you looking askance at your Alexa and worrying about the way technology is taking over our lives. Do we really want our lives controlled by machines that can think?

A pretty original and very interesting story. Is this what our future Holds? I really liked the story and the writing. Recommended

After losing a daughter Ethan suggestes that he and NIkki, his wife and other daughter Bella move to a new home, 17 Church Row. The house is a new build with all the latest technologies including their very own AI system known as Katy, computer programme designed to help with everyday tasks. BUT a system with emotions...really? I know we live in a world where technoloy is moving forward at an incredible speed and computers are part of our everday lives but I did fid this a little far fetched!
Bella has not spoken since the death of her sister and communicated by tablet. Nikki is full of grief and guilt and I found it hard to really like her.
The book is very readable, a little frightening of what could come to us all eventually but was also very over the top. Not one of my favorites.

A good start but I am afraid I soon lost interest. In places predictable you just know that something bad is going to happen and it does. In other places the storyline went from predictable as I said to darn right unbelievable. I did persevere and finish it but it did not get any better. Saying that I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

Having enjoyed every book I've read by this author I was looking forward to reading 17 Church Row. It began well and I knew there was intrigue to come. Sadly for me I couldn't grasp Alice. It was certainly out of my comfort zone and I thought it more Sci fi than crime thriller.

Fantastic novel that had me hooked from start to finish. Chillingly close to events that could happen within the next few years.

I haven’t read any James Carol books before but I do own “Kiss Me, Kill Me” and I’m fully aware that he is a respected writer with several crime novels already under his belt. “17 Church Row” is a techno thriller like no other and it really does need to be read to be believed. Not so many moons ago, this story would have been classed as futuristic even science fiction. Scarily, now a lot of the story’s premise could be described as very realistic and utterly believable. What the future holds with regards to artificial and even ‘actual’ intelligence is something that is very hard to comprehend and quite scary but with the modern ‘Alexa’ and ‘Siri’ in our households, nothing is unachievable and more and more, robots and AI are taking over manual tasks.
The first half of the book is a slow burn, getting you used to the state of the art house in question with it’s technology and being introduced to the family who have bought it and moved in there. I did feel the emotions Bella’s parents felt due to the accidental death of her sister very palpable and truly understood Nikki’s anguish and panic attacks relating to her feelings of grief. I didn’t particularly like any of the main characters, though I did take to Catriona the architect of the house and thought she played her part in the story well.
This book opens with a superbly intriguing prologue that remains a thread throughout the story and doesn’t become apparent how it entwines itself within the main premise, till later in the book and it is quite a twist. The denouement is fast paced and I felt it did save the book after a very slow moving first half . Although a lot of readers may find “17 Church Row” strange or even frightening, I did enjoy reading and appreciated how the author was conveying the message of how AI may take over the function of humans one day in an interesting and well written crime thriller. If you fancy something a bit different, I’d happily recommend this book but if you like your crime mysteries to be traditional and straight forward this may not be for you. Intelligent, chilling and well worth a read!

3.5 stars

Sorry not my type of book. I would not have requested it if the synopsis had been more detailed. I kept reading in the hope that I would start to like it but that didn’t happen.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

3.5 stars rounded up.
And this book is why I won't let Alexa control even a lightbulb, let alone Hive control my heating. Call me a Luddite, I call me sensible. No way would I put my life in the hands of AI.
Three years ago, parents Nikki & Ethan, and 4yo Bella suffered tragedy when Bella's twin Grace was killed in an accident. They all react differently in the time that follows. Ethan throw himself into his radio work. Nikki quits her job to concentrate on Bella, and Bella goes mute, talking only through her tablet.
One day, determined for a fresh start, Ethan takes them to see a new house. State of the art, fully (and I do mean fully) automated house - with all the whistles and bells that you wouldn't even know you wanted until it was presented to you. And, more importantly, fully secure and safe from the big bad outside world. Or so you'd think...?
And that's all I'm saying about the story. mainly because it is important to discover things and people as the author intended rather than gain insider knowledge. Suffice to say that there's a lot going on in this book. Some straight forward, some notsomuch. But all interesting and intriguing and well plotted out - when the whole truth comes out.
And, noting my opening to this review, all rather scary. Well, scary when the premise has been taken with a pinch of salt and certain things accepted as possible. But even given that, we are probably nearing this kind of advance in technology. Just hope that legislation manages to keep up.
What happens to the family in this book is scary. How technology takes over is nice at first, then intrusive, then... well, you'll have to read the book to find that out.
It all gets a wee bit silly towards the end, a bit over the top and outside the realm of credibility but, that said, it makes for one heck of a story all told.
It probably didn't help that I really didn't connect to any of the main characters. Not my bag at all. So there wasn't quite the rooting for that I should have had along the way. With how the AI was going I would have thought Nikki would have had the gumption to have nipped certain things in the bud. I know she was still grieving the loss of her child but she did come across as rather ineffectual and didn't really gain much sympathy from me along the way. Ethan was just mostly at work...
All in all, a book of hits and misses that together added up to a reasonable read. Not my favourite of this author - obviously - but one that won't put me off him. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.