John Marrs is just an absolute genius with words, plot lines and keeping the reader hooked on every word. This is one of those books that you really want to cancel real life for because nothing will make you want to put it down once you start.

While this could potentially be read as a standalone book it’s probably advisable to read both The Passengers and The One beforehand as they are both mentioned

I never really understood people who had favourite authors and would constantly be reading from the same person , I always felt when it comes to reading variety is best. Until I picked up my first John Marrs book and I just totally got it. Guaranteed to be a great and very unique read, he has become my go to author and has never disappointed me with his work. I actually read his latest book, What Lies Between Us, in record time. 4 hours from start to finished and i was just absolutely glued and gripped by the world he has created. So ofcourse when I log in to netgalley and see the minders is available, you know im hitting that request button and patiently waiting for a response!


This book follows on from The Passengers and The One, with mentions of both throughout. However you can read this without reading the other two. I would recommend adding everything he has every written to your wishlist for maximum thriller and enjoyment though!So fast paced and thrilling you will literally be on the edge of your seat. I found the ending really sad and rhwn suddenly I was so happy it actually brought tears to my eyes!

When people ask, I usually liken his work to the Netflix series Black Mirror. A world set in the near future and technology has completely taken over everything. It gives you an insight in to how amazing the world could become, but also shows you the dangers it could bring.


I can't praise John enough and will be ordering anything and everything he writes in future. I urge you to do the same!!

Already a big fan of John Marrs’ writing, I was really excited to read his new book. In a way, the book seemed to be almost the third part in a series starting with The One, then The Passengers and now The Minders. The book is certainly set in the same world and I think I benefitted from having read the previous two books.

It was a brilliant book, with fabulous characters and a return to the wonderful world where information is king. Governments of the world are concerned that their secrets (in other words their lies, their cover ups and their conspiracies) may be subject to hacking. The UK Government is determined to be the one Country where their secrets become unhackable; they have found a way to place all their secrets on a DNA strand and input those strands into the brains of special humans. The special humans are actually those who experience synaesthesia.

So begins an amazing story where the four people charged with keeping the secrets of the nation are found and killed, one by one. Who is killing them? How do they know who they are? How have they found them? It is an exciting and enjoyable ride, as those chosen have given up their lives and their families to start again in a place where they are not known and have no history.

The story is full of twists and turns as expected from Mr Marrs, but also times which are shocking and horrific. It is an excellent read. I fear if I say too much I might spoil it for those who are yet to read it. But please read it, it is planned to perfection, fascinating and frightening. Storytelling at its very best.

Another brilliantly clever book by the fantastic John Marrs. Fast paced and gripping, I loved how it referenced his previous books written and couldn’t put it down.

So I've been a fan of John Marrs for quite some time - his books are always incredibly engaging and the type of stories that keep me up til 2am trying to finish.
This one, unfortunately, just wasn't quite as gripping as the likes of The One or The Passengers. I felt like some of the characters were really well rounded - particularly Charlie, but then others like Sinead or Bruno just didn't quite meet the mark. I think I would have expected Sinead to spend more time looking over her shoulder, or checking up surreptitiously on her ex, unsure if she's made the right decision. And then Bruno's rage and killing spree seemed to come out of nowhere. Obviously his motives were well explained, but there was no build up to it so it just seemed like a really odd plot point.

I also thought the character of Emilia could have done with a bit more exploration, the way that all wrapped up still left some questions.

I'd also probably have preferred the prime minister to be a character in her own right, trying to make sense of everything and mitigate things, rather than short transcripts of meetings peppered throughout.

Granted, this was an ARC and I understand the completed work has now been published, but this version of it just didn't feel as tight as other works of this author. I'm definitely still a fan, just think this could have done with a bit more editing.

The premises if the book and prologue really drew me in. Normally I dont connect with multiple points of view and main characters, but each were unique and well developed with their own well thought out back stories. It was interesting to see each character progress in vastly different directions and experiences from a shared plot and some great twists.
A well thought out and researched book

The UK Government is at risk of being hacked by the powerful Hacking Collective. Their solution is to implant all of most important information into the heads of five individuals, the Minders. These individuals are trying to build new lives while keeping their Minder status a secret, when they realise that they are being hunted.

If a very fast paced, page-turner is what you are after pick this up now.

Thank you, #NetGalley and Random House UK for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, wow, wow. Having been in a bit of a slump with regards to reading and not much grabbing me this blew me away! I loved all of this author’s previous books but this is brilliant. Slightly futuristic it is the story of five “minders” who have the country’s secrets implanted in their brains for safe keeping. Although I’m not a fan of sci fi, this could easily form part of that genre. I actually felt my heart racing at certain parts of the book as the adrenaline kicked in, a thriller in every sense.

I loved the fact that John Marrs referred to two of his previous books within this one however it is a standalone read.

I loved this from start to finish and it was definitely difficult to put down!

Once again John Marrs has written a belter of a book, it’s one that will take you on a terrifying, suspense filled journey into the unknown. Once upon a time in the not too distant future our country's classified information comes under attack. The is only one way to defeat cyberterrorism and the threat of hacking, and that’s taking everything offline, but what do with such information? You put it in the care of the Minders (don’t forget we’re talking about the future here where anything is possible) Five exceptional people have been chosen to have all sensitive, classified information stored inside their heads. Together, the five know every secret, and the truth behind every Government lie, conspiracy theory and cover up. Only somebody has discovered who the secret keepers are. And one by one, they are being hunted down.

The minders are burdened with the knowledge they possess from government cover-ups to secrets in history, and yet they cannot share it with anyone. Each minder has a unique voice, each has their own complex story, and told from their own perspective you get a real sense of their characters, some are more likeable than others, but each one has so much to offer to the plot. One of the things that made this book such an outstanding read is the way the author ends each chapter with a teaser, and you literally just have to keep reading another chapter and another....and another......! The authors references to two of his previous sci-fi books The One (one of my favourite books ever) and The Passengers is sheer genius, and they fit neatly into the plot.


As the minders become the hunted the tension ramps out a notch, and I found I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The beauty of this book is that it’s not as far-fetched as it sounds! The gadgets and the technology all sound far too plausible in John Marr’s hands, I can’t help wondering if he has a crystal ball that allows him to see what the future holds! The Minders was everything I hoped for and more, it’s shocking, gripping and unpredictable and I loved it. Highly recommended

Another excellent book by John marrs. Complex characters, gripping story, references to both fact and fiction, I just couldn’t put it down! There were references to his other books which initially confused me as I wasn’t sure what I should be remembering but I loved it!!!!

Wow. If you haven’t read John Marrs books before you’re in for a treat. This book mentions two previous books but can be read as a stand alone. Once you have been introduced to the Minders you are catapulted into a fast moving clever believable plot of the not too distant future. You will be holding your breath as you are led through twists and turns and though you might want to slow your reading rate down you wont succeed!. Needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed it

I love this author
He never lets his reader down and I always await with anticipation his next one .
I really enjoy the world he’s created and the theme he has throughout three of his novels ,u don’t have to like sify as to be honest they aren’t too distant or removed ideas and if u like black mirror you will enjoy these.
You also can read them as stand alone novels though I love the links .
This at times for me was a bit confusing and wasn’t at his usual pace for me ,for some reason I got confused between Charlie and Bruno and wd go bk pages to try recall their story’s I didn’t mind as I soon got into it more and more and no I didn’t guess the end ,once again I was aghast at his creative ways of making a twist ,u may suspect something u may be on the same thread ,it may seem appear predictable but he weaves it in such a way u are still surprised at the layers he creates ,it may be the person or sometimes u will guess who but not their motives or u may guess both yet still be surprised in some way
I will always read this author and I would highly recommend you read every one
I have preferred others but even though I found this a bit more confusing or slow in some ways I still really enjoyed it .
Three stars this time round and keep writing mr marrs

ohn's books are set in the future- this one being later this century. There are driverless cars and other advances in technology that we can easily see happening from today's perspective. The government has a scheme to keep vital information secure as the last one was attacked and although no information was ceased it showed a weak point. An online test has been sent which is only solvable by people with synesthesia- whereby information to stimulate one of the senses in fact stimulates more than one (eg people hear something and see a colour associated with it). Successful test subjects are offered to start their life again. They hold in their brains the sensitive information and for five years they begin a new funded life with no internet access, no family contact, no alcohol and other strict rules as these could jeopardize them and hence access to the information. We follow each one of the five as they begin, however one subject didn't actually do the test- his son did. He got through the rest by himself and has another agenda. Someone knows about the minders and is on their trail. I enjoyed this and it does give you that uncertain feeling about the future and what could possibly be (read John’s other book- The Passengers about driverless cars). I took to certain characters- I won’t spoil anything- and was sorry to see them go (read that how you will). A clever and very well thought out concept
(rest of links when paper back out)

This is the first John Marrs for me, (hangs head in shame) but not the last, I need to go back to the start and read his other books. What a beginning though, The Minders are 5 people, enlisted to essentially guard the nation from cyber attack by having the details of historical and current government information stored within them.

They all carry the gift or perhaps burden of 'Synaesthesia' where they can process information unlike others. To undergo being part of this programme, they have to leave their current lives and create new ones, they have received training, both physical and mental to ensure they are capable of living in plain sight but carry this information within. But living with the implanted data and its side effects - no pain receptors, so they can withstand torture and no empathy so to save them selves, if they have to inflict pain on others, they simply don't care.

The 5 participants Flick, Charlie, Sinead, Emila and Bruno - know there are others, but not who or where they are. They've signed their lives away for promises of unlimited funds for their new lives, but at what costs - their own lives? Elimination is a real threat and with Edward Karczewski's Minders constantly watching what they say and looking for escape routes brings problems. forced to keep others at arms length. They struggle to keep quiet and not divulge the secrets they know. But one of them hs to give up the others to survive

The Minders is total delight, each chapter is told by one of 'the 5' characters and leads to Scotland, Manchester and other places none of them had dreamt of being. Virtual reality and hackers, mind games and the reality of living a lie get the better of them and they let little things slip before they realise it s too late. A hugely enthralling thriller, I really enjoyed this and as I say will read more John Marrs, as he's one not to be missed from now on in my bookish world, which has no virtual reality at all.

Omg this book was everything I wanted - fast paced, gripping and intelligently written! John Marrs is one of those authors I would buy their book without reading the back as I trust in his writing and talent and this was no different. I loved this book and cannot rave about it enough!!

This is my fifth book by John Marrs was very excited and grateful to receive an ARC copy from NetGalley!
Without realising it, The Minders links back to an earlier book of John’s, Passengers, which I now want to go back and reread!
This story tells how, following a threat to National Security, an audacious plan is out in place to hide the secrets of the UK using not computers or hard data, but inside the heads of - number of carefully chosen “minders”, who will then leave their old lives behind and spend 5 years living anonymously. The story follows each of the minders as they are chosen and set off on their missions.
The book was well crafted and kept me guessing all the way through. Would recommend to anyone who has read Passengers and would say John Marrs books are amazing, so if you haven’t read one yet then make it a priority!

Another absolute booty as we have come to expect from John Marrs.
Couldn't wait to start it, didn't want to put it down.
The story is just about believable and the characters the same.
Tension builds from page one and carries all the way through to an explosive but satisfying ending.
Many thanks, once again, for allowing me to legitimately ignore the entire family all weekend and having an excellent excuse for avoiding the housework.
Looking forward to the next one already.

When has this author ever let you down? The answer is NEVER!

I recommend you read The One and Passengers first because the author gives little nods to these books, combining finding your match through DNA with driving autonomous cars and introducing a new trend in the future: storing information in our heads. We are still in danger of The Hacking Collective though, the same hackers who were able to create chaos and mayhem when driving autonomous became the new normal. So the government came up with a brilliant idea (well at least they think so) and that’s storing sensitive information in people’s minds. Sounds simple and it is but have you ever thought about the consequences? The pressure of knowing things and not being allowed to share them with people you care for, even if it would give them peace? Marrs always makes the impossible still look authentic and apart from making it seem so real he also gives so much room for thought every time.

The Minders follows 5 people who – for very different reasons – start over somewhere else, get a new chance at a new life, a better life. But will they get it? Can they leave their old life behind, can they change who they are as much as is needed? They get strict instructions not to contact people from their past or the other minders but it’s clear that every one of them is struggling with their new identity and each one of them reacts differently. As always the backstories of every character were very distinctive and made them all such interesting characters to follow. I found Flick and Sinead the characters who pulled most on my heartstrings though, as opposed to the men Bruno and Charlie, but all of them made for addictive chapters. There was also another character Emilia in the picture but we don’t know a lot about her, she doesn’t remember anything. Someone’s after her but it’s a mystery who. Who should she trust? The mystery woman who warns her or her husband who she doesn’t remember either? The truth and her role in the whole picture left me speechless. Gripping chapters, ruthless (gasp worthy) murders (the first one left me particularly stunned), cliffhanger-endings, you get it all in this novel.

If you enjoyed The One and Passengers you already know the fantastic reading experience that awaits you when you pick this one up. If not, you really don’t know what you’re missing! I have to say that I still loved the previous two novels a teensy bit more but I can’t really explain what did it and in the end it doesn’t really matter as his three books are brilliant, more brilliant and most brilliant.

I was very excited to receive an advanced copy of John Marrs, The Minders, as I am a big fan of his previous books The One, The Passengers and What Lies Between Us.
From the first chapter I was intrigued and could not wait to find out more. I especially liked how The One and The passengers were incorporated into this book and finding out some of the aftermath of The Passengers. Although I would highly recommend reading these two books before reading The minders, if you did not you would not be confused.
Lots of theories on what is going to happen and lots of twists and turns to keep you wanting more.
Highly recommend.

**Spoiler-free Review**

‘Click here to start your life again.’
‘Less than one percent of the British population can solve this puzzle. Can you?’

The Minders by John Marrs is gripping! It’s so incredibly intense; a twisted roller coaster so fast-paced you literally cannot move or attempt to do anything else. Once again John Marrs teases with a chapter from each main character, which in its very own way ends in an ‘OMG what?!’ before moving on to the next character’s chapter. You feel like you’re racing a gauntlet of cliff-hangers, waiting to make a thrilling discovery for each character, but really you’re racing to know their ultimate fate in the race against cyber-terrorism.

“DNA is a single molecule that stores all the data that makes us who we are as individuals. But we can now turn anything into code, even voices and images. A limitless amount can be stored onto a single strand of DNA, the equivalent of seventy billion floppy disks…The DNA will be stored inside a plastic bead and injected into lesser used sections of their brains where the contents will disperse and can only be retrieved in a laboratory procedure…”

John Marrs has a unique formula and it’s magnificent in its perfection. We have loved every single book this Author has written and whilst The Minders is a complete standalone, we highly recommend reading The One and The Passengers, not only are they both brilliant five-star reads, but they’re also very much linked to The Minders. So who are the characters that had us so utterly compelled in The Minders?

‘She had not been a bitter person…Her glass had mostly been half-full and positively overflowing…’

Flick is pretty much living the life of a recluse after a horrifying discovery. Emotionally disturbed at her DNA match with a dead serial killer finds her living in darkness and dependant on addictive stimulus to avoid the outside. Flick is an interesting character and perhaps the one we connected with the most. She questions herself constantly and harbours feelings of self-loathing at consequences out of her control, leading to her obsessive behaviour.

‘He wondered how many other Minders there were and if, like him, they’d taken advantage… He felt like a completely new man because that’s exactly what he was.’

Charlie is anxiety-ridden, a tragic and harrowing experience has left him friendless, lonely and incapable of feeling heightened emotions, other than those of deep despair. Charlie wants to feel something other than regret and guilt. We really felt for him as he came across as a nice bloke who tried too hard to be liked and feel part of something, but Charlie lost his way to his own insecurities and self-professed flaws.

‘And he began to calmly wonder, if he couldn’t feel physical or emotional pain, just how much of his old self remained? Who was he now?’

Emily is desperate to find out who she is after suffering a complete memory loss. She knows she’s being followed and that people are after her, but why? Emily was a conundrum to us as we just couldn’t figure out where she fitted in, and in a way, we felt almost protective of her character throughout the chapters.

‘She speculated as to how many other Minders there were. Had they started off as broken as her? Had they required as much rebuilding as she had?’

Sinead lives in a state of numbness from increasing emotional abuse at the hands of her husband. He controls her every move and she’s desperate to break free. She lives in permanent guilt and feels defeated but has an inner spark yet to be extinguished. We rooted for Sinead to find peace.

‘Think positive thoughts…That will keep them quiet.’

Bruno lost his wife when the Hacking Collective orchestrated a sensational hack on driverless cars. He’s been betrayed, and now all he has is his son who needs permanent care. Bruno harbours deep resentment spiralling into uncontrolled hatred. He blames everyone for where his life has ended up.

‘They call these four people the Minders and they’re protecting something that doesn’t belong to them.’

So, what do these ‘random’ people have in common other than the anomaly in their brain resulting in synaesthesia? A bleak existence, a general perception of being misunderstood, loneliness, controlled by their thoughts and by other people. Each one reacting and behaving in their very own unique response to a common enemy and state of mind. Performing a task of great national security whilst finding themselves. A blank slate; a new life. Becoming pawns in a government initiative to combat the worldwide incapacitation by the Hacking Collective.

“I know who you are! You’re terrorists! You’re the Hacking Collective!”

John Marrs ensures that as readers we bond with every single character, so thoroughly are they fleshed out in this storyline of shocks, thrills and intensity. They may not be perfect, behave with morals or even be particularly admirable people. However, each and every single one of them has a ‘uniquely theirs’ story to tell which we just cannot help connect to and feel the enormity of. Each being turned into a weapon. Perfection in imperfection, their aim is to survive whilst knowing the hidden truth about every single secret the government has kept from the public. The truths the Hacking Collective is desperate to know in order to hold the world hostage.

“…their consciousness will be stripped and rebuilt according to the criteria required for a successful deployment. They will be taught to assess all risks and react accordingly to trust no one, and to die or to kill for their country if necessary.”

We’ve admired the way in which John Marrs writes for years now. But it’s not only his flawless and outstanding writing, it’s his unique and clever take on scientific as well as social issues which are, yes, taken to the next level and may seem somewhat incredible, however, there is no doubt that in each one of his books, the grain of possible truths sparkle like diamonds amongst the dull rocks. It’s not only fascinating but overwhelmingly frightening too. The concept of The Minders should be so incredibly far-fetched in its thrilling and scientifically coded perspective. But is it really? Maybe only John Marrs knows the answer to this as he continuously freaks us out in his sage manner of storytelling!

“It’s a brand new world we are living in and these are difficult times. Would it really do us that much damage if the worst parts of our history were erased?”