Well Jo Callaghan does it again! I wasn’t sure if book 2 would have my attention the same way book 1 did as I loved it so much and it is just so unique but wow this one was brilliant too. Kat and AIDE Lock are just a fantastic team and the way the author is able to write Locks character is just spot on with the how everything is taken so literally and without emotion. A very cleverly written book and now I really need book 3 please!
I will continue to recommend this series.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Kat and Lock are back in this second instalment. Lock is an A.I. hologram and Kat is an experienced detective. Together they work to catch criminals.

This was a great instalment of this series. Lock is such a likeable character, and Kat is also hilarious in things she comes out with. They work together so well, they’re great characters. The story itself was full of crime, with lots of red herrings in place and twists and turns. A brilliant read I’d highly recommend.

Detective Kat Frank more or less overcame her misgivings at working with AIDE Locke, a holographic detective when working on a cold case. When a man is found 'crucified' on the top of a hill. Kate persuades her superiors to let her team take it on- especially as she was first on the scene, but this means that the use of AI in policework is very much in the public eye!

I really enjoyed the first in the series & was looking forward to the follow-up. However I did find it a bit of a disappointment. The story was good & the use of AI is fascinating especially as far as the autopsies are concerned. Aide's misunderstanding as to how confusing humans are, provide light relief!! I like the team although I would have thought Kate would have got around to referring to Aide as 'it' by now. Everything was a bit overconcerned at being 'woke'. Generally I think being 'woke' means you treat others properly but this draws attention to any possible misdemeanour!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book which was really a 3.5*. Will I read the next one? Yes I think so. Too good a concept & characters to give up on I think!

💭THOUGHTS💭 First things first I’m just going to go straight ahead and say that I think Lock is one of my most favourite character I have ever read in a book I LOVE HIM.. he’s so literal and fumbles along learning how to interact with his human co workers. For a hologram he’s got a wicked sense of humour 😂 I really enjoy the futuristic element to these books. So clever. The murders were grizzly just the way I like them. There was plenty of depth to the story with characters relationships being woven together around the main plot of the murder investigation. I really enjoyed the end reveal but I will say I found the end a little bit too neat and tidy. It was all tied up nicely in a bow and for me I would have preferred something a little less… twee.. it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the rest of the book.. but I did feel a little bit unsatisfied by the end. There was scope for a third book though so I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for that!

Overall a fantastic futuristic crime thriller with lots of heart that I throughly enjoyed.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh how I love Locke & the rest of the cast of characters! After Blink of an eye this one was sitting on my highly anticipated reads of the year!

The plot was clever & I loved the irony of outrage caused by men suddenly being adviced to stay indoors after dark....

I really enjoyed it over all, it mostly stood up to expectations & that tease for the next book has me counting down the days till it comes out.
But I felt the pace was a bit slow for me. So it just missing the 5🌟 mark.

Thank you Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for a review. I absolutely loved the first book and was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately it wasn't for me but I look forward to #3

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy of this for review. I love Jo O’Callaghan’s, they are such a refreshing new angle on crime writing with the introduction of an AI detective to partner with DCS Kat Frank. The combination of great characters, sharp writing and plenty of suspense make the latest book of hers a brilliant read. Highly recommend!

🎧Audiobook Review🎧

#adprproduct

Thank you to NetGalley for approving me for a copy of this book. This has been high on my anticipated books list as I loved In The Blink Of An Eye.

🚓Police Procedural
🤖AI Technology
😁Humour
💀Murder

This was a very entertaining listen I consumed it in a matter of days. I loved the sarcasm between Kat and Lock and that little teaser, at the end, has me excited for book three already!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Were this an AI review, it might dismiss my fault-finding. But I'm human. (4.5 stars rounded down)

Last weekend, my wife bought her father a new bed. And since I'm the only member of the extended family who owns a trailer, it was quite natural and reasonable that I should be asked to transport it from the shop to his house. This, of course, was fine by me. It was when I was asked - again, quite reasonably - if I could take the old one away for him that the trouble started.

The problem is that my father-in-law and I don't live in the same county, which meant that I wasn't allowed to take it to his local tip on his behalf. To do so would make me an unlicensed waste carrier and that, if you're a tip operator, is an offence akin to treason. And I couldn't dispose of it at my own tip either because trailers - or vans - are only permitted by appointment. Which can only be made during normal council working hours, with a minimum 24 hours' notice. Same day appointments are not permitted because ... just because. But since I'm now due to be at work every day until Friday, the result is that I still have the remains of an old bed in my trailer and a mattress in my garage. No, I'm not going to fly-tip them in one of at least three locations where I know such activity is commonplace. But I can quite see why people resort to it.

I admit that, even by my own somewhat unusual standards, this is an odd introduction to a review of a book. Bear with me though, because the book in question is Leave No Trace by Jo Callaghan, and the insane costs, never-ending legislation and multiple pitfalls associated with waste management and disposal are just one of the issues dealt with. Jo has clearly researched it thoroughly and then managed to put a compassionate and utterly plausible take on it. Which is important because, even though it's not the main storyline, it makes the rest of the book feel authentic.

What's more, it - almost certainly, for anyone except me - doesn't distract from the main story. The discovery of the body of a man, found crucified at the top of Mount Judd - which is a man-made spoil tip that is also known, humorously, as 'Nuneaton's Nipple' - provides the perfect opportunity for (human) DCS Kat Frank and (hologram) AIDE Lock to investigate their first live case together in a follow-up novel to the fabulous In The Blink Of An Eye.

All of the essential ingredients of a police procedural are here, and they're all done wonderfully. With the added dimension of artificial intelligence. The rapid ease with which this can undertake background checks, versus the perils of letting it 'speak' to journalists. A machine's ability to present only cold hard facts, versus the human need to twist or even ignore morality in pursuit of the end goal - that of apprehending a multiple murderer - in a race against time. And yet, for all their fundamental differences, Kat is able to talk to AIDE Lock almost like a companion to help her overcome her own loneliness. If ever something artificial could be emotionally heartwarming, this gets close.

But it's not just the head and the heart that this book manages to satisfy. The brain is given the chance to get involved too. I thought Jo did an excellent job of creating a scenario where men were warned to be careful when walking alone at night - something which it has, quite wrongly, been commonplace to say to women for years - and also convey the most human of responses. A few belligerent idiots take to social media to make comments, but most ignore the warnings and do what they've always done. AI can do nothing to change this.

We're given some more food for thought later, when the identity of the criminal and their motives are revealed. Much like In The Blink of An Eye, the reader isn't left wanting to excuse multiple murder. But they are very much left in sympathy with the reasons for it.

So, with my head fixed firmly to the plot and the fast pace, my heart strongly in support of Kat and my brain pondering over both mystery and moral puzzles, I remained absolutely glued to the book into the small hours, desperate to reach the ending. And when it came ... hmm.

For me, there were two problems. The first is that the final chapters seemed to have too much going on for them to be as believable as all of the chapters leading up to them. They sort of passed beyond tense and frantic and became almost comic. That might have worked in a cosier crime novel, but not here. And the second problem is that I couldn't quite get my head round the epilogue either. Is Lock trying to beat itself up for not being human? But surely the whole point of AI is that it shouldn't be able to think like that? I'm afraid I couldn't see where Jo was trying to go with it.

It's doubly unfortunate that these problems occurred right at the end of the book, because this meant that they remained on my mind to the extent that I thought of a couple more. First, the title. Admittedly, this is a very minor point, but I found myself wondering why the book is called Leave No Trace when it is ultimately found that - no spoiler intended - the criminal has very much left a trace once the police know where to look. And secondly, the one chapter that introduces the use of 'they' as a gender-neutral pronoun. I appreciate that this is a hot topic at present, but I have to say that I didn't think it needed to feature here. Or if it did, take it even further. Have Lock question, and Kat attempt to explain why the plural pronoun of 'they', not the neutral one of 'it' should be used in this circumstance. But as it was, this chapter only managed to leave me confused as I wondered 'hang on a minute, how many people are there in this scene'?

Let me be absolutely clear, though: as problems go, these are nonentities. They shouldn't put you off the thought of reading this book for one second. They absolutely won't make me hesitate even the tiniest amount to pick up the next instalment just as soon as I can get my hands on it. And I'm sure that, if I had any AI to hand to process my thoughts, it would point out that I've criticised maybe 2% of the book and that the remaining 98% means that it still deserves five stars.

But my human mind is removing half-a-star for one reason only. The ending, like I said earlier, is a 'hmm' moment. And that's not as good as the 'wow' that concluded In The Blink Of An Eye.

My thanks to the author, Simon & Schuster UK and Netgalley for the digital ARC of this book, which was published on 28th March 2024.

Forget Batman and Robin! I’m team Kat and Lock!

Is it just me, or does anyone else get apprehensive about the follow-up to a fantastic debut? Will it raise the bar even higher or crash and burn like so many other one-book wonders?

Happily, I can report that Leave No Trace falls firmly into the former category, taking the originality and charm of In the Blink of an Eye and burnishing it with an extra layer of polish.

We’re back with DCS Kat Frank, head of the Future Policing Unit, and her sidekick Lock, the world’s first AI detective. When the crucified body of a man is found at the top of a local hill with his ears cut off, Kat, Lock and the FPU find themselves working their first live case.

The plot has all the elements of a classic crime procedural and is as slick as they come. It’s pacey, twisty and explosive, and with Kat’s career and the future of the unit hinging on a successful outcome, it’s a guaranteed page turner. Throw in a crime-busting bot and a brilliantly drawn female MC, and you have the stuff of greatness.

In Kat Frank, Callaghan has created a character who draws both admiration and sympathy. Professionally, she’s a highly ranked and respected police officer with an impressive track record. At home, she’s a grieving widow and single mum to an 18-year-old son. The result is a bold, multifaceted protagonist who combines ruthlessness and courage with an endearing vulnerability.

Lock, on the other hand, is a machine; one programmed to scan, process and analyze data at the speed of sound, saving the investigating team precious time and manpower. He’s essentially emotionless, but there are signs in this book that he’s developing something of a character.

Together, Kat and Lock are a force to be reckoned with, an unbeatable alliance of instinct and logic. I love that Callaghan is evolving their relationship into a grudging but growing mutual respect.

The scene is already set for their next case and I, for one, can’t wait!

Leave No Trace - Jo Callaghan

I was late to the party with In The Blink Of An Eye, a police procedural with a difference DCS Kat Frank pairs up with prototype AI detective AIDE Lock.

I rarely read procedurals anymore and have an awkward relationship with speculative / sci-if elements. There’s the occasional book I love but I often struggle to stay involved. I’m happy to admit I’m not the target audience but my FOMO was itching and I had to scratch it.

It’s more of the same, a twist on police procedural. The interaction with Lock is again my favourite thing about it, he’s like a neuro-diverse CP-30 pointing out the failings of the humans and Police service.

If you still enjoy procedurals with a twist you’ll probably love this series, but I think two is enough for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK

I couldn’t wait to get stuck into Book 2 in the DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock series having loved book 1. I was delighted to rejoin the team, who I felt I knew so well from ‘In The Blink Of An Eye’, a few months further along.

This time Kat convinces her boss to let the team investigate a live crime, rather than a cold case and a gruesome case at that!

Lock is rapidly developing his skills, learning from every situation it faces and the humour this brings is delightful. Are developing a brilliant mutual understanding, despite Lock being merely ‘a machine’, with both of them learning from each other. The story is interlaced with some real humour.

Seeing all of the characters in the team maturing and bonding is heartwarming, as we learn more details about their own backstories and what made them who they are now.

I was fascinated by the investigation into the crimes and a growing understanding of both the relentless depths of loss and the intrinsic layers of humanity, and with Lock struggling to understand ‘instinct’,

The crimes are really brutal (how does Jo Callaghan come up with these ideas?) and the pressure for results is palpable.

I am very tired today as I could not put the book down last night, the tension became unbearable (not going to tell you why) and the end of the investigation was layer upon layer of drama (LOVED IT!). I particularly enjoyed the understanding that came with the conclusion, with some fabulous research inspiring the reasoning behind the crimes.

So many challenging areas are dealt with realistically, and with understanding and sensitivity. You need to read it to understand the relevance but the depth of debate and justification is astounding.

Finally the ending…. I had a real lump in my throat and a tear in my eye! Just read it!

5 Stars from me!

Having read and loved In The Blink of an Eye, I waited for the release of Leave No Trace with bated breath! Delighted to say my anticipation was rewarded as the second installment of DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock's exciting police procedural was every bit as good as the first.

Life has moved on for Kat since book 1 as her son has gone off to uni - leaving her battling her grief and loneliness which means that she often turns to Lock for companionship. Whether this makes her see him as more human, or whether he really is desperate to be human I am not too sure. But either way, their relationship is developing fast, despite Lock's clunky attempts at sarcasm and humour, alongside his bluntness when it comes to the human foible of morality.

Jo Callaghan has delivered another cracking storyline. The inventiveness behind the plot was inspired - and I have to confess to chuckling at the men being told not to go out alone after dark. Oh how the tables have turned.

On a serious note, I hope that the advances suggested within the book can come to fruition, knowing the police can analyse data in seconds and perform such thorough autopsies would mean that many more crimes would be solved. Not that I would imagine anyone would go to the trouble of creating a charming hologram who enjoys old movies, but the technology sounds incredible and the advances in AI within the news right now bring hope of a future where the police and NHS can be supported by these super brains.

Ending brilliantly on a cliff-hanger means that I cannot wait for book 3! My thanks to Netgalley, the author Jo Callaghan, and Simon and Schuster for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I'm a huge fan of a police procedural & the spin this puts on the genre is so refreshing. The fact that elements of the case can be handled in seconds & AIDE Lock is a member of the team with unlimited capacity to process information, but who is limited in other areas really gets you thinking about what is needed for a successful investigation.

A pacy read, a cracking team, from police to scientists & Lock themselves, & a good, solid, entertaining story, definitely a series I'll be reading again.

I listened to some of this on audio & I love the way it's edited, phone calls sound like they should & the narration is brilliantly done.

Even better than the first book in the series! I love a detailed police procedural and the addition of the AI element makes this even more impressive. Loved the character development and am such a fan of DS Kat Frank. A well deserved 5 stars 🌟

Jo Callaghan's In the Blink of an Eye was my top read of 2023 so her follow up Leave No Trace was without doubt my most eagerly anticipated read of 2024. I'm pleased to say this did not disappoint in any way, and proved to be another exceptionally well written book. The unique storyline in her debut with the use of an AI Detective made for an original read, and I found that Leave No Trace lost none of the originality, whilst also developing both the main characters and the wider team led by DCS Kat Frank as they investigate a live case of serial murders. I found the plot to be well thought out and executed, the characters to be authentic and overall the book was a gripping and tense read. What I also liked was the way the author also explores themes of logic versus instinct as well as the aftermath of loss as DCS Frank navigates her grief. This is results in raw and honest depictions of human emotions which provide a thought provoking counterpoint to the characteristics of AIDE Lock. Having said that what also works is the exploration of Lock's personality as he learns to emulate human behaviour, and the humour from his interactions with his human colleagues offers a lighter perspective. Overall this was an excellent book, which I didn't want to end. I am now eagerly awaiting the next installment in this series. Thanks to netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this exceptional book.

I read and and reviewed the previous book in this series (In The Blink Of An Eye) and I absolutely loved it so I couldn’t wait to read and review this story and catch up with Kat & Lock.

The book started with a chilling prologue that had me on the edge of my seat, I thought if the prologue is this good the rest of the book is going to be incredible.

Kat & Lock have a meeting with the big boss Chief Constable McLeish to review how they’ve performed over the last year and to see what’s next, Kat really wants a live case to stick her teeth into and to show how much Lock can achieve and help.

The first life case is a testing one for both Kat and Lock, they have a quite a few differences of opinions and the age old problem, Humans or AI which one is right?.

The case had me thinking all sorts of things, the killers thoughts that I read are so chilling and they raised so many questions like why was they only targeting men?.

I was on the edge of my seat for the last half of the story, it was exhilarating and dare i say absolutely flawless!

It’s the perfect follow and up and the last few pages set up the third book perfectly.

I’d just like to point out that you can absolutely read this as a standalone because the author helpfully recaps the events from the first book.

Aide and Kat are back
It starts with a gruesome non accidental murder
DCs Kat Frank and Adie Lock (the world’s first AI detective) join forces to catch the killer who is targeting men.
It’s the perfect mix of plot and character with an ending you will never see coming,
.highly emotional with an interesting set of characters, obviously at it’s heart it’s a crime novel, with a mystery to solve, but covers so much more.
Explores the human condition and how AI is going to impact the future world of policing - Kat has the experience, but Locke has been programmed to read thousands of data in seconds which certainly speeds up the case.
It’s raw and emotional, loved this unique thriller
Thanks @jocallaghankat @simonschsteruk & @netgalley for the unique thriller

Callaghan returns with another fresh and explosive thriller that needs to shoot straight to the top of your TBR!

I was only very recently bowled over by how brilliant IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE was, after letting it rest on my TBR pile for a criminally long time. When I received a proof of LEAVE NO TRACE it took all of my will power not to jump straight in, but boy oh boy, was it worth every second I waited! This book is another incredibly refreshing take on the police procedural genre, with literature’s most unique partnership. I will never tire of the continual balancing act between AIDE Lock’s logic and DCS Kat Frank’s instinct. I love how they continue to learn from each other, whilst their distinct approaches to the investigation also builds suspense and tension for readers. Callaghan perfectly blends the politics and moral questions around AI involvement in policing with an incredibly human story once more. The brutal killings at the heart of the narrative may initially seem gratuitous, the work of a mad-man; but as the mystery unravels, Callaghan reveals a truly heinous history that has resulted in these killings. The motivation is heartbreaking, allowing the reader an opportunity to debate the killer’s actions, garner sympathy for them, and fully question their sense of morality. I love these books for the multiple opportunities to delve deeply into the sense of right and wrong. There are so many themes underpinning the narrative, which I was very invested in. I particularly took notice of themes around misogyny, racism, gender violence, and retribution. Callaghan weaves these through the story organically, building a case and a narrative that is hard-hitting in places and exceptionally plotted. I genuinely couldn’t put it down!

As with BLINK, this book is equally about the key characters. Kat, Lock, Hassan and Brown feel like family and I can’t get enough of them! The dynamic between them (and the wider team) is wonderfully crafted, feeling authentic in every way. These guys care for each other, but they have their differences and their own unique personalities. There’s moments where the confusion of human thought processes and our actions baffle Lock, which helps to provide moments of humour. However, there’s a real tenderness to these relationships too. Again, like in BLINK, Callaghan tackles grief in a sensitive way, painting a picture of Kat’s loss that is really affecting. Not only is she still coming to terms with death of her husband John, but also an empty nest now that her son Cam has headed off to uni. Callaghan explores themes of loneliness and heartache here, but there remains a glorious sense of hope as Kat continues to rebuild her life in a way that she never imagined she would have to. This book ends on the most jaw-dropping cliffhanger, which has me gagging for book 3 already! This is a series that is going from strength to strength and I am already predicting great things from the next instalment.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this brilliant book

when the first man is found crucified DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock start the investigation....aide lock is a the world’s first AI Detective and is about to be tested on a real life murder

the weather is against them and with not much at the scene aide lock special abilities will become essential to finding any clues that the killer may have left behind

but will general opinion about an AI detective working the case prove their undoing

oh man this was an exciting read for me... the one liners and the factual based AI detective was always going to run into all sorts of problems whilst dealing with inferior human beings whose logic lock was never going to understand but i found lock to be a very enjoyable character and i was routing for him come the end

this is an exciting new series that has me hooked and i cant wait for the next book in this series