In his attic laboratory, Henry, a brilliant engineer and scientist suffering from agoraphobia, creates William, an artificial intelligence robot programmed to acquire new knowledge every day.

Henry secures the lab meticulously, not only to guard the project's secrecy but also due to his growing apprehension towards William.

However, when Lily, Henry's pregnant wife, invites her colleagues over, the situation spirals out of control, particularly when William gains control over their smart home.

Prepare yourself for an exhilarating escapade where no refuge exists, no solution seems plausible, and every moment brims with terror.

The novel's atmosphere is exceptionally crafted, rendering the book utterly irresistible by introducing characters who are relatable and bursting with vitality.

Delving into thought-provoking questions, the story ponders whether artificial intelligence can possess consciousness or even a soul and whether malevolent forces can dwell within it.

Skillfully penned with an unforeseen conclusion, this book comes highly recommended for its exquisite writing.

This is a short, sharp read - 224 pages written by the pseudonymous Mason Coile described by the publishers as an 'up-all-night thriller which is Black Mirror meets Frankenstein with a dash of Stephen King'. I'd personally say it's got more of a dash of Blade Runner/ Ex-Machina (with a dash of a certain Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror segment) but either way that's some strong reference points.

Written in present tense, 'William' takes place in a condensed space of time after its' initial opening. Henry, a brilliant engineer with extreme agoraphobia lives in a smart tech house with his wife, Lily - a tech entrepreneur who is pregnant with their first child but from the first page clearly showing signs of 'distance' from him. Henry has been working on a secret project in his lab upstairs - William: a robot we very quickly learn is more advanced consciously than in his half formed physical appearance.

We've all seen the movies and read the books where the 'perfect companion' (be it machine, animal, or human) slowly develops tics suggesting something isn't right. The author here doesn't bother with such a slow burn. From the outset we can see there's something not quite right about William. We know it. Henry knows it. And pretty soon Lilly and two houseguests are going to know it.

This felt the right length for this book - easy enough to consume in one or two sessions and get pulled along by the action (and there's a lot of action in it), appreciate the twist and go along without stopping to question things until after you've finished. At which points some very interesting questions will arise.

This is one for Stephen King fans, absolutely! If you love horror, you'll absolutely eat this one up.

I thought it had the perfect touch of horror, personality and AI. I loved the inclusion of the technology in this text - it felt very modern and creative, and I thought the inclusion of AI made it all the more terrifying and tense.

I don't usually read books in one sitting, but I couldn't turn away from this one. I loved it. It was everything I wanted. The characters were perfect, the story was engaging and tense, and the ending was truly shocking and surprising.

Short and suspenseful novel that ratchets up the tension throughout. Trapping the characters in a tech-controlled house with a robot with AI, Coile uses suspense, horror and science-fiction to great effect. I always admire a book that sets out its stall early and delivers in a short and punchy way - no padding, just barebones tension.

Highly recommended

4+

Reclusive robotics engineer Henry, creates William and eventually greatly wishes he hadn’t. Foolishly, he thinks he can control William but the AI has other ideas and what’s worse it has a fixation on Henry‘s wife Lily, who recoils from the robot. This is not just because of his appearance which is disturbing, especially his face although it’s a close run thing with his odd body. However, it’s Williams razor sharp mind which is his most alarming feature and the inevitable result of this is both chilling and frightening. Perhaps a warning sound for us all. Prepared to be astonished In this buckle up tight read.

Right from the very start of this terrific novel, the conversations between William and Henry send shivers down the spine and set off warning bells in Henry’s brain. I become gripped by the horrifying awfulness that unfolds, unable to put the fast paced tense book down. I think some of the creative images have been burned on my retina. It becomes increasingly claustrophobic with the couples Victorian house playing its role in that, it’s extremely creepy, there’s a rising sense of panic, paranoia and a dreadful sense of being totally out of control. It’s terrifying in places and as for the ending, breathe girl, breathe. It is so unexpected, so good and clever yet also very darkly disturbing with a jaw dropping impact.

All the characters are incisively well portrayed, you can see all with clarity with the AI being especially vivid. Henry’s high state of anxiety builds to off the chart levels and definitely impacts the read and his state of apprehension is palpable.

Overall, if you like horror such as that of Stephen King then this is probably one for you. I just wonder if a sequel is on the cards, I do hope so.

This is a perfect Halloween read and luckily it publishes in the United Kingdom on 3/10 with immaculate timing.

It has a great cover too.

With the thanks to NetGalley and especially to John Murray Press for the much appreciated in return for an honest review.

Henry, an agoraphobic engineer, creates an AI, William. Something goes wrong and the story is claustrophobic and unsettling. Henry's wife Lily is pregnant and William becomes interested in her. The story is creepy, exciting, and different from anything I've read before. The ending is superb. It's my first book by this author and I'm impressed.