Kill Them with Kindness is a dark speculative science fiction thriller that is so close to a reality we all experienced that it delivers shivers from the first page to the last.

From the blurb:

“Dr Haruto Ikeda, a Japanese scientist working at a Chinese research facility, wants to save the world. He has discovered a way to mutate a virus. Instead of making people sick, instead of causing death, it’s going to make them … nice. Instead of attacking the lungs, it will work into the brain and increase the host’s ability to feel and show compassion. It will make people kind.
“But governments don’t want a population in agreement. They want conflict and outrage and fear. Reasonable people are harder to control.”

You don’t have to be a fan of conspiracy theories to see connections between this storyline and COVID-19. A worldwide epidemic is happening following the release of a deadly virus from a Chinese lab. However, in Kill Them with Kindness, it was released deliberately by governments with malicious intent. It’s too late to stop it, but scientist Dr Ikeda hopes that by releasing another, mutated version of the virus, instead of dying people will become compassionate and kind.

It’s a wonderful premise for a speculative novel and Carver narrates it brilliantly. The characters leap from the page, the pace is well balanced, the dialogue realistic, and no matter how much you think you know ‘this’ story, it’s impossible to guess how it’s going to play out.

There are some brilliant touches. The truly horrible British Prime Minister is a wonderfully nasty, true-to-life portrait of Boris Johnson (I would have called it a caricature but it’s hard to create a ludicrously exaggerated distortion of someone who is in fact a ludicrously exaggerated distortion of a human being)… Named ‘Harris Jackson’, just to remove all doubt! Narrator Ciaran Saward’s reading of Harris’ lines is so true to the original that you can easily imagine Boris J. in the role.

Carver’s contempt for the covid-era Prime Minister is so blatant (and warranted), and the portrait so clever, that I’ve added a star just for that.

Kill Them with Kindness is an intelligent speculative thriller that would provide rich pickings for a book club discussion. It blurs the lines between fiction and reality. It points an accusatory finger at those in power who will stop at nothing to hold on to their power, no matter the cost. It also points the finger at ordinary people, showing how little it would really take for us all to choose compassion and kindness rather than self-interest.

I cannot recommend it highly enough! In fact, I was so impressed that I went looking for Carver’s other work and discovered that he produces a wonderful podcast, Nothing Important Happened Today, which I binge-listened to on a 4-hour drive and also highly recommend.

Needless to say I’ll be checking out his other novels too. Seems I’m late to the party, as Carver is called a cult author, although I’d never heard of him before. I’ve been missing out!

This story is for those who love a conspriracy theory. It felt like the author wrote this off the back of COVID19. The story blends dark satire, science fiction and pyschological drama.

Set in a near-future world teetering on the edge of collapse, the novel opens in the UK, where citizens are being issued "Dignity Pills"a government-sanctioned way to die painlessly before a deadly biological cloud sweeps across the country.

Parallel to this, the story follows Dr. Haruto Ikeda, a brilliant Japanese scientist working at a Chinese research facility. He stumbles across the plan to release a deadly virus so he tweaks this virus to leave anyone who catches it, not only alive, but left feeling more compassion and kindness.

This is a cleverly crafted story which is very thought provoking and relatable to the current world we live in. The author makes some very obvious digs at those in power during the Covid pandemic by re-writing them in this book.

The story was so well delivered, with more than a degree of irony and dark humour. A little sluggish in places, but not too damaging. I enjoyed and give this 4/5.

Apologies for the late review.
I really enjoyed this audiobook about a pandemic virus destined to kill millions, and the hopes of the high ranking Japanese scientist/virologist who wishes the world was a kind of place and that people cared about each other instead of being so self obsessed.

A thought-provoking story.

Thanks to #NetGalley For the opportunity to have read this ahead of publication and exchange for an honest review.

I am a die hard fan of Will Carver and I have yet to dislike something he's written. You feel like you know where the story is going, haven lived through the covid pandemic, but you really don't! It was (another) excellent book and I can't recommend it (and all Will Carver's works) enough.
Looking forward to the next now!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to listen to this ARC.

I really got involved with listening to this story it worked really well and although it mimicked coronavirus it didnt dwell on it so as someone suffering from long covid I was able to listen to it without it triggering me.

I found it fascinating and an original take

An incredibly clever concept, beautifully executed and pitch perfect. I've enjoyed many of Will Carver's books but he's pulled an absolute blinder with 'Kill Them With Kindness'.
The book provides incredible social commentary disguised as the most compelling fiction. H/t to the wee mention of ‘Nothing Important Happened Today’. I would urge you to listen to the audiobook if you get the chance. Ciaran Saward is a superior narrator and his Prime Minister voice is worth the price of the audio alone! Reads like the best of Black Mirror. If you want to experience Will Carver at his finest, start here.

Kill Them with Kindness by Will Carver and narrated by Ciaran Saward was an audiobook that just took my breath away and blew my mind! It was a "Excellent audiobook!" and I mean "EXCELLENT!!!! especially as it was the first book / audiobook I have listened to. It was So good I ended up going to my audiobook account and purchasing all his books on audio, which I have never done with an author before, that is how much I really enjoyed Kill Them with Kindness.

This book really makes you think 🤔 The narrator Ciaran Saward was superb and made this audiobook come Alive.
It was a terrifying book and not for the faint hearted but I loved it. It is an audiobook you need to really listen to and take it.

I started this audiobook off thinking it was going to be an alternate COVID-19 story but quickly realised "is it though?" The story sounds very plausible to a scary fault. World leaders = corrupt. Governments = over-controlling. People = awful. This story is gut wrenching, sickening. Scary. This audiobook pulled me in and made me feel like I was sitting in my lounge room watching the news, hearing about this awful gas and contemplating whether or not I'm going to be taking my own "dignity pill" while having my own world turn inside out. This is not like any other story. This is not far off from what could actually happen. And soon. And I think that makes it the scariest. This book is challenging, disturbing, thought provoking and I would even go as far as to say it was motivational. It was well researched and well paced with clear, effective visuals in an engaging, stylistically unique writing style. The narrator did a wonderful job narrating a multitude of voices, genders, and nationalities. Will Carver you should be very proud of this book.

4.5 🌟

Wow, this was something else, and I mean that in a good way. It made me uncomfortable because it felt too familiar and too realistic, given the similarities with COVID-19. Speculative fiction usually does that, though. Wouldn't it be nice if that situation had made people more compassionate? Instead of...whatever the hell is going on with society now. I digress. This story was easily bingeable. I listened to it in less than a day because I wanted to know what was going to happen. You'll find some familiar, satirical takes on famous people that we love to hate. This book would make for great discussion at a book club. I'm definitely checking out other works by Will Carver now.

Ciaran Saward narrates the audiobook. His voice is clear and strong, easy to understand. I have no complaints here.

Recommended for lovers of speculative fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for the ALC.

An amazing and thought-provoking tale of how even the best of intentions can end up creating the worst of outcomes. Well written, excellently narrated, and one I'll be keeping my eye out for in book club discussions.

This is a tricky one. I've loved everything I've read by Will Carver... up until this book.

I didn't gel with this book for a few reasons. For a start, I was hoping that as it deals with themes like kindness and pandemics, I wouldn't find this preachy, but it did come across that way.

Much of the story felt like a fictionalised account of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I just didn't care to relive that so closely.

The book is written in quite a factual style, and I found it difficult to connect with or care about the characters. The narration of the audiobook was quite emotionless, which may have contributed to this.

Although there were moments of subtle, dry humour, the writing became repetitive and bored me after a while. I found myself tuning out and having to rewind in case I'd missed something vital (I hadn't). I stuck with it because I'd been offered this as a review copy, so wanted to see it through. The ending did take a turn, pick up and become more interesting, but overall this book wasn't for me.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

Thank you to Bolinda Audio, the author and NetGalley for an LRC in return for an honest review

This was my first introduction to Will Carver and it was certainly a fascinating read. A prime example of pure speculative fiction.

The premise is simple enough...

What if a virus could make people kinder?

What if governments feared empathy more than death?

Carver takes this high-concept idea and runs with it. Exploring the ethical, psychological, and political consequences.
Real world leaders and institutions are satirized with scalpel-sharp wit. Like Orwell before him, Carver holds a mirror up to society.

You wouldn't think it was possible to exaggerate Boris Johnson for satirical effect, but somehow Will carver has managed it here with pure skill. With not an ounce of subtlety, British Prime Minister Harris Jackson is so overtly based on Johnson that it's practically impossible to not picture him delivering the lines. This effect is compounded by the narrator Ciaran Saward, whose magnificent portrayal is uncanny to say the least!
Prime Minister Jackson even delivers near-verbatim lines his real life counterpart used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Which in turn blur the line even more between fiction and reality. It is easy to see Carver's opinion on the former British Prime Minister - a leader who appears harmless but is, in truth, deeply manipulative and untouchable.

This book would be perfect to discuss at a Book Club. I would definitely recommend this book to those who appreciate Huxley's Brave New World or Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. Kill them with kindness would appeal to readers who crave intelligent, provocative and subversive fiction — especially those who enjoy being morally challenged and politically unsettled.

In a nutshell I would say that Kill them with kindness is like Black Mirror meets Yes, Minister, but with the added threat of airborne empathy.
I cannot fault this book at all...which is not something I say lightly. If it were possible to rate more than 5 stars then I certainly would! I will definitely be checking out Will Carver's back catalogue 📚

#KillThemwithKindness #NetGalley

Kill Them with Kindness is sharply written and deeply unsettling—in true Will Carver fashion. The narration by Ciaran Saward was faultless; his delivery perfectly matched the story’s dark tone and intensity. However, the subject matter hit a bit too close to home, echoing the anxiety and isolation of the pandemic era in a way that made it hard for me to fully enjoy. It reminded me somewhat of Ben Elton’s social commentary, but with a much darker, more twisted lens and less humour. A well-crafted audiobook, but maybe just not the right timing for me personally.

Loved loved loved this!
Pandemic
Covid
Dystopian
This book had me from the off and when I say two thirds in we take a turn! Wow
Brilliant
Will definitely be recommending this one for sure
Thank you so much for letting me review this

I loved the Good Sarmatians by Will Carver so I was thrilled to get approved for an advance listen of Kill Them with Kindness, Thanks NetGalley and Bolinda Audio.

Once again Will Carver has come out on top with this one. I like nothing more than a dystopian/speculative fiction read and this certainly delivered. From the very first chapter that sets up what is about to happen, it just gets crazier and crazier. The middle slowed a bit for me but I can forgive that because by the end I couldn't wait to find out what happens and at the same time I didn't want it to end, sign of a good book!

The narration is perfect and kept me engaged throughout. There were a few lines that stuck in my brain but my favourite for being the most random of sentences I have ever read "you f&&king mathematical psychopath". Sums up how different a Will Carver book can be.

What if you were an esteemed virologist who discovers a secret political plot to release a virus to kill millions of people? What if you decided to alter the virus so that instead of killing people, it makes them kind? That’s one question, among many, that Will Carver asks his readers to consider when they read or listen to Kill Them With Kindness.
I’ve never read this author before and now I am wondering why, because I was absolutely fascinated by this book.
It had so many elements to it; ethical debates, political conspiracies, dark humour, horrifying events and uplifting moments. The combination of all of these aspects worked perfectly to form a tense, thought provoking and moving novel. The author absolutely nailed one character in particular and you’ll certainly recognise who when you encounter them. I loved the vignettes dotted through the plot, providing perspective and impact for the reader. The twist was so clever and devastating and the ending was really satisfying.

All of this is enhanced by a brilliant narrator, providing a range of voices, drawing you into the book immediately.

If you love a political thriller, speculative or dystopian thrillers, dark humour, random acts of kindness and an ethical debate, you need to add this book to the top of the TBR straight away. You won’t regret it.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review. I love Will Carver books and Kill Them With Kindness has to be up there as one of his best. This book has so many interesting layers to it and it fully explores human nature to the fullest. This book is definitely not another Covid 19 story! But does have some interesting parallels to it. The premise was really interesting and I was instantly hooked by this story. Amazing characters that had so much depth to them I felt as though I was there with them in the story. I absolutely loved this book and I will recommend reading it to everyone. 5 stars.

Very enjoyable book, as is usually the case with this author!

I loved the concept and there were subtle clues as to potential real-life figures that some of the characters might have been modelled on.

The narration was good - the narrators voice was well-suited to the book.

A steady pace throughout and a great ending.

I had read another book about a virus that if it doesn't kill you, it will change your view to extreme unselfishness to the point of forgetting about self, if it can help the greater good. This book takes that in a slightly different direction with the specially engineered virus created by Dr Haruto Ikeda in response to a terrible virus created by a shadow cabal made up of various nations politicians wanting to release it in return for power and profits. Dr. Ikeda's virus brings kindness to the forefront, without the compulsion that they have to do it, which creates interesting and sometimes problematic issues, depending on what the people affected actually think might be kindness. Harm can still be done if it helps the greater good. You get lots of different views in this book, tracking Dr Haruto Ikeda's virus and how people react to the changes. It is easy and heartbreaking getting the story from Dr. Ikeda's point of view as all he had done was try to stop a deadly pandemic and try to get humanity to make better choices and not destroy others in their path to power.

However the last few hours of the book took a turn that I was not expecting and kept me frantically listening as it got darker and darker. It hits hard with what people may be capable of and the cost can be millions of lives though little acts of kindness and decency can still make the impact needed to change the world for better, even at the end. I will be thinking about this book for a good long while and try to make this world a little better with just a little more kindness.

The narrator did a wonderful job in making this story seem very real and the people in it, both good and not so kind. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to listen to this really good audiobook.

A very slow start that quickly turns into a really good story with a surprising ending that kept me hooked.
Really enjoyed listening to the narrators.
Thank you to NetGalley and Belinda Audio for letting me review this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.