Evolution by Teri Terry

review by Maryom

Here we are at last at the concluding part of Teri Terry's YA sci fi/conspiracy theory thriller trilogy, and there's been a lot of change and upheaval since Shay and Kai started looking for his missing sister Callie, back in book one, Contagion. In fact, normal life for most of the country has ceased as a flu-style epidemic spread rapidly causing unknown numbers of deaths. Very few survive, those who do are changed forever, and hunted down by the remaining authorities as a threat. The search for Callie has become part of the search to discover more about this dreadful disease, where it came from, and if there's any possibility of a cure, or at least for something to stop the virus's spread.
Shay and Kai have meanwhile become separated again; although sharing the same goals, they each believe their way is the best to proceed. In a normal world this would probably be little more than a lovers' tiff, but the world isn't normal any more, and the decisions they make could mean life or death.

These three books have definitely been a roller coaster of a read, with the tension constantly cranked high, and just when you think the story's moving towards a happy ending there are some nasty shocks to come. It's been absolutely brilliant though. The plotting is ingenious and devious. Conspiracy is hidden behind conspiracy. Whisk away a layer of secrets and lies, and there'll be more beneath, like peeling an onion, or opening a Russian doll. On those rare occasions when Shay, Kai and the reader thought they'd found the heart of the web of secrets, events would take an unexpected turn, and you'd realise nothing had been half as simple as you thought.
The author doesn't pull punches, or hold back on violence. The evil mastermind is unscrupulous, not held back by any normal human 'weaknesses' like fair play or sympathy for others, and, unsurprisingly perhaps, behaves as ruthlessly and single-mindedly as you would expect evil villains to.
An excellent series - but be prepared for your favourite characters to suffer.





Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - teen, sci fi/ conspiracy theory thriller

Deception by Teri Terry

An epidemic is sweeping the country.
You are among the infected. There is no cure, and you cannot be permitted to infect others. You are now under quarantine. 
The 5% of the infected who survive are dangerous and will be taken into the custody of the army.

As the epidemic spreads, survivors are being hunted like witches, for the authorities fear their strange new powers.

Kai is desperate to trace Shay, who tricked him and disappeared. Meanwhile, Shay is searching for the truth behind the origins of the epidemic ... but danger finds them wherever they go. Can they outrun the fire?

review by Maryom

It's always difficult to know where and how to start with a review for a second (or third) book of a series, so my first simple step is to just quote the synopsis above which appears on the book itself, adding that Kai and Shay have been on the trail of his missing sister, and uncovered far more than they'd expected, especially that her disappearance was somehow connected to the 'flu' epidemic sweeping the country.
The end of the first book of the series, Contagion, left them at a logical sort of place but with so many questions unanswered that I've been longing to read more. Deception is definitely the name of the game this time. Kai and Shay are trying to find answers - how did the epidemic begin?  is their ever likely to be a cure? what happened to family and/or friends? - but it's not easy to find any when so many people, at both a personal and official level, are covering up the truth. It seems at times that one layer of deceit is removed, only to find another hidden below. When I'm reading adult crime fiction, I always pride myself on guessing the villain and having an inkling of how the plot will pan out - here, I'm stumped. Although I feel I'm better than Kai and Shay at picking who to trust, or not (yes, I was mentally shouting 'Don't believe X. They're up to no good'), I still can't guess how the plot will develop or who, if anybody, could be the 'good guys' in this scenario.
Add in some fast paced action, secret hideouts and military bases, the possibility of some secret research lab experimenting without any official control, and a hint or perhaps more of a love triangle, and it's easy to see any reader would be hooked.
How would I describe it? Well, definitely a thriller, with a slightly sci-fi/conspriracy theory feel as it involves secret scientific research. Whatever you call it, Deception is an excellent, tense, thrill a minute, unputdownable read. The danger is real and ever-present, any moments of calm are short lived, and before long Kai and Shay are plunged back into action and life-threatening situations. With that in mind, I'd suggest that it might possibly be a little scary for readers at the younger end of its age range, especially if they're inclined to identify too much with characters; I can easily imagine them becoming so engrossed that it becomes 'real'.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - teen, sci fi/ conspiracy theory thriller

Contagion by Teri Terry

URGENT!
An epidemic is sweeping the country.
You are among the infected. There is no cure; and you cannot be permitted to infect others. You are now under quarantine. 
The very few of the infected who survive are dangerous and will be taken into the custody of the army.



review by Maryom

Kai's younger sister, Callie, has been missing without trace for a year, so when a girl called Shay contacts him with new information, he has no doubts about dashing up from Newcastle to the small village of Killin in Scotland to investigate the lead. Together they try to piece together Callie's last known movements but events in the wider world are working against them.
A secret scientific facility on Shetland has been conducting some very dodgy experiments, and when a supposed earthquake destroys it, a horrendous,highly-infectious, fast-acting flu virus is leaked into the world. Special army units are called in and quarantine zones are soon established across Scotland, making it difficult to travel, but even so the disease continues to claim victims at a dreadful rate. Very few survive, and those who do are considered too dangerous to be left at large.
Against this backdrop, Kai and Shay pursue the leads to uncover what exactly happened to Callie, and why ...

Anyone who's read this blog will know how much I love Teri Terry's teen/YA novels, whether set in the dystopian worlds of the Slated trilogy and Mind Games, or the urban fantasy of Book of Lies. This time the story is  a mix of dystopian horror as a mystery illness sweeps the country, thriller and conspiracy theory as Kai and Shay uncover far more than they'd expected in their search for Callie.
It's a great read, with characters to warm to, and a plot to entice you in - the sort of book you don't want to put down, but read in one sitting (no matter how late you have to stay up to do that!). You'll be left wanting more though, as this is the first book of a trilogy, and, although it ends at a logical point, a lot of questions have been raised and not answered yet. I can't wait to see how things develop in Book 2!

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - teen, dystopian thriller, conspiracy theory

Adaptation by Malinda Lo

 review by Maryom

"Flocks of birds are hurling themselves at aeroplanes across America. Thousands of people die. Millions are stranded. Everyone knows the world will never be the same.

On Reese's long drive home, along a stretch of empty highway at night, a bird flies into their headlights. The car flips over. When they wake up in a military hospital, the doctor won't tell them what happened.

For Reese, though, this is just the start. She can't remember anything from the time between her accident and the day she woke up almost a month later. She only knows one thing: she's different now. Torn between longtime crush David and new girl Amber, the real question is: who can she trust?"

Adaptation is an unusual story in that it mixes sci-fi and conspiracy theories with teen romance and Reese's struggles to come to terms with her sexual orientation; so you could see it as a bit of something for everyone, or it could be that some readers are going to find bits of it more interesting than others. For me, it was very enjoyable. I liked the mix of teen relationship issues and government cover-ups, as Reese tries to work out her feelings for Amber and David, or goes out with long-term friend and conspiracy theorist Julian to search for evidence to back up his claims.
The pace seems a little uneven at times with the action scenes being fast and dramatic, and the relationship issues less so, but all in all it pulled me in and kept me reading.
My main gripe would be that, as so often, this isn't the whole story. Although the story finishes at a logical point, there's a sequel, Inheritance and also an ebook novella, Natural Selection, which tells Amber's side of the story.

Maryom's review - 4 stars
Publisher - Hodder Childrens
Genre - YA/ teen, sci-fi, conspiracy theory, teen relaionships

Bubble by Anders de la Motte

review by Maryom

In this, the final part of the Game Trilogy, HP and his sister Rebecca  are trying to finally work out who is behind The Game - and stop them. Cutting their way through the lies and deceit is easier said than done. Old family friend, Uncle Tage, a person with mysterious Government contacts and influence, appears to be helping Rebecca, both career-wise and in uncovering a mystery relating to her father's past, but is he the dependable supportive old friend he claims to be or is he manipulating Rebecca for his own purposes? HP meanwhile is caught in a position where he sees conspiracy all around him and doesn't know who to trust at all. He's arrested on terrorist charges, believes his new neighbours are there solely to spy on him, gets involved with a group intending to blow up the company believed to be behind the Game - all in all an average sort of week for HP! He believes that in all he does, he's acting of his own free will, but maybe he too is being controlled more than he realises? As events move towards a climatic ending, with threats of terrorist action at a royal wedding, both HP and Rebecca have some hard choices to make.

If you've read the first two novels, Game and Buzz, you'll know that The Game progressed from fun, but dangerous, pranks to a behind the scenes conspiracy intent on controlling public opinions. Bubble brings this trilogy to an excellent close with twists, turns and double-crosses galore. There are hints at the Game's involvement in everything from the assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme to the insidious shaping of public opinion to support its backers' policies. I tried my best to keep track of who I thought were the good guys and who the bad, but found it nigh on impossible.

For anyone who loves a bit of conspiracy theory this series is a must! It's best, though, to treat the trilogy as one long novel, as plunging straight into Bubble would probably make very little sense.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Harper Collins (Blue Door)
Genre - adult, crime, conspiracy theory

Extinction by JT Brannan

review by Maryom

A team of archaeologists are searching Egypt's Valley of the Kings for the legendary "Hall of Records" but what they stumble upon is totally unexpected - and about to change history...
Strange events are occurring all over the world - a moving statue, animals and birds behaving weirdly, floods and earthquakes. Religious groups are out in force predicting the end of the world - but perhaps for once they're right?
Karl Jancklow works at a secret government research lab and is privy to information he thinks the world should be aware of and contacts old friend journalist Alyssa Durham. Now nothing underlines the importance of information more than the fact that people are willing to kill to stop it being passed on - so as you might expect there are 'bad guys' on the trail of anyone who might have an inkling of what's going on behind closed doors and a high security fence. Alyssa finds herself dragged into a battle on which the fate of the whole world depends.

 As you might expect from that plot-outline, Extinction is a roller-coaster of an action-packed read. Alyssa, with a background in climbing and war-zone reporting, is a dauntless, have-a-go heroine who could give Lara Croft a run for her money! No sooner has she escaped from one life-threatening situation than she's plunged into another, with barely a pause for breath.
JT Brannan's debut thriller, Origin, was good, but Extinction is even better. They both share certain elements - high-octane action, government conspiracy, the fate of the world resting on one couple's shoulders and the unexpected twist in the tail - but the writing is tighter, the action faster-paced, with a couple of unexpected double-crosses thrown in for good luck - and it's definitely nice to see a woman taking the lead in an action thriller.
I'm a sucker for Die Hard/Lara Croft/Indiana Jones style films and if you're looking for that in a book, here it is!

The Mole Adds... I read his self-published book, Stop At Nothing, and loved it.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Headline Publishing
Genre - adult, action adventure, conspiracy theory

Buzz by Anders de la Motte

Welcome to the next level

review by Maryom

Having managed to get out of The Game alive, HP has spent 14 months hiding out in exotic places as far from his Swedish home as he can get. Even there though he's constantly reminded of the Game and its dangers - the distinctive mobile phones used by players seem to be everywhere. When a casual (sexual) acquaintance dies suddenly, HP is sure that the Game Master is somehow behind it, and decides to do a little investigating....
Meanwhile his sister Rebecca has problems of her own. Suspended from police duties after a botched up security operation, she seems to have become the target of a malicious internet forum. The gossip and rumours about her are all posted anonymously, so how can she fight back?

There's a change of pace in this, book two of the Game Trilogy. Previously, HP was out on the street, one of the 'ants' scurrying around at the Game Master's bidding; there was a lot of action and violence. Now using his brains and the power of words, he's trying to move up a level in the organisation of The Game by infiltrating behind the scenes in what appears to be a 'normal' company. Its 'business' though is to shape public opinion via internet sites using multiple identities to blog and comment here, there and everywhere. Being paid to spend all day chatting in online chat-rooms, posting on forums and commenting on blogs sounds like HP's ideal job and there are times when he almost forgets his real motive. Fortunately, there's always a nagging voice asking Who's behind it all? What do they gain? Is there a link to The Game?
Rebecca's story winds in and around HP's with disastrous results for him when the two collide. While most of the tension is of the 'will he be found out?' kind, poor HP does end up on the receiving end of some menacing violence.
Buzz is just as compelling as Game but in a very different way. Whereas bk 1 was fun and exciting, I couldn't imagine it really happening; this time I can. Everyone's heard of the companies that pay to have good reviews written about them, and of people who go round anonymously rubbishing their opponents, so why not take things a little further and shape opinions on politics or world events? Again, it's a brilliant story for the conspiracy-theorists, tapping right into the things they fear most.

Now on to Book 3 where all will be revealed......I hope.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Harper Collins (Blue Door)
Genre - adult, crime

Buy Buzz (The Game Trilogy, Book 2) from Amazon

Game by Anders de la Motte

review by Maryom

Henrik Petterson - HP to his friends - is a bit of a drug-taking, petty criminal sort of low life, so when he finds a shiny new phone his first thought is to turn it into some ready cash. Then he sees the message that keeps flashing up - "Wanna play a game?" Thinking he's being challenged by a mate, he plays along, stealing an umbrella. Then he realises there's more - a web-site devoted to The Game, cool video clips of his actions, praise from other Gamers and cash rewards. HP is easily hooked; it's more exciting than any computer game he's played! At first the tasks are more like pranks - a bit of spray-painting, the stopping of a public clock - but HP soon finds things becoming increasingly dangerous, for both himself and the victim. Getting out of the Game though could be as life-threatening as staying in, and once HP starts to see conspiracy plots, there's no end to them... 9/11? the murder of Swedish PM Olof Palme? and of course the big one, who killed Kennedy?

The Game is like a book version of all my favourite conspiracy-theory movies, from Z to JFK to Enemy of the State rolled into one with some added Die Hard-style action (and language) - so what's not to love about it? It's an excellently-written, rattling good read - and I gobbled up every page of it. The reader is there with HP every nerve-tingling, adrenalin-filled step of the way, can share his initial excitement and thrill at taking part, then his growing unease as events take a serious turn. HP isn't the most instantly charming of heroes but I soon warmed to him.Yes, his language is at times strong but it felt right and fitting for his character.

The plot is shared between sleazy HP and his conscientious sister, Becca, a policewoman with the prestigious bodyguard division - an ill-matched pair with an intriguing back story that unfolds along with the main action - both story-lines keeping their secrets till the very end. The reader isn't abandoned on a cliff-hanger finale but is left with a tantalising glimpse of what may come next... fortunately all three books of the trilogy are already published, so I don't have to wait months before the next instalment.

A thriller that conspiracy-theorists everywhere will love - and one that will alert everyone else to the hidden currents behind world events.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Harper Collins (Blue Door)
Genre - adult, crime

Buy Game (The Game Trilogy, Book 1) from Amazon

Linked by Imogen Howson

review by Maryom

 As long as she can remember, Elissa has suffered from distressing hallucinations in which she feels she's seeing the world through someone else's eyes - a world which is full of white masks, machines, wires and above all, pain. Doctors have tried to help in various ways but things have only got worse. Now as a last resort, an operation is being planned which will remove part of Elissa's brain. But at almost the last minute, she discovers that she actually IS seeing through someone else's eyes - those of Lin, the twin she never knew she had but has always been linked to telepathically. Together they try to outrun the people who have subjected Lin to years of scientific abuse - and uncover a secret agenda that the government will kill to protect.

Linked is an exciting, fast-paced, sci-fi, conspiracy theory read - and just in case that doesn't tick all the boxes for you, there's a little romance as well. This book had been sitting on my TBR pile for quite a while with me vaguely thinking I'd get round to reading it sometime - and I SO wish I'd picked it up sooner. The premise of twins separated at birth but still telepathically linked had me intrigued - especially with the hint of government secrets and cover-ups - but I hadn't imagined it would be as compelling as I found it. It's the kind of book that draws you in instantly and doesn't let you go till the very end. I was a little worried when I saw an advert for a sequel, but it's a perfectly rounded-off stand alone novel.
Although set on strange planets with interstellar travel, it isn't about aliens from outer space but is primarily a conspiracy-theory  thriller about the horrors that one sector of society will inflict on another in the name of scientific advancement. It's aimed at teens and young adults, but I feel it could appeal to many older readers too.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Quercus
Genre - teen/ YA  sci-fi, conspiracy theory, thriller

Buy Linked from Amazon

Stop at Nothing by JT Brannan

Review by The Mole

Mark Cole is a deniable operative for the US government, a patriot who is always willing to give his life for his country. Living in the Caymans with his wife and two children, he is no longer fully active, but due to his unique abilities he is called upon to perform a difficult assassination. The target is the Director of the CIA’s National Clandestine Service; but after the mission, Cole becomes a target himself. And as the forces against him mount up relentlessly, he realises that greed and hunger for power at the highest levels means that he can trust nobody. Cole discovers that not only are thousands of lives at risk, but his own wife and children are threatened. Pushed into deciding whether to protect global security or to save his family, Cole vows that he will stop at nothing to do both – whatever the cost.

Fast paced from first to last this book will interrupt your life until you have finished it. It reads as though you are watching a film but who is playing the role of Cole? Arnie, Sly, Segal, Butler? Well none of them are tough enough for this role. Park "disbelief" somewhere quiet before picking this book up and just concentrate on the fun and sheer enjoyment of this book.

This book was Brannan's first book but it was never published and after Origin (reviewed by Maryom) was published by Headline, his agent suggested he put Stop At Nothing out as a kindle independently without further refinement. It lacks a little editing in places that have led to a few 'continuity errors' but don't get hung up by it, read it for what it is meant to be: entertainment not edification. Origin has now climbed much higher on The Mole's TBR pile.

Sadly Stop At Nothing is only available in Kindle format but this will test your PC's scroll  bar to the maximum as you try to scroll fast enough to keep up with action.

Genre - Adult action thriller

Buy Stop At Nothing from Amazon

Bridge of Spies by Giles Whittell

Review by The Mole

May 1st 1960 and Gary Powers is flying a spy plane across Russia to assess the threat that is currently posed by the superpower. But this is one mission too far and the Russians have managed to achieve the technology to reach the plane with anti-aircraft missiles. A sad day? Perhaps and this day took the world to the very brink of nuclear war. How? Why? What could have been done to prevent it?

The problem with much non-fiction is that it is written by people who are simply too passionate about their subject - at the cost of making it readable. What Whittell has achieved here is a gripping commentary that is almost totally unbiased but really does keep the reader's interest. He has dotted irony throughout the book to take a swipe at almost every character involved in the events that led to the 'spy swap'. To get 'read aloud' moments in non-fiction is always a good sign!

I was still a mixed infant at the time of the spy swap so, frankly, did not take a great deal of interest in world affairs and therefore the importance of the Powers incident passed me by, but reading this has been truly fascinating and yet entertaining too. I would now like to see Whittell tackle, in the same manner, the end of the Soviet Union and the taking down of the Berlin Wall as this is another event in world history that sort of 'just happened' without any real understanding of the 'why' of it.

Excellent book, excellently done and on a subject we should all understand and he raises questions about industry and government that are as pertinent today as they were then.

Highly recommended for anyone from 15+ as world affairs are for everyone really.

Publisher - Simon & Schuster 
Genre - Non-fiction, Cold War, Spy

Buy Bridge of Spies from Amazon

Origin by J T Brannan

review by Maryom

When Lynn Edwards' research team discover a body in the Antarctic ice, they don't realise quite what they've stumbled upon. The possibility that the body may be 40,000 years old attracts the immediate attention of  some very dangerous people and Lynn finds herself running for her life. Turning to her ex-husband, Matt Adams, for help, she's caught in a race against time against a shadowy all-powerful organisation. Unravelling the mystery takes Lynn and Matt on a dangerous journey via the Nazca Lines and Area 51 to the Large Hadron Collider as they realise they are the only ones who can save the world.

What you have with Origin is an X-files meets Da Vinci Code adventure. It's a great fun page-turning read. If you like non-stop action, world-wide conspiracy and the fate of the world resting on one couple's shoulders than this is a book for you. It hasn't as many twists and double-crosses as some of this genre but is a promising debut from British author JT Brannan. As is to be expected the hero and heroine DO succeed in saving the world - but not in the way you'd expect. Whatever you do - DON'T  cheat and skip to the end!

Maryom's review -  4 stars

Publisher - Headline 
Genre - Adult Action Adventure, conspiracy theory

Buy Origin from Amazon