Reviews with content warning for Cancer - In the Blink of an Eye

Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan

16 reviews

bethanystone13's review against another edition

dark informative sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I wasn't sure what I thought of this initially, but after a couple of chapters, I was hooked. A brilliant book with an interesting premise. I can't wait to read book 2!

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nictans_001's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

A very interesting concept. It took me a while to get used to the writing style but once I did it was fast paced and interesting.

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book_dragon_julia's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I don't normally read crime books but I really enjoyed this one. It was an interesting concept and explored the use of AI in police work.
It followed DCI Kat Frank who had taken leave of work after her husband died of cancer. Her boss informed her of the pilot which was taking place with the AI technology and wanted her to head it up investigating the cold cases of two missing boys.
The story had a good pace and I didn't find myself getting bored. It was also very current with mentions of "since COVID" and the "King Charles III" hospital in Birmingham.
I would recommend it to readers who like crime but also to readers like myself who don't read crime fiction as standard.

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bettinab's review against another edition

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dark informative mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This debut has an intriguing premise and a new, unique take on procedural thrillers. I enjoyed the exchange and even banter between human and machine, there were quite a few surprisingly humerous moments. As a thriller/crime, it fell a bit short for me, even though the resolution was one I didn't see coming. I feel the author cramped a lot into this first book, which limited how much suspence could be built - the story seemed to stall here and there. I appreciate there was a need for a good amount of character building, though, and Kat is a likable protagonist. Obviously this was set up to be a series and I'm excited to read the follow-up book.

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gemloukay's review against another edition

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dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

A different take on the police procedural! Kat is a detective who has returned to work following the death of her husband. She quickly finds herself working as part of an experimental programme to introduce AI into policing, and that comes in the form of a hologram called Lock. Between them and the rest of the team, they must try to solve 2 seemingly unconnected cold cases.

A great read! The mystery keeps going throughout and Kat’s swearing and sarcasm made me laugh despite the sometimes heavy topics. I can’t wait to get stuck into book 2.

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emma6544's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful lighthearted mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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redheadbookgirl's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I saw John Marrs recommend this a while back so of course I had to read it! This book was INCREDIBLE 👏🏽 I was hooked from the very first page till the last.. the case, the team, the twists, the reasoning behind the crimes. It was so clever + engaging.

DCS Kat Frank was a brilliant MC; honest, stubborn + hard working, I couldn’t help warming to her + I think she was the perfect match for AIDE Lock, who was unintentionally witty + brutally unfiltered. It was strangely heartwarming to watch it learn about human emotion + develop a friendship of sorts with Kat.

The pacing was so fast and didn’t let up throughout, with anonymous chapters of a captured man interspersed and only increasing the tension. The plot was completely addictive: thrilling, unputdownable + very thought provoking. I thought the balance shown between human’s instinct + AI’s logic was perfectly done and showcased why both work well. I was kept guessing till the very end and my hunch was completely wrong!

The fact Callaghan wrote this just a couple of months after losing her husband, and was strong enough to write a similar circumstance into the plot, is awe-inspiring and all the more profound + made me quite emotional.

This is a fresh, original take on crime fiction + an INCREDIBLE debut (!) novel that I HIGHLY recommend 🙌🏽 I can’t wait to read book number two!

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