[Ad-gifted] Look Both Ways by Linwood Barclay unfolds in America on Garrett Island. Published by Harper Collin‘s HQ Digital, the book is about a unique, month-long experiment where the entire island population gives up every vehicle in place of autonomous electric cars supplied by a company called Arrival. No other vehicles are to the mainland and at the end of the experiment. The residents of Garrett Island are part of a ground-breaking experiment. For a month, their cars will be replaced by self-driving vehicles – voice-controlled, comfortable and safe.
Single mum Sandra is prepping for the huge media event, and she’s ready for a driverless future. Widowed after her husband fell asleep at the wheel, she’s relieved that her kids may never need to drive themselves.
But as the day gets underway, disaster strikes. A journalist vanishes, possibly murdered. And before long, it’s clear something is very wrong. The cars are no longer taking orders from their passengers. They’re starting to organise. They’re starting to hunt. And they’ve got the residents of Garret Island in their sights…
What did I think of the book?
Hidden in the press and disguised as a reporter is the CEO of failing rival autonomous car manufacturer, Gandalf, a guy called Kyle Brandon. He is full of revenge after an accident involving one of his own vehicles effectively killed off his company. Kyle suspects foul play, and now his mission is to infect the Arrival software with a bug that will turn the cars into multiple Christines, sentient killing machines no less, in front of the eyes of the world.
The main character is widowed PR exec and island resident, Sandra, who is in charge of looking after the press and the Arrival execs on Garrett Island. A mother of two teens, she is dating the island’s chief of police but still mourns her husband, Adam, who died falling asleep at the wheel. (This crafty little detail is a hint of things to come.)
The action starts with murder on the ferry, and doesn’t let up until the Arrivals run out of battery power. It is a fast-paced action thriller with the dystopian theme of AI gone rogue. Our friend Kyle, the saboteur, mingles with the press on the ferry, pitches a fellow into the water after being recognised through his disguise, and then attends the press briefing with a memory stick inserted into the laptop of the temporarily absent Arrival CEO. Kyle’s plan comes into action as soon as the download is complete. Meanwhile, Sandra is nervously trying to enjoy what should be her first big career break, having arranged the glitzy press event in the local community hall, leaving the teens at home. But she finds her clients inconsiderate and hard to please – in fact, as her own professionalism appears to crumble, it is thanks to the chaos that ensues after the software bug takes hold that she finally gets her big moment.
The characters are relatable, but I didn’t connect with them. The plot did not bear much scrutiny, which I found surprising, considering that Barclay’s usual genre is crime fiction. The focus seemed to be on scripting screen action… there is more than a taste of Jurassic World in the mix… but unlike the dinosaur thrillers, we didn’t get a heroic conclusion to the exploits, which finally petered out with the car batteries, leaving me feeling flat.
When I started reading Look Both Ways I was hoping that I would warm to Sandra or her teenage children. I do enjoy dystopian novels, having read classics such as 1984, Fahrenheit 451 and Brave New World, but this wasn’t happening here. The humour was slapstick and the characters spoke in the same voice, despite their different ages and backgrounds. Maybe the story was written too fast. It’s a good theme: the idea of robots taking over from humans is a very current topic. And at the start of the book, Barclay had set up some interesting leads – subterfuge around the company rivalry and its employees – sadly they were abandoned along the way. This recipe had plenty of seasoning, but it needed to develop a deeper flavour!
Barclay is a best-selling author at the top of his game, with an army of fans and some heavyweight followers to boot. I haven’t had the pleasure of reading his former work, so I take a peek online for insights and am somewhat comforted by reading that Look Both Ways is a departure from Barclay’s trusted style. In that case, I’m looking forward to tucking in to his next crime novel.
Where can you buy Look Both Ways and how much is it?
You can get a copy of the book from Amazon here. The hardcover retails for £5.72 while the paperback retails for £4.49 and the Kindle for £2.99. Please check the Amazon link for the latest price.
About the book
Publisher: HQ Digital
ISBN: 978-0008525613
Size: 12.9 x 2.4 x 19.8 cm
Pages: 384
About the Author
Linwood Barclay, a New York Times bestselling author and with nearly twenty novels to his credit, spent three decades in newspapers before turning full time to writing thrillers. His books have been translated into more than two dozen language, sold millions of copies, and he counts Stephen King among his fans. Many of his books have been optioned for film and TV, a series has been made in France, and he wrote the screenplay for the film based on his novel Never Saw it Coming. Born in the US, his parents moved to Canada just as he was turning four, and he’s lived there ever since. He lives near Toronto with his wife, Neetha. They have two grown children.
Review by: Metia Bethell Egan
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*We were sent a copy of the book in return for a feature. All opinions are our own.
25 comments
It sounds like a great book to read as you start off thinking this could be a great experiment until you realise things are not as they seem
Agree, I do like books like this
Such a great read this one. I highly recommend it too.
So glad to hear that, glad you enjoyed it as well
This sounds like a thrilling and unique premise for a book! 📚🚗 The concept of an entire island relying on autonomous electric cars is intriguing, but when things take a dark turn, it adds a layer of suspense that’s hard to resist. I’m already hooked by the mystery and suspense that unfolds in this story.
It is interesting, I bet you would enjoy it
This just makes me think of an episode of black mirror where tech rises against us. And while you don’t think it could happen there’s always that slightly possibility. Sounds like an interesting book x
I agree, there is always a possibility of it happening
Thanks so much for the review! Sounds like a really great book with unusual plot.
It is an interesting book to read
This sounds like a fantastic read, I will add this to my reading list and try to pick up a copy soon.
Glad to hear that
I really enjoyed your book review of “Look Both Ways”! Your insights into the plot, characters, and writing style were engaging and made me curious to read the book myself. Your review is well-written and captures the essence of the story. Keep up the great work! 📚👏
This seems like an amazing book to read! I am almost done with the book I am currently reading, I will grab this one next.
Glad to hear that, thank you for the share
After having read your book review, I’d like to get my hands on this book. And I agree that Linwood Barklay is one of the greatest writers out there.
Yes indeed, he is such a great writer
I like futuristic books like this. My kind of story, and it is nice that it has a suspenseful element to it as well. I will have to add this to my list! An interesting side note – my friend in middle school was hit by a car and wrote a biography of the same name.
How interesting, thank you for the share
Sounds like an interesting read and makes me think of all of the AI going on today and what harm it could bring in the future. Will have to check this book out as I love the sounds of it!
Yes worth a read, an interesting book
I thought this sounded a little creepy to me, not my usual type of genre but definitely an interesting plot!
Yes it is an interesting book and something so different to what I usually read as well
My husband will love reading this book. Your review is really very detailed.
Thank you, glad to hear that