I am thrilled to be kicking off the official #blogtour for John Marrs latest thriller THE PASSENGERS which is being published by Penguin on 1st April.
About the book: Eight self-drive cars set on a collision course. Who lives, who dies? You decide.
When someone hacks into the systems of eight self-drive cars, their passengers are set on a fatal collision course.
The passengers are: a TV star, a pregnant young woman, a disabled war hero, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an illegal immigrant, a husband and wife – and parents of two – who are travelling in separate vehicles and a suicidal man. Now the public have to judge who should survive but are the passengers all that they first seem?
About the Author: John Marrs is the author of #1 Best Sellers The One, The Good Samaritan, When You Disappeared, Welcome to Wherever You Are and Her Last Move. The One has been translated into 20 different languages and is to be turned into a a ten-part Netflix series in 2019.
After working as a journalist for 25-years interviewing celebrities from the world of television, film and music for national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time writer. His sixth book, The Passengers, is set for release in April 2019.
My Review: Anyone who follows me on Facebook or is a member of THE Book Club knows that I am a HUGE fan of John Marrs and am lucky enough to call him a friend and also honoured to be featured in a cameo role in his last 5 books. When John wrote THE PASSENGERS he kept telling me I wouldn’t enjoy it, but as usual I totally ignored him and started the book with an open mind.
If you’ve read any of John Marrs’ previous books then you know you are in for an original story line full of fascinating characters who all tell their story through their own voices and chapters and somehow are all brought together in a clever and gripping way and THE PASSENGERS does exactly that.
THE PASSENGERS is set in the not-too-distant future and is similar in concept to THE ONE which focuses on what happens when technology is taken to the next level and the consequences on the human race. In this book driver-less cars are now the norm and in the level 5 automobiles there isn’t an override option, a steering wheel or even brakes and the passengers rely 100% on technology to take them from A to B.
Eight seemingly random and unconnected “Passengers” get into their driver-less cars one morning and within moments their cars are hacked, they are told they will die within 2.5 hours and their fate is streamed live to the world via social media. Meanwhile over in a non-disclosed government building a select group of MP’s, doctors, lawyers and religious representatives are taking part in a top secret jury and inquest. Within moments of the hacker hijacking the cars he has made contact with this group and given them sole responsibility for the deaths of the 8 passengers.
In the usual “Marrs manner” you can expect the unexpected, twists, turns, shocks and several OMG moments. I absolutely love how John manages to weave connections between the characters, make you feel sympathy one moment and utter disgust the next and keep you, the reader, on your toes throughout the journey. Another cracking read.
Don’t forget to follow the rest of the blogtour which runs until 28th April 2019.
