By Laura Lam

Pan Macmillan, out now

Beware the Zeal of the converted…

Laura Lam’s second novel set in an apparently utopian future America (following False Hearts) is another gripping thriller that gets inside your head as insidiously as the scientists seeking to change the personalities in the tale. You don’t need to have read the earlier story to understand this – Lam builds the world around her protagonists with deft strokes, and the reader shares central character Carina’s disorientation as she puts the pieces together.

Escaping from a company she learns has been messing with her head, Carina needs help from a bunch of hackers, who have a very Matrix feel to them in terms of their loyalties and group dynamics. Her life is saved by Dax, a trans man who becomes increasingly attached to her, despite knowing that she suffers from intense violent thoughts that’s she previously been able to work out within a VR landscape created by the drug Zeal (where she’s an inventive serial killer, for reasons that become clear as the book goes on).

There’s a conventional “bring the bad guys down” narrative underpinning the story, but it’s the characters and the duel of wits between Carina and those chasing her that keep you engaged. As with any book that involves a serial killer, there are some quite horrific moments – and Carina’s lack of emotional involvement make them stand even more – but they never overpower the story.

Verdict: A dark and powerful tale. 8/10

Paul Simpson