By J S Monroe

Head of Zeus, out 9 January 2020

Is Rob all he seems to be? Kate is no longer so sure…

This is the first novel by J.S. Monroe that I’ve read, but will be keeping an eye out for others in future. It’s a well-paced thriller with enough of a genre edge to justify inclusion here – for reasons that I won’t spoil – but which pretty much keeps itself grounded throughout. (Your views may vary on the final reveals.)

Monroe tells his story from the perspective of three people in Kate’s life – Kate herself, a former super-recogniser (someone who can recognise faces to a phenomenal degree) who’s been in a car accident that has affected her abilities; her old beau, Jake; and Silas, a police officer with whom she worked before her accident. Other key characters – notably Rob, the “knight in shining armour” who’s taken her under his wing after her accident – we only see through these people’s eyes, and there’s a credible gap between the perceptions of the characters, rather than a homogenous presentation of all involved.

All sorts of questions are posed early on, and Monroe incorporates certain lesser known brain disorders and research into the central theme to good effect. These parts of the book are the best, as the characters and reader wonder about what’s going on, before it becomes a little bit generic towards the end (although well-told, it’s still a little bit cliched).

Verdict: Some nicely drawn characters and an insidious concept make for an enjoyable genre-adjacent thriller. 7/10

Paul Simpson

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