The third book in the Gil Peck Series and set in London in the present. Financial journalists Gill and his wife and partner, Jess Neeskens, are interviewing the Prime Minister for their podcast when she collapses and subsequently dies. When murder is confirmed Gil and Jess are prime suspects, and although their marriage is rocky they need to work together to investigate the PMs death and the reason behind it. Initially I found this quite a complex storyline but stick with it if you find the same, my goodness was it worth it! Briefly, with the interim PM calling a National Emergency, whilst preparing to enter into a huge contract with an American AI company, what can Gill and Jess do to change the direction the country is heading. Then, with their investigation at an early stage, whilst at the Chelsea Flower Show, Gil goes missing only to return three days later. The book centres on the strength of influence over British politics, economic and commercial activity by Oxbridge and the threats involved in the power and control of the AI industry. Dramatic and scary this fictional story provides a possible insight into a frightening future; AI technology at its best and worst. This was such a good, compelling political thriller. Brilliant.

My thanks to Robert and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in advance of the publication date. This is the third book in the series but reads equally well as a standalone book. I really enjoy the political intrigue in the books. It is challenging to write the review without giving any spoilers. Whilst I would describe the first 2 books as topical political thrillers, this book is distinctly different, with the introduction of sci-fi, yet still topical as it ventures into the controversial world of A.I. Investigative Journalist Gil Peck is a Marmite character who is now a podcaster, working with his estranged partner, Jess Neeskens. The PM, Stella Barnsbury, has agreed to be interviewed, only to fall ill during the interview. The government are quick to step in with assurances that Stella has a virus whilst trying to take control of the recordings of the interview, setting off red flags for Gil and Jess. When the PM dies, the intrepid pair set about investigating what Stella had been doing in the weeks before her death. This reveals that she had blocked a contract for a major tech giant to manage public sector systems, including the NHS. The story is thought provoking and would give plenty for a book club discussion. I do hope that there are more books in the pipeline.

The author clearly knows his way around political intrigue and the workings of Westminster. Unfortunately, I found the plot itself rather slow to gain momentum and difficult to become invested in. The alternating narration between the two main characters added little in the way of fresh insight and often disrupted the flow of the story. The protagonists’ voices are so similar as to be almost indistinguishable. Both come across as self-important and somewhat self-absorbed, making it difficult to form much of an attachment to either of them. Remove the names from the chapter headings, and I suspect many readers would struggle to identify who is narrating. By the time I reached the first third of the novel, I realised I no longer particularly cared what happened next. A backdrop of public-school politics, a mysterious virus, malevolent AI and the Russian mob should make for a gripping, fast-paced thriller. Instead, it felt like a collection of familiar ingredients that never quite came together, relying rather too heavily on well-worn tropes.