The Passengers

June 24, 2019
Set in a near-future Britain where automated driverless cars have replaced traditional vehicles, this enjoyable, if flawed, techno-thriller from Marrs (The One) plunges eight people into a nightmare when each of their cars malfunctions: the doors suddenly lock, their route changes to an unknown destination, and a mysterious male voice—the Hacker—informs them that they’re likely to die soon. The Hacker simultaneously seizes control of social media outlets and broadcasts the passengers’ frantic reactions to a worldwide audience. When he later announces that viewers will get to vote on who will live or die, the event becomes a global blood sport. Despite an intriguing premise, much of the novel’s action occurs offstage. The hijacking’s climax follows familiar lines, and experienced genre readers won’t be surprised by the Hacker’s identity once it’s revealed. The book’s strength lies in its well-developed characters and in its exploration of issues such as the growing role of AI, mob psychology, and the ethics of who gets to decide who lives or dies. Though this isn’t the strongest of showings, Marrs remains a writer to watch. Agent: Rae Shirvington, Ebury (U.K.).

July 1, 2019
In the near future, government-mandated self-driving cars become the norm in Britain--until they prove susceptible to a sophisticated terrorist hack. They were supposed to make the roads 95% safer for both passengers and pedestrians. Despite some scattered concern, the British government's decision to pass a law saying that everyone must update to Level 5--completely autonomous--self-driving cars seems to have improved the quality of life for most of the population. Then one morning, eight people climb into their cars and, within a few minutes, an unfamiliar voice welcomes them by name, and the GPS has recalibrated to an unknown destination. Then they are told that they will probably be dead in several hours. All of this, of course, unfolds over social media almost immediately, and the world finds itself captivated--particularly when the Hacker begins asking them, the audience, to vote on who lives and who dies. Almost everyone who has been kidnapped has a secret they don't want to reveal--but the Hacker has secrets of his own. Only a bystander named Libby, conveniently serving on a jury that determines fault in self-driving auto accidents, has any hope of unraveling the truth and exposing the tragedy at the heart of this sensational act of terrorism. One can almost hear the Hollywood music in the background as the action unfolds; the plot twists are truly gripping. Despite the effort to create complexity in the characters, Marrs (Her Last Move, 2018, etc.) is most successful when he's setting up another shocking action scene, less so when plumbing the depths of emotion. As with any story centered around the potential catastrophe of trusting AI to run the mundane moments of our lives, there is an uneasy prescience about this techno-thriller's setup. Summer blockbuster entertainment at its best. All that's missing is a slo-mo pre-disaster montage.

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August 1, 2019

The future appears to be steering toward autonomous cars, and in Marrs's story, the implementation of driverless automobiles has become a reality. Nobody drives themselves around anymore. Eight different folks from varying backgrounds are about to start their day by getting into one of these vehicles so they can get to their various destinations. For each one of these people, the doors lock and a voice comes over the computer and tells them they are about to die. Cameras inside the cars spread the panic to social media, where it becomes a game involving mob rule and human lives. VERDICT No one will want to ride in one of these cars after reading this terrifying thriller. Marrs (The One; The Good Samaritan) uses the cruelty of people wanting to see others suffer while also demonstrating an all-too-real scenario that shows why folks should not give up control of their cars to a computer. Don't pass this novel by.--Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

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