A slow-burn speculative crime thriller set in near-future London that unfolds through the lens of a police commissioner and his tech developer (possibly ex) fiancée.
The year is 2030. Drones deliver our mail, apps dominate every aspect of our lives, and iPredict has replaced the daily horoscope, forecasting the likelihood of events down to percentages. London Police Commissioner Christian Verger’s day is not off to a good start. He wakes up to find his fiancée (Viola) has moved out of their flat, and iPredict sees his chances of dying today at 99.74%. Might be best if Christian just stayed in today (nice and safe). But after a bomb explosion at a high-profile NYC fashion show, its London installment requires his presence.
Told in alternating narratives and dual timelines, the novel switches between past and present events, dropping breadcrumbs and unspooling the threads that will reveal not only the bomber’s motives (and how Christian might end up dead), but also how all the characters tie together. The pace is a bit slow-burn getting there, but there’s a real a-ha moment there at the end. Set a decade into the future, the technological advances (like the widespread availability of self-driving cars and haute couture designed by software) feel possible and imbue this speculative crime thriller with credibility. Bonus: it’s nice to see a novel feature a main character (Christian) with imposter syndrome.
Book: Future Perfect
Published: Wildfire
Pages: 432
Publication Date: March 18th, 2021
Stars: 4/5
Jonathan Ball Publishers kindly sent me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion, rating, or the content of my review.
meredithmara 