The Passengers
A near-future thriller with a killer twist
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4.3 • 10 Ratings
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
'Provocative, terrifying and compulsive. Another savagely clever near future thriller' - Cara Hunter, bestselling author of Close to Home.
From author of THE ONE - now a major Netflix series - and soon to be published THE FAMILY EXPERIMENT!
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Eight self-drive cars set on a collision course. Who lives, who dies? You decide.
When someone hacks into the systems of eight self-driving cars, their passengers are set on a fatal collision course.
The passengers are: a TV star, a pregnant young woman, a disabled war hero, an abused wife fleeing her husband, an undocumented immigrant, a husband and wife - and parents of two - who are travelling in separate vehicles and a suicidal man. Now the public have to judge who should survive but are the passengers all that they first seem?
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'A 1970s disaster movie by way of Black Mirror, with a dash of Michael Crichton ... a sleek, exhilarating ride' - Financial Times
'With some real jaw dropping moments, it was an edge of your seat read that even surpassed The One' - Claire Allan, bestselling author Her Name Was Rose
'Full of twists, vividly drawn characters you'll love or love to loathe, and pacy action...it's a hell of a ride' - SFX
'Marrs is brilliant at twists and for the addicts of adrenaline-fuelled twisty rides, this book really delivers the goods' - Peter James, UK No. 1 bestselling author
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
