Haunting, dark, and with a very zeitgeist-esque tone, Views is sure to give me vivid nightmares while it lives rent-free in my head for a very, VERY long time. A highly relevant and timely novel, it mixed an almost Black Mirror-like feel with a police procedural storyline in the vein of Stieg Larsson, which consumed me from the first gripping page until the action-packed last scene. You see, while it had a potential speculative fiction angle to our current wild and crazy times, there was also a very ripped-from-the-headlines vibe running throughout this brilliant take on a sci-fi/crime thriller fusion. A chilling premise that was disturbingly realistic, it now has me thinking long and hard about AI, social media, and technology in general. After all, the scathing critique raised some very real concerns about society’s toxic relationship with all of the above.
I do have to say, though, that as much as I loved the fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled plot, the conclusion had had me wanting to hurl the book across the room. Don’t get me wrong, it was thought-provoking and compelling due to its open-ended last page, but I still wanted a concise finish to this superlative read. Then again, perhaps there just isn’t a good way to follow-up such powerful social commentary. In spite of my split feelings towards the ending, though, the rest of this quick, easy read was second to none. Taut, compulsive, and highly believable, this is sure to be one of those books we look back on with either fear or relief in the future. After all, it combined real-life events as tipping points for terrifying dystopian reactions. So go on. Order this one now. Just be prepared for an absolutely frightening read full of chilling implications. Rating of 4.5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Sixteen-year-old Lena Palmer has gone missing when a violent video of her assault by masked men goes viral. Yashira, chief inspector at the German FBI, has been put in charge of the case. As a single mother of a sixteen-year-old girl herself, Yashira is deeply affected by the crime and swears she will do everything in her power to find Lena Palmer. Surely the video must contain clues. Who are these people? Why would they commit such a horrible crime?
Together with her partner Michael they follow all the usual suspects. Lena’s father. Her boyfriend. Her friends. Nothing in this case seems to follow any of the usual patterns. Far-right groups are quickly taking matters into their own hands. Yashira is running out of time, but it feels like she’s chasing a ghost.
Thank you Marc-Uwe Kling and Blackstone Publishing for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: May 19, 2026
Content warning: rape, blackmail, sexism, racism, murder, kidnapping, gun violence, xenophobia, rioting, violence, mention of: drug use, adult/minor relationship