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Симулятор убийств
Реальное расследование в виртуальном мире. Чтобы поймать убийцу, можно увидеть убийство своими глазами. Отныне каждый — свидетель преступления…
Терра+ — виртуальный мир, практически заменивший людям реальность. Главное развлечение здесь — новый уровень тру-крайма: гиперреалистичные симуляторы. Документалки и подкасты в прошлом — теперь убийства Банди, Дамера, Зодиака и других можно наблюдать воочию или участвовать в их расследовании. Но самое шокирующее массовое убийство — Инферно. Симулятор по этому легендарному преступлению должен выйти 19 июля 2047 года, в десятую годовщину кошмара.
В тот день для человечества все изменилось. Особенно — для Кассандры Уэст. Сотни смертников по всему миру сжигали себя, попутно унося и жизни многих других. Они были зомбированы психопатом, лидером тайного культа, тоже погибшим в пламени. И им оказался не кто иной, как… любимый муж Кассандры, Харрис. Так решило правосудие. Но женщина отказывается принять этот факт.
Создатели симулятора Инферно обещают невиданную до сих пор степень правдоподобия и детализации. Это дает Кассандре шанс — виртуально вернуться в прошлое и доказать, что Харрис — не убийца, а жертва. Или понять, как ему удавалось скрывать от нее свое истинное лицо…
Терра+ — виртуальный мир, практически заменивший людям реальность. Главное развлечение здесь — новый уровень тру-крайма: гиперреалистичные симуляторы. Документалки и подкасты в прошлом — теперь убийства Банди, Дамера, Зодиака и других можно наблюдать воочию или участвовать в их расследовании. Но самое шокирующее массовое убийство — Инферно. Симулятор по этому легендарному преступлению должен выйти 19 июля 2047 года, в десятую годовщину кошмара.
В тот день для человечества все изменилось. Особенно — для Кассандры Уэст. Сотни смертников по всему миру сжигали себя, попутно унося и жизни многих других. Они были зомбированы психопатом, лидером тайного культа, тоже погибшим в пламени. И им оказался не кто иной, как… любимый муж Кассандры, Харрис. Так решило правосудие. Но женщина отказывается принять этот факт.
Создатели симулятора Инферно обещают невиданную до сих пор степень правдоподобия и детализации. Это дает Кассандре шанс — виртуально вернуться в прошлое и доказать, что Харрис — не убийца, а жертва. Или понять, как ему удавалось скрывать от нее свое истинное лицо…
384 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2024
44 people are currently reading
2796 people want to read
About the author
Jason Pinter
28 books614 followersJason Pinter is the bestselling author of HIDE AWAY and A STRANGER AT THE DOOR in his Rachel Marin series, as well as six other novels: the acclaimed Henry Parker series (The Mark, The Guilty, The Stolen, The Fury, and The Darkness), the stand-alone thriller The Castle, as well as the middle-grade adventure novel Zeke Bartholomew: SuperSpy, and the children’s book Miracle. His books have over one million copies in print worldwide and have been optioned for film. He has been nominated for numerous awards, including the Thriller Award, Strand Critics Award, Barry Award, and Shamus Award, and more
He is the Founder and Publisher of the independent publisher Polis Books, as well as Agora, an imprint launched in 2019 dedicated to diverse and underrepresented voices in crime fiction. He was honored by Publishers Weekly’s Star Watch, which “recognizes young publishing professionals who have distinguished themselves as future leaders of the industry.” He has written for the New Republic, Entrepreneur, the Daily Beast, Esquire, and more. He lives in New Jersey, with his wife and their two daughters. Visit him at www.JasonPinter.com, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @JasonPinter.
He is the Founder and Publisher of the independent publisher Polis Books, as well as Agora, an imprint launched in 2019 dedicated to diverse and underrepresented voices in crime fiction. He was honored by Publishers Weekly’s Star Watch, which “recognizes young publishing professionals who have distinguished themselves as future leaders of the industry.” He has written for the New Republic, Entrepreneur, the Daily Beast, Esquire, and more. He lives in New Jersey, with his wife and their two daughters. Visit him at www.JasonPinter.com, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @JasonPinter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
February 4, 2024
4.0 Stars
This was an entertaining, fast paced sci fi thriller that will likely appeal to readers of both genres. This one would be very accessible to sci fi newbies because it doesn't dive into the science elements. Instead it explores situations that feel like they could become possible in the near future. I found the ethical dilemmas to be particularly interesting.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This was an entertaining, fast paced sci fi thriller that will likely appeal to readers of both genres. This one would be very accessible to sci fi newbies because it doesn't dive into the science elements. Instead it explores situations that feel like they could become possible in the near future. I found the ethical dilemmas to be particularly interesting.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
February 17, 2024
A dystopian future where reality blurs and virtual obsessions reign supreme....…..
Book Information
Past Crimes by Jason Pinter is a 288-page speculative thriller published on February 6, 2024. The audio version is narrated by Ellen Quay and spans 10 hours and 25 minutes. Thank you to Dreamscape Media for providing me an Advance Readers Copy for review.
Summary
In 2037, human interactions shift to virtual reality, where true-crime buffs solve cases through hyper-realistic simulations. Past Crimes leads this lucrative industry, dubbed the Disneyland of Death. Cassie West, who secures crime licenses for V.I.C.E, persuades grieving families to sell their tragedies. Despite financial strain, Cassie and her husband Harris anticipate parenthood. However, tragedy strikes one night, triggering a crisis as emergency drones swarm their home. Cassie faces a dangerous battle, navigating threats in both real and virtual worlds, to uncover the truth and prevent more harm.
My Thoughts
Past Crimes by Jason Pinter presents a unique blend of genres, seamlessly weaving together elements of satire, sci-fi, thriller, mystery, dystopia, and speculative fiction. The novel introduces a fascinating premise set in a bleak near future, drawing parallels to the tone of Ready Player One but with a darker twist. Pinter's novel serves as a poignant social commentary, exploring a world where humanity's obsession with the virtual realm eclipses reality, while deftly incorporating references to current events and issues to lend credibility to the created world. With echoes of Orwellian warnings and a dash of Gibson-esque cyberpunk flair, Past Crimes is a pulse-pounding story that will leave you thinking.
The story unfolds as a fast-paced sci-fi thriller. Pinter's adept world-building and well-executed plot contribute to the book's flow. Moreover, the characters are thoughtfully crafted, adding depth and complexity to the narrative. It’s a white-knuckle ride through a world where the digital shadows hold more secrets than reality itself.
While the book excels in many aspects, it occasionally veers towards telling rather than showing, and some instances of dialogue may appear stilted. However, these minor flaws are overshadowed by the overall strength of the writing.
In the audiobook format, Ellen Quay's narration shines, providing a seamless experience that enhances the story's action and renders the protagonist relatable and personable.
Recommendation
Past Crimes offers an intriguing and thought-provoking exploration of a dystopian future. A chilling glimpse into a future where the line between truth and simulation blurs beyond recognition. It boasts well-developed characters and an intricate plot that will appeal to fans of speculative fiction and sci-fi thrillers alike. Recommended.
Rating
4 Virtual Stars
Book Information
Past Crimes by Jason Pinter is a 288-page speculative thriller published on February 6, 2024. The audio version is narrated by Ellen Quay and spans 10 hours and 25 minutes. Thank you to Dreamscape Media for providing me an Advance Readers Copy for review.
Summary
In 2037, human interactions shift to virtual reality, where true-crime buffs solve cases through hyper-realistic simulations. Past Crimes leads this lucrative industry, dubbed the Disneyland of Death. Cassie West, who secures crime licenses for V.I.C.E, persuades grieving families to sell their tragedies. Despite financial strain, Cassie and her husband Harris anticipate parenthood. However, tragedy strikes one night, triggering a crisis as emergency drones swarm their home. Cassie faces a dangerous battle, navigating threats in both real and virtual worlds, to uncover the truth and prevent more harm.
My Thoughts
Past Crimes by Jason Pinter presents a unique blend of genres, seamlessly weaving together elements of satire, sci-fi, thriller, mystery, dystopia, and speculative fiction. The novel introduces a fascinating premise set in a bleak near future, drawing parallels to the tone of Ready Player One but with a darker twist. Pinter's novel serves as a poignant social commentary, exploring a world where humanity's obsession with the virtual realm eclipses reality, while deftly incorporating references to current events and issues to lend credibility to the created world. With echoes of Orwellian warnings and a dash of Gibson-esque cyberpunk flair, Past Crimes is a pulse-pounding story that will leave you thinking.
The story unfolds as a fast-paced sci-fi thriller. Pinter's adept world-building and well-executed plot contribute to the book's flow. Moreover, the characters are thoughtfully crafted, adding depth and complexity to the narrative. It’s a white-knuckle ride through a world where the digital shadows hold more secrets than reality itself.
While the book excels in many aspects, it occasionally veers towards telling rather than showing, and some instances of dialogue may appear stilted. However, these minor flaws are overshadowed by the overall strength of the writing.
In the audiobook format, Ellen Quay's narration shines, providing a seamless experience that enhances the story's action and renders the protagonist relatable and personable.
Recommendation
Past Crimes offers an intriguing and thought-provoking exploration of a dystopian future. A chilling glimpse into a future where the line between truth and simulation blurs beyond recognition. It boasts well-developed characters and an intricate plot that will appeal to fans of speculative fiction and sci-fi thrillers alike. Recommended.
Rating
4 Virtual Stars
February 5, 2024
This book takes the fascination of true crime and boosts it into the future with virtual reality through simulations in a time when the reality of earth is so bleak that everyone essentially lives and works in a virtual world. If you want to live through the reality of Jonestown as it’s happening, Crispin Lake’s virtual world of Past Crimes will take you into the event live as a spectator or as a participant. You can even change the course of the events during the simulation. It’s both fascinating and horrifying to see the fans of these true crime events dressing up like famous serial killers and touring Murderland with their children.
This book follows Cassie, an employee of V.I.C.E. whose job entails convincing families traumatized by horrific events to sign on the dotted line to be paid money for their tragedy to be recreated in a simulation that the entire world can exploit for a subscription fee. At least until her family gets caught up in their own tragedy and not only exploited but blamed for a mass casualty event that encompasses scores of families subsequently known as The Blight.
Cassie and other interested parties travel across the country to find clues, witnesses and possibly answers by entering the new simulation for the Blight. But as the tenth anniversary of the event approaches, the evidence she uncovers may lead to another tragic event that may be impossible for her to stop.
I was on the edge of my seat throughout this story. At times, I worried that the answers would be predictable, but I was pleasantly surprised by the exciting culmination of the events. Recommended to both true crime and dystopian enthusiasts.
Thank you to Netgalley and Severn House for a copy provided for an honest review.
This book follows Cassie, an employee of V.I.C.E. whose job entails convincing families traumatized by horrific events to sign on the dotted line to be paid money for their tragedy to be recreated in a simulation that the entire world can exploit for a subscription fee. At least until her family gets caught up in their own tragedy and not only exploited but blamed for a mass casualty event that encompasses scores of families subsequently known as The Blight.
Cassie and other interested parties travel across the country to find clues, witnesses and possibly answers by entering the new simulation for the Blight. But as the tenth anniversary of the event approaches, the evidence she uncovers may lead to another tragic event that may be impossible for her to stop.
I was on the edge of my seat throughout this story. At times, I worried that the answers would be predictable, but I was pleasantly surprised by the exciting culmination of the events. Recommended to both true crime and dystopian enthusiasts.
Thank you to Netgalley and Severn House for a copy provided for an honest review.
October 23, 2023
2.5 stars, rounded down.
The idea for this book is interesting - it's set a bit in the future (2037/2047) where our obsession with true crime has resulted in Sales people reaching out to victims and their families to get permission to license their likeness. The likenesses are then built into virtual reality sims where people can experience the crimes and even act as a participant to change the scenario (and of course there's an IRL amusement park). The top company is called Past Crimes with its billionaire founder Crispin Lake.
The main character, Cassie, loses her husband in the Blight where hundreds of people light themselves on fire in 2037 as part of a mass cult suicide. Cassie's husband, Harris, is the mastermind behind the Blight... except Cassie doesn't believe it and in 2047 has spent the last 10 years trying to prove it. Past Crimes is putting out a Blight sim with a launch date on the 10th anniversary. Cassie becomes suspicious that a 2nd Blight is being planned, also on the 10 year anniversary, and reaches out to Crispin to get into the Blight sim early. Crispin flies her and her teenager sidekick to "Murder Disneyland" and even though it'll destroy his company if Cassie can prove Harris' innocence, he says he'll do what he can to help.
I had trouble connecting to the characters. They felt very flat with only a couple of defining attributes. Cassie was too passive for my tastes. Especially in the second half of the book, she was having everything happen to her. It was believable in that she's still recovering from her husband's death, she's been victimized for 10 years (since people think she was working with Harris on it), and she is just a normal person with no special skills/intelligence, but it made for a boring plot. Things picked up towards the end, but most of the book dragged.
The dialogue fell into the trap of so much telling and very little showing. If you needed something explained, trust that there will be a conveniently placed dialogue sequence to explain it. The dialogue was also a bit stilted and awkward throughout.
Most of the plot twists were predictable. Cassie took forever to puzzle out the VERY OBVIOUS clue that she found in the Blight sim about where the 2nd Blight would take place. Or the "twist" about halfway through with Crispin Lake - it would have been more of a twist if that very obvious, very predictable thing didn't happen. There was a twist at the end that I was surprised about, but it wasn't book changing or anything.
The author created an interesting world where humans are more obsessed with the virtual world than the real one, partially since the real world was mostly destroyed. When the book would talk about what happened between now and 2037, a lot of it felt preachy and too much like reality - yes, yes, we know climate change is going to ruin the world, everything will be very expensive, school shootings keep happening. Ready Player One had those dystopian elements but they were better incorporated and flowed with the story.
Also... I'm not an expert on this, but it seemed weird that someone would come out of 6-8 hours in a medically induced coma and be able to walk and help people after 15 minutes, but that might be factually possible? I'm truly not sure; it's just something that struck me as weird.
The idea of this book was great and it had interesting parts. The execution left something to be desired.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this advance review copy.
The idea for this book is interesting - it's set a bit in the future (2037/2047) where our obsession with true crime has resulted in Sales people reaching out to victims and their families to get permission to license their likeness. The likenesses are then built into virtual reality sims where people can experience the crimes and even act as a participant to change the scenario (and of course there's an IRL amusement park). The top company is called Past Crimes with its billionaire founder Crispin Lake.
The main character, Cassie, loses her husband in the Blight where hundreds of people light themselves on fire in 2037 as part of a mass cult suicide. Cassie's husband, Harris, is the mastermind behind the Blight... except Cassie doesn't believe it and in 2047 has spent the last 10 years trying to prove it. Past Crimes is putting out a Blight sim with a launch date on the 10th anniversary. Cassie becomes suspicious that a 2nd Blight is being planned, also on the 10 year anniversary, and reaches out to Crispin to get into the Blight sim early. Crispin flies her and her teenager sidekick to "Murder Disneyland" and even though it'll destroy his company if Cassie can prove Harris' innocence, he says he'll do what he can to help.
I had trouble connecting to the characters. They felt very flat with only a couple of defining attributes. Cassie was too passive for my tastes. Especially in the second half of the book, she was having everything happen to her. It was believable in that she's still recovering from her husband's death, she's been victimized for 10 years (since people think she was working with Harris on it), and she is just a normal person with no special skills/intelligence, but it made for a boring plot. Things picked up towards the end, but most of the book dragged.
The dialogue fell into the trap of so much telling and very little showing. If you needed something explained, trust that there will be a conveniently placed dialogue sequence to explain it. The dialogue was also a bit stilted and awkward throughout.
Most of the plot twists were predictable. Cassie took forever to puzzle out the VERY OBVIOUS clue that she found in the Blight sim about where the 2nd Blight would take place. Or the "twist" about halfway through with Crispin Lake - it would have been more of a twist if that very obvious, very predictable thing didn't happen. There was a twist at the end that I was surprised about, but it wasn't book changing or anything.
The author created an interesting world where humans are more obsessed with the virtual world than the real one, partially since the real world was mostly destroyed. When the book would talk about what happened between now and 2037, a lot of it felt preachy and too much like reality - yes, yes, we know climate change is going to ruin the world, everything will be very expensive, school shootings keep happening. Ready Player One had those dystopian elements but they were better incorporated and flowed with the story.
Also... I'm not an expert on this, but it seemed weird that someone would come out of 6-8 hours in a medically induced coma and be able to walk and help people after 15 minutes, but that might be factually possible? I'm truly not sure; it's just something that struck me as weird.
The idea of this book was great and it had interesting parts. The execution left something to be desired.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this advance review copy.
January 31, 2024
This book started out with a unique premise that's part Cyberpunk 2077 and part Westworld, if Westworld was set in the Metaverse. But after the midpoint, it took a very sharp turn into Tropesville and I quickly lost interest. (Like, I lost interest to the point where I only half paid attention to the audiobook and I could still guess the plot twists...)
I did really love the worldbuilding. It's set in the future, but the author has callbacks to current issues in the US (public school "indoctrination," society's obsession with true crime, etc.) so the setting feels familiar, yet different in a dystopian sense. It's very creative and very cyberpunk.
The mystery aspect didn't really grab my interest too much. It was your typical underground rebellion vs. big bad corporation. There's a huge twist at the end that was cool, but I'm not sure if it was anything really relevant to the main plotline.
Ellen Quay was a great narrator for the audiobook! Her narration made it easy to follow the action and her voice made the FMC, Cassie, sound personable and relatable.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the arc.
I did really love the worldbuilding. It's set in the future, but the author has callbacks to current issues in the US (public school "indoctrination," society's obsession with true crime, etc.) so the setting feels familiar, yet different in a dystopian sense. It's very creative and very cyberpunk.
The mystery aspect didn't really grab my interest too much. It was your typical underground rebellion vs. big bad corporation. There's a huge twist at the end that was cool, but I'm not sure if it was anything really relevant to the main plotline.
Ellen Quay was a great narrator for the audiobook! Her narration made it easy to follow the action and her voice made the FMC, Cassie, sound personable and relatable.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the arc.
June 23, 2024
1'5 🕶️.
Decepción. Ha querido abarcar mucho y se ha perdido por el camino: argumento, personajes, diálogos, contexto. En algunos puntos se vuelve ridículo (¡¿napalm?!, esas frases cortas bochornosas) y hasta infantil.
Estamos en 2037-2047 y la socialización física es prácticamente inexistente y toda interacción (personal, profesional, educacional, administrativa) es virtual a través de avatares (wraps) que pueden tomar distintas identidades y apariencias (skins) y tiene lugar en los Lockboxes; el morbo del true crime sigue creciendo con tecnología que permite vivir, a través de simulaciones, todo tipo de casos; la generación de residuos y el consumo de energía son incontrolables; los avatares pueden ser hackeados dando lugar a situaciones de acoso; vuelve a existir una versión futurista de las casas para pobres para niños huérfanos/abandonados financiados por el Gobierno de aquella manera...
En este contexto se mueven los brókers del morbo: agentes de las plataformas que buscan los casos más trágicos para sus simulaciones porque cuanto más morbo y sufrimiento, más suscriptores que quieren participar y más audiencia, más beneficios para la plataforma y mayores comisiones para el agente que logre los derechos. La empresa líder es Past Crimes.
El 19/07/2037 The Blight destroza la vida de Cassie West, nuestra protagonista. Cassie dedica los siguientes diez años a intentar demostrar la inocencia de su marido y en el aniversario de aquel hecho, nueva información le permite ponerse en movimiento por fin.
Con estas mimbres tenemos una historia que no tiene gas, no despega e invierte mucho tiempo en el contexto con múltiples apuntes sobre cómo se vive o no se vive, en detrimento de argumento, personajes y diálogos.
Respecto al contexto, hay un exceso de términos inventados y un exceso de normativa futurista inventada; es muy lento, consecuencia de detallar las terribles características de la situación en la que nos encontramos en 2047; y hay demasiada descripción y demasiada narración de acciones que impiden que la trama avance a un ritmo decente que logre atrapar.
Respecto a los diálogos, son repetitivos, forzados, bochornosos en ocasiones y flojos en general. Hay también situaciones repetitivas y forzadas.
Respecto al argumento, resulta plano y sin lustre a pesar de ser prometedor por todo el lastre anterior. La crítica a la morbosidad está clara, aunque podía haber sido más ácido y más sutil. También podría haber sido mucho más sutil con la moralina. El supuesto misterio es obvio desde el principio, pero hasta el último cuarto no atan cabos y yo me pregunto: ¿realmente nos tenemos que creer que esta gente ha vivido en un mundo ultracapitalista y no es capaz de unir los puntos? La recta final, de la que solo se salva el C.28 (llevaba esperándolo desde el principio), es precipitada, ridícula e increíble, como los guardias cambiando de bando con un par de frases.
Por último, los personajes: también son planos, quizá Aly sea aceptable por el sentido del humor negro que tiene; Cassie, la protagonista, resulta muy pesada por atontada, lentorra, modorra y molesta con tantas gracietas que no lo son.
En resumen, me ha dado la sensación de que el autor ha dicho "voy a meter tropecientos ingredientes en una coctelera, voy a agitar y a ver qué sale". Mejor pasar a otro libro.
Decepción. Ha querido abarcar mucho y se ha perdido por el camino: argumento, personajes, diálogos, contexto. En algunos puntos se vuelve ridículo (¡¿napalm?!, esas frases cortas bochornosas) y hasta infantil.
Estamos en 2037-2047 y la socialización física es prácticamente inexistente y toda interacción (personal, profesional, educacional, administrativa) es virtual a través de avatares (wraps) que pueden tomar distintas identidades y apariencias (skins) y tiene lugar en los Lockboxes; el morbo del true crime sigue creciendo con tecnología que permite vivir, a través de simulaciones, todo tipo de casos; la generación de residuos y el consumo de energía son incontrolables; los avatares pueden ser hackeados dando lugar a situaciones de acoso; vuelve a existir una versión futurista de las casas para pobres para niños huérfanos/abandonados financiados por el Gobierno de aquella manera...
En este contexto se mueven los brókers del morbo: agentes de las plataformas que buscan los casos más trágicos para sus simulaciones porque cuanto más morbo y sufrimiento, más suscriptores que quieren participar y más audiencia, más beneficios para la plataforma y mayores comisiones para el agente que logre los derechos. La empresa líder es Past Crimes.
El 19/07/2037 The Blight destroza la vida de Cassie West, nuestra protagonista. Cassie dedica los siguientes diez años a intentar demostrar la inocencia de su marido y en el aniversario de aquel hecho, nueva información le permite ponerse en movimiento por fin.
Con estas mimbres tenemos una historia que no tiene gas, no despega e invierte mucho tiempo en el contexto con múltiples apuntes sobre cómo se vive o no se vive, en detrimento de argumento, personajes y diálogos.
Respecto al contexto, hay un exceso de términos inventados y un exceso de normativa futurista inventada; es muy lento, consecuencia de detallar las terribles características de la situación en la que nos encontramos en 2047; y hay demasiada descripción y demasiada narración de acciones que impiden que la trama avance a un ritmo decente que logre atrapar.
Respecto a los diálogos, son repetitivos, forzados, bochornosos en ocasiones y flojos en general. Hay también situaciones repetitivas y forzadas.
Respecto al argumento, resulta plano y sin lustre a pesar de ser prometedor por todo el lastre anterior. La crítica a la morbosidad está clara, aunque podía haber sido más ácido y más sutil. También podría haber sido mucho más sutil con la moralina. El supuesto misterio es obvio desde el principio, pero hasta el último cuarto no atan cabos y yo me pregunto: ¿realmente nos tenemos que creer que esta gente ha vivido en un mundo ultracapitalista y no es capaz de unir los puntos? La recta final, de la que solo se salva el C.28 (llevaba esperándolo desde el principio), es precipitada, ridícula e increíble, como los guardias cambiando de bando con un par de frases.
Por último, los personajes: también son planos, quizá Aly sea aceptable por el sentido del humor negro que tiene; Cassie, la protagonista, resulta muy pesada por atontada, lentorra, modorra y molesta con tantas gracietas que no lo son.
En resumen, me ha dado la sensación de que el autor ha dicho "voy a meter tropecientos ingredientes en una coctelera, voy a agitar y a ver qué sale". Mejor pasar a otro libro.
February 21, 2024
I knew I would love this from the first mention and it did not disappoint! From the futuristic portrayal of the evolution of true crime to the immersion in people’s fascination with criminals, Past Crimes reads like a fever dream and I wish I could read it again for the first time!
March 8, 2024
True crime as entertainment has taken its natural next step: virtual reality simulations where people can work to solve their favorite murders or even become the murderer for fun. Cassie works in the field convincing the families of victims to sell their stories for content, but a devastating cult-like event changes the trajectory of her life. A decade later she fears history is going to repeat itself unless she uncovers the truth. This was better than I expected! True crime, culty situation, and dystopia all wrapped into one? ✔️✔️✔️ It wasn’t a perfectly written book and the dystopian aspect is like half a step from reality, but it was fast paced and had me glued trying to figure out what was going on. Enjoyed!
November 8, 2023
Jason Pinter always writes a good story. This book takes the reader more than a few years into the future with an interesting cast of characters that were the highlight for me. I was invested and entertained from beginning to end. Creative with a cunning edge!
Thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review.
February 19, 2024
This was fun.
Blake Crouch Black Mirror but leaning YA in dialogue.
The ending also?? Wtf?? Loved.
Blake Crouch Black Mirror but leaning YA in dialogue.
The ending also?? Wtf?? Loved.
September 11, 2024
This was definitely an all-vibes audiobook that came into my life at the perfect time. I was so invested in the high-tech near future world that Pinter created. I fully believed that our society's obsession with true crime and virtual reality could culminate into true crime simulations. This setting allowed for intriguing questions surrounding the price tag of one's life and, more on the nose, one's life story. The opening events immediately drew me in; The Blight and our protagonist's connection to it, as well as her need to clear her husband's name or come to terms with what he did. I really liked Cassie, and I think she had the perfect POV position for this narrative. She straddled the two "sides" of this world, starting off as an active participant in putting a price on families' tragedies and then suddenly becoming a victim or target, being exploited herself.
The biggest element that is holding Past Crimes back is its marketing label as a thriller. Yes, there are twists...in fact, there was a major twist that totally took me off guard! And that rarely happens these days. However, I would describe this as more of a mystery/suspense. There was a great balance of science fiction and mystery/suspense elements. At this point, one of my favorite genre blends this year has been the sci-fi mystery, and I have already recommended this book to numerous people. Highly recommended for those fascinated by humanity's historical obsession with true crime, social commentary on corruption, and depictions of societal progress in the wrong direction,
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Original Pub Date: 6 Feb 2024
Reading Format: audio
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audio-ARC copy in exchange for this honest review! Print edition published by Severn House.
The biggest element that is holding Past Crimes back is its marketing label as a thriller. Yes, there are twists...in fact, there was a major twist that totally took me off guard! And that rarely happens these days. However, I would describe this as more of a mystery/suspense. There was a great balance of science fiction and mystery/suspense elements. At this point, one of my favorite genre blends this year has been the sci-fi mystery, and I have already recommended this book to numerous people. Highly recommended for those fascinated by humanity's historical obsession with true crime, social commentary on corruption, and depictions of societal progress in the wrong direction,
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Original Pub Date: 6 Feb 2024
Reading Format: audio
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audio-ARC copy in exchange for this honest review! Print edition published by Severn House.
November 8, 2023
This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.
Past Crimes was like a much darker Ready Player One or William Gibson novel. In the year 2037 most of society works, plays and lives in the vast virtual reality world. And the most popular thing about it is true crime - not documentaries, but virtual simulations of famous crimes and the ability to see the sites, victims and criminals for yourself. Cassie West works for a company that licenses crimes, paying for permission of victims' families and friends to recreate their likenesses an experiences for the sims. Until the day she finds herself unwittingly on the other side, as her husband is accused of masterminding the Blight, one of the greatest and most horrific crimes in history. Ten years later, after doing her best to hide from the public eye, she once again finds herself in the spot light as signs of an even greater Blight may be on hand.
This was one of the darkest, bleakest, Dystopian stories I've ever read. Not only does it project a depressing not-so-far-off future for Earth, but it shows how the worst aspects of society today could lead to such an ominous future. The story is full of on-the-nose social commentary, not just about becoming lost in modern technology and AI, but also the portentous look of how things such as extremist ideology, fascist government, corporate greed and conspiracy theory could lead to such a Dystopia. 4.5/5*
Past Crimes was like a much darker Ready Player One or William Gibson novel. In the year 2037 most of society works, plays and lives in the vast virtual reality world. And the most popular thing about it is true crime - not documentaries, but virtual simulations of famous crimes and the ability to see the sites, victims and criminals for yourself. Cassie West works for a company that licenses crimes, paying for permission of victims' families and friends to recreate their likenesses an experiences for the sims. Until the day she finds herself unwittingly on the other side, as her husband is accused of masterminding the Blight, one of the greatest and most horrific crimes in history. Ten years later, after doing her best to hide from the public eye, she once again finds herself in the spot light as signs of an even greater Blight may be on hand.
This was one of the darkest, bleakest, Dystopian stories I've ever read. Not only does it project a depressing not-so-far-off future for Earth, but it shows how the worst aspects of society today could lead to such an ominous future. The story is full of on-the-nose social commentary, not just about becoming lost in modern technology and AI, but also the portentous look of how things such as extremist ideology, fascist government, corporate greed and conspiracy theory could lead to such a Dystopia. 4.5/5*
April 11, 2024
I really enjoyed this! It's a mystery, a sci-fi, and a whole lot more all mix led together. While set in the future, it's honestly so easy to see how our world could come to this type of situation. I didn't want to stop reading this one. I really enjoyed the fast pace and the story line!
February 23, 2024
I’m unsure what to rate this yet. I really enjoyed the world, I enjoyed the story. I’m unsure about the ending.
Edit: I still really like the world, and I think this was a decent book. I’m going with 3⭐️ because it was good, I enjoyed it, but I probably won’t think about it much more after this. I also wish the ending was better and didn’t try to have an outrageous “gotcha” twist at the end if that makes sense.
10/100
Edit: I still really like the world, and I think this was a decent book. I’m going with 3⭐️ because it was good, I enjoyed it, but I probably won’t think about it much more after this. I also wish the ending was better and didn’t try to have an outrageous “gotcha” twist at the end if that makes sense.
10/100
February 27, 2024
3.5 stars!
I wanted so much to like this book more than I ended up liking it. It has all the things that are normally my bread and butter—dystopia, true crime, sci-fi/cyberpunk elements, a shitty future, and snark. But despite that, I felt like this book wasted a lot of its potential, which was as bummer. Don't get me wrong, I still finished the book in a day and it was very much compulsively readable, but I felt like it could have been a lot more than it was. This was somewhere between a tongue-in-cheek satire and a sci-fi book, which sort of left me feeling stranded in the middle.
The worldbuilding was so great and it definitely made me think of Ready Player One, but where that book suceeded and this book struggled was how it drew people into the worldbuilding elements. What I mean by that is I felt like this book did a lot of showing not telling when it came to different aspects of the world it was trying to draw me into. There were a lot of points where either the narrator or one of the characters would just point blank explain new terms, and it was always very jarring when that happened. I know that things need to be explained to readers, but it could have been done with more finesse.
Other than that though, I found the world to be superinteresting terrifying and...well, I'll be optimistic and not say realistic, but definitely not impossible either. None of it was particularly original in terms of imagining the future as a wasteland where everyone prefers to be online rather than in the real world (the Pendragon series did it in 2002 with The Reality Bug years ago, after all), but I still enjoyed reading about this author's vision of that particular future. When the author was describing the theme park and everyone wearing masks of past murderers and serial killers, I actually felt the claustrophobia and could imagine the horror as if I were there.
Characterization-wise, I definitely preferred Aly over Cass as the main character. (I'm pretty sure I did catch an editing error where at one point in the book, it said that Aly was 13 and not 15, which super confused me for a bit...and it wasn't the only mistake I found). Cass was fine, just sort of naive about everything, but maybe she's not used to having the conversations that we have about how giant companies are evil lol. The group of supporters/true crime survivors that Cass eventually found herself working with felt superfluous. They came up like twice and sang kumbaya and then disappeared again. They weren't even involved when it came to taking down the main baddies. Either the book needed to focus more time on them and develop them more or drop them altogether (and just have Hector and Vivian be the rebellion). And the book followed a lot of expected tropes, which isn't inherently bad, but it makes things fairly predictable (for the most part! The story did manage to surprise me a bit with some of the reveals, so it wasn't all predictable...but the main beats/plot points were very much so.)
My other thoughts were mostly about the points the author wanted to bring up about our world today. There were a lot of issues brought up other than the commercialization of true crime, such as school shootings, using children for capitalism, debt, alt right parental control over their kids, and other stuff. It was just a lot and again, I felt like a lot of it was sort of touched on and then never mentioned again (other than the true crime commercialization, of course). Obviously, the author couldn't go on and on about any of these issues, since there was a story to tell, but I just wanted so much stuff fleshed out more. Were people really okay with things in the society? What was the political climate when it came to social issues? Were there any rebellions? That kind of thing. And as far as the commercialization of true crime...well, I'm obviously super into true crime, and as Kate points out in Buried Bones, this is not a new phenomenon. People have been obsessed with true crime for centuries, like they used to pack into court rooms and attend public executions as a family day out. I don't think that aspect of our fascination with murder and murderers is new or solely a product of the current times. Do I think the true crime industry would ever go as far as what happened in the novel?
I prefer not to think about it.
I wanted so much to like this book more than I ended up liking it. It has all the things that are normally my bread and butter—dystopia, true crime, sci-fi/cyberpunk elements, a shitty future, and snark. But despite that, I felt like this book wasted a lot of its potential, which was as bummer. Don't get me wrong, I still finished the book in a day and it was very much compulsively readable, but I felt like it could have been a lot more than it was. This was somewhere between a tongue-in-cheek satire and a sci-fi book, which sort of left me feeling stranded in the middle.
The worldbuilding was so great and it definitely made me think of Ready Player One, but where that book suceeded and this book struggled was how it drew people into the worldbuilding elements. What I mean by that is I felt like this book did a lot of showing not telling when it came to different aspects of the world it was trying to draw me into. There were a lot of points where either the narrator or one of the characters would just point blank explain new terms, and it was always very jarring when that happened. I know that things need to be explained to readers, but it could have been done with more finesse.
Other than that though, I found the world to be super
Characterization-wise, I definitely preferred Aly over Cass as the main character. (I'm pretty sure I did catch an editing error where at one point in the book, it said that Aly was 13 and not 15, which super confused me for a bit...and it wasn't the only mistake I found). Cass was fine, just sort of naive about everything, but maybe she's not used to having the conversations that we have about how giant companies are evil lol. The group of supporters/true crime survivors that Cass eventually found herself working with felt superfluous. They came up like twice and sang kumbaya and then disappeared again. They weren't even involved when it came to taking down the main baddies. Either the book needed to focus more time on them and develop them more or drop them altogether (and just have Hector and Vivian be the rebellion). And the book followed a lot of expected tropes, which isn't inherently bad, but it makes things fairly predictable (for the most part! The story did manage to surprise me a bit with some of the reveals, so it wasn't all predictable...but the main beats/plot points were very much so.)
My other thoughts were mostly about the points the author wanted to bring up about our world today. There were a lot of issues brought up other than the commercialization of true crime, such as school shootings, using children for capitalism, debt, alt right parental control over their kids, and other stuff. It was just a lot and again, I felt like a lot of it was sort of touched on and then never mentioned again (other than the true crime commercialization, of course). Obviously, the author couldn't go on and on about any of these issues, since there was a story to tell, but I just wanted so much stuff fleshed out more. Were people really okay with things in the society? What was the political climate when it came to social issues? Were there any rebellions? That kind of thing. And as far as the commercialization of true crime...well, I'm obviously super into true crime, and as Kate points out in Buried Bones, this is not a new phenomenon. People have been obsessed with true crime for centuries, like they used to pack into court rooms and attend public executions as a family day out. I don't think that aspect of our fascination with murder and murderers is new or solely a product of the current times. Do I think the true crime industry would ever go as far as what happened in the novel?
I prefer not to think about it.
February 6, 2024
It's 2037 & Earth has been split into two: Earth+ the physical world which is neglected & decaying, & Earth- the digital online world which has taken over. Everything is virtual: education, employment, even justice. True crime is big business & Cassie West works for V.I.C.E, a company which takes crime cases & turns them into 3D interactive simulations, & it's Cassie's job to get the families of the missing & murdered to sign up. It's not an easy job but she needs the money as Cassie & husband, Harris, are finally expecting their first child. As she heads home, she tries to call Harris but he isn't responding & Cassie's foreboding is sharpened when lots of emergency drones start heading in the direction she is travelling. As she nears home she sees her house is on fire & Harris is still inside!
Ten years later, Cassie is 'persona non grata' due to her husband's death. Not only did Harris die but he took dozens of people with him as he was the leader of a 'church' of Burners who, on the same day that Harris died, all set fire to their homes & killed themselves & sometimes their families. No-one will believe that Cassie didn't know, but when the father of a young girl called Aly shoots his wife & himself after saying he is a Burner & a second wave is coming, Cassie realises that not only could she save lives but that this could be evidence that Harris was not the leader after all. When she notices an error in the advert for the simulation of Harris's death (called The Blight & due to be released in days) which is being produced by the gold standard of true crime, Past Crimes, Cassie decides to appeal to their founder, Crispin Lake, because if there is one error then there might be more or even evidence which could help prove Harris's innocence - can she persuade Lake to let her into the game before launch day?
First of all, I really liked the premise of this book. It takes a swipe at the popularity of true crime & moves it to the next level. Whilst on a flight, Cassie actually goes through a simulation of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln & plays his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. In the technology you can play as a spectator & watch history unfold or it allows you to be a participant & change history within the simulation. There's also a theme park nicknamed 'Disneyland of Death' with rides such as 'Cannibal Canyon' & 'Wuornos Wave Machine'. There's lots of little remarks in the conversations about how being terminally online is bad for us & that most people don't care how much privacy they lose as long as they are being entertained (bread & circuses for real). For all that, I have the sneaking suspicion that a lot of people would probably jump at the chance to try a Past Crimes simulation.
The world-building & plot were well thought out & although there are several occasions of (necessary) 'info dumping', I didn't find that it detracted from the main story-line. The pace was fast throughout & although it did kind of come close to jumping the shark at the end, it was a fitting end in many ways. As a main character Cassie goes on a bit of journey, she starts off as quite insular & wary which is understandable after ten years of being reviled & viewed with suspicion & it takes a while before she can warm to & trust others. Overall it was a really entertaining & gripping read.
TWs: pregnancy, miscarriage, death of spouse.
My thanks to NetGalley & publisher, Severn House, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
Ten years later, Cassie is 'persona non grata' due to her husband's death. Not only did Harris die but he took dozens of people with him as he was the leader of a 'church' of Burners who, on the same day that Harris died, all set fire to their homes & killed themselves & sometimes their families. No-one will believe that Cassie didn't know, but when the father of a young girl called Aly shoots his wife & himself after saying he is a Burner & a second wave is coming, Cassie realises that not only could she save lives but that this could be evidence that Harris was not the leader after all. When she notices an error in the advert for the simulation of Harris's death (called The Blight & due to be released in days) which is being produced by the gold standard of true crime, Past Crimes, Cassie decides to appeal to their founder, Crispin Lake, because if there is one error then there might be more or even evidence which could help prove Harris's innocence - can she persuade Lake to let her into the game before launch day?
First of all, I really liked the premise of this book. It takes a swipe at the popularity of true crime & moves it to the next level. Whilst on a flight, Cassie actually goes through a simulation of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln & plays his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. In the technology you can play as a spectator & watch history unfold or it allows you to be a participant & change history within the simulation. There's also a theme park nicknamed 'Disneyland of Death' with rides such as 'Cannibal Canyon' & 'Wuornos Wave Machine'. There's lots of little remarks in the conversations about how being terminally online is bad for us & that most people don't care how much privacy they lose as long as they are being entertained (bread & circuses for real). For all that, I have the sneaking suspicion that a lot of people would probably jump at the chance to try a Past Crimes simulation.
The world-building & plot were well thought out & although there are several occasions of (necessary) 'info dumping', I didn't find that it detracted from the main story-line. The pace was fast throughout & although it did kind of come close to jumping the shark at the end, it was a fitting end in many ways. As a main character Cassie goes on a bit of journey, she starts off as quite insular & wary which is understandable after ten years of being reviled & viewed with suspicion & it takes a while before she can warm to & trust others. Overall it was a really entertaining & gripping read.
TWs: pregnancy, miscarriage, death of spouse.
My thanks to NetGalley & publisher, Severn House, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
December 7, 2023
One of those near-future fictions which takes a particular element of current society and blows it up into the central plot point without really considering the knock-on effect on everything else. Here the idea is that True Crime is so popular that the police subcontract the solving of difficult crimes to entertainment websites, who then build near-perfect recreations of the crimes for subscribers to try to solve. Which feels more like a throwaway idea, but Pinter doubles down on the entertainment idea rather than the crime - there is probably a nicely cynical actual crime story in that set-up. But instead the head on the biggest True Crime website is basically Walt Disney, and he has built a Ture Crime theme park - which puts us now in the territory of far-out satire, which again this isn't. Throw in mind control, cult killings and the teensiest bit of social commentary regarding social care for children. In the end this is a breathless chase novel, where the novelty of the ",...and this happens" trumps the sense of it, and for a book that is centred around crime, lacks anything like any suspense as to the who did it when there is literally only one possible suspect. All of which pales next to the real crime in the book...
In the first chapter, when the world-building is being done efficiently, Pinter introduces us to a crime suspect called Harold Waltermeyer. In the "making up names" handbook, this must break nearly all of the rules. Yes, we are forty year on from Axel F, but if you really want to use Waltermeyer as a surname, disengage the Harold.
In the first chapter, when the world-building is being done efficiently, Pinter introduces us to a crime suspect called Harold Waltermeyer. In the "making up names" handbook, this must break nearly all of the rules. Yes, we are forty year on from Axel F, but if you really want to use Waltermeyer as a surname, disengage the Harold.
January 14, 2024
3.5 stars
Past Crimes gives us a techno-thriller, a sci-fi, and a cold case mystery, played out in a dystopian near-future where true crime is the biggest commodity on the planet. It's basically bigger than Disney, and there's even a true crime theme park to enjoy! There is other social commentary sprinkled here and there in the story, but mostly this discusses how the true crime industry can be predatory, leaving the victims of crime dealing with an aftermath they didn't fully comprehend. The workers in the true crime industry, those on the bottom rungs who keep the gears going, are depicted as basically being like gulls, fighting over scraps that are cast into the social sphere. It's an interesting setup, and the world building in this story is strong.
After a strong hook at the beginning, the story started to build in intensity and soon the protagonist was deep in a true crime cold case of her own. I love true crime and cold cases, so I was happy to be taken on that journey. The pace felt almost perfect and the characters were engaging. I also enjoyed the tech being described in the world, which solidified the future setting. Then it almost felt like the story shifted in act two, which popped the balloon of fast-pace and the story went into a bit of free fall. While there were still interesting things occurring, it felt more of a slog to get through each chapter. It does pick up again towards the end, but that middle section is a struggle.
But overall, the author created a mystery with some good twists and surprises, and created a dystopian near-future that felt very well described and immersive. Despite the story telling us the true crime industry is quite evil in the future, I still would want to visit that theme park!
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley, for providing a free copy of this book for an honest review. All comments are my own.
Past Crimes gives us a techno-thriller, a sci-fi, and a cold case mystery, played out in a dystopian near-future where true crime is the biggest commodity on the planet. It's basically bigger than Disney, and there's even a true crime theme park to enjoy! There is other social commentary sprinkled here and there in the story, but mostly this discusses how the true crime industry can be predatory, leaving the victims of crime dealing with an aftermath they didn't fully comprehend. The workers in the true crime industry, those on the bottom rungs who keep the gears going, are depicted as basically being like gulls, fighting over scraps that are cast into the social sphere. It's an interesting setup, and the world building in this story is strong.
After a strong hook at the beginning, the story started to build in intensity and soon the protagonist was deep in a true crime cold case of her own. I love true crime and cold cases, so I was happy to be taken on that journey. The pace felt almost perfect and the characters were engaging. I also enjoyed the tech being described in the world, which solidified the future setting. Then it almost felt like the story shifted in act two, which popped the balloon of fast-pace and the story went into a bit of free fall. While there were still interesting things occurring, it felt more of a slog to get through each chapter. It does pick up again towards the end, but that middle section is a struggle.
But overall, the author created a mystery with some good twists and surprises, and created a dystopian near-future that felt very well described and immersive. Despite the story telling us the true crime industry is quite evil in the future, I still would want to visit that theme park!
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley, for providing a free copy of this book for an honest review. All comments are my own.
February 5, 2024
Okay, so this was a surprise. I was drawn to this book for its premise about true crime. Basically, in this world crime is monetised, and VR tours of murders are the number one thing in entertainment.
Honestly amazing premise and not something really far from the possible future. Loved how we got more pieces of the world as we got along with the story, there were so many cool touches, like the real world having all of its construction abandon because of Earth +, the cool firefighting system., etc.
So yeah, one of the things I liked the most was the world but also the plot. The beginning was amazing, it hocked in right from the start, and I finish this in two days since I found myself wanting to come back to it all the time. I do have to say that the ending was not my favourite, but the ride was super good, so I will let it slide.
You’ll really like the characters since they are easy to empathize with, especially our main characters. They were not the most flesh out characters, but they were great, nonetheless.
Since it is a thriller, I don’t really feel like doing a huge review for it, so take the most important take and that is just read it. It’s extremely enjoyable and feels like it’s the future that is right around the corner, which is honestly quite terrifying. Highly recommend it if you are looking for a good sci-fi thriller. The real rating is 4.5 stars.
Honestly amazing premise and not something really far from the possible future. Loved how we got more pieces of the world as we got along with the story, there were so many cool touches, like the real world having all of its construction abandon because of Earth +, the cool firefighting system., etc.
So yeah, one of the things I liked the most was the world but also the plot. The beginning was amazing, it hocked in right from the start, and I finish this in two days since I found myself wanting to come back to it all the time. I do have to say that the ending was not my favourite, but the ride was super good, so I will let it slide.
You’ll really like the characters since they are easy to empathize with, especially our main characters. They were not the most flesh out characters, but they were great, nonetheless.
Since it is a thriller, I don’t really feel like doing a huge review for it, so take the most important take and that is just read it. It’s extremely enjoyable and feels like it’s the future that is right around the corner, which is honestly quite terrifying. Highly recommend it if you are looking for a good sci-fi thriller. The real rating is 4.5 stars.
June 6, 2025
It was a decent and entertaining read. Fast paced and an interesting premise. I think it was just let down by poor editing then losing its way a bit and falling into tropes.
The concept of Earth+ was better fleshed out than say the OASIS in Ready Player One and I was grateful for that. It was pretty believable in many ways that things would migrate there on a large scale for the world. Less believable that so much of 'Earth-' would fall to that level of ruin though, especially the roads. Logistics still need to take place and people still need places to live and get medical help etc. But that's by the by.
The true crime obsession was sadly believable, maybe not to the cheesy level of some elements of the theme park but certainly the rest. I would hope that this book would perhaps help those obsessed with that sub-culture maybe reflect on it as a whole?
Towards the end of the book things got more farfetched in the twists but on the whole it was still and entertaining ride. The final cliff-hanger was annoying more than anything as no detail of the person was revealed to even push you to a hint.
The editing mishaps were most evident on the timeline til the blight sim launch. The timeline stated at the start of each chapter didn't match the content of the chapter at all. Made for a jarring and confusing read.
The concept of Earth+ was better fleshed out than say the OASIS in Ready Player One and I was grateful for that. It was pretty believable in many ways that things would migrate there on a large scale for the world. Less believable that so much of 'Earth-' would fall to that level of ruin though, especially the roads. Logistics still need to take place and people still need places to live and get medical help etc. But that's by the by.
The true crime obsession was sadly believable, maybe not to the cheesy level of some elements of the theme park but certainly the rest. I would hope that this book would perhaps help those obsessed with that sub-culture maybe reflect on it as a whole?
Towards the end of the book things got more farfetched in the twists but on the whole it was still and entertaining ride. The final cliff-hanger was annoying more than anything as no detail of the person was revealed to even push you to a hint.
The editing mishaps were most evident on the timeline til the blight sim launch. The timeline stated at the start of each chapter didn't match the content of the chapter at all. Made for a jarring and confusing read.
September 18, 2024
“humanity has spent much of the past few decades fractured and isolated. with celebrations on both earth+ and earth- we will show just how much crime can we bring us all together as one”
true crime meets the virtual world in the future. the majority of the world’s economy depends on the virtual world “earth+” to the point where people are rarely seen outside, people need vitamin d supplements from
staying inside all day, and most of the world’s jobs are in this virtual reality.
crime entertainment is a multi-billion dollar business in which they create simulation experiences so true crime lovers can experience their favorite murderers in all its hyper realistic gruesome detail.
3.5 stars! thought it was a very clever take on true crime, especially with the rise in popularity with seemingly a new true crime documentary series dropping every week on basically every streaming platform.
true crime meets the virtual world in the future. the majority of the world’s economy depends on the virtual world “earth+” to the point where people are rarely seen outside, people need vitamin d supplements from
staying inside all day, and most of the world’s jobs are in this virtual reality.
crime entertainment is a multi-billion dollar business in which they create simulation experiences so true crime lovers can experience their favorite murderers in all its hyper realistic gruesome detail.
3.5 stars! thought it was a very clever take on true crime, especially with the rise in popularity with seemingly a new true crime documentary series dropping every week on basically every streaming platform.
March 15, 2024
Not the best book that I've completed this year. This was an audiobook for me, and the narrator was a typical voice where there's nothing special about it. The plot was pretty good. I think it may have been better as a strictly adult science fiction but it verged on young adult for me and I'm not sure if that was intentional, but I'm pretty sure it was. I haven't looked to see if others have shelved it as young adult or not.
March 20, 2025
This actually got better as it went along. The first half was probably solid 2 star territory. The author spent a little too much time on his soap box, and based on that, it was real easy to figure out who the bad guy was going to end up being. There's some pretty unbelievable science that's a bit hard to swallow and they dystopia was so dystopian that it was almost cartoonish. I almost quit several times but managed to power through. Towards the end, the pace of the book actually picked up a bit and there was a decent minor twist that managed to salvage the book. I probably wouldn't read this one again, but by the end I didn't regret picking it up.
If you don't have anything else to read, give this one a shot, but there are better books in the genre.
If you don't have anything else to read, give this one a shot, but there are better books in the genre.
March 26, 2024
This book was equal parts enlightening and scary. I could totally see how parts of this book could quite easily come to fruition, especially with the way Meta is growing. I mean with the amount of true crime series we are half way there already.
That being said this was definitely worth the read.
That being said this was definitely worth the read.
May 5, 2024
Entertaining and intriguing.
I enjoyed this bleak look into where our society could go given the chance and how true crime might play a part in it.
My rating: 3.8*
Thanks to Libro.fm for this gifted ACL. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed this bleak look into where our society could go given the chance and how true crime might play a part in it.
My rating: 3.8*
Thanks to Libro.fm for this gifted ACL. All opinions are my own.
March 22, 2025
This was entertaining I love the premise, I just wish it hadn’t been so… predictable
July 20, 2025
4 stars. Kinda like Ready Player One but true crime.
April 26, 2024
Was...was it supposed to be an action comedy? Toward the end, it reads like the screenplay for a Marvel movie, especially the dialogue. If I read it like an action comedy, it's not bad, but if I'm expecting edge of my seat thriller, then the writing style doesn't match.
About 50% of the dialogue and exposition could be cut and I think it would read more like a thriller.
Imagine Jurassic Park except the characters don't see any dinosaurs until about halfway/two-thirds of the way through; they just talk about dinosaurs.
Listen, I'm not a fiction writer, and I'm just spouting opinions, but I feel like the great scifi doesn't spend much time explaining to do world building. Herbert doesn't describe how an orinthopter works; his characters just fly them, and you make inferences. Readers can make inferences.
I'm between 2 and 3 stars and am going with 3 because I did really enjoy the beginning and think the story premise is really interesting.
About 50% of the dialogue and exposition could be cut and I think it would read more like a thriller.
Imagine Jurassic Park except the characters don't see any dinosaurs until about halfway/two-thirds of the way through; they just talk about dinosaurs.
Listen, I'm not a fiction writer, and I'm just spouting opinions, but I feel like the great scifi doesn't spend much time explaining to do world building. Herbert doesn't describe how an orinthopter works; his characters just fly them, and you make inferences. Readers can make inferences.
I'm between 2 and 3 stars and am going with 3 because I did really enjoy the beginning and think the story premise is really interesting.
January 21, 2025
A little cheesy, you know whats going to happen, but overall a decent story. I'm also a sucker for found family so the ending tugged on my heart
October 22, 2023
Oh Wow! This book took me by surprise! I have been a fan of Jason's for a long time, since I read the first Parker book, so got this book expecting a good mystery. Ummm, not quite. This book was not at all what I was expecting, taking place years in the future and very much a changed world. I almost said "forget it", but thought I'd give it a chance. After all it was Jason Pinter. Anyway, very soon it grabbed me and didn't let go until I finished it! Very different, but very exciting, thrilling even, and never slowed down. Get this book! You won't be disappointed. Highly recommended. Great characters, very unusual and interesting story.
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