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Caller Unknown: 'Oliver Johnson is a sparkling new talent - and a name to watch.' Peter James
The epic and compulsive debut thriller for fans of The Institute, The Night Agent and I am Pilgrim. Trust no-one, believe your instincts and run…
When the phone rings, the killing begins...
DON’T
Seven children found drugged and unconscious on a highway. They are the Apostles, created by a sinister organisation with one terrifying endgame in mind.
ANSWER
Ed is one of those abandoned children, locked away for years and then set free on an unsuspecting world with no past and only small fragments of memory left. As his college days approach, an old adversary calls upon him, and suddenly the true meaning of his whole existence is revealed. He does the only thing he can. He runs.
THE
Special plans have been devised for Ed Constance, but he isn’t like the others found on that highway all those years ago. Ed knows what his pursuers want. But is running futile? Does he have the strength to deny them their ultimate goal?
PHONE…
‘Oliver Johnson is a sparkling new talent – and a name to watch.’ Peter James
When the phone rings, the killing begins...
DON’T
Seven children found drugged and unconscious on a highway. They are the Apostles, created by a sinister organisation with one terrifying endgame in mind.
ANSWER
Ed is one of those abandoned children, locked away for years and then set free on an unsuspecting world with no past and only small fragments of memory left. As his college days approach, an old adversary calls upon him, and suddenly the true meaning of his whole existence is revealed. He does the only thing he can. He runs.
THE
Special plans have been devised for Ed Constance, but he isn’t like the others found on that highway all those years ago. Ed knows what his pursuers want. But is running futile? Does he have the strength to deny them their ultimate goal?
PHONE…
‘Oliver Johnson is a sparkling new talent – and a name to watch.’ Peter James
469 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 22, 2026
6 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
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Oliver Johnson
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 29, 2026
At the age of 9, Ed is found drugged by the side of a road, alongside six other children. Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, these seven children – known as the Apostles – have been brainwashed pretty much since birth by a sinister and dangerous organisation. Each one of them has a mission and all it takes is one trigger to set them off. All the children are adopted and set out to live a normal life. But nothing is at it seems and someone is always watching.
The premise of ‘Caller Unknown‘ sounded positively enthralling to me, but unfortunately the actual story failed to win me over. I began to struggle quite early on – mostly with the slow pace and the writing style – and it was only curiosity that kept me swiping the pages, wondering if Ed would get a happy ending somehow.
The narrative felt somewhat matter-of-fact, as if someone was reading an account of the events after the fact. This meant that I never managed to get absorbed by what was going on and failed to connect to the characters. While I obviously wished for Ed to escape his destiny, in a manner of speaking, my concern for him slowly vanished as the story went on. I couldn’t help but feel there were too many words, somehow, and I think the story could have benefited from some editing. It definitely could have been quite a few pages shorter, in my opinion.
Rather scarily, ‘Caller Unknown” did feel extremely topical. Fascism and nazism rules the people who are part of this evil organisation. They’d like to replace people with yes-men, take over the federal reserve, bring about chaos so they can put boots on the ground, ultimately leading to invoking the Insurrection Act, or even Martial Law. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? While part of me hopes a lot of is far-fetched, there’s a part of me that fears it is not.
Johnson’s writing is quite cinematic at times, which is especially noticeable in the action scenes. You can easily see them play out in front of your eyes, as if you were watching it on television. For me, those scenes moved too quickly and I lost track of who was present, and where they were at. I’m not entirely sure why I persevered. I suppose I expected my stubbornness to be rewarded somehow, but sadly the ending didn’t really work for me either.
‘Caller Unknown‘ reads like a scarily plausible thriller. I was clearly the wrong audience for this one, judging by other reviews I’ve seen, so don’t let my thoughts about it put you off. If tales of conspiracy and survival (and psychopaths, quite frankly) are your thing, you should definitely give it ago.
The premise of ‘Caller Unknown‘ sounded positively enthralling to me, but unfortunately the actual story failed to win me over. I began to struggle quite early on – mostly with the slow pace and the writing style – and it was only curiosity that kept me swiping the pages, wondering if Ed would get a happy ending somehow.
The narrative felt somewhat matter-of-fact, as if someone was reading an account of the events after the fact. This meant that I never managed to get absorbed by what was going on and failed to connect to the characters. While I obviously wished for Ed to escape his destiny, in a manner of speaking, my concern for him slowly vanished as the story went on. I couldn’t help but feel there were too many words, somehow, and I think the story could have benefited from some editing. It definitely could have been quite a few pages shorter, in my opinion.
Rather scarily, ‘Caller Unknown” did feel extremely topical. Fascism and nazism rules the people who are part of this evil organisation. They’d like to replace people with yes-men, take over the federal reserve, bring about chaos so they can put boots on the ground, ultimately leading to invoking the Insurrection Act, or even Martial Law. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? While part of me hopes a lot of is far-fetched, there’s a part of me that fears it is not.
Johnson’s writing is quite cinematic at times, which is especially noticeable in the action scenes. You can easily see them play out in front of your eyes, as if you were watching it on television. For me, those scenes moved too quickly and I lost track of who was present, and where they were at. I’m not entirely sure why I persevered. I suppose I expected my stubbornness to be rewarded somehow, but sadly the ending didn’t really work for me either.
‘Caller Unknown‘ reads like a scarily plausible thriller. I was clearly the wrong audience for this one, judging by other reviews I’ve seen, so don’t let my thoughts about it put you off. If tales of conspiracy and survival (and psychopaths, quite frankly) are your thing, you should definitely give it ago.
January 27, 2026
This is a very impressive debut novel which had me hooked from the 'Prologue, The Letter'. This was a strong start and immediately sucked me in, but as the story went on I struggled to put it down.
It's an action-packed thriller, with vibes of government corruption and secret agents.
It has a haunting beggining. 7 children are found drugged and unconcious on the side of the road. Their identities are unkown, the police do a thorugh search but they remain unidentified.
Ed is one of the 7 and the novel mainy follows his tormented life. The children were locked away for 9 years, then set free into the world (albeit in a very unconvetial wat) and left with small fragments of memory. Ed was adopted and provided with an encouragble start to adulthood.
Although his fractured past caused some issues at school with his unpredictable personality that therapists could only resolve as childhood trauma.
With the support of his adopted parents Ed pushes through and focuses on getting into college. Only, during his first day Ed recognises someone from his past and it's then that he realises his existance has a dark purpose. So, he runs.
It's soon discovered that the 7 are Apostles, created by sinister organisation with one terryfying endgame in mind.
This novel has a multi-layered and propulsive plot. It follows Ed's journey and builds a strong anylisys of him as a person. It divulges into his mental well-being and the author truly captures his deep psychology. It's hard not to like Ed, his strength and determination, his actions are questionable but as you watch him grow, you feel true empathy for him. There are some suspicious characters along the way and the author does well to invite your judgements.
The writing is engaging, with a nice style, flow and tone. The descriptions are sharp. This is they type of book that immediately becomes cinematic and I often thought this would make a terrific film.
I will admit the middle lost my attention at times. Although it created a sense that Ed's life was becoming more settled, it became a little mundane compared to the rest of the book. However i was totally invested in this story and the eding proved it to be a very worthy read. With perhaps more to come.
It's an action-packed thriller, with vibes of government corruption and secret agents.
It has a haunting beggining. 7 children are found drugged and unconcious on the side of the road. Their identities are unkown, the police do a thorugh search but they remain unidentified.
Ed is one of the 7 and the novel mainy follows his tormented life. The children were locked away for 9 years, then set free into the world (albeit in a very unconvetial wat) and left with small fragments of memory. Ed was adopted and provided with an encouragble start to adulthood.
Although his fractured past caused some issues at school with his unpredictable personality that therapists could only resolve as childhood trauma.
With the support of his adopted parents Ed pushes through and focuses on getting into college. Only, during his first day Ed recognises someone from his past and it's then that he realises his existance has a dark purpose. So, he runs.
It's soon discovered that the 7 are Apostles, created by sinister organisation with one terryfying endgame in mind.
This novel has a multi-layered and propulsive plot. It follows Ed's journey and builds a strong anylisys of him as a person. It divulges into his mental well-being and the author truly captures his deep psychology. It's hard not to like Ed, his strength and determination, his actions are questionable but as you watch him grow, you feel true empathy for him. There are some suspicious characters along the way and the author does well to invite your judgements.
The writing is engaging, with a nice style, flow and tone. The descriptions are sharp. This is they type of book that immediately becomes cinematic and I often thought this would make a terrific film.
I will admit the middle lost my attention at times. Although it created a sense that Ed's life was becoming more settled, it became a little mundane compared to the rest of the book. However i was totally invested in this story and the eding proved it to be a very worthy read. With perhaps more to come.
August 5, 2025
Well... wasn't this action packed all the way! We start in what appears to be a children's home. Seven children, all the same age, being looked after by a couple. One day, they are told to pack certain things, and get in the old school bus. They do just that. But when the bus stops... long story short, the children are then found drugged on the side of the highway. The remaining living children are taken into care and carefully questioned and evaluated and, once deemed acceptable, offered for adoption. We then follow Ed as he grows up with his new family. As he goes to school, and suffers there for his past, and eventually leaves home for college, where he "bumps into" a face from the past. A past that he has scant memory of but he knows that this person is trouble. So he returns home. But that is also no longer a safe haven. So he goes on the run...
Now... where the rest of the book was a tad on the indestructible, Captain Scarlett kind of theme, it was also quite cleverly done. Ramping up the suspense and peril, dragging the reader in with that alongside the slow reveals of more of Ed's origin story. Then quieter moments to progress the overall narrative before off we go again with the action. Sounds a bit disjointed in the way I have described but it is anything but in reality.
It probably helped that I took to Ed right from the off and rooted for him all the way through. How he grappled with his past. I especially liked that fact that he learned things at the same time as the reader, which also helped the connection. He's a young man, still working out who and what he is and then thrust into this dangerous world, of which he is clueless.
Yes, OK, a bit of belief suspension is called for, and some trust in the author, as things happen before they are explained so occasionally you have to hold onto some confusion for a while. But it did all come together at the end, mostly to my satisfaction.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
Now... where the rest of the book was a tad on the indestructible, Captain Scarlett kind of theme, it was also quite cleverly done. Ramping up the suspense and peril, dragging the reader in with that alongside the slow reveals of more of Ed's origin story. Then quieter moments to progress the overall narrative before off we go again with the action. Sounds a bit disjointed in the way I have described but it is anything but in reality.
It probably helped that I took to Ed right from the off and rooted for him all the way through. How he grappled with his past. I especially liked that fact that he learned things at the same time as the reader, which also helped the connection. He's a young man, still working out who and what he is and then thrust into this dangerous world, of which he is clueless.
Yes, OK, a bit of belief suspension is called for, and some trust in the author, as things happen before they are explained so occasionally you have to hold onto some confusion for a while. But it did all come together at the end, mostly to my satisfaction.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
January 23, 2026
The Blurb:
Seven children are found drugged on a highway in Maine, and no one has any record of who they are. Not even the children, who can barely remember anything.
But someone knows exactly who they are and has a sinister purpose for them all. Our main character, Ed, is one of the children. And when he bumps into someone from his past on his first day of college, everything starts coming back to him and he starts piecing together the truth about his past.
My Review:
This was an incredible, high concept thriller taking place over about 30 years. It’s hard to say much more about the plot itself without spoiling it but it was like Black Mirror meets Stephen King! Dark, political, unrelenting and very scary! I’d like to say it’s science fiction, but what happens is scarily possible.
Ed’s character was written so well. Whilst we never really get to know him, as his whole life has been shrouded by the events of his childhood and what follows, I still felt connected to him and his friend Jim, really wanting them to be ok!
I will say I thought it could have been a bit shorter.. 🤣 but the opening was absolutely breathtaking, and it was gripping and thoroughly exciting. Towards the end it could have been an action movie, it was so cinematic!
I think readers will have divided opinions on whether or not they like the ending! For me, it prompted too many questions to be really satisfying, but it did suit the tone of the book, and I won’t say any more!
Seven children are found drugged on a highway in Maine, and no one has any record of who they are. Not even the children, who can barely remember anything.
But someone knows exactly who they are and has a sinister purpose for them all. Our main character, Ed, is one of the children. And when he bumps into someone from his past on his first day of college, everything starts coming back to him and he starts piecing together the truth about his past.
My Review:
This was an incredible, high concept thriller taking place over about 30 years. It’s hard to say much more about the plot itself without spoiling it but it was like Black Mirror meets Stephen King! Dark, political, unrelenting and very scary! I’d like to say it’s science fiction, but what happens is scarily possible.
Ed’s character was written so well. Whilst we never really get to know him, as his whole life has been shrouded by the events of his childhood and what follows, I still felt connected to him and his friend Jim, really wanting them to be ok!
I will say I thought it could have been a bit shorter.. 🤣 but the opening was absolutely breathtaking, and it was gripping and thoroughly exciting. Towards the end it could have been an action movie, it was so cinematic!
I think readers will have divided opinions on whether or not they like the ending! For me, it prompted too many questions to be really satisfying, but it did suit the tone of the book, and I won’t say any more!
July 24, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Oneworld Publications for this eCopy to review
When I started Caller Unknown, I wasn’t prepared for how quickly it would pull me into its shadowy world. The story opens with a chilling premise: seven children found drugged and abandoned on a highway. They’re known as the Apostles—products of a sinister organisation with a terrifying endgame. I was immediately intrigued.
Ed Constance, is one of those children. Raised in isolation and stripped of his past, Ed is released into the world with only fragments of memory. Just as he begins college, an old adversary resurfaces, triggering a cascade of revelations about his identity and purpose. Ed’s instinct is to run—and I found myself running with him, page after page.
Johnson’s writing is taut and cinematic. The tension builds steadily, and the mystery surrounding Ed’s origins kept me guessing. I appreciated how the book balanced psychological depth with high-stakes action. Ed isn’t just a pawn—he’s a young man grappling with autonomy, fear, and the weight of a destiny he never asked for.
A compelling debut that blends conspiracy, identity, and survival into a thriller that’s hard to put down. If you enjoy stories where trust is a luxury and running might be the only option, Caller Unknown is worth reading.
When I started Caller Unknown, I wasn’t prepared for how quickly it would pull me into its shadowy world. The story opens with a chilling premise: seven children found drugged and abandoned on a highway. They’re known as the Apostles—products of a sinister organisation with a terrifying endgame. I was immediately intrigued.
Ed Constance, is one of those children. Raised in isolation and stripped of his past, Ed is released into the world with only fragments of memory. Just as he begins college, an old adversary resurfaces, triggering a cascade of revelations about his identity and purpose. Ed’s instinct is to run—and I found myself running with him, page after page.
Johnson’s writing is taut and cinematic. The tension builds steadily, and the mystery surrounding Ed’s origins kept me guessing. I appreciated how the book balanced psychological depth with high-stakes action. Ed isn’t just a pawn—he’s a young man grappling with autonomy, fear, and the weight of a destiny he never asked for.
A compelling debut that blends conspiracy, identity, and survival into a thriller that’s hard to put down. If you enjoy stories where trust is a luxury and running might be the only option, Caller Unknown is worth reading.
Review of advance copy
Nine children, abducted and kept in solitary, then released back into the world at ages 9 to 9 and a half. What happens when their catatonic state starts to crack?
The story focuses on one of the survivors "Ed" and how he has lived his life. As well as learning about the other survivors and what really happened back then.
"Ed" tries to live his life but the monsters keep chasing him.
I really enjoyed this, I couldn't stop reading it. Definitely quite a different style of thriller book to what I would usually read but I liked it nonetheless.
The story focuses on one of the survivors "Ed" and how he has lived his life. As well as learning about the other survivors and what really happened back then.
"Ed" tries to live his life but the monsters keep chasing him.
I really enjoyed this, I couldn't stop reading it. Definitely quite a different style of thriller book to what I would usually read but I liked it nonetheless.
January 29, 2026
My goodness this book took me on a journey, a really terrifying one, but also an incredibly good one.
Non stop action this was a real page turning thriller and an incredible debut book for this author, I will definitely be looking out for their next book.
A great flowing book with a storyline that kept me gripped from prologue to the last page, a tale of survival and it was a chilling tale for sure.
The blurb is good but the read surpassed my expectations completely.
If you like a gritty read this is for you.
Non stop action this was a real page turning thriller and an incredible debut book for this author, I will definitely be looking out for their next book.
A great flowing book with a storyline that kept me gripped from prologue to the last page, a tale of survival and it was a chilling tale for sure.
The blurb is good but the read surpassed my expectations completely.
If you like a gritty read this is for you.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This tightly plotted, fast-paced and original thriller is set in the conspiracy laden world of late twentieth century America. It’s brimming with paranoia and vivid imagery.
The gripping story begins with the discovery of seven children drugged on the roadside. We then delve into their discovery, exploring how, why, where and what has happened to them. These children are ‘apostles’ programmed by a sinister organisation to carry out a shocking endgame.
Focusing on one of the seven, Ed, the book follows his journey. After years of unhelpful confinement, he’s adopted and released into the world. As he starts college he begins to recall fragments of his past. The old world he was in tries to reach out to him to fulfil his destiny but he must battle both them and himself to avoid re-involvement.
This is a read that packs a mighty punch and gets you thinking. The quality and depth of the writing and storytelling shine through; it has a cinematic style and effect that draws you in.
For a debut thriller, this was well written and highly accomplished, addictive read. If you’re a fan of Jack Reacher then this is a must read! It’s action packed and full of twists!
The gripping story begins with the discovery of seven children drugged on the roadside. We then delve into their discovery, exploring how, why, where and what has happened to them. These children are ‘apostles’ programmed by a sinister organisation to carry out a shocking endgame.
Focusing on one of the seven, Ed, the book follows his journey. After years of unhelpful confinement, he’s adopted and released into the world. As he starts college he begins to recall fragments of his past. The old world he was in tries to reach out to him to fulfil his destiny but he must battle both them and himself to avoid re-involvement.
This is a read that packs a mighty punch and gets you thinking. The quality and depth of the writing and storytelling shine through; it has a cinematic style and effect that draws you in.
For a debut thriller, this was well written and highly accomplished, addictive read. If you’re a fan of Jack Reacher then this is a must read! It’s action packed and full of twists!
January 31, 2026
Did find it a very engaging read, but more out of curiosity for Ed and wanting him to be OK. Admittedly was a bit frustrated when I realised where the story was going, but stuck with it and soldiered on. All of a sudden felt like the end was quite rushed to get it over and done with!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is a harrowing tale that starts with 7 children found drugged on the roadside and then the initial finding out how,why,where and what has happened to these children…..they are ‘apostles’ programmed by a sinister organisation to carry out a shocking endgame
The book then focuses on one of the 7,Ed,who after years of unhelpful locking away is adopted and let loose on the world,as he starts college he does have fragments of memory and as the old world he was in tries to reach out to him to fulfil his destiny he has to battle them and himself to not become re involved with them
It is a fascinating concept of a book and full of mystery and suspicions and conspiracy theories and choc a bloc with story,it really doesn’t stop from the opening to the close and have to admit to being pretty hooked and wanting the outcome to be good for Ed….I think maybe there is a bit of ‘mmmm,I wonder if this could happen?’ But then there is with every good book….
It is an emotive debut packed with information and ideas and gives a lot to think about as well as being a really good read,look forward to the authors next book
The book then focuses on one of the 7,Ed,who after years of unhelpful locking away is adopted and let loose on the world,as he starts college he does have fragments of memory and as the old world he was in tries to reach out to him to fulfil his destiny he has to battle them and himself to not become re involved with them
It is a fascinating concept of a book and full of mystery and suspicions and conspiracy theories and choc a bloc with story,it really doesn’t stop from the opening to the close and have to admit to being pretty hooked and wanting the outcome to be good for Ed….I think maybe there is a bit of ‘mmmm,I wonder if this could happen?’ But then there is with every good book….
It is an emotive debut packed with information and ideas and gives a lot to think about as well as being a really good read,look forward to the authors next book
January 22, 2026
I really liked the sound of this one but it turned out a bit differently to what I was expecting.
Ed is one of 7 children found by the side of the highway one night, no one had any idea where they had come from or who they were. He gets adopted and leads a fairly normal life, until he goes off to college and it all starts to unravel.
Unfortunately, the organisation that “trained” Ed won’t let up so easily and begin to insert themselves into every aspect of his life. Soon the only thing he can do it run. I’m not sure if I just misread the synopsis, that may have been it. I did read to the end, I found it intriguing and well written but there was something that I wasn’t quite sure about.
Ed is one of 7 children found by the side of the highway one night, no one had any idea where they had come from or who they were. He gets adopted and leads a fairly normal life, until he goes off to college and it all starts to unravel.
Unfortunately, the organisation that “trained” Ed won’t let up so easily and begin to insert themselves into every aspect of his life. Soon the only thing he can do it run. I’m not sure if I just misread the synopsis, that may have been it. I did read to the end, I found it intriguing and well written but there was something that I wasn’t quite sure about.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews