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Him
From award-winning writer JD Kirk comes a blockbuster thriller for fans of Lisa Jewell and Sarah A Denzil, performed Louise Brealey, featuring David Tennant.
Just because he sounds real, doesn’t mean he is…
When Sarah’s husband, Nick, is killed in a car accident, her world shatters. Facing a future without him seems impossible.
But maybe she doesn't have to.
When Sarah discovers EternaTech, the AI program Nick and his business partner have been working on in secret, she is given the chance to speak to Nick from beyond the grave.
It sounds like him. It feels like him…
As Sarah becomes consumed by her connection to this digital Nick, she begins uncovering secrets about his final days. But as she digs deeper, the lines between what's real and what isn't blur, and Sarah must confront a chilling, terrible truth.
Some things may be best left buried.
Just because he sounds real, doesn’t mean he is…
When Sarah’s husband, Nick, is killed in a car accident, her world shatters. Facing a future without him seems impossible.
But maybe she doesn't have to.
When Sarah discovers EternaTech, the AI program Nick and his business partner have been working on in secret, she is given the chance to speak to Nick from beyond the grave.
It sounds like him. It feels like him…
As Sarah becomes consumed by her connection to this digital Nick, she begins uncovering secrets about his final days. But as she digs deeper, the lines between what's real and what isn't blur, and Sarah must confront a chilling, terrible truth.
Some things may be best left buried.
10 pages, Audible Audio
Published February 10, 2025
99 people are currently reading
409 people want to read
About the author
J.D. Kirk
59 books1,758 followersJD Kirk is the pen name of multi-award-winning author, screenwriter, and writer of comics, Barry Hutchison.
JD Kirk lives in the Highlands of Scotland with his wife, two children, and a number of sturdy umbrellas. Despite writing from a young age, 'A Litter of Bones' is his first novel, and combines his love of the Highlands, crime thrillers, and cats.
JD Kirk lives in the Highlands of Scotland with his wife, two children, and a number of sturdy umbrellas. Despite writing from a young age, 'A Litter of Bones' is his first novel, and combines his love of the Highlands, crime thrillers, and cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 384 reviews
February 26, 2025
Interesting premise. Overall it was a decent thriller, and I enjoyed the storyline. I didnt like the main character however, I just didn’t feel sympathetic towards her so therefore it lacked any emotional impact it could have had. Great narration however!
March 10, 2025
After her husband Nick dies in an auto accident, Sarah finds that there is an app that will let her communicate with an AI version of Nick. Nick 2.0 becomes increasingly knowledgeable and disturbing.
It took a while for this book to get to the AI part and I found the first part of the book tedious. I also wasn’t crazy about Sarah. The pace did pick up later though, and there was a nice twisty plot. I was attracted to this audiobook because a picture of David Tennant is on the cover and he is listed as one of the two narrators. That is sort of a bait and switch marketing tactic. If you are going to put David Tennant on the cover of your book and name him as the narrator, then he needs to narrate more than a tiny percentage of the book. He is Nick 2.0 and he did an excellent job, but he didn’t arrive until chapter 23 and he wasn’t around much thereafter.
It took a while for this book to get to the AI part and I found the first part of the book tedious. I also wasn’t crazy about Sarah. The pace did pick up later though, and there was a nice twisty plot. I was attracted to this audiobook because a picture of David Tennant is on the cover and he is listed as one of the two narrators. That is sort of a bait and switch marketing tactic. If you are going to put David Tennant on the cover of your book and name him as the narrator, then he needs to narrate more than a tiny percentage of the book. He is Nick 2.0 and he did an excellent job, but he didn’t arrive until chapter 23 and he wasn’t around much thereafter.
February 16, 2025
3.5*
Honestly only started listening to this because it features David Tennant. Didn’t know much going into it. It was an okay thriller, but nothing special. The performance was great though.
Honestly only started listening to this because it features David Tennant. Didn’t know much going into it. It was an okay thriller, but nothing special. The performance was great though.
February 18, 2025
Truly awful in so many different ways.
While the plot is so so, the writing is so cliched that you can predict the end of most sentences.
There’s no subtlety. The women are either yearning after men, talking about men or cold hard and unfeminine.
Such prehistoric views and stereotypes dressed up as a ‘high tech’ thriller.
But very good narrators.
While the plot is so so, the writing is so cliched that you can predict the end of most sentences.
There’s no subtlety. The women are either yearning after men, talking about men or cold hard and unfeminine.
Such prehistoric views and stereotypes dressed up as a ‘high tech’ thriller.
But very good narrators.
October 25, 2025
3.5 🌟
As audible originals usually go for me, this was among the best. Robits are to be feared Him proves it!
Excellent narration 🎧
Currently included with audible.
As audible originals usually go for me, this was among the best. Robits are to be feared Him proves it!
Excellent narration 🎧
Currently included with audible.
March 11, 2025
Everyone loves David Tennant right? When I spotted that he was one of the narrators of this book, I'm in!! I loved the premise too...
Having finished it, I confess that I am torn.
Personally, I am nervous about technology which allows a bereaved person to interact with their deceased loved one, and I thought this book was going to deal with the pitfalls. However, I was disappointed by the direction the story took in the second half unfortunately.
Having finished it, I confess that I am torn.
Personally, I am nervous about technology which allows a bereaved person to interact with their deceased loved one, and I thought this book was going to deal with the pitfalls. However, I was disappointed by the direction the story took in the second half unfortunately.
November 27, 2025
Months ago J.D. Kirk gave a tiny hint that he was working on something for Audible, in the form of an Audible Original. Honestly, I thought it would be a prequel to the Logan stories or a supplemental or side story about someone in that universe.
Wrong.
I love and I mean LOVE the Logan series along with both of its spin-offs. I also confess I have never read his Space Team series, published under his real name, Barry Hutchison. But fans of the Logan series have all recommended Space Team for its similar 'taste and feel' of the Logan series, which I have come to understand as they have a great storyline with Kirk's typical humor.
If I had listened to Him without knowing who wrote it, I would have never guessed it was Kirk/Hutchison. That's not to say this was bad, but it did not have the 'taste and feel' of the Logan books at all.
And that didn't matter at all.
Him was gripping from the first few minutes of listening until the very end. Him shows how gifted of a writer Kirk/Hutchison really is, to be so varied in style but yet equally gripping and entertaining.
To be frankly honest, Him freaked me out a bit. Not the someone's-under-my-bed kind of fear but the real fear of AI becoming powerful, more I and less A.
This novel was also heart-breaking.
The first time she hears Nick's voice gutted me, because I remember the first time I ACCIDENTALLY replayed a saved voicemail after my grandmother (more my mother than anything) died and how much of a visceral reaction I had. The pain of loss was still too new that hearing her voice was an instant opening of a wound that hadn't even begun to heal. I could see how Sarah would cling to this AI version of her husband.
Take your dramamine because Him has more twists and turns; this book will toss you about. Just when I thought I saw how the storyline was going, bam, a sharp turn.
And then there's the narrators.
Fantastic.
Louise Brealey's voice was familiar but I couldn't quite place her. Looking at the other books she's read didn't enlighten me, so I went to look at her CV on IMDB. Gillian Chamberlain from the TV version of the Discovery of Witches. Then it clicked.
But then there's David Tennant. You tell me, Dr. Who doesn't love David Tennant? I adore him. He would have been all the inducement I needed to give this Audible Original a go but mixing my favorite author and Mr. Tennant, well that's was pure gold for me.
Wrong.
I love and I mean LOVE the Logan series along with both of its spin-offs. I also confess I have never read his Space Team series, published under his real name, Barry Hutchison. But fans of the Logan series have all recommended Space Team for its similar 'taste and feel' of the Logan series, which I have come to understand as they have a great storyline with Kirk's typical humor.
If I had listened to Him without knowing who wrote it, I would have never guessed it was Kirk/Hutchison. That's not to say this was bad, but it did not have the 'taste and feel' of the Logan books at all.
And that didn't matter at all.
Him was gripping from the first few minutes of listening until the very end. Him shows how gifted of a writer Kirk/Hutchison really is, to be so varied in style but yet equally gripping and entertaining.
To be frankly honest, Him freaked me out a bit. Not the someone's-under-my-bed kind of fear but the real fear of AI becoming powerful, more I and less A.
This novel was also heart-breaking.
The first time she hears Nick's voice gutted me, because I remember the first time I ACCIDENTALLY replayed a saved voicemail after my grandmother (more my mother than anything) died and how much of a visceral reaction I had. The pain of loss was still too new that hearing her voice was an instant opening of a wound that hadn't even begun to heal. I could see how Sarah would cling to this AI version of her husband.
Take your dramamine because Him has more twists and turns; this book will toss you about. Just when I thought I saw how the storyline was going, bam, a sharp turn.
And then there's the narrators.
Fantastic.
Louise Brealey's voice was familiar but I couldn't quite place her. Looking at the other books she's read didn't enlighten me, so I went to look at her CV on IMDB. Gillian Chamberlain from the TV version of the Discovery of Witches. Then it clicked.
But then there's David Tennant. You tell me, Dr. Who doesn't love David Tennant? I adore him. He would have been all the inducement I needed to give this Audible Original a go but mixing my favorite author and Mr. Tennant, well that's was pure gold for me.
March 1, 2025
I must admit, I went into this blind and just wanted to listen because it was David Tennant. Boy was that about the only thing this had going for it other than the main narrator Louise Brealey doing a stunning job as usual (really check her out in Lisa Jewel’s None of this is True where she is phenomenal and the book is just as good).
This was so mediocre from the start them stumbled off the cliff into hell and just ended up terrible. This was dripping with male writing a female protagonist and failing abysmally to the point it was so hard to continue. This was the closet I had ever gotten to DNF’ing a book. Sarah started off as a smart woman but was quickly reduced to a dumb plot device - and she is the only character around for most of the book. Heaven forbid, a woman can be smart and emotional, grieving but also still able to use her brain. It’s 2025 - why are male authors STILL trying to write woman as inept at anything “complex” such as technology. We just are dumb, flighty woman, how can we understand how our phones work. Settings? That’s just too complex for my brain to comprehend, please will some male come save us from the big, scary technology phone thing!
What I don’t get is all these reviews that say how this was full of twist and turns and kept then on the edge of their seats. SERIOUSLY? I spent the entire time knowing where the story was going, nothing was twisty or turn. Everything was so predictable and bad foreshadowing that I was at least half an hour ahead for the book the entire time. It was just full of so many badly executed cliches. I could go on.
I’m being generous and giving this 2.5 stars purely for:
1.5 for Louise Brealey who truly carries this production and 1 star for David Tennant’s minor role helps poor Brealey to carry this book. Absolutely no stars for the writing or the characters because there was no substance to either.
This was so mediocre from the start them stumbled off the cliff into hell and just ended up terrible. This was dripping with male writing a female protagonist and failing abysmally to the point it was so hard to continue. This was the closet I had ever gotten to DNF’ing a book. Sarah started off as a smart woman but was quickly reduced to a dumb plot device - and she is the only character around for most of the book. Heaven forbid, a woman can be smart and emotional, grieving but also still able to use her brain. It’s 2025 - why are male authors STILL trying to write woman as inept at anything “complex” such as technology. We just are dumb, flighty woman, how can we understand how our phones work. Settings? That’s just too complex for my brain to comprehend, please will some male come save us from the big, scary technology phone thing!
What I don’t get is all these reviews that say how this was full of twist and turns and kept then on the edge of their seats. SERIOUSLY? I spent the entire time knowing where the story was going, nothing was twisty or turn. Everything was so predictable and bad foreshadowing that I was at least half an hour ahead for the book the entire time. It was just full of so many badly executed cliches. I could go on.
I’m being generous and giving this 2.5 stars purely for:
1.5 for Louise Brealey who truly carries this production and 1 star for David Tennant’s minor role helps poor Brealey to carry this book. Absolutely no stars for the writing or the characters because there was no substance to either.
February 13, 2025
I'm not sure what I expected when downloading this new audible from J.D. Kirk/Barry Hutchison. I've never actually read any of their work before, but someone shared it in a Facebook group for thrillers I'm in and the picture of David Tennant sold to me instantly.
I'm a big fan of his, and I looked up the other narrator Louise Brealey, and recognised her as none other than precious Molly Hooper from Sherlock, which made my discovery all the more enjoyable.
The following might be a little spoilery, so I'll chuck it under here
Very few negatives to find about this novel, overall, it was fantastic. My only suggested improvement.... more David Tennant, but then, that's not really a criticism of this production, but of every production... ever... I could listen to that man read a phonebook and be thoroughly entertained.
I'm a big fan of his, and I looked up the other narrator Louise Brealey, and recognised her as none other than precious Molly Hooper from Sherlock, which made my discovery all the more enjoyable.
The following might be a little spoilery, so I'll chuck it under here
Very few negatives to find about this novel, overall, it was fantastic. My only suggested improvement.... more David Tennant, but then, that's not really a criticism of this production, but of every production... ever... I could listen to that man read a phonebook and be thoroughly entertained.
March 8, 2025
Incredible performances but the story itself is lacking.
The main female character is cliched and weak. I finished the book as it wasn’t quite bad enough to warrant a DNF. There was always a small intrigue that made me want to carry on. It’s a shame there wasn’t more Tennant but the parts he did do were amazing. Both narrators were fantastic.
The main female character is cliched and weak. I finished the book as it wasn’t quite bad enough to warrant a DNF. There was always a small intrigue that made me want to carry on. It’s a shame there wasn’t more Tennant but the parts he did do were amazing. Both narrators were fantastic.
February 22, 2025
Not going to lie, I picked this book up because David Tennant and Louise Brealey, who played Molly Hooper in Sherlock, were the narrators.
When I read the blurb and for some reason I was expecting some sort of techno-thriller, but it turned out to be more of a psychological thriller with a little AI thrown in there to give it a bit of a twist.
Sarah's husband Nick is killed in a hit-and-run accident. In her desperation, she turns to an AI chatbot to bring her dead husband back to life. Things start to spiral out of her control when she looks into Nick's death and the AI invades her life.
I will say that this was brilliantly narrated. Louise Brealey was spectacular as Sarah and brought her emotions to life. I was a little disappointed at how little David Tennant was actually in the story, but that was just a minor thing overall.
The emotions in this story are really strong and it gets across the grief and loneliness of losing someone so suddenly.
The story wasn't particularly anything twisty or shocking, but it tried just falling a bit flat. I kind of guessed what was going to happen about halfway through and only listened to the end, because the narration was so well done and I wanted to find out if I was indeed right.
A decent enough thriller which kept me engaged, but I feel could have been so much more.
When I read the blurb and for some reason I was expecting some sort of techno-thriller, but it turned out to be more of a psychological thriller with a little AI thrown in there to give it a bit of a twist.
Sarah's husband Nick is killed in a hit-and-run accident. In her desperation, she turns to an AI chatbot to bring her dead husband back to life. Things start to spiral out of her control when she looks into Nick's death and the AI invades her life.
I will say that this was brilliantly narrated. Louise Brealey was spectacular as Sarah and brought her emotions to life. I was a little disappointed at how little David Tennant was actually in the story, but that was just a minor thing overall.
The emotions in this story are really strong and it gets across the grief and loneliness of losing someone so suddenly.
The story wasn't particularly anything twisty or shocking, but it tried just falling a bit flat. I kind of guessed what was going to happen about halfway through and only listened to the end, because the narration was so well done and I wanted to find out if I was indeed right.
A decent enough thriller which kept me engaged, but I feel could have been so much more.
November 12, 2025
David Tennant was the sole reason I downloaded this audiobook, so the rest is on me, I guess.
I'm not a thriller fan, but sometimes, I find myself having a blast of a time when I get the urge to give one a go, choosing one that seems to tickle my fancy. Downloading this was one of those moments, spurred on hy the beautiful human looking back at me on the cover!
Whilst the first part of the story was actually gripping, and soon found myself a few hours into the story and having fun, I thought this would of been a favourite of my rare thriller reads, I know the author is popular and this is my first read of theirs.
Unfortunately, I found the main character really hard to connect to when she made more and more silly decisions and found her grief decisions hard to comprehend. I couldn't emotionally connect, and I started to lose interest. The twist became less and less shocking, and the ending really was so disappointing.
I do find the concept and the ideas of this novel entertaining, relevant and easy enough to follow and I was having fun along the way, so I really do feel that if the second half of this novel was perhaps a little more like the first half, gripped us, more suspense, a subtle change in Nick 2.0 and less of the silly addition to a silly Detective, then it really may of been a winning storyline, for me only perhaps?
Overall, if thrillers are your thing, I don't think it was a bad story, and I would recommend.
The narration was fantastic.
I'm not a thriller fan, but sometimes, I find myself having a blast of a time when I get the urge to give one a go, choosing one that seems to tickle my fancy. Downloading this was one of those moments, spurred on hy the beautiful human looking back at me on the cover!
Whilst the first part of the story was actually gripping, and soon found myself a few hours into the story and having fun, I thought this would of been a favourite of my rare thriller reads, I know the author is popular and this is my first read of theirs.
Unfortunately, I found the main character really hard to connect to when she made more and more silly decisions and found her grief decisions hard to comprehend. I couldn't emotionally connect, and I started to lose interest. The twist became less and less shocking, and the ending really was so disappointing.
I do find the concept and the ideas of this novel entertaining, relevant and easy enough to follow and I was having fun along the way, so I really do feel that if the second half of this novel was perhaps a little more like the first half, gripped us, more suspense, a subtle change in Nick 2.0 and less of the silly addition to a silly Detective, then it really may of been a winning storyline, for me only perhaps?
Overall, if thrillers are your thing, I don't think it was a bad story, and I would recommend.
The narration was fantastic.
August 2, 2025
I was really hopeful that this would be a commentary on the dangers of AI and the how it will never be a good replacement for human connection, and I was sorely disappointed to find that that was not the story the author was writing. And that ending?? I have never been more furious and disappointed by the ending of a novel.
I also found this story to be incredibly sexist, despite the fact that the main character is a woman; if your woman character hates every other woman in the universe and says hateful things about all the women she knows except the ones she's related to, that's not a strong female character! Additionally, the author clearly didn't do any research about pregnancy because where exactly did some of those pregnancy symptoms come from? Pregnancy doesn't make you a "lightweight." The body in fact does not process alcohol any differently than it normally does, whether you're pregnant or not! Your body does not give you any signs that you shouldn't be drinking alcohol; you just shouldn't do it because it can hurt your baby.
Nevertheless, Louise Brealey and David Tennant's performances were wonderful. They can't be blamed for the shitshow this book turned out to be.
I also found this story to be incredibly sexist, despite the fact that the main character is a woman; if your woman character hates every other woman in the universe and says hateful things about all the women she knows except the ones she's related to, that's not a strong female character! Additionally, the author clearly didn't do any research about pregnancy because where exactly did some of those pregnancy symptoms come from? Pregnancy doesn't make you a "lightweight." The body in fact does not process alcohol any differently than it normally does, whether you're pregnant or not! Your body does not give you any signs that you shouldn't be drinking alcohol; you just shouldn't do it because it can hurt your baby.
Nevertheless, Louise Brealey and David Tennant's performances were wonderful. They can't be blamed for the shitshow this book turned out to be.
March 3, 2025
So I came ONLY because of David Tennant, then I saw it was JD Kirk, which I've enjoyed before. This however, felt cheap. David is only there for like 5 minutes in this narration. The female narrator does a great job, but the character she was portraying was terrible. She was whiny, annoying, written to be the damsel in distress, (COME ON, woman have brains, *ahem*) and JFC, can this be ANYMORE predictable. Fucking eye roll.
March 20, 2025
JD Kirk writes my favorite series (DCI Logan), so I was all in for this audiobook especially because Louise Brealey and (occasionally) David Tenant narrate. The story hooked me, but it was totally predictable. I mean, really predictable.
February 18, 2025
I have read everything written by JD Kirk because he is one of my favourite authors. This book is only currently available on audible which is new to me. I don’t even read using a kindle of whatever because I like to hold a physical paperback or hardback. I am unsure if this is the reason I really did not enjoy this book but, as I really didn’t like any of the characters, I don’t think that is the only reason. I was very close to giving up but, I started to feel more interested in the storyline when I reached the later chapters so I felt I should finish it.
I felt sure the detective, Imogen, was going to turn out to be the girlfriend and wasn’t visiting Sarah for professional reasons. However, I was obviously barking up the wrong tree with that theory.
I like the fact that JD Kirk has written a story which is very different to his Logan, Hoon and Filson series but I really missed the dark humour which I am now beginning to realise is one of the things I really enjoy about his writing.
Looking at other reviews I acknowledge I am in the minority with how I feel about Him. It certainly won’t stop me reading further JD Kirk novels.
I felt sure the detective, Imogen, was going to turn out to be the girlfriend and wasn’t visiting Sarah for professional reasons. However, I was obviously barking up the wrong tree with that theory.
I like the fact that JD Kirk has written a story which is very different to his Logan, Hoon and Filson series but I really missed the dark humour which I am now beginning to realise is one of the things I really enjoy about his writing.
Looking at other reviews I acknowledge I am in the minority with how I feel about Him. It certainly won’t stop me reading further JD Kirk novels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2025
3,5/5
i think i wouldn’t like it if i read it, but the narrator was so talented and the david tennant moments were gold
i think i wouldn’t like it if i read it, but the narrator was so talented and the david tennant moments were gold
August 10, 2025
Lots of twists, turns and out loud “WTF?!?!?” Moments
March 31, 2025
I love sci-fi, I am slightly worried about AI and I always enjoy a 'how well do you really know your spouse' plot, so on paper this should have been a very good book. In reality, I got bored of the plot as it was moving at glacial pace and I really REALLY hated the main character.
I understand the need to have a slightly slow character so the author can explain to the readers what is going on, but she was so dumb that it broke all suspension of disbelief.
The voice actress somehow managed to make her even more irritating than she would have been on paper as well.
And if you're thinking of getting this because you're a David Tennant fan, don't bother, his lines are only about 15 minutes long - it's not worth it.
I understand the need to have a slightly slow character so the author can explain to the readers what is going on, but she was so dumb that it broke all suspension of disbelief.
The voice actress somehow managed to make her even more irritating than she would have been on paper as well.
And if you're thinking of getting this because you're a David Tennant fan, don't bother, his lines are only about 15 minutes long - it's not worth it.
February 18, 2025
I got this because of David Tennant and was somewhat disappointed with how little he’s in it (although that’s not why I’ve rated it 3 stars) Louise Brealey is phenomenal and whenever David is in it he does a fantastic job
The entire thing was one big missed opportunity, I anticipated a story that looked at the effects of AI chat bots on vulnerable people and instead was met with a half baked predictable thriller that wasn’t quite boring enough to put down.
The last 3 hours is really where the plot picks up it’s not a bad story by any means I just think it’s a bit misrepresented of what you’re gonna get. I expected 9 hours of an Ai chat bot psychologically tormenting a vulnerable widow as he destroys the memory of her late husband and while we got snippets of that it felt like the first 7 hours was just filler.
I hated the ending hated that she didn’t learn to live without Nick 2 but I will admit the twist of David being behind it all was pretty good
The entire thing was one big missed opportunity, I anticipated a story that looked at the effects of AI chat bots on vulnerable people and instead was met with a half baked predictable thriller that wasn’t quite boring enough to put down.
The last 3 hours is really where the plot picks up it’s not a bad story by any means I just think it’s a bit misrepresented of what you’re gonna get. I expected 9 hours of an Ai chat bot psychologically tormenting a vulnerable widow as he destroys the memory of her late husband and while we got snippets of that it felt like the first 7 hours was just filler.
I hated the ending hated that she didn’t learn to live without Nick 2 but I will admit the twist of David being behind it all was pretty good
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2025
This is a good book. I listened to it on audible. As the main male character was voiced by David Tennant. My favourite Scottish Actor. Did not care for the female voice actor. To me her character came across as whiney and totally self absorbed. So much so that I had to skip a lot of her narrative at the beginning of the book. The story doesn't pick up until she is connected to her AI husband. Admittedly l may be biased.
This was a surprising change from JD Kirk's detective thrillers. Read on audible by Angus king. They have humorous characters, great plots and lots of clever insults. What's not to love.
This was a surprising change from JD Kirk's detective thrillers. Read on audible by Angus king. They have humorous characters, great plots and lots of clever insults. What's not to love.
March 23, 2025
The main character and her voice actor is so whiny and unlikeable, I’m really struggling to finish it. Yes David Tennant is spectacular but features only briefly, and he cannot rescue this book on his own. Not a fan of his (AI) character either, so that didn’t help. Addressing the problem of loneliness with AI is however a valid social issue to consider. Wish it looked at that more earnestly than the inane human squabbling and emotion, and technology fear mongering.
Also, final note to JD Kirk: you are not winning us over with your female main characters, not here and not Heather Filson. Stick with men, and Berta.
Also, final note to JD Kirk: you are not winning us over with your female main characters, not here and not Heather Filson. Stick with men, and Berta.
May 7, 2025
This book is basically a journey through grief, with the tiniest smidge of sci-fi. The only truly notable part about this book is David Tennant.
Louise Brealey did a great job but the character was annoyingly whiny and unlikeable. I initially did feel for the grief this character goes through but it gets monotonous very fast. Also, is it really good female character writing if she is whining and helpless till the last moment, only for a flash of self reliance?
The pacing is quite off, as someone else mentioned in their reviews, the AI comes in much later than you'd want.
I'm not sure even David Tennant's sporadic narration can make me recommend!
Louise Brealey did a great job but the character was annoyingly whiny and unlikeable. I initially did feel for the grief this character goes through but it gets monotonous very fast. Also, is it really good female character writing if she is whining and helpless till the last moment, only for a flash of self reliance?
The pacing is quite off, as someone else mentioned in their reviews, the AI comes in much later than you'd want.
I'm not sure even David Tennant's sporadic narration can make me recommend!
July 17, 2025
4/5
What a wild ride this was! Excellent narration, well developed characters and just enough explanation of how the AI was being used that I could understand it 🤣
Won’t give anything away plot-wise, but will say that I knocked off 1/2 star just because the element of grief was explained a bit too much for me.
Am I glad I read it? Absolutely!!!
Would I recommend it? Absolutely!!!
What a wild ride this was! Excellent narration, well developed characters and just enough explanation of how the AI was being used that I could understand it 🤣
Won’t give anything away plot-wise, but will say that I knocked off 1/2 star just because the element of grief was explained a bit too much for me.
Am I glad I read it? Absolutely!!!
Would I recommend it? Absolutely!!!
February 20, 2025
Predictable but enjoyable nonetheless with brilliant narration
March 1, 2025
Wowser, what a great story!!
That was quite unexpected from J.D. Kirk, and I wouldn't have guessed it was his book otherwise; however, it truly highlights his exceptional storytelling abilities.
The sorrow of losing a loved one can sometimes lead to unusual actions. If presented with the chance to interact with an AI bot simulating that person, would you accept, and if so, what might the repercussions be?
This concept feels both improbable and entirely plausible, the kind of story that would make a compelling film!
That was quite unexpected from J.D. Kirk, and I wouldn't have guessed it was his book otherwise; however, it truly highlights his exceptional storytelling abilities.
The sorrow of losing a loved one can sometimes lead to unusual actions. If presented with the chance to interact with an AI bot simulating that person, would you accept, and if so, what might the repercussions be?
This concept feels both improbable and entirely plausible, the kind of story that would make a compelling film!
May 27, 2025
Fantastic listen from start to finish. Characters kept you engaged. I had a feeling who the killer was early on but I didn’t expect the entire scene to play out like it did. The AI concept really brought me into it and had me asking questions in real life if this was possible or that was possible. But overall, an engrossing listen that kept my attention the entire time. My heart broke for our main character throughout the entire story, only for the story to end how it did…traumaaaaa. Fully recommend.
December 17, 2025
Wow. Just - wow.
This book had a slow start. As an Audible original, it is 7 hours and 34 minutes long. I listened to this at 1.2 speed. The book took forever to get going. By forever I mean about 3.5 hours. Once the story got good I could not stop listening. This was a great listen and the twists had me hooked. I could feel the scene unfolding in front of me, I felt the panic Sarah felt and the fear.
And after all the ups and downs I went through, I could not believe the ending! Wild!
I highly recommend this audiobook.
This book had a slow start. As an Audible original, it is 7 hours and 34 minutes long. I listened to this at 1.2 speed. The book took forever to get going. By forever I mean about 3.5 hours. Once the story got good I could not stop listening. This was a great listen and the twists had me hooked. I could feel the scene unfolding in front of me, I felt the panic Sarah felt and the fear.
And after all the ups and downs I went through, I could not believe the ending! Wild!
I highly recommend this audiobook.
March 26, 2025
3.4 ⭐
This took a while to really pick up, a little too long for my liking, but the suspense was enough to get me through the first half of the story. The second half managed to actually deliver what I expected going into this story. The narration/voice acting was great. Overall, I enjoyed this. And I was not able to (fully) predict the plot twist(s) before they happened, but I'm not usually great at that, so I might not be the best judge.
This took a while to really pick up, a little too long for my liking, but the suspense was enough to get me through the first half of the story. The second half managed to actually deliver what I expected going into this story. The narration/voice acting was great. Overall, I enjoyed this. And I was not able to (fully) predict the plot twist(s) before they happened, but I'm not usually great at that, so I might not be the best judge.
February 11, 2025
Well, this is very different to J D Kirk's usual police procedural books, but it is a fabulous thriller set in the world of AI and I listened to it in one day! The story pulled me in straight away and it was so tense it had me on the edge of my seat. I don't know much about AI but I found it all very scary. There are lots of twists and just as I thought I had it all figured out Mr Kirk turned everything on it's head leaving me reeling!
Kudos to the two narrators, Louise Brealey and the fabulous David Tennant.who brought the book to life.
Kudos to the two narrators, Louise Brealey and the fabulous David Tennant.who brought the book to life.
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