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Portal #1
The London Project
In a smart city that monitors your every move, finding the killer of a young girl should have been easy.
Detective Sergeant Louisa Bennett is assigned to investigate the murder. Following an attack on London’s network, private data on every city resident is leaked. In the ensuing chaos, when Louisa uncovers a connection between her own case and the data breach, she becomes a target herself.
To save her own life Louisa must uncover the truth behind the girl’s death — a truth which leads her deep into the heart of The London Project.
Detective Sergeant Louisa Bennett is assigned to investigate the murder. Following an attack on London’s network, private data on every city resident is leaked. In the ensuing chaos, when Louisa uncovers a connection between her own case and the data breach, she becomes a target herself.
To save her own life Louisa must uncover the truth behind the girl’s death — a truth which leads her deep into the heart of The London Project.
- GenresScience FictionMystery
325 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 22, 2014
2 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
About the author
Mark J. Maxwell
2 books6 followersMark J Maxwell is a writer living in Dublin, Ireland.
Mark would love to hear from you. He can be reached on twitter (@markjmaxwell) or at markjmaxwell.com.
Mark would love to hear from you. He can be reached on twitter (@markjmaxwell) or at markjmaxwell.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
April 23, 2014
I'll say from the get-go - I really, really liked "The London Project", and I'm no technology expert (as regular readers well know). Mark Maxwell has created a very realistic sci-fi world that is still grounded in elements of the reality we live in at present.
Today people are connected every moment of every day through their smart phones, smart TV's, etc., etc., etc. Facebook, Twitter, texting - you name it - wherever you go there's a profile and that's how you connect with friends and loved ones. In the novel, this is all done through devices called 'terminals'. Cash rarely changes hands in today's society. From debit cards, to online banking and bank transfers through your phone, we're living in a virtually cashless realm already. In the novel, all you have to do is click a button on your terminal and funds are immediately transferred from your bank account to the merchant. Don't have time to run to the grocery store? No problem - your terminal automatically orders and has groceries delivered when you need them based upon what you've purchased in the past and what you've utilized from your fridge and pantry for the week (hello - hear of the drone program Amazon has been implementing?). Schools don't have physical textbooks (ever hear of ebooks and etextbooks) and all schoolwork is completed and handed in through your terminal. And your terminal knows you - the biometric imprint will shut the terminal down if someone other than the owner picks it up.
Unless the unhackable becomes hackable.
Louisa Bennett is a Detective Sergeant with the equivalent of the London police department (or MET, as it is known in the novel). During a routine stakeout, the team loses the culprit they've been watching when his facial recognition profile falls off of London's digital grid. That's impossible. Sense strips blanket most of the metropolitan area and should track him with a 99% accuracy rate. The only way they could've lost him is if he was using a forged profile, a highly illegal and expensive alternative for a lowly street urchin. On a hunch, Louisa decides to turn off her terminal and instead utilize her God-given sight to locate their target. Almost immediately she spies the man she's after and the hunt is back on.
But her boss doesn't want to hear about the possibility of a forged profile. That will complicate his sorry existence and ruin his case closure rate. Louisa is firm on what she saw and refuses to adjust her report.
Mere hours later, her life is further complicated by the dead body of a runaway reported nearly two years before. The girl isn't even on the grid. Her body is riddled with lacerations that appear to be some method of torture - and she has a bloodied hole near the base of her skull as if an animal took a bite out of her neck. The puzzle pieces of the case are missing or scattered. But somehow her two recent cases have a connection.
And Louisa needs to put the pieces together before her teenaged daughter becomes the next victim.
Like I said, this was a great thriller with very realistic sci-fi elements. I was a teensy bit lost in the beginning as I tried to picture what all the techie stuff was about. But very quickly that became a side issue as the action ramped up and never let go. Mark Maxwell did a good job of building in the description of the futuristic elements within the storyline as it progressed instead of falling into the realm of info-dumping and description overload. At times there actually was quite a lot of description but again, it never felt like overload because of the manner in which it was woven into the elements of action as they were happening. Great use of showing instead of telling.
The characters were well-rounded, with plausible back-stories and problems within their everyday lives just like your average Joe - in this case Jane. They had challenges, disappointments, and solid motivations for why they made the choices they did, at least for the main characters within the novel. Louisa was a strong, nearing middle-aged woman with two kids attempting to juggle her life, stretch a paycheck, and deal with an ex-husband and his perky new wife. She used her wits and yet questioned herself like most women do at times. She took a lickin' and kept on tickin' when things got interesting on the job. When a man expressed his interest, Louisa wasn't sure what to do about it or if she even had the time or energy to do something about it. I could really relate to her on so many levels.
So maybe I did figure out where it was all heading, but I enjoyed the moments of questions, the heart-pumping action, and the creepy almost deja vu moments along the journey, feeling all the while that this could really be happening. The visuals within the story were stunning (but I'd never wear a dress to work again if I had to ride a virtually invisible elevator).
The only issue I found with "The London Project" was the need for a bit more editing. There were multiple times were it was 'he' instead of 'she' or vice versa. When Louisa was talking to her ex-husband, John, a dialogue tag had the name of a different character who was not present in the scene. There were also quite a few missing words or duplicate words the farther into the story I read. Even so, the plot and pace kept me engaged to where these were mere nuisances.
A caution - there's not a ton of rough language in the novel, but there are a few brief uses of the f-word. A couple of times it didn't feel right for the character or scene and seemed a tad gratuitous, while other times it worked (as in that great 80's movie Die Hard). If a bit of rough language is something you can get past, then you'll thoroughly enjoy Mark Maxwell's novel.
Also we here in the U.S. have different vernacular and spelling for some words than across the pond (and quotations used are the singular ' instead of the double ") and is just something you'll need to accept if you should choose to purchase and read "The London Project" - and I recommend you do if you like a good thriller.
This one gets thumbs up and four stars.
Today people are connected every moment of every day through their smart phones, smart TV's, etc., etc., etc. Facebook, Twitter, texting - you name it - wherever you go there's a profile and that's how you connect with friends and loved ones. In the novel, this is all done through devices called 'terminals'. Cash rarely changes hands in today's society. From debit cards, to online banking and bank transfers through your phone, we're living in a virtually cashless realm already. In the novel, all you have to do is click a button on your terminal and funds are immediately transferred from your bank account to the merchant. Don't have time to run to the grocery store? No problem - your terminal automatically orders and has groceries delivered when you need them based upon what you've purchased in the past and what you've utilized from your fridge and pantry for the week (hello - hear of the drone program Amazon has been implementing?). Schools don't have physical textbooks (ever hear of ebooks and etextbooks) and all schoolwork is completed and handed in through your terminal. And your terminal knows you - the biometric imprint will shut the terminal down if someone other than the owner picks it up.
Unless the unhackable becomes hackable.
Louisa Bennett is a Detective Sergeant with the equivalent of the London police department (or MET, as it is known in the novel). During a routine stakeout, the team loses the culprit they've been watching when his facial recognition profile falls off of London's digital grid. That's impossible. Sense strips blanket most of the metropolitan area and should track him with a 99% accuracy rate. The only way they could've lost him is if he was using a forged profile, a highly illegal and expensive alternative for a lowly street urchin. On a hunch, Louisa decides to turn off her terminal and instead utilize her God-given sight to locate their target. Almost immediately she spies the man she's after and the hunt is back on.
But her boss doesn't want to hear about the possibility of a forged profile. That will complicate his sorry existence and ruin his case closure rate. Louisa is firm on what she saw and refuses to adjust her report.
Mere hours later, her life is further complicated by the dead body of a runaway reported nearly two years before. The girl isn't even on the grid. Her body is riddled with lacerations that appear to be some method of torture - and she has a bloodied hole near the base of her skull as if an animal took a bite out of her neck. The puzzle pieces of the case are missing or scattered. But somehow her two recent cases have a connection.
And Louisa needs to put the pieces together before her teenaged daughter becomes the next victim.
Like I said, this was a great thriller with very realistic sci-fi elements. I was a teensy bit lost in the beginning as I tried to picture what all the techie stuff was about. But very quickly that became a side issue as the action ramped up and never let go. Mark Maxwell did a good job of building in the description of the futuristic elements within the storyline as it progressed instead of falling into the realm of info-dumping and description overload. At times there actually was quite a lot of description but again, it never felt like overload because of the manner in which it was woven into the elements of action as they were happening. Great use of showing instead of telling.
The characters were well-rounded, with plausible back-stories and problems within their everyday lives just like your average Joe - in this case Jane. They had challenges, disappointments, and solid motivations for why they made the choices they did, at least for the main characters within the novel. Louisa was a strong, nearing middle-aged woman with two kids attempting to juggle her life, stretch a paycheck, and deal with an ex-husband and his perky new wife. She used her wits and yet questioned herself like most women do at times. She took a lickin' and kept on tickin' when things got interesting on the job. When a man expressed his interest, Louisa wasn't sure what to do about it or if she even had the time or energy to do something about it. I could really relate to her on so many levels.
So maybe I did figure out where it was all heading, but I enjoyed the moments of questions, the heart-pumping action, and the creepy almost deja vu moments along the journey, feeling all the while that this could really be happening. The visuals within the story were stunning (but I'd never wear a dress to work again if I had to ride a virtually invisible elevator).
The only issue I found with "The London Project" was the need for a bit more editing. There were multiple times were it was 'he' instead of 'she' or vice versa. When Louisa was talking to her ex-husband, John, a dialogue tag had the name of a different character who was not present in the scene. There were also quite a few missing words or duplicate words the farther into the story I read. Even so, the plot and pace kept me engaged to where these were mere nuisances.
A caution - there's not a ton of rough language in the novel, but there are a few brief uses of the f-word. A couple of times it didn't feel right for the character or scene and seemed a tad gratuitous, while other times it worked (as in that great 80's movie Die Hard). If a bit of rough language is something you can get past, then you'll thoroughly enjoy Mark Maxwell's novel.
Also we here in the U.S. have different vernacular and spelling for some words than across the pond (and quotations used are the singular ' instead of the double ") and is just something you'll need to accept if you should choose to purchase and read "The London Project" - and I recommend you do if you like a good thriller.
This one gets thumbs up and four stars.
July 7, 2014
I really got into this book I like to read crime fiction. From the first chapter I knew I would be hooked on this book and I wasn’t wrong. I really enjoyed how the futuristic feel of the police force. It didn’t seem to unrealistic at all. I could feel Louisa frustrating when looking at information into how the victim appeared where she was,. I really like how the author has really thought about the technology and how advanced it could be in the future I don’t know whether I would like to live in that sort of world but it is an interesting idea on how the future may be with all the technological advances.
‘Okay, I tell you what,’ Louisa said. ‘I bet you a fiver you didn’t get in under
the hedge. Care to prove me wrong?’
I really like how down to earth Louisa is in this part of the story. She knows exactly what will get her answers and makes sure she gets them.
‘Louisa couldn’t imagine how she’d feel if Jess went missing and turned
up dead. She’d never be able to rest until she found out what had happened to her daughter. ‘
Being a mother i can really associate with Louisa, if anything happened to my daughter i wouldn't stop trying to find our until my last dying death i like how the author knew how a mother would be with the lose of a child.
I really enjoy how caught up in all the technical advances there are in this story, I always love to read stories by authors who can make me loose myself into its pages to the point I don’t realise what is going on around me.
I would rate this book 5 out of 5. I have already recommended this book to a friend. If you love a book you can loose yourself in then I highly suggest this book.
‘Okay, I tell you what,’ Louisa said. ‘I bet you a fiver you didn’t get in under
the hedge. Care to prove me wrong?’
I really like how down to earth Louisa is in this part of the story. She knows exactly what will get her answers and makes sure she gets them.
‘Louisa couldn’t imagine how she’d feel if Jess went missing and turned
up dead. She’d never be able to rest until she found out what had happened to her daughter. ‘
Being a mother i can really associate with Louisa, if anything happened to my daughter i wouldn't stop trying to find our until my last dying death i like how the author knew how a mother would be with the lose of a child.
I really enjoy how caught up in all the technical advances there are in this story, I always love to read stories by authors who can make me loose myself into its pages to the point I don’t realise what is going on around me.
I would rate this book 5 out of 5. I have already recommended this book to a friend. If you love a book you can loose yourself in then I highly suggest this book.
December 8, 2014
This is part crime drama, part police procedural, and part spec fic, and that's a combination I don't think I've seen before. As part of the near-future world-building, the author stretches the Internet forward in utterly believable ways, from self-driving cars to integrated medical records to social media feeds complete with emotional overlays and affiliate payouts. Nothing's immune from being shared; nothing's private. And there, as any libertarian could warn you in advance, lies the problem.
The book does have some pacing issues, especially in the third quarter of the book, but it wasn't significant enough to be a dealbreaker for me. The geek factor is wonderful even though I skimmed the technobabble that went over my head. Didn't matter; enough came through for me to follow the story. A few of the plot elements were predictable, so was the bad guy, but again, it didn't matter. The story as written kept me turning pages past my bedtime, I cared about the characters and their problems, and the how and why questions kept me curious. Four stars for an author worth watching.
Please note that I received a free copy of this book from the author through the Library Thing Member Giveaway program. The price of the book has no bearing upon the review received.
The book does have some pacing issues, especially in the third quarter of the book, but it wasn't significant enough to be a dealbreaker for me. The geek factor is wonderful even though I skimmed the technobabble that went over my head. Didn't matter; enough came through for me to follow the story. A few of the plot elements were predictable, so was the bad guy, but again, it didn't matter. The story as written kept me turning pages past my bedtime, I cared about the characters and their problems, and the how and why questions kept me curious. Four stars for an author worth watching.
Please note that I received a free copy of this book from the author through the Library Thing Member Giveaway program. The price of the book has no bearing upon the review received.
January 2, 2017
The London Project by Mark Maxwell is an excellent book! It very effectively blended a murder mystery with science fiction.
Louisa, a detective sergeant assigned to solve the murder of a teenage girl, gets tangled in a conspiracy that leads to the powerful Portal Corporation, the corporation responsible to the leap in computer technology from which only the people of London benefit. She is forced to deal with the stress of a remarried ex-husband, several attempts on her life, both a professional and a family tragedy, and the possibility of corruption in the police force. There is a little social commentary about the benefits and downsides of technology.
I liked that the author made Louisa softer than the stereotypical, hard-nosed cop. It made her a more likable and sympathetic character.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good murder mystery. The science fiction aspect of this book is minimal, in case you do not like sci-fi. (There is only a slightly more advanced computer system, the dreaded “Big Brother.”)
Louisa, a detective sergeant assigned to solve the murder of a teenage girl, gets tangled in a conspiracy that leads to the powerful Portal Corporation, the corporation responsible to the leap in computer technology from which only the people of London benefit. She is forced to deal with the stress of a remarried ex-husband, several attempts on her life, both a professional and a family tragedy, and the possibility of corruption in the police force. There is a little social commentary about the benefits and downsides of technology.
I liked that the author made Louisa softer than the stereotypical, hard-nosed cop. It made her a more likable and sympathetic character.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good murder mystery. The science fiction aspect of this book is minimal, in case you do not like sci-fi. (There is only a slightly more advanced computer system, the dreaded “Big Brother.”)
December 28, 2014
I received an electronic copy of this book in return for a review.
Wow. Awesome book. The concept is amazing and the storytelling equally so. Never a dull moment.
Set in a London not very far in the future, the story begins as a straightforward murder mystery. Only with one difference -- nearly everyone is part of the Portal system, which means they're all connected to it all the time. Think of it as being constantly connected to the whole Internet, with everything you do and see feeding into a public profile of you which is used to tailor what you see and hear. Which is also recorded. What a boon to our heroine, a police detective. Except that this crime didn't get recorded. It's a true mystery, and one that gets personal very quickly.
A must-read. I hope that there is a sequel or, if not, more stories using the Portal concept.
Wow. Awesome book. The concept is amazing and the storytelling equally so. Never a dull moment.
Set in a London not very far in the future, the story begins as a straightforward murder mystery. Only with one difference -- nearly everyone is part of the Portal system, which means they're all connected to it all the time. Think of it as being constantly connected to the whole Internet, with everything you do and see feeding into a public profile of you which is used to tailor what you see and hear. Which is also recorded. What a boon to our heroine, a police detective. Except that this crime didn't get recorded. It's a true mystery, and one that gets personal very quickly.
A must-read. I hope that there is a sequel or, if not, more stories using the Portal concept.
October 20, 2014
This could have been a good book. But, it's not. It's fucking garbage. Sure, there's interesting tech and all, but they never did anything interesting with it. I mean, it just turned into a boring CSI episode. Hell, I can make a better story than this stupid book, right here and now.
Take the portal tech, and add a bunch of serial killers going crazy, killing everyone, recording their every move and selling it to the highest bidder. There. A better story than The London Project.
Aliens have been watching all the portal recordings, from everyone in London. They invade, and kidnap all the cool portal kids. Start their own reality TV show called "Portal Kids on Crack". Hilarity ensues. There. A better story than The London Project.
Take the portal tech, and add a bunch of serial killers going crazy, killing everyone, recording their every move and selling it to the highest bidder. There. A better story than The London Project.
Aliens have been watching all the portal recordings, from everyone in London. They invade, and kidnap all the cool portal kids. Start their own reality TV show called "Portal Kids on Crack". Hilarity ensues. There. A better story than The London Project.
February 18, 2018
When a data breech occurs for London residents, Louisa must get to the bottom of it before she becomes the latest victim in a massive cover up. She could have never guessed that an investigation into the death of a young girl could bust a conspiracy wide open that involves corporate corruption and the government. The investigation is more than just a case for Louisa, she must uncover the truth before it costs her and her family their lives to keep the secret hidden.
November 15, 2014
I received a my copy of The London Project via LibraryThing in return for an honest review. I had signed up because the blurb that was given regarding the plot seemed fairly interesting. Basically, the novel boils down to a British Crime Drama within a Cyberpunk Future World. Essentially, it's Cyberpunk for our (circa 2014/5) digital age.
*SPOILERS*
I think my favorite part of reading this particular novel was after the main character DS Bennett realizes that her Portal Device (think futuristic nano-machine tablet that is used for everything - phone calls, research, recording, advertisements, unlocking your home/car, etc.) is not only the do it all machine, but is also creating a recording of data which she, being the average user, is completely unaware of. This data, which she has opted into during her clicking of the automatic updates, becomes part of the Portal companies 'property' in order to better tailor ads, etc. to her even though it seems to be both an invasion of her privacy as well as a dodgy practice she wasn't aware of. Of course, this is exactly what happens today, as I, a Verizon Wireless customer in the US, found out the very next morning on Al Jazeera when the fact that Verizon, AT&T and Apple are monitoring via supercookies, the browsing data of the phone customers. I guess this future is not so fare away after all. However, aside from ironic and poignant timing in my reading schedule, the book itself has much to offer.
The story revolves around DS Bennett, an intelligent divorced mother of 2, who works in the London Metropolitan Police in this strange and new future. Of course, due to portal being integrated into every aspect of human life in London the force has been drastically reduced and the majority of crime is dealt with through massive data crunching. However, as we are introduced to in the first chapter, it seems that some people have found away around the 'sense strips' that are throughout most of the city and which record the who/what/when/where of every individual on the network. Consequently, when DS Bennett are given the case of a murdered young girl who isn't in the system, and has somehow died in a deadspot in the surveillance system without ever seeming to arrive at the location of her body, she has to delve into the dark side of the seemingly miraculous and brilliant portal network - something that someone doesn't want her to do.
I won't give away much more of the plot, but it becomes a sort of who-dunnit thriller with interesting twist and turns. Having said this, the twist and turns are great for anyone who hasn't read lots of Cyberpunk, especially early Gibson. For those of us who have read things like Neuromancer, Idoru or anything in those series the fact that DS Bennett hasn't worked out the mystery about half-way into the story becomes a bit head against the wall, and yet, the author sort of acknowledges this fact in the final conversation between the characters of DS Bennett and White Hat. Consequently, this should not detract anyone from reading the novel, as Mr. Maxwell has great pace and has re-tailored the Cyberpunk to our digital age. No longer do we have the strange communities of techno-cyber-hippies vs. corporate evil-doers that populated early Cyberpunk, now we have the dystopia of Social Networking, Universal Surveillance, and data-for-profit that is our modern world - only taken one step further.
Alright, now even though this is technically a Science Fiction novel this should not detract individuals who shy away from this genre from checking it out. This is especially true since, as all lovers of science know, yesterday's science fiction is tomorrow's science fact. Only the other day Total Recall (Philip K. Dick's We Can Remember It For You Wholesale) seemed like something so far off into the future as to be beyond the horizon, but an article in the Smithsonian tells us that we can now create memories for Rats, so how long until we create it for us? The London Project, on the other hand, truly is only a quick hop skip and a jump away since aside from the totally integration of 'Portal' into our daily lives (and the nano-tech tablets) everything else is already here. So, I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a great debut! And, personally, I can't wait to see what Mr. Maxwell does next...even if it's not with DS Bennett.
*SPOILERS*
I think my favorite part of reading this particular novel was after the main character DS Bennett realizes that her Portal Device (think futuristic nano-machine tablet that is used for everything - phone calls, research, recording, advertisements, unlocking your home/car, etc.) is not only the do it all machine, but is also creating a recording of data which she, being the average user, is completely unaware of. This data, which she has opted into during her clicking of the automatic updates, becomes part of the Portal companies 'property' in order to better tailor ads, etc. to her even though it seems to be both an invasion of her privacy as well as a dodgy practice she wasn't aware of. Of course, this is exactly what happens today, as I, a Verizon Wireless customer in the US, found out the very next morning on Al Jazeera when the fact that Verizon, AT&T and Apple are monitoring via supercookies, the browsing data of the phone customers. I guess this future is not so fare away after all. However, aside from ironic and poignant timing in my reading schedule, the book itself has much to offer.
The story revolves around DS Bennett, an intelligent divorced mother of 2, who works in the London Metropolitan Police in this strange and new future. Of course, due to portal being integrated into every aspect of human life in London the force has been drastically reduced and the majority of crime is dealt with through massive data crunching. However, as we are introduced to in the first chapter, it seems that some people have found away around the 'sense strips' that are throughout most of the city and which record the who/what/when/where of every individual on the network. Consequently, when DS Bennett are given the case of a murdered young girl who isn't in the system, and has somehow died in a deadspot in the surveillance system without ever seeming to arrive at the location of her body, she has to delve into the dark side of the seemingly miraculous and brilliant portal network - something that someone doesn't want her to do.
I won't give away much more of the plot, but it becomes a sort of who-dunnit thriller with interesting twist and turns. Having said this, the twist and turns are great for anyone who hasn't read lots of Cyberpunk, especially early Gibson. For those of us who have read things like Neuromancer, Idoru or anything in those series the fact that DS Bennett hasn't worked out the mystery about half-way into the story becomes a bit head against the wall, and yet, the author sort of acknowledges this fact in the final conversation between the characters of DS Bennett and White Hat. Consequently, this should not detract anyone from reading the novel, as Mr. Maxwell has great pace and has re-tailored the Cyberpunk to our digital age. No longer do we have the strange communities of techno-cyber-hippies vs. corporate evil-doers that populated early Cyberpunk, now we have the dystopia of Social Networking, Universal Surveillance, and data-for-profit that is our modern world - only taken one step further.
Alright, now even though this is technically a Science Fiction novel this should not detract individuals who shy away from this genre from checking it out. This is especially true since, as all lovers of science know, yesterday's science fiction is tomorrow's science fact. Only the other day Total Recall (Philip K. Dick's We Can Remember It For You Wholesale) seemed like something so far off into the future as to be beyond the horizon, but an article in the Smithsonian tells us that we can now create memories for Rats, so how long until we create it for us? The London Project, on the other hand, truly is only a quick hop skip and a jump away since aside from the totally integration of 'Portal' into our daily lives (and the nano-tech tablets) everything else is already here. So, I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a great debut! And, personally, I can't wait to see what Mr. Maxwell does next...even if it's not with DS Bennett.
October 24, 2014
I liked the story in The London Project. The world is a quite interesting (albeit chilling) vision of a possible future. The total monopoly of Portal over the lives of Londoners reminded me a lot of George Orwell's 1984. "Big Brother watches you," indeed…
This story also had all the things I usually like: a futuristic setting, a murder mystery that the protagonist has to solve, influential people determined to thwart her at every turn, and a bigger conspiracy emerging during the investigation. The story had the potential to keep me interested and turning the pages into the late hours of the night, but… it didn't.
The biggest problem with this book, at least for me, is the pacing. For a thriller to work, the author needs build the tension progressively throughout the book, and never ever let it falter. The story has to grip me from the get go and drag me along, making me want to turn the next page to discover what happens.
Unfortunately, the abundance of technical and world-building explanations break the tension and slow down the pacing, sometimes bringing it to a screeching halt. I found myself frustrated when I wanted to know more about the investigation into the dead girl, but had to read through info dump after info dump about Portal and their little monopoly over London and how the technology worked. I know it's probably relevant to the story and serves to introduce the reader into this world, but for me, it killed the suspense and the drive to continue reading. When I find myself skipping the explanations to get to the plot, I know I won't stick with the book. And I probably wouldn't have if it wasn't an ARC I had agreed to review.
I didn't need all those detailed explanations into the workings of Portal in the first 10 chapters. I would have been perfectly happy with a few brief mentions of it and a lot more focus on the case itself. But then again, I am the kind of reader who likes being lost in a world, to discover it progressively throughout the book, looking for breadcrumbs of information the author left on the pages and drawing my own conclusions. Info-dumps give me mental indigestions, because by the time I read through the explanation and assimilate it, the suspense is gone. I have to try and immerse myself in the story again… until the next info-dump.
This is sad, I think, because the book would have been a lot more interesting (and faster paced) if the author trusted the reader to understand his world without having everything spelled out. This is the case of when too much backstory does more harm than good.
I know that this is strictly a personal preference, so take my review with a grain of salt. What I find off-putting might not be so for another reader. So my advice is, if you like a well thought-out world and are not afraid of the slow pacing, give The London Project a try.
P.S. This review is for the ARC of the book I got from LibraryThing.
This story also had all the things I usually like: a futuristic setting, a murder mystery that the protagonist has to solve, influential people determined to thwart her at every turn, and a bigger conspiracy emerging during the investigation. The story had the potential to keep me interested and turning the pages into the late hours of the night, but… it didn't.
The biggest problem with this book, at least for me, is the pacing. For a thriller to work, the author needs build the tension progressively throughout the book, and never ever let it falter. The story has to grip me from the get go and drag me along, making me want to turn the next page to discover what happens.
Unfortunately, the abundance of technical and world-building explanations break the tension and slow down the pacing, sometimes bringing it to a screeching halt. I found myself frustrated when I wanted to know more about the investigation into the dead girl, but had to read through info dump after info dump about Portal and their little monopoly over London and how the technology worked. I know it's probably relevant to the story and serves to introduce the reader into this world, but for me, it killed the suspense and the drive to continue reading. When I find myself skipping the explanations to get to the plot, I know I won't stick with the book. And I probably wouldn't have if it wasn't an ARC I had agreed to review.
I didn't need all those detailed explanations into the workings of Portal in the first 10 chapters. I would have been perfectly happy with a few brief mentions of it and a lot more focus on the case itself. But then again, I am the kind of reader who likes being lost in a world, to discover it progressively throughout the book, looking for breadcrumbs of information the author left on the pages and drawing my own conclusions. Info-dumps give me mental indigestions, because by the time I read through the explanation and assimilate it, the suspense is gone. I have to try and immerse myself in the story again… until the next info-dump.
This is sad, I think, because the book would have been a lot more interesting (and faster paced) if the author trusted the reader to understand his world without having everything spelled out. This is the case of when too much backstory does more harm than good.
I know that this is strictly a personal preference, so take my review with a grain of salt. What I find off-putting might not be so for another reader. So my advice is, if you like a well thought-out world and are not afraid of the slow pacing, give The London Project a try.
P.S. This review is for the ARC of the book I got from LibraryThing.
August 6, 2014
Set in a near-future London, England. Tech giant, Portal, has transformed the lives of the city’s residents. Portal’s centralized network is ubiquitous, its free services utilized for everything from communications to entertainment, transport to health care.
On the eve of the network’s expansion throughout the UK, Detective Sergeant Louisa Bennett investigates the death of a young girl. Her body covered in lacerations, the victim’s autopsy reveals an unidentifiable cellular structure permeating her brain. The case is further complicated when no trace of the girl can be found on Portal.
This was a mixed-bag read for me. On one hand, the author’s description of Portal was nothing short of brilliant. Not only from a technological perspective, but also from the social and cultural changes the technology caused in the lives of London’s citizens. Cars that drove themselves, healthcare records merged and immediately accessible, personal feeds that included the emotional responses of the provider available instantly to everyone who is hooked into the system. Now that makes Twitter following look stone-aged. TV ads tailored to the viewer’s preferences and featuring the viewer as a lifelike avatar in the action—wow! Great stuff. I really got my geek on .
Portal has sensors embedded in road signs, street lamps . . . just about everywhere. Everyone is tracked and traced both through their connected devices and through face recognition software, which is a huge boon to law enforcement and is where the flaw that drives the plot occurs.
Detective Louisa Bennett is tasked with investigating the murder of a teenage girl who has no profile in Portal. So, not only must the detective find out whodunit, but also figure how this girl can possibly be unknown to the system. The story follows Louisa as she works her way to a solution to the murder and in the process discovers a huge conspiracy.
Overall the novel worked, although there were some sketchy plot devices used later in the story to force the climax. But for this reader it moved too slowly. Louisa’s investigation involved a couple meetings with higher-ups in Portal, and some involvement with MI6. These side plots threw more characters into the mix and were written with as much detail as the main line, so rather than the story accelerating to a grand finale showdown, it meandered so much that I found myself skip reading parts of the final third.
But this is a first novel, and Mr. Maxwell is a good writer with a knack for building futuristic worlds.
Disclaimer: This review was originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. I may have received a free review copy.
On the eve of the network’s expansion throughout the UK, Detective Sergeant Louisa Bennett investigates the death of a young girl. Her body covered in lacerations, the victim’s autopsy reveals an unidentifiable cellular structure permeating her brain. The case is further complicated when no trace of the girl can be found on Portal.
This was a mixed-bag read for me. On one hand, the author’s description of Portal was nothing short of brilliant. Not only from a technological perspective, but also from the social and cultural changes the technology caused in the lives of London’s citizens. Cars that drove themselves, healthcare records merged and immediately accessible, personal feeds that included the emotional responses of the provider available instantly to everyone who is hooked into the system. Now that makes Twitter following look stone-aged. TV ads tailored to the viewer’s preferences and featuring the viewer as a lifelike avatar in the action—wow! Great stuff. I really got my geek on .
Portal has sensors embedded in road signs, street lamps . . . just about everywhere. Everyone is tracked and traced both through their connected devices and through face recognition software, which is a huge boon to law enforcement and is where the flaw that drives the plot occurs.
Detective Louisa Bennett is tasked with investigating the murder of a teenage girl who has no profile in Portal. So, not only must the detective find out whodunit, but also figure how this girl can possibly be unknown to the system. The story follows Louisa as she works her way to a solution to the murder and in the process discovers a huge conspiracy.
Overall the novel worked, although there were some sketchy plot devices used later in the story to force the climax. But for this reader it moved too slowly. Louisa’s investigation involved a couple meetings with higher-ups in Portal, and some involvement with MI6. These side plots threw more characters into the mix and were written with as much detail as the main line, so rather than the story accelerating to a grand finale showdown, it meandered so much that I found myself skip reading parts of the final third.
But this is a first novel, and Mr. Maxwell is a good writer with a knack for building futuristic worlds.
Disclaimer: This review was originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. I may have received a free review copy.
May 10, 2014
This is a crime novel set in the not too distant future. London has been chosen as the prototype city for the launch of Portal, a computerised system that totally controls and records every facet of daily life. Everyone has a personal terminal that responds only to their biometric imprint, through which all transactions occur, not only banking, shopping, chatting to friends, keeping an inventory of kitchen supplies and automatically replenishing stocks and live feeds of news events but it can also be used to send out your own live feeds of what is happening to you at any moment and also what you are feeling at any time. London has also almost been totally covered by sensor strips that can record profiles of those who pass by so that everyone's movements are known and recorded by Portal. Cars can be driven automatically by Portal's system finding the best routes and reducing traffic gridlock in the city. The police can also use Portal to identify people at crime scenes so one very positive outcome has been a huge reduction in crime as there is no point carrying out a burglary or murder if the police not only know who did it but can track where you are. Despite the loss of some personal freedom, the residents of London enjoy the benefits of Portal, not only almost non-existent crime but also increased employment and personal happiness. The mega-company Portal is now the largest employer in the city and is poised to launch the system in other cities around the world.
Louisa Bennett is a policewoman coping with being a single mother of two, following the recent divorce from her philandering husband. At the start of the novel she is involved in staking out a potential drug runner who has previously managed to evade Portal and give police the slip. Somehow this time he manages to change his profile once again and take on that of someone else. The police know they much find out how he is able to do this before it becomes a major problem for them. Louisa also becomes embroiled in a murder case where the bruised and battered body of a young girl with a huge hole in her neck is found on the railway line in one of the few areas of the city not covered by Portal sensor strips. As she investigates what could have happened to end this young girl's life she finds sinister links leading back to Portal itself and her own life is threatened.
Lots of action as Louisa races to find the connections between her case and Portal and work out who she can truly trust.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Louisa Bennett is a policewoman coping with being a single mother of two, following the recent divorce from her philandering husband. At the start of the novel she is involved in staking out a potential drug runner who has previously managed to evade Portal and give police the slip. Somehow this time he manages to change his profile once again and take on that of someone else. The police know they much find out how he is able to do this before it becomes a major problem for them. Louisa also becomes embroiled in a murder case where the bruised and battered body of a young girl with a huge hole in her neck is found on the railway line in one of the few areas of the city not covered by Portal sensor strips. As she investigates what could have happened to end this young girl's life she finds sinister links leading back to Portal itself and her own life is threatened.
Lots of action as Louisa races to find the connections between her case and Portal and work out who she can truly trust.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 8, 2015
3.5 stars. I received this book free for review as it sounded like it would be right up my alley. Overall, I found it easy to read, with action that flowed and very good editing. In fact, when I first started, it was like reading scenes from a movie. That feeling never completely went away, and I think it is the main detriment to the story. While the heroine is sympathetic and a complete person with job, failed marriage, and kids, there wasn't much development of her as a person. Yes, she finally starts to come to terms with the end of her marriage, but it wasn't a deep change and it never felt like the bizarre and frightening events she faced made a significant dent in who she was as a person.
The story follows a dedicated police officer in a not too distant London where an agreement has been made with a company that has a platform that wraps all of the social media craziness into one. Privacy is given away freely, except by a few, as your image and your life becomes property of the corporation. Our heroine, chasing a difficult to find criminal, sees him do something that is supposed to be impossible. She isn't believed by the hierarchy, but is faced with an unexplained death before she be too concerned. The death haunts her with unanswered questions, and her focus is only tightened by a strange event during her news feed.
Things only get more strange and tense from there, as she chases down clues, regardless of support for her superiors. Eventually things develop to the point that those who had dismissed her statements at the beginning of the book are supportive of her stance. However, there is more going on than meets the eye.
When everything goes wild, it became even more like a movie. The conspiracy angle didn't provide many surprises, although the depravity of the main villain was pretty bad. The culminating face-off scene was not as strong as I would have liked, but was rather inventive. And her situation at the end of the book was believable. However, the ex-husband being reasonable and the potential love interest (with an emphasis on potential) were relatively weak and didn't add enough to the story or her character development.
Overall themovie book isn't quite big corporation gets too much power and does horrible things, but it's close.
The story follows a dedicated police officer in a not too distant London where an agreement has been made with a company that has a platform that wraps all of the social media craziness into one. Privacy is given away freely, except by a few, as your image and your life becomes property of the corporation. Our heroine, chasing a difficult to find criminal, sees him do something that is supposed to be impossible. She isn't believed by the hierarchy, but is faced with an unexplained death before she be too concerned. The death haunts her with unanswered questions, and her focus is only tightened by a strange event during her news feed.
Things only get more strange and tense from there, as she chases down clues, regardless of support for her superiors. Eventually things develop to the point that those who had dismissed her statements at the beginning of the book are supportive of her stance. However, there is more going on than meets the eye.
When everything goes wild, it became even more like a movie. The conspiracy angle didn't provide many surprises, although the depravity of the main villain was pretty bad. The culminating face-off scene was not as strong as I would have liked, but was rather inventive. And her situation at the end of the book was believable. However, the ex-husband being reasonable and the potential love interest (with an emphasis on potential) were relatively weak and didn't add enough to the story or her character development.
Overall the
August 13, 2014
The London Project is a well-structured futuristic who-done-it novel about a woman police detective on the tail of the killer of a fourteen year old girl who was badly tortured before her death. It’s set in a time when London has a sophisticated web system—a kind of natural extension of the present world wide web—run by the Portal company. The London Project was the rolling out of this web across all of central London so that no one was ever off the grid—or mostly anyway; a few dead zones remain.
Think of a kind of far-reaching Facebook/You Tube that stores medical records and other official data, and tracks all your personal events via feeds that you share with your subscribers. Linked to this is an automatic driving system where you program in your destination and the car takes you via the most efficient route, avoiding all the other cars sensed by the GPS software. Sensors line the street so that people can be located at any time. This alone has made London safer. The police force has been cut back because most crimes can solved using the Portal’s resources. Business boomed with the introduction of the London Project so, though it has its critics, the overwhelming response has been positive. The benefits seem to outweigh the disadvantages. It’s a beneficial big brother—or is it?
It’s a chilling vision because it’s all too possible.
Like any good crime mystery, there are many twists and turns. The plot and pacing are impeccable, and the characters and their relationships are well developed and realistic. It’s an entertaining read for anyone who likes a good mystery.
The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was because the quality of the prose was not as good as the rest of the book. The author relies too much on passive verbs which rob the prose of its power. Also, the author and editor are not aware that commas are required after introductory phrases, not just to be pedantic, but in order for the reading to be smooth and easy to understand.
I received a copy of this book from the author in return for a review
Think of a kind of far-reaching Facebook/You Tube that stores medical records and other official data, and tracks all your personal events via feeds that you share with your subscribers. Linked to this is an automatic driving system where you program in your destination and the car takes you via the most efficient route, avoiding all the other cars sensed by the GPS software. Sensors line the street so that people can be located at any time. This alone has made London safer. The police force has been cut back because most crimes can solved using the Portal’s resources. Business boomed with the introduction of the London Project so, though it has its critics, the overwhelming response has been positive. The benefits seem to outweigh the disadvantages. It’s a beneficial big brother—or is it?
It’s a chilling vision because it’s all too possible.
Like any good crime mystery, there are many twists and turns. The plot and pacing are impeccable, and the characters and their relationships are well developed and realistic. It’s an entertaining read for anyone who likes a good mystery.
The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was because the quality of the prose was not as good as the rest of the book. The author relies too much on passive verbs which rob the prose of its power. Also, the author and editor are not aware that commas are required after introductory phrases, not just to be pedantic, but in order for the reading to be smooth and easy to understand.
I received a copy of this book from the author in return for a review
October 2, 2014
The London Project, by Mark Maxwell, is set in a near future London dominated by a highly successful integration of a massive social media experiment (“The Portal“) into every area of life. By and large this is regarded as highly successful, leading to huge increases in prosperity and safety, at the cost of sacrificing almost all personal privacy. The debate is very familiar, though current technology is a pale shadow of the capabilities described.
Inevitably there are problems, which the main character, a police woman juggling a demanding job with single motherhood, has to tackle. Parts of the book read more like a crime mystery, with mysterious acronyms and police procedures needing to be spelled out for the uninitiated reader. I do not usually read crime fiction of this kind, and tended to glaze over in these sections. They were redeemed to some extent by exploring how they would be implemented in such a massively interconnected world.
Technically the book was well produced and edited. However, for me it would have profited from softening some of the technobabble about how The Portal worked. I work in IT, so was not intimidated by these descriptions: I just felt they added little to the plot and were too intrusive. The plot itself had a single focus, but a long series of complications and revelations.
As a Londoner, the interest value of visiting future versions of places I know just pushed this into four stars. I might have felt differently if it had been set elsewhere. Readers who enjoy the crossover between crime writing and science fiction would probably be enthusiastic about this. Certainly the issues tackled – including driverless cars, online privacy, and wearable technology allowing instant upload of personal experience – are important contemporary challenges.
Inevitably there are problems, which the main character, a police woman juggling a demanding job with single motherhood, has to tackle. Parts of the book read more like a crime mystery, with mysterious acronyms and police procedures needing to be spelled out for the uninitiated reader. I do not usually read crime fiction of this kind, and tended to glaze over in these sections. They were redeemed to some extent by exploring how they would be implemented in such a massively interconnected world.
Technically the book was well produced and edited. However, for me it would have profited from softening some of the technobabble about how The Portal worked. I work in IT, so was not intimidated by these descriptions: I just felt they added little to the plot and were too intrusive. The plot itself had a single focus, but a long series of complications and revelations.
As a Londoner, the interest value of visiting future versions of places I know just pushed this into four stars. I might have felt differently if it had been set elsewhere. Readers who enjoy the crossover between crime writing and science fiction would probably be enthusiastic about this. Certainly the issues tackled – including driverless cars, online privacy, and wearable technology allowing instant upload of personal experience – are important contemporary challenges.
December 7, 2014
The London Project is way more cop-drama than sci fi but it's still a remarkable read.
The world of The London Project reminds me of the world in The Circle by Dave Eggers. Portal is an online service that encompasses every aspect of daily life. It's more than a "new Facebook"; Portal drives your car and coordinates your medical care. It also monitors your fridge and delivers new groceries to your house.
It's an extraordinary service for citizens, and it's a major benefit for law enforcement. Real life London already has a massive CCTV system and Portal is an expansion of that, using tech called "sense strips". So a young girl found dead outside a train station with no sense strip footage of her in the area is an unusual case for the cops. The investigation spirals out into a complicated and unpredictable conspiracy.
The London Project maintains a good balance between a police procedural and science fiction. Overall, the book is an excellent cautionary tale of how technology that makes our life seem easier can actually make our lives worse.
The only thing I didn't love about The London Project was the heavy use of acronyms. Between the technology and job titles/ranks you have to learn a new language to read the book smoothly.
The world of The London Project reminds me of the world in The Circle by Dave Eggers. Portal is an online service that encompasses every aspect of daily life. It's more than a "new Facebook"; Portal drives your car and coordinates your medical care. It also monitors your fridge and delivers new groceries to your house.
It's an extraordinary service for citizens, and it's a major benefit for law enforcement. Real life London already has a massive CCTV system and Portal is an expansion of that, using tech called "sense strips". So a young girl found dead outside a train station with no sense strip footage of her in the area is an unusual case for the cops. The investigation spirals out into a complicated and unpredictable conspiracy.
The London Project maintains a good balance between a police procedural and science fiction. Overall, the book is an excellent cautionary tale of how technology that makes our life seem easier can actually make our lives worse.
The only thing I didn't love about The London Project was the heavy use of acronyms. Between the technology and job titles/ranks you have to learn a new language to read the book smoothly.
October 28, 2014
Futuristic. Detective. Whodunit. Big Brother. Government knows best. High tech. Advanced medical sciences. And there's a murder. This is science fiction at its best. A little something of everything for the mystery/scifi reader.
I really, really enjoyed this. Multi-layered, multi-faceted story of corruption in high places. Idealistic technology is heralded and privacies are a thing of the past.
But as the saying goes, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
The first several chapters I had to really concentrate because this author had details down to the very minutiae of a dystopian, tech-heavy society. New names, acronyms, procedures, and fictional tech are introduced at once and it takes a bit to get a feel for the societal norms and levels of government. Absolutely incredible writing, immersing the reader into what could very well be a realistic future.
Well-written, believable characters. I dont want to say more because I dont want to give anything away. However, if you love science fiction with a hinting of Minority Report thrown in, get thee to the nearest copy.
Thank you to the author for this copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
I really, really enjoyed this. Multi-layered, multi-faceted story of corruption in high places. Idealistic technology is heralded and privacies are a thing of the past.
But as the saying goes, absolute power corrupts absolutely.
The first several chapters I had to really concentrate because this author had details down to the very minutiae of a dystopian, tech-heavy society. New names, acronyms, procedures, and fictional tech are introduced at once and it takes a bit to get a feel for the societal norms and levels of government. Absolutely incredible writing, immersing the reader into what could very well be a realistic future.
Well-written, believable characters. I dont want to say more because I dont want to give anything away. However, if you love science fiction with a hinting of Minority Report thrown in, get thee to the nearest copy.
Thank you to the author for this copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
November 17, 2014
I very much enjoyed The London Project, by Mark J Maxwell. Set in an Orwellian future London where everyone is on the grid all the time, The London Project sets itself apart by using London as a sort of staging area for the "Big Brother" surveillance of the future. It's the first city to acquire Portal, which masquerades as a kind of über-Facebook where everyone is connected all the time. Of course, the sinister flip-side to the connectedness is that the people behind Portal know what you're up all the time.
The London Project is a definite page-turner that will keep you reading well into the wee hours. The scenario is eerily plausible, and Maxwell's explanations of Portal's inner workings are surprisingly interesting – [there is always the possibility that such content could be dry and boring, but Maxwell really makes it work].
I'd recommend The London Project to anyone who enjoys sci-fi/dystopian thrillers. You will not be disappointed!
The London Project is a definite page-turner that will keep you reading well into the wee hours. The scenario is eerily plausible, and Maxwell's explanations of Portal's inner workings are surprisingly interesting – [there is always the possibility that such content could be dry and boring, but Maxwell really makes it work].
I'd recommend The London Project to anyone who enjoys sci-fi/dystopian thrillers. You will not be disappointed!
July 7, 2015
"London Project" is one the most unique novels I have read. It's part mystery/crime novel and part dystopian fiction. The setting - a futuristic London where everyone is constantly connected to and monitored by a massive network - is out-there enough to be interesting, but believable enough to not read like a fantasy. The main character (Louisa) is extremely likeable and dynamic. Once I had finished about 3/4 of the book, I found myself unable to tear myself away because I HAD to find out what happened next!
My one major gripe with this book is that I found the final chapter unnecessary; I think it would have been perfect if it ended with the chapter just before it. That being said, that final chapter doesn't detract from the rest of the book. I'll definitely be on the look out for new books from this author.
My one major gripe with this book is that I found the final chapter unnecessary; I think it would have been perfect if it ended with the chapter just before it. That being said, that final chapter doesn't detract from the rest of the book. I'll definitely be on the look out for new books from this author.
May 13, 2014
I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review. The London Project is a murder mystery with science fiction blended together. A Det Sergeant Louisa is assigned to solve the murder of a teenage girl, she gets tangled in a conspiracy which leads to the Portal corporation. They are responsible for the leap in computer technology from which only people who live in London benefit. Louisa is forced to deal with the stress of a remarried Ex-Husband, both a professional and a family tradegy, several attempts on her life and the possibility of some corruption in the Police force. I liked the Louisa character she was softer than your usual hard nosed cop character. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery with some sci-fi in it.
August 3, 2014
I thought this book was a brilliantly written look into a scary near-future that may not be too far away. As I read about the 'The London Project' I realised that things aren't so far removed when we really think of it. Take the VANS innovation for instance, in the week when it was announced that driver-less cars will be introduced into the UK in January 2015, it really made me stop and think of the implications this may bring. This book is not only a gripping detective story but i also believe it is a vital study of what can happen when things get out of hand and technology and big business takes over, and I would recommend it to anyone. Just think about what you may be giving up when you think of buying a smart TV or body monitoring wristband...
July 14, 2014
What happens to a city/area when we let a machine track all of our movements? Have access to our medical records and even our feelings. Well at first it sounds like a Utopia. Then, we discover that a mad genius is at the helm. A young girls death opens a can of worms for a woman police officer. Since she has children of her own she can't let this one disappear into the can't be solved file. Read This exciting techno thriller of the future. Yes, it is a long book but if stay with it you may be a lot more conscience of how life could turn out. I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.
June 26, 2015
This is a really high quality book – one of the books that says indie authors can produce a book just as well as the big end of town. I loved the characters straight away.
Something I thought was great about the science fiction aspects of this book was that the functionality was well thought out and looked like it could really be where technology could reasonably go. This also makes science fiction easy to understand, so you can get on with reading how the characters risk all to find out ‘who dunnit’.
A fairly substantial work, with plenty of reading – which gave me hours of pleasure. I only wish this author had written more books for me to enjoy. I'll keep an eye out.
Something I thought was great about the science fiction aspects of this book was that the functionality was well thought out and looked like it could really be where technology could reasonably go. This also makes science fiction easy to understand, so you can get on with reading how the characters risk all to find out ‘who dunnit’.
A fairly substantial work, with plenty of reading – which gave me hours of pleasure. I only wish this author had written more books for me to enjoy. I'll keep an eye out.
February 15, 2015
Take one more real-life occurrence of another large amount of intimate data being hacked from yet another large corporation, most probably with the government's blessing. Add a murder that is most significant because it is *not* in any of the data, leaked or otherwise. And then prepare to be drawn into the twists and turns of this story. It is not a simple murder mystery, it is not an espionage tale, and it is definitely not a the government is out to get us story. But, it does use all of those to flavor a tale that will keep you awake all the night, and make you fearful of using your computer.
September 7, 2014
Mark Maxwell has skillfully blended the best of science fiction and hard boiled detective stories about a futuristic dystopian London in which your every move is watched and corruption exists at the highest level of corporate and government administration. This book is well written. The characters and dialogue are believable and Maxwell portrays forensic procedures in as accurate a manner as possible. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys science fiction or a good old fashioned detective story.
May 8, 2015
A really good book. Not being at all tech savvy a lot of the tech talk went well past my head. But I did understand enough to get what was going on. That being said, it was very well written and thought out. It flowed nicely and I loved the characters. Especially the main character. It was great to see a strong female lead for a change. But a female who had vulnerabilities and self doubt. Strength of character and a solid moral compass. I liked this woman a great deal. She was a realistic woman. A really good read.
June 18, 2014
This is a page turner! Starts out as a female law officer, but becomes so much more.It details her quest for justice for a young girl, and her own struggles as a single parent. The story is new and fascinating--tried guessing the ending, but nope. It takes place in the future and the technology ideas and descriptions are amazing--very believable. The character development/relationships are superb. I recommend with 2 thumbs up!
August 16, 2014
If you like classic crime novels or science fiction you must read [The London Project] by [Mark J. Maxwell]. [Maxwell] does a great job creating this hybrid of genres without letting either overpower the other. The characters were people, not aliens or cyborgs. The crimes were real but involved futuristic technology. I look forward to reading books by [Maxwell], hopefully a continuation of the characters stories.
October 16, 2014
I don't know if it is because I don't read sci-fi very often but the first few chapters kind of turned me off to this book. There were a lot of weird terms and acronyms being tossed around with no explanation as to what they were until later in the book. I almost didn't continue past the first few chapters because I wasn't comprehending all of what I was reading, but I kept going and it turned out to be a pretty good book.
May 12, 2014
A bit confusing of a story. I had a bit of difficulty keeping focus on the story - probably due to the technical aspects of the PORTAL. Over all, the story is clever. None of the characters really stood out over the others. I did find the story enjoyable and I will definitely read more by this first time author.
July 13, 2014
Intriguing near-future story with London ahead of the world in data communication. Privacy is almost none existent and for the most part people are OK with that. But some diabolical people can beat the system and they must be stopped. Gripping novel, definitely worth a read.
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