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Driven
Not yet published
Expected 8 Sep 26A terrifying locked-room mystery from the author of Exiles and William—this time set in a cutting-edge autonomous car.
Jamie Newcross wants to disappear. His wife and baby girl have abandoned him, and his only wish is to retreat from society. Because, as it turns out, Jamie Newcross is also being haunted. Every house, condo, or apartment he moves into is plagued with ghosts—at the end of the bed or when pulling back the shower curtain. He hasn’t been able to sleep in weeks.
But Jamie has a plan. He posts queries online and finds someone wanting to get rid of their Lion—the world’s most advanced self-driving car—a sleek, private, contained vessel that is one-hundred percent safe. Or so he thought.
Because now, Jamie has woken up to the Lion speeding down a dark road, the hood is dented—wait, is that blood?—and the car will not respond, or stop, or let him out.
As the miles rack up and Jamie becomes increasingly complicit in his car’s choices, he's forced to face the tragic past he has kept buried. Driven is a taut, near-future fever-dream. Mason Coile delivers another one-sitting read that blends science fiction and psychological horror to explore loneliness, grief, and the things that make us human.
Jamie Newcross wants to disappear. His wife and baby girl have abandoned him, and his only wish is to retreat from society. Because, as it turns out, Jamie Newcross is also being haunted. Every house, condo, or apartment he moves into is plagued with ghosts—at the end of the bed or when pulling back the shower curtain. He hasn’t been able to sleep in weeks.
But Jamie has a plan. He posts queries online and finds someone wanting to get rid of their Lion—the world’s most advanced self-driving car—a sleek, private, contained vessel that is one-hundred percent safe. Or so he thought.
Because now, Jamie has woken up to the Lion speeding down a dark road, the hood is dented—wait, is that blood?—and the car will not respond, or stop, or let him out.
As the miles rack up and Jamie becomes increasingly complicit in his car’s choices, he's forced to face the tragic past he has kept buried. Driven is a taut, near-future fever-dream. Mason Coile delivers another one-sitting read that blends science fiction and psychological horror to explore loneliness, grief, and the things that make us human.
- GenresHorrorScience Fiction
224 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 8, 2026
About the author
Mason Coile
3 books305 followersMason Coile is a pseudonym of Andrew Pyper, the award-winning author of ten novels, including The Demonologist, which won the International Thriller Writers Award, and Lost Girls, which was a New York Times bestseller and Notable Book of the Year.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Did Not Finish
April 25, 2026I've enjoyed this author's past books, but I just couldn't get into this story. I didn't feel invested in the main character or the direction of the plot. Since I found myself uninterested whenever I sat down to read, I’ve decided to set it aside at 55%.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this e-ARC to review.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this e-ARC to review.
April 15, 2026
Driven starts with a bang! Jamie has lost his wife & child and has spent the past few years moving from one haunted apt to another. Jamie is moving into yet another place & spoiler this one is haunted too! The haunting is genuinely terrifying!
Jamie jumps at the opportunity to own a self
driving car. He hopes that if he stays in a constant motion the ghosts won’t be able to find him. From this point Driven begins to flip from horror to psychological thriller. While Coile executes this well I found the rest of the book to be pretty predictable. It strives for deeper meaning & I wasn’t particularly moved.
Jamie jumps at the opportunity to own a self
driving car. He hopes that if he stays in a constant motion the ghosts won’t be able to find him. From this point Driven begins to flip from horror to psychological thriller. While Coile executes this well I found the rest of the book to be pretty predictable. It strives for deeper meaning & I wasn’t particularly moved.
March 29, 2026
I went into this not really knowing what to expect, but having read Exiles by Coile I was excited to see what was in store. I found this to be a lot deeper than the surface shows and I found myself really caring for our main character. This has a lot of twists and turns and the plot meanders a bit but I enjoyed it a lot.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
*Huge thanks to Edelweiss & the publisher for a digital ARC of this one.*
‘I had found the dream I was meant to live, and it was the life I was already living. And then it was over.’
When’s a book not just a book?
It’s a question I’ve asked myself before, both internally and out loud to the wider world. It’s a question scholars have asked for hundreds of years. And it’s a question that’ll be pondered as long as we have books – in some form or another.
I imagine when Andrew wrote the short story and screenplay that became his first novel as Mason Coile, the wonderfully tech-savvy ‘William,’ that his intentions weren’t to write a trilogy that mapped out his final days metaphorically and with such aplomb.
No. I imagine back then, he was looking at writing what he called, ‘shorter, snappier thrillers.’
‘William’ kicked things off. And, I’ll admit with a bit of ‘for the record’ reader/reviewer/superfan pride, that after I posted my review of ‘William,’ not only did Andrew publicly confirm my theory of what that book was truly about, but we had several in depth conversations about that book itself.
While that book – on the surface at least – tells the story of a brilliant engineer with crippling agoraphobia who must confront his affliction when his AI creation goes off the walls, it was a metaphorical telling of Andrew’s world during the Covid-19 pandemic/lockdown.
Next up, we received the claustrophobic nightmare that was ‘Exiles.’ Again, when taken at face value, tells the story of astronauts sent to aide in the set up of the initial Mars colony, but when they arrive the three robots there are in the midst of a meltdown causing the base to be mostly destroyed. I’ve read the book three times now and had my suspicions this was another of Andrew’s metaphorical examinations. Diagnosed at this point with terminal cancer, the story maps out Andrew’s treatment journey, his body the base, the doctors and modalities the astronauts and robots, all ultimately failing to figure out a way to make things right and give us the happy ending we all so desperately hoped for.
Which brings us to his third novel as Mason Coile. ‘Driven.’ By all public accounts, this is the finale of the Mason Coile books. Andrew’s swan song with his pseudonym.
Yes, we got the final (with Andrew Pyper that is) Oracle audiobook, that release finished by the amazing Craig Davidson. And while I know of two other unpublished Pyper books – one stand alone and one co-written with Craig (though, I’m not sure if it’s under Craig’s name or as Nick Cutter) – those I’ve asked are unsure if they’ll ever see the light of publishing day.
I finished this one last night and I couldn’t sleep after. I made notes. I reread a few spots I’d marked. I wanted to email Andrew all my thoughts and questions and wanted confirmation about my theories.
If you’ve read any of my other reviews, understand this one’s going to take a different format. Let’s call it an examination, if you will. And hopefully I’ll do this book the justice it deserves in showcasing why you need to read it and why this three AI arc of books Andrew released as Mason are just as important as his arc of five books examining grief earlier in his career.
On the surface, ‘Driven’ tells the story of Jamie. Defeated and alone, he’s haunted. His wife and daughter have left him and his life around him has fallen apart. He’s moving from shit hole apartment to even shittier hole apartment, trying to outrun the terrifying ghoul that continuously pops up and chases him from each place. Home. That’s what he longs for but knows he can never find again. Not with his wife and daughter gone. Not with the ghoul always on his heels.
Hoping his haunting is purely quantified by four walls around him, he decides to buy a Lion, a fully autonomous car. He plans to live in the car, letting it drive him to wherever it wants to drive, so that he can get some sleep and hopefully some mileage between himself and the ghoul.
Of course, this is a horror novel, even with all the tech flashiness of the cover and hashtags and marketing that’ll accompany it, and things go sideways, leading us to several revelations. He buys the car from an odd, rich guy, one he knows to be untrustworthy. After waking, he discovers the hood of the car is dented and what appears to be blood on the windshield. From here it becomes a mix of what happened and what’s next. The pace increases, Jamie learns what happened and decides to make some of his own moves, in the hopes of making things from the past right. It turns into a surreal cyberpunk sleuth novel, where we get threats, actions, and an unlikely friendship.
But I can’t read this book purely on the surface. And I imagine if you know my love of Andrew’s work, and how much I cared for the man himself, you’ll know that I read this with my Pyper Superfan cap on. And for those of you who’ve been reading Andrew since his first collection in 1996 came out, you’ll understand just what Andrew was doing within this book.
You see, Andrew was saying goodbye to us all.
And he was saying goodbye to his family.
Within this book are Easter eggs to each of his previous books. Knowing how cerebral Andrew was with his meticulous plotting and connecting the dots, I’m confident this isn’t me searching for things that weren’t there. No, as the book went on, I found myself grinning frequently, when little details popped up.
I’m going to do my best to remain spoiler free here, but no promises.
The biggest connection throughout his books and this one, is the ghoul-type figure that haunts Jamie. A ghoul-type figure is mentioned in all but two of Andrew’s novels in his career, something that became a bit of a staple in his writing.
For his 1999 debut, we get a ‘Lost Girls’ connection with Jamie having been a lawyer before his life spiraled, harkening back to when Bartholomew Crane arrived on the literary scene. Of course, this wouldn’t be an Andrew book without it being set in Toronto, which ties into almost every of his other books. We see a connection to ‘The Damned’ with a scene between Jamie and his mom. We get noted ‘The Killing Circle’ and ‘The Guardians’ Easter eggs with some very specific locations. And of course we get the tie in of technology with ‘The Homecoming,’ ‘William,’ and ‘Exiles.’
But the book that we get the most connectivity with is ‘The Demonologist.’ We get Jamie going into a cellar, we get him longing to be reconnected with his daughter, we get a description of wall colors and most notably, we get what appears to be an ending that mirrors – though more defined – than what happens in ‘The Demonologist.’
Throughout this novel, Jamie is saying goodbye to his loved ones. And frankly, it was hard to read. Because I knew who was writing those words.
In my years of friendship with Andrew, nothing was more apparent than his love for his wife and kids. And within this book, that love is almost palpable on the pages. We read about the little moments between Jamie and his wife, Lauren, that reinforced his love and remained imbedded deep within his brain. I wouldn’t be surprised if all of those moments were from Andrew’s real life. We read about the small, tender moments with Jamie’s daughter, Olivia, and we’re reminded about how much Andrew loved being a father. And when the revelation of ‘why’ they’ve left arrives… it’s a hard section to get through.
If this is the finale of the Mason Coile AI-tech novels, Andrew has done a stellar job of showcasing the terror that can take place when AI begins to think for itself and stop listening to those who’ve created it, but also highlighting the dependency and intangible connections humans make with those devices. We’ve already started to see it in commercials, of people using smartphone AI options as though it was a real, living, breathing friend. And Andrew dissected the why and wrote three books about what happens when we allow it to get out of control.
At the end of the day, ‘Driven’ showcases everything that made Andrew’s books so special. It is the story of a man, trapped in a car, wondering what comes next. A story that mirrors Andrew at the end of his life. A man trapped in his body, losing control, desperately wanting to remain forever with his family. Desperately wanting to live a longer life at the place that means more to him than any other place ever could.
Home.
‘I had found the dream I was meant to live, and it was the life I was already living. And then it was over.’
When’s a book not just a book?
It’s a question I’ve asked myself before, both internally and out loud to the wider world. It’s a question scholars have asked for hundreds of years. And it’s a question that’ll be pondered as long as we have books – in some form or another.
I imagine when Andrew wrote the short story and screenplay that became his first novel as Mason Coile, the wonderfully tech-savvy ‘William,’ that his intentions weren’t to write a trilogy that mapped out his final days metaphorically and with such aplomb.
No. I imagine back then, he was looking at writing what he called, ‘shorter, snappier thrillers.’
‘William’ kicked things off. And, I’ll admit with a bit of ‘for the record’ reader/reviewer/superfan pride, that after I posted my review of ‘William,’ not only did Andrew publicly confirm my theory of what that book was truly about, but we had several in depth conversations about that book itself.
While that book – on the surface at least – tells the story of a brilliant engineer with crippling agoraphobia who must confront his affliction when his AI creation goes off the walls, it was a metaphorical telling of Andrew’s world during the Covid-19 pandemic/lockdown.
Next up, we received the claustrophobic nightmare that was ‘Exiles.’ Again, when taken at face value, tells the story of astronauts sent to aide in the set up of the initial Mars colony, but when they arrive the three robots there are in the midst of a meltdown causing the base to be mostly destroyed. I’ve read the book three times now and had my suspicions this was another of Andrew’s metaphorical examinations. Diagnosed at this point with terminal cancer, the story maps out Andrew’s treatment journey, his body the base, the doctors and modalities the astronauts and robots, all ultimately failing to figure out a way to make things right and give us the happy ending we all so desperately hoped for.
Which brings us to his third novel as Mason Coile. ‘Driven.’ By all public accounts, this is the finale of the Mason Coile books. Andrew’s swan song with his pseudonym.
Yes, we got the final (with Andrew Pyper that is) Oracle audiobook, that release finished by the amazing Craig Davidson. And while I know of two other unpublished Pyper books – one stand alone and one co-written with Craig (though, I’m not sure if it’s under Craig’s name or as Nick Cutter) – those I’ve asked are unsure if they’ll ever see the light of publishing day.
I finished this one last night and I couldn’t sleep after. I made notes. I reread a few spots I’d marked. I wanted to email Andrew all my thoughts and questions and wanted confirmation about my theories.
If you’ve read any of my other reviews, understand this one’s going to take a different format. Let’s call it an examination, if you will. And hopefully I’ll do this book the justice it deserves in showcasing why you need to read it and why this three AI arc of books Andrew released as Mason are just as important as his arc of five books examining grief earlier in his career.
On the surface, ‘Driven’ tells the story of Jamie. Defeated and alone, he’s haunted. His wife and daughter have left him and his life around him has fallen apart. He’s moving from shit hole apartment to even shittier hole apartment, trying to outrun the terrifying ghoul that continuously pops up and chases him from each place. Home. That’s what he longs for but knows he can never find again. Not with his wife and daughter gone. Not with the ghoul always on his heels.
Hoping his haunting is purely quantified by four walls around him, he decides to buy a Lion, a fully autonomous car. He plans to live in the car, letting it drive him to wherever it wants to drive, so that he can get some sleep and hopefully some mileage between himself and the ghoul.
Of course, this is a horror novel, even with all the tech flashiness of the cover and hashtags and marketing that’ll accompany it, and things go sideways, leading us to several revelations. He buys the car from an odd, rich guy, one he knows to be untrustworthy. After waking, he discovers the hood of the car is dented and what appears to be blood on the windshield. From here it becomes a mix of what happened and what’s next. The pace increases, Jamie learns what happened and decides to make some of his own moves, in the hopes of making things from the past right. It turns into a surreal cyberpunk sleuth novel, where we get threats, actions, and an unlikely friendship.
But I can’t read this book purely on the surface. And I imagine if you know my love of Andrew’s work, and how much I cared for the man himself, you’ll know that I read this with my Pyper Superfan cap on. And for those of you who’ve been reading Andrew since his first collection in 1996 came out, you’ll understand just what Andrew was doing within this book.
You see, Andrew was saying goodbye to us all.
And he was saying goodbye to his family.
Within this book are Easter eggs to each of his previous books. Knowing how cerebral Andrew was with his meticulous plotting and connecting the dots, I’m confident this isn’t me searching for things that weren’t there. No, as the book went on, I found myself grinning frequently, when little details popped up.
I’m going to do my best to remain spoiler free here, but no promises.
The biggest connection throughout his books and this one, is the ghoul-type figure that haunts Jamie. A ghoul-type figure is mentioned in all but two of Andrew’s novels in his career, something that became a bit of a staple in his writing.
For his 1999 debut, we get a ‘Lost Girls’ connection with Jamie having been a lawyer before his life spiraled, harkening back to when Bartholomew Crane arrived on the literary scene. Of course, this wouldn’t be an Andrew book without it being set in Toronto, which ties into almost every of his other books. We see a connection to ‘The Damned’ with a scene between Jamie and his mom. We get noted ‘The Killing Circle’ and ‘The Guardians’ Easter eggs with some very specific locations. And of course we get the tie in of technology with ‘The Homecoming,’ ‘William,’ and ‘Exiles.’
But the book that we get the most connectivity with is ‘The Demonologist.’ We get Jamie going into a cellar, we get him longing to be reconnected with his daughter, we get a description of wall colors and most notably, we get what appears to be an ending that mirrors – though more defined – than what happens in ‘The Demonologist.’
Throughout this novel, Jamie is saying goodbye to his loved ones. And frankly, it was hard to read. Because I knew who was writing those words.
In my years of friendship with Andrew, nothing was more apparent than his love for his wife and kids. And within this book, that love is almost palpable on the pages. We read about the little moments between Jamie and his wife, Lauren, that reinforced his love and remained imbedded deep within his brain. I wouldn’t be surprised if all of those moments were from Andrew’s real life. We read about the small, tender moments with Jamie’s daughter, Olivia, and we’re reminded about how much Andrew loved being a father. And when the revelation of ‘why’ they’ve left arrives… it’s a hard section to get through.
If this is the finale of the Mason Coile AI-tech novels, Andrew has done a stellar job of showcasing the terror that can take place when AI begins to think for itself and stop listening to those who’ve created it, but also highlighting the dependency and intangible connections humans make with those devices. We’ve already started to see it in commercials, of people using smartphone AI options as though it was a real, living, breathing friend. And Andrew dissected the why and wrote three books about what happens when we allow it to get out of control.
At the end of the day, ‘Driven’ showcases everything that made Andrew’s books so special. It is the story of a man, trapped in a car, wondering what comes next. A story that mirrors Andrew at the end of his life. A man trapped in his body, losing control, desperately wanting to remain forever with his family. Desperately wanting to live a longer life at the place that means more to him than any other place ever could.
Home.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A big thank you to the publishers for an e-ARC of this story via NetGalley!
I really enjoyed William, and really did not enjoy Exiles, so I was intrigued to see how I would feel about Coile's newest story. Unfortunately I really did not care for this.
My biggest gripe is just that flat out, the synopsis is completely wrong to what the actual story is.
"His wife and baby girl have abandoned him" to avoid spoilers I understand why this is inaccurate, but it's still inaccurate. Placing blame on the mother that we are supposed to (eventually) sympathize with and believe that Jamie was and still is madly in love with doesn't make any sense.
"He posts queries online and and finds someone wanting to get rid of their Lion" wrong, he made one off-handed facebook post a YEAR before the story takes place and some rando (claims to) keep his number that whole time and messages HIM to get rid of it.
"The car will not respond, or stop, or let him out" Several times it does in fact stop, let him out, and (eventually) responds. He has at least two or three chances where he is let out that he could run, or really do -anything- and just doesn't.
On top of that, we're not really given a reason to care about Jamie. He, and every character in this story, is very bland and pointless to follow - for such a short book, it's basically just a series of /watching things happen/ but I never really cared where it went.
It felt like two stories smashed into each other - the ghost storyline felt like it was trying to emulate Bat Eater, while the "trapped in a murder car" felt very random and deadened the emotional impact the ghost thing was aiming for. They could be two separate interesting stories, but together they felt silly.
It also had the standard pitfalls of an ARC - the spelling of names kept changing, a considerable number of typos, small details changing (at one point it says /the thing/ happened ten years ago, and later it says it happened five years ago), which added to the level of difficulty to give a damn.
The way I see star ratings, a two is for "this was bad and I'm disappointed about it", and a one is for "this was bad and I'm angry about it". I didn't quite reach angry levels, but this really wasn't very good.
I really enjoyed William, and really did not enjoy Exiles, so I was intrigued to see how I would feel about Coile's newest story. Unfortunately I really did not care for this.
My biggest gripe is just that flat out, the synopsis is completely wrong to what the actual story is.
"His wife and baby girl have abandoned him" to avoid spoilers I understand why this is inaccurate, but it's still inaccurate. Placing blame on the mother that we are supposed to (eventually) sympathize with and believe that Jamie was and still is madly in love with doesn't make any sense.
"He posts queries online and and finds someone wanting to get rid of their Lion" wrong, he made one off-handed facebook post a YEAR before the story takes place and some rando (claims to) keep his number that whole time and messages HIM to get rid of it.
"The car will not respond, or stop, or let him out" Several times it does in fact stop, let him out, and (eventually) responds. He has at least two or three chances where he is let out that he could run, or really do -anything- and just doesn't.
On top of that, we're not really given a reason to care about Jamie. He, and every character in this story, is very bland and pointless to follow - for such a short book, it's basically just a series of /watching things happen/ but I never really cared where it went.
It felt like two stories smashed into each other - the ghost storyline felt like it was trying to emulate Bat Eater, while the "trapped in a murder car" felt very random and deadened the emotional impact the ghost thing was aiming for. They could be two separate interesting stories, but together they felt silly.
It also had the standard pitfalls of an ARC - the spelling of names kept changing, a considerable number of typos, small details changing (at one point it says /the thing/ happened ten years ago, and later it says it happened five years ago), which added to the level of difficulty to give a damn.
The way I see star ratings, a two is for "this was bad and I'm disappointed about it", and a one is for "this was bad and I'm angry about it". I didn't quite reach angry levels, but this really wasn't very good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
It is said that there are no new stories, but the wildly innovative Driven, might challenge that assumption.
Jamie Newcross is apartment hunting. He’s been left by his wife and little girl so doesn’t need much space, but no matter the size or location of a potential home, a troubling factor remains constant: something follows him. A figure might appear standing quietly behind the shower curtain, a face could press through the static of the television screen, or the baseball announcer's voice on the radio morphs into auditory horror. Jaime cannot escape an evil presence he doesn't understand and he's desperate. So in a bold move, Jamie assumes residence in a Lion 100, the first fully road-safe self-driving car.
The Lion makes Kit from Knight Rider look like a broke-ass moped. This beast of a smart car monitors your body temperature and vitals to determine your mood, knows your favorite scents, and is able to derive preferences Jaime didn’t even know he had. But can it keep out whatever is following Jamie?
There are gripping twists and turns, literally and figuratively in Driven, a book that only gets stronger as the plot unfurl like so many miles of highway. With no dialogue from the car (the Lion doesn’t speak), the author creates a powerful but haunting character out of Jaime’s pilot and side-kick. Grisly scenes abound, this is a horror, sci-fi, thriller, and it checks every genre box with gusto.
Maison Coile (pseudonym of Andrew Piper) died in 2025, and I thought his bone-chilling space horror, Exiles, was his final novel. What an awesome surprise as Driven comes out in Sept 2026, and is very much worth getting excited about. If Coile has any more books hidden in a drawer he could be a literary Tupac. This one is highly recommended to horror and sci-fi fans.
Thanks to Edelweiss Plus and G.P. Putnam's Sons for a review copy.
Jamie Newcross is apartment hunting. He’s been left by his wife and little girl so doesn’t need much space, but no matter the size or location of a potential home, a troubling factor remains constant: something follows him. A figure might appear standing quietly behind the shower curtain, a face could press through the static of the television screen, or the baseball announcer's voice on the radio morphs into auditory horror. Jaime cannot escape an evil presence he doesn't understand and he's desperate. So in a bold move, Jamie assumes residence in a Lion 100, the first fully road-safe self-driving car.
The Lion makes Kit from Knight Rider look like a broke-ass moped. This beast of a smart car monitors your body temperature and vitals to determine your mood, knows your favorite scents, and is able to derive preferences Jaime didn’t even know he had. But can it keep out whatever is following Jamie?
There are gripping twists and turns, literally and figuratively in Driven, a book that only gets stronger as the plot unfurl like so many miles of highway. With no dialogue from the car (the Lion doesn’t speak), the author creates a powerful but haunting character out of Jaime’s pilot and side-kick. Grisly scenes abound, this is a horror, sci-fi, thriller, and it checks every genre box with gusto.
Maison Coile (pseudonym of Andrew Piper) died in 2025, and I thought his bone-chilling space horror, Exiles, was his final novel. What an awesome surprise as Driven comes out in Sept 2026, and is very much worth getting excited about. If Coile has any more books hidden in a drawer he could be a literary Tupac. This one is highly recommended to horror and sci-fi fans.
Thanks to Edelweiss Plus and G.P. Putnam's Sons for a review copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As a child of the 80s, (yes, I was alive in the 1900s), one of my guilty pleasures was as soon as I got home from school, I would try to find “Christine” on one of the movie channels on cable (yes, children, we had to look and see if the movie was playing and didn’t have access 24/7 to stream a movie we wanted to watch in the 1900s).
I loved “Christine”. The guy that had been wronged by others finds a car that he loves, and it has a personality of its own. As matter of fact, it seems to be able to drive itself and cause some chaos. So, when I read about this book coming out called “Driven” and it seemed to be putting a new, modern spin on the premise, you better believe I was up for it.
“Driven” does not disappoint in the least. But first, we have to go through some spooky things before we get to the self-driving car. And to be honest, I kept thinking I had missed a page or zoned out because I kept thinking, “What the heck is going on?” Hold on. We will get to that.
But when we do get introduced to the car…well, buckle in…you are in for a ride you won’t forget. This isn’t a retelling of “Christine”. Nope. It’s its own story. And it is deviously good.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
I loved “Christine”. The guy that had been wronged by others finds a car that he loves, and it has a personality of its own. As matter of fact, it seems to be able to drive itself and cause some chaos. So, when I read about this book coming out called “Driven” and it seemed to be putting a new, modern spin on the premise, you better believe I was up for it.
“Driven” does not disappoint in the least. But first, we have to go through some spooky things before we get to the self-driving car. And to be honest, I kept thinking I had missed a page or zoned out because I kept thinking, “What the heck is going on?” Hold on. We will get to that.
But when we do get introduced to the car…well, buckle in…you are in for a ride you won’t forget. This isn’t a retelling of “Christine”. Nope. It’s its own story. And it is deviously good.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really enjoyed this, I loved Exiles so as soon as I saw this out, I needed to read it so thank you Netgalley!
Jamie feels like he has nothing left, no family and no life he's lost everything he cares about, so what's a guy to do but try to dissappear and it felt like he was running which is a bit accurate, sometimes places aren't haunted but people are, in his case it's every place he moves.
That sounds like hell to me, but apparently there's a fast self driving car, now I don't know that's the solution I would have come up with but apparently it's what he needs, if he's constantly moving maybe he can sleep and finally outrun the ghosts.
The Lion is used and sold by what seems like a shady seller, but when your desperate that doesn't matter and Jamie is desperate. But what seems like a dream turns into a nightmare when he wakes up and the car won't respond to him and it looks like it's coveted in blood.
This car is so smart it monitors everything inside and out, down to your breathing, so what does it want the car dosent speak it just...does..
This was so damn tense, trapped in a car faced with who knows what is going on and the ghosts of your haunted past, sometimes it's a mirror you don't want to look into.
Loved this, it had me tense in the best ways.
Jamie feels like he has nothing left, no family and no life he's lost everything he cares about, so what's a guy to do but try to dissappear and it felt like he was running which is a bit accurate, sometimes places aren't haunted but people are, in his case it's every place he moves.
That sounds like hell to me, but apparently there's a fast self driving car, now I don't know that's the solution I would have come up with but apparently it's what he needs, if he's constantly moving maybe he can sleep and finally outrun the ghosts.
The Lion is used and sold by what seems like a shady seller, but when your desperate that doesn't matter and Jamie is desperate. But what seems like a dream turns into a nightmare when he wakes up and the car won't respond to him and it looks like it's coveted in blood.
This car is so smart it monitors everything inside and out, down to your breathing, so what does it want the car dosent speak it just...does..
This was so damn tense, trapped in a car faced with who knows what is going on and the ghosts of your haunted past, sometimes it's a mirror you don't want to look into.
Loved this, it had me tense in the best ways.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Netgalley and Putman for an ARC of this book
A haunted man get more than he bargained for after purchasing a self driving car.
It was good but not a new favorite.
It felt like two different books, one a sci-fi thriller and one a horror, blended into a single narrative. The supernatural elements were unnecessary to the self driving car storyline and vice versa.
The horror story was a good look at grief and how sudden and complete loss can effect the psyche of the survivor. It was sufficiently creepy but I wanted more. I appreciated that as the reader I never quite knew if it was real or all in his head.
The sci-fi thriller story was just as good and the mystery of the who, what, and why behind the accident was engaging. The reveal was ultimately easy enough to guess but the execution was decent. Again I ended up wanting more.
I'm not sure if separating the book into two novellas and giving them each the time they deserve to explore the themes and characters more would be better or not. As is the book is good but feels at the same time underdone and not long enough.
A haunted man get more than he bargained for after purchasing a self driving car.
It was good but not a new favorite.
It felt like two different books, one a sci-fi thriller and one a horror, blended into a single narrative. The supernatural elements were unnecessary to the self driving car storyline and vice versa.
The horror story was a good look at grief and how sudden and complete loss can effect the psyche of the survivor. It was sufficiently creepy but I wanted more. I appreciated that as the reader I never quite knew if it was real or all in his head.
The sci-fi thriller story was just as good and the mystery of the who, what, and why behind the accident was engaging. The reveal was ultimately easy enough to guess but the execution was decent. Again I ended up wanting more.
I'm not sure if separating the book into two novellas and giving them each the time they deserve to explore the themes and characters more would be better or not. As is the book is good but feels at the same time underdone and not long enough.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was a huge fan of Mason Coiles previous books William and Exiles so I was excited to receive an ARC of Driven from NetGalley. The book will be available September 8th in the US. Unfortunately Mason passed away recently so his last two books are very emotional with that in mind.
Driven is a fast paced science fiction psychological horror novella that takes place in the near future where self driving AI vehicles are produced with the intention of creating an emotional connection between the car and owner.
The story is told from the POV of Jamie Newcross, a man who recently lost his family and has little desire to continue living. Jamie is haunted by the past and needs to get out of his apartment where he is rotting away. Jamie purchases a used Lion, the AI car, from a shady man and is taken on a wild ride exploring his past, present, and future at the mercy of the car.
The story explores themes of loneliness, grief, and how scary the future may be with sentient products like cars that may bring benefits and dangers. I thought the book could have been longer for character and plot development. It is an easy, quick read that I highly recommend, 4/5 stars.
Driven is a fast paced science fiction psychological horror novella that takes place in the near future where self driving AI vehicles are produced with the intention of creating an emotional connection between the car and owner.
The story is told from the POV of Jamie Newcross, a man who recently lost his family and has little desire to continue living. Jamie is haunted by the past and needs to get out of his apartment where he is rotting away. Jamie purchases a used Lion, the AI car, from a shady man and is taken on a wild ride exploring his past, present, and future at the mercy of the car.
The story explores themes of loneliness, grief, and how scary the future may be with sentient products like cars that may bring benefits and dangers. I thought the book could have been longer for character and plot development. It is an easy, quick read that I highly recommend, 4/5 stars.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Reading the description of Driven, you might think you're getting a thriller about the dangers of artificial intelligence and self-driving cars. You are, but there's so. Much. More.
Starting the story off with intense character development and emotional authenticity, Coile takes Driven in a different direction than either of his previous novels. His irresistible sense of pacing and suspense is fully engaged here, making it almost impossible to steer yourself away at any point in this joyride.
Summarizing any of the plot would be an injustice to the delight of seeing how he pulls off the balancing act of what could be three separate plots eventually coalescing into one heartbreakingly real, completely convincing tale. Suffice it to say that fans of Taylor Adams' Our Last Night and Blake Crouch's Recursion who feel like they never found anything that quite compares need to read this book. A technothriller with heart, Driven is the most moving (pun-intended) book you'll read this year.
A huge thank you to the author--you will be sorely missed, but not forgotten--Penguin Random House and Edelweiss for the ARC.
Starting the story off with intense character development and emotional authenticity, Coile takes Driven in a different direction than either of his previous novels. His irresistible sense of pacing and suspense is fully engaged here, making it almost impossible to steer yourself away at any point in this joyride.
Summarizing any of the plot would be an injustice to the delight of seeing how he pulls off the balancing act of what could be three separate plots eventually coalescing into one heartbreakingly real, completely convincing tale. Suffice it to say that fans of Taylor Adams' Our Last Night and Blake Crouch's Recursion who feel like they never found anything that quite compares need to read this book. A technothriller with heart, Driven is the most moving (pun-intended) book you'll read this year.
A huge thank you to the author--you will be sorely missed, but not forgotten--Penguin Random House and Edelweiss for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This review is for an ARC copy received from the publisher through NetGalley.
After his wife and daughter leave him, Jamie Newcross has all but given up on life. But he has a worse problem; he's haunted by vicious ghosts wherever he lives, no matter how many times he moves. In a desperate bid to escape his ghosts, he buys a used Lion, the newest, most unique AI powered electric car on the market. But a day after buying it, he awakens in the dented car, with blood on the windshield and no memory of what happened or where he is. As he finds himself locked in with the car unresponsive, but driving to unknown destinations, Jamie realizes there may be worse things than what's haunting him.
Driven was a highly original tale, blending traumatic hauntings with digital age sci-fi. The story was unlike any other I've read, and went in very unexpected directions. A masterful cross-genre emotional novel.
After his wife and daughter leave him, Jamie Newcross has all but given up on life. But he has a worse problem; he's haunted by vicious ghosts wherever he lives, no matter how many times he moves. In a desperate bid to escape his ghosts, he buys a used Lion, the newest, most unique AI powered electric car on the market. But a day after buying it, he awakens in the dented car, with blood on the windshield and no memory of what happened or where he is. As he finds himself locked in with the car unresponsive, but driving to unknown destinations, Jamie realizes there may be worse things than what's haunting him.
Driven was a highly original tale, blending traumatic hauntings with digital age sci-fi. The story was unlike any other I've read, and went in very unexpected directions. A masterful cross-genre emotional novel.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Driven by Mason Coile is a fast, gripping thriller that had me hooked from the very first page. The story moves at an intense pace, blending suspense, technology, and psychological tension in a way that feels both fresh and unsettling. Every chapter ramps up the stakes, making it nearly impossible to put down.
What really stood out to me was the atmosphere—there’s a constant sense of unease that builds as the story unfolds. The concept is clever, the writing is sharp, and the twists kept me guessing the entire time. It’s the kind of book you finish in one sitting because you have to know what happens next.
If you enjoy smart, high-tension thrillers with a dark edge, this one absolutely delivers. 🚗💨 A wild, addictive ride from start to finish!
What really stood out to me was the atmosphere—there’s a constant sense of unease that builds as the story unfolds. The concept is clever, the writing is sharp, and the twists kept me guessing the entire time. It’s the kind of book you finish in one sitting because you have to know what happens next.
If you enjoy smart, high-tension thrillers with a dark edge, this one absolutely delivers. 🚗💨 A wild, addictive ride from start to finish!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review: I just want to start off by saying, I am deeply sadden by the loss of the author who passed away early this year. It's an honor to be able to read his last works. I wants to recognize that Mason Coile was extremely talented in the ways he wrote sci-fi mixed with deep character growth. Since his publication of William, I have loved his novels. This one included. This story takes a unique approach to self-driving cars and in his typical style combines it with deep characterization (grief in this one). I would highly recommend, and his previous works.
Review: I just want to start off by saying, I am deeply sadden by the loss of the author who passed away early this year. It's an honor to be able to read his last works. I wants to recognize that Mason Coile was extremely talented in the ways he wrote sci-fi mixed with deep character growth. Since his publication of William, I have loved his novels. This one included. This story takes a unique approach to self-driving cars and in his typical style combines it with deep characterization (grief in this one). I would highly recommend, and his previous works.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Mason Coile’s Driven explores grief and isolation in the age of AI overuse. We follow the main character as he deals with the loss of his wife and child. He decides to buy an autonomous car as a way to escape and isolate himself. We soon find out the risk of emotional and practical reliance of AI as it can be manipulated to serve the purpose of its provider.
I appreciate how the author weaves together the main character’s grapplings with loss with the need to find an outlet then turning to AI. With the sudden over saturation in the AI market today, this short book serves as a timeline warning.
I appreciate how the author weaves together the main character’s grapplings with loss with the need to find an outlet then turning to AI. With the sudden over saturation in the AI market today, this short book serves as a timeline warning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy.
Driven is an interesting and unusual story about an autonomous car that takes the narrator on a journey reminiscent of Scrooge and the ghosts in A Christmas Carol. And yes, there are also ghosts.
The concept was creative and the book explores technology, relationship/emotions with it, and what happens if AI goes rogue. The story felt a bit scattered at times, but overall it was still an entertaining read with a unique premise.
Driven is an interesting and unusual story about an autonomous car that takes the narrator on a journey reminiscent of Scrooge and the ghosts in A Christmas Carol. And yes, there are also ghosts.
The concept was creative and the book explores technology, relationship/emotions with it, and what happens if AI goes rogue. The story felt a bit scattered at times, but overall it was still an entertaining read with a unique premise.
April 10, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.
I loved Mason Coile’s book, William, and this one also had a futuristic feel to it with some horror/thriller vibes thrown in. I liked the idea of the story most of all, but the actual plot feels like it’s trying to be 4 separate stories. Horror, drama, thriller, and science fiction. I loved the idea of this super smart car, but the story felt like it needed just a bit more character depth. Overall I give it a 3.5/5.
I loved Mason Coile’s book, William, and this one also had a futuristic feel to it with some horror/thriller vibes thrown in. I liked the idea of the story most of all, but the actual plot feels like it’s trying to be 4 separate stories. Horror, drama, thriller, and science fiction. I loved the idea of this super smart car, but the story felt like it needed just a bit more character depth. Overall I give it a 3.5/5.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Thank you to Edelweiss for the ARC!
This couldn't really figure out who it wanted to be, it was part mystery, part redemption, part haunting. It just felt really confused, especially with the focus on the hit and run and the threatening from the cars original owner, it just didn't land any one particular story tone.
This couldn't really figure out who it wanted to be, it was part mystery, part redemption, part haunting. It just felt really confused, especially with the focus on the hit and run and the threatening from the cars original owner, it just didn't land any one particular story tone.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I'm not a horror guy. That being said, this is the second horror book by this author that I've enjoyed. Fast-paced with a compelling sci-fi mystery at its center, Driven exceeded expectations, like Exiles before it. I think Coile has developed a unique and interesting style of writing that I found to be really engaging.
May 29, 2026
What a well-paced horror-mystery. Not a wasted page. Could have easily been stuffed with asides and characters to make it 2-3 times as long but instead the pace is as swift as a car that is central to the novella. Recommend picking this up when it’s released!
March 30, 2026
I went into this just knowing that Mason Coile's horror has never failed to astound me. And this one was no different. It's more grief horror. I found myself really caring about the characters (and yes that includes the self-driving car). Definitely was tearing through pages wanting to know what was going to happen to the main character and the car. Thought provoking and truly deep, this is a strong novel. Coming September 2026.
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