Roundabout

Detour #2

by Jeff Rake, Rob Hart

Six astronauts race against time to escape a parallel Earth before their true home is destroyed. The mind-bending adventure that began with Detour continues in the second book of this emotional thriller series from the creator of the hit Netflix show Manifest and the bestselling author of The Warehouse.

The space crew that made the historic flight to Saturnʼs moon were hailed as heroes—until they discovered a terrifying The Earth that they returned to was the wrong one. Before they can reveal that theyʼre from a parallel world, the power-hungry billionaire who orchestrated the entire mission brands the group as traitors, forcing them to flee in order to survive.

Two members of their group are immediately captured, leaving the rest of the crew off balance and scrambling for a new plan. They quickly realize that their problems transcend this terrifying nationwide manhunt, however, when unexplained and catastrophic phenomena begin to occur all over the globe.

Now on the run and unsure where to turn or whom to trust, the crew can only rely on one another to find their way home—and to save not just one world, but two.

Genres: Science Fiction

Kindle Edition

Expected publication January 19, 2027

About the author

TV producer, writer, and showrunner of "Manifest" for Warner Bros. Television and NBC; graduated from Columbia University in 1990; born and lives in Los Angeles, California. -- Library of Congress Authorities

Reviews

[Candance Nolen · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Roundabout picks up immediately after the events of Detour, so I definitely recommend reading the series in order. There’s very little recap, which keeps the momentum going and throws readers right back into the action alongside the Titan crew.

This installment leans even more into the thriller side of the story than the science fiction. While the parallel-world premise remains fascinating, the focus is on the characters being hunted, uncovering long-awaited answers, and trying to stay one step ahead of those determined to capture them. The pacing is brisk, the stakes are consistently high, and there are plenty of tense moments that kept me turning the pages.

I enjoyed spending more time with this cast, and I appreciated that several of the lingering questions from the first book finally received answers. That said, the ending introduces enough new mysteries to make it clear the story is far from over. I was hoping for a little more closure, but it’s also left me eager to see where the next book takes these characters.

Overall, Roundabout is an entertaining sequel that delivers action, suspense, and an intriguing continuation of the series’ central mystery. If you enjoyed Detour, you’ll likely want to jump straight into this one, and be prepared to start counting down the days until the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy

[Dale Dewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes me hungry for the next book as it was just as good as the first! Looking forward to seeing how Jeff and Rob conclude everything to save the universes (universi?) a fun quick read with the same engaging characters as Detour.

I receiving an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion

[Sharen · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Roundabout' picks up right where 'Detour' leaves off without a great deal of repeated information. We meet the same cast of characters and are immersed in the fast moving story right away. The same people, two worlds, huge problems, and a huge question about how this can be resolved in a reasonable way that the reader can appreciate. Do not let the sci-fi designation scare you off. This is more of a thriller book with some science stuff included, than a science fiction book. Anyone enjoying lots of action, high stakes tracking and adventure, is in for a fun ride. The science parts are explained and alluded to without becoming a barrier to the enjoyment of the chase.

This is a solid sequel to 'Detour' but again I found myself wanting more answers before the book ended - meaning the need for book 3 - which I did not realize was planned. This is not a stand- alone book so I strongly suggest you read the books in order.

I have been a fan of Rob Hart's independent work and I like the bits of humour that sneak up between all the action and drama.

'For the stout, doughy man who looked like he should be living under a bridge asking people riddles, the senator from Texas sure thought a lot of himself.'

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Worlds for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Sandrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very solid sequel ! I loved Detour, which I read last year and I was very excited to get back to this world. Roundabout picks up right were we left. The 6 astronauts are on the run and separated. I really liked seeing the complicity of Ryan and Mark. The stakes were still super high, a lot of plot twists and this big conspiracy. The pacing is fast but with the multiple POVs, the story feels complete. I liked seeing how things were on Earth-B and Earth-A. The events are unraveling, and it becomes a lot harder for Ward to keep the truth unknown. While all of the astronauts know they are in a another universe, there were still a lot of questions that were unresolved and I liked how we got the explanation for it. There’s still a lot more to uncover and I can’t wait to read the next book ! Overall, all that I liked in the first book was still present in this one, high stakes, fast pace, a very interesting sci-fi concept that involves politics, multiple POVs and plot twists! It’s a very good sci-fi novel with a lot of action ! Readers that enjoyed book 1 will not be disappointed by this sequel, that’s for sure.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book, opinions are my own.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

Thanks Netgalley for this e-ARC!

Roundabout picks up immediately where Detour left off. The six astronauts are now on the run, desperately trying to piece together what really happened during their mission.

While the first book leaned more heavily into mystery and journey, the sequel shifts into high gear as a fast-paced action thriller. The constant action and chaotic pacing make it an incredibly quick read, but I also felt like it left a little to be desired. One of the things Blake Crouch does so well in his sci-fi novels is make complex concepts like quantum physics feel accessible and believable. In comparison, the science in Roundabout sometimes feels like it's trying a little too hard, making the story feel more confusing than immersive.

Although the book answers some of the lingering questions from the first novel, it ends with plenty still unresolved. Personally, I would have preferred a book that was 200 pages longer and wrapped up the story rather than setting up for a third installment. That said, there was enough resolution by the end that I feel comfortable imagining what happens next for the characters. While I enjoyed the ride, I'm not sure I'm invested enough to pick up an entire third novel.

[Nikolett · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the story continues with the astronauts on the run, trying to figure out what to do when they are labeled as traitors of the nation, their faces are on every news, they don’t have the funds, they can’t get help from friends or family and by the way it would be good to know why they are persecuted. The members of the team deal with this situation differently, some of them have a hard time leaving everything behind without explanation. For Crane as a cop dodging bullets comes more naturally, so he’s leading the group, but he’s also the main focus for the leader of the mercenaries and this fuels the tension between them. The parallel worlds are intriguing, I still like the characters, but my favorite was a new one, Amber.
This book was also interesting, but too short, because yes, we got a couple of answers but some are still waiting to be solved.
Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the arc.

[sarai · Rating 4 out of 5]

while this second installment of the detour series of course answered a bunch of high concept questions that were raised and foreshadowed in the first, the meat and potatoes of it were really just a lot of political and action thriller-type scenes. less mind blowing than i had hoped (although as someone uhhhh Extremely familiar with all sorts of sf tropes and storylines) but still a good page-turner.

i do think the writing style is a bit one-note, which may be expected from tv writers who typically can leave a lot up to actor interpretation. it wasn't that bad at the beginning but towards the end characters were smirking left and right which got to be a bit much.

thanks to netgalley and random house worlds for the e-arc!

[Jim Razinha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whirlwind follow-up to Detour that I got from the publisher via NetGalley. Much as with the previous, this could be serial television (the “season” dropped all at once so we can binge read it.) Also as with my review of Detour, no spoilers. Bite-sized rapid POV shifts, the mysteries of book one are not the plot drivers here… more character development. I did throw a challenge flag … twice, in the same section … over something that didn’t make sense, but the pace left them behind. In science fiction, sometimes explanations are better left vague.

The storytelling is tight, and the characters, as I said, are more developed. Fast read, and now another wait for the next season. Um, book. {grin}

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read Detour, I was super excited because I felt like this could be a truly great story. I don't feel much different after reading book two, Roundabout. While this book experiences some of the issues all second books have after a killer first book, I thought there was enough here to keep me intrigued and attached to the story. There are definitely portions of this book that didn't move the story along quite as far as I would have hoped, but understanding I am hear for the journey makes me okay with that. I am really interested to see where this goes next and cannot wait for book 3.

Thank you to Jeff Rake and Rob Hart, NetGalley, and Random House Worlds for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

[Jen Juenke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another smash hit for the authors. This was a continuation of the Detour book.

This book pushes the narrative more into what happened. I loved the quick pacing as soon as the group got back together.
The beginning was a bit rough because there was no summary of the other book so it was a bit hard to get into right away.
However, the pacing was fast, and I devoured this book within a day.

There is a lot going on in the book and the authors really keep a reader hanging onto the story.

Overall, I NEED the third book tomorrow! LOL If you liked Detour you will LOVE Roundabout.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this second installment of the Detour series, they gave the ARC, I gave the honest opinions.

[Anais · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

This book is written like a season 2 script for 5 season show. It relies heavily on fast-paced POV shifts across at least 15 characters. There's not enough character development for you to care deeply for anyone, probably because there's so many shifting viewpoints thrown in your face all at once. There's alot of action that ends up leading no where, because obviously you need something to get people to come back for the next season. Unfortunately I don't think I will one one of them. This may work for television but not for the type of television I watch. Fortunately it's a quick read.

2 1/2 stars

[Elly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s hilarious that this is called roundabout. I was hoping for some clever conclusion, but alas. Our team went into hiding, and we went this way and that way, and there was some discovery of What Exactly Was Going On, but there isn’t (yet) a resolution of any kind. Which is to say, not very much happened, and every thing that did happen was probably as you expected (bar the little hook at the end, to get you excited for the next book).

It was an easy read, lots of action, some excitement. I would have liked some conclusion, but I guess that’s for the next book (is there going to be a next book?!)

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.