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Saskia Brandt #1
Déjà Vu
In the year 2023 Saskia Brandt, detective with the European FIB, comes back from holiday newly single, tired and full of sadness. Heading straight back to the office she finds no peace, only her receptionist dead and no suspects. Given only 12 hours to clear her name she sets to work on unravelling the mystery, one that proves greater than the sum of its parts.
David Proctor is just an academic eating his breakfast until he gets a phone-call telling him the prototype computer - Ego - he has been loaned is now the only one left. Meanwhile someone has broken into his house, someone who wants him to go back to the lab where his wife died in a bomb attack 20 years before.
As the mysteries and intrigue envelop Saskia and David they are forced to unpick their own pasts. Because in Déjà Vu you find that things aren't as they seem, truth is a matter of perspective and that the past can change just as quickly as the future.
Déjà Vu is a taut science fiction thriller that will keep you guessing, a gripping read and a sharp reflection on identity in a digital world.
About the Author
Ian is a university lecturer and researcher based in Canterbury, specialising in psychology and neural networks. His fiction is often character-based science fiction thrillers with a philosophical edge and he has previously won the Red Adept Science Fiction Award.
David Proctor is just an academic eating his breakfast until he gets a phone-call telling him the prototype computer - Ego - he has been loaned is now the only one left. Meanwhile someone has broken into his house, someone who wants him to go back to the lab where his wife died in a bomb attack 20 years before.
As the mysteries and intrigue envelop Saskia and David they are forced to unpick their own pasts. Because in Déjà Vu you find that things aren't as they seem, truth is a matter of perspective and that the past can change just as quickly as the future.
Déjà Vu is a taut science fiction thriller that will keep you guessing, a gripping read and a sharp reflection on identity in a digital world.
About the Author
Ian is a university lecturer and researcher based in Canterbury, specialising in psychology and neural networks. His fiction is often character-based science fiction thrillers with a philosophical edge and he has previously won the Red Adept Science Fiction Award.
310 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2005
66 people are currently reading
1007 people want to read
About the author
Ian Hocking
10 books23 followersI'm a university lecturer and researcher based in Canterbury, UK.
For the most part, I write thoughtful, character-based science fiction thrillers with a philosophical edge, like 'Deja Vu', which has been republished by Unsung Stories.
Déjà Vu won the Red Adept Science Fiction Award.
Otherwise, I have been known to write comedy fiction.
Drop me an email if you like: ihocking@gmail.com. I also maintain a mailing list for those interested in keeping up with my work.
For the most part, I write thoughtful, character-based science fiction thrillers with a philosophical edge, like 'Deja Vu', which has been republished by Unsung Stories.
Déjà Vu won the Red Adept Science Fiction Award.
Otherwise, I have been known to write comedy fiction.
Drop me an email if you like: ihocking@gmail.com. I also maintain a mailing list for those interested in keeping up with my work.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
September 9, 2012
~~From Red Adept Reviews~~
I received Déjà Vu, by Ian Hocking, as a review copy submitted to "Red Adept Reviews" by the author.
Overall: 5 Stars
Plot/Storyline: 4 3/4 Stars
This futuristic technothriller grabbed me right at the start--when Saskia Brandt's vacation memories, broken office A/C, and missing secretary conspired to tell me that there were, in fact, two entirely different beginnings to this novel: the one Saskia remembered, and the one she'd forgotten. Buckle in tight, Dorothy, because Kansas ain't just a memory...it never existed.
Implanted memories and personality erasure, and the ramifications thereof, make the concept of identity a strong theme in this book. Reality itself is called into question, through the search for lost identity and memory and by the creation of an AI world where reality is malleable. If you like Avatar or I, Robot or Battlestar Galactica (the reimagining), you'll enjoy this novel.
Any instance of time travel in a novel has the potential to wreak havoc on a plot's logic, and this one has a fair amount of time travel--or at least, its shadow. The book's science embraces the causal loop, which basically says that events can't be altered by going back in time...no matter what. The author did a fantastic job of keeping things interesting despite this predestination effect, though toward the climactic end a couple of near-death experiences traded believability for theory adherence. I only noticed one plot hole, when a password is found in a note, then later the same character goes back in time and writes the note for their past self to find in the future, and at no point other than in the first note does the character research or discover the password.
The terrible consequences of failure to protect Saskia's brain chip from damage, which she was informed of early on, felt overblown when the plot twisted once again and revealed a simple solution with no apparent downside. Though there could be a valid argument that the character who told her of the chip's fragility had every reason to lie, it still carried a whiff of deus ex machina.
The scene transitions are crisp and match the fast-paced tone. The writing is smart, leaving the reader to either keep up with the plot advances and twists or be constantly surprised. The end is similarly brilliant, leaving the reader with a handful of loose ends and some hints as to what sort of bow they'll form when Saskia is done with them.
Character Development: 5 Stars
Thanks to the twists and turns of erased identities and time travel, this book works its plot magic using surprisingly few characters. The alternate roles characters will assume are hardly predictable. I was kept guessing, but within a coherent world.
Saskia enjoys a metric ton (or rather, tonne, as Mr. Hocking is British) of character development during the course of the story, since she begins from a point that's worse off than a blank slate: the little she knows about her current life is a lie. As the plot progresses, she worries who she truly is, and if she'll be lost to the resurfacing of her body's violent personality. By the end, she's far outstripped everyone else in complexity and sheer awesomeness.
David Proctor, the other main character, has a completely different set of issues. Instead of learning about his present circumstances during the course of the book, his plot focuses more on revealing what has already happened to him in the past, and what that means for his future, if he has one. As a researcher with a beloved, estranged daughter and a secret of his own, he made for fascinating reading.
Beckmann, Saskia's employer, was deliciously sociopathic, making me wonder if he had a base personality too, and if it had bled through, or if he was just "following orders". Jenny Proctor, David's genius daughter, seemed to add more dimension to David than she kept for herself, probably due to being mentioned as a child in David's thoughts and memories at least as often as she had scenes as an adult scientist. Jago and McWhirter, Hartfield and Bruce added rich background to the story, each in their own way. Bruce was a favorite of mine, for going native and embracing his lust for life.
Writing Style: 5 Stars
Every scene is a good houseguest: it arrives only at your request and leaves before you're tired of its company. Mr. Hocking's descriptions and turns of phrase are delightful. His sentences are crisp and tight. Dialogue was intelligent and minimalistic, giving it a futuristic, snappy feel. The use of key phrases in Saskia's search for her true identity--Shakespeare, Greek myths--forms an irresistible trail of bread crumbs for the reader and Saskia alike, leading us through the mystery of the present and into the shadow of the past, without giving away their true importance until the very end. A truly delightful reading experience.
Editing: 4 3/4 Stars
Along with a nauseous/nauseated mixup and changing a minor character's name by one letter partway through the story, I discovered a handful of missing words.
I received Déjà Vu, by Ian Hocking, as a review copy submitted to "Red Adept Reviews" by the author.
Overall: 5 Stars
Plot/Storyline: 4 3/4 Stars
This futuristic technothriller grabbed me right at the start--when Saskia Brandt's vacation memories, broken office A/C, and missing secretary conspired to tell me that there were, in fact, two entirely different beginnings to this novel: the one Saskia remembered, and the one she'd forgotten. Buckle in tight, Dorothy, because Kansas ain't just a memory...it never existed.
Implanted memories and personality erasure, and the ramifications thereof, make the concept of identity a strong theme in this book. Reality itself is called into question, through the search for lost identity and memory and by the creation of an AI world where reality is malleable. If you like Avatar or I, Robot or Battlestar Galactica (the reimagining), you'll enjoy this novel.
Any instance of time travel in a novel has the potential to wreak havoc on a plot's logic, and this one has a fair amount of time travel--or at least, its shadow. The book's science embraces the causal loop, which basically says that events can't be altered by going back in time...no matter what. The author did a fantastic job of keeping things interesting despite this predestination effect, though toward the climactic end a couple of near-death experiences traded believability for theory adherence. I only noticed one plot hole, when a password is found in a note, then later the same character goes back in time and writes the note for their past self to find in the future, and at no point other than in the first note does the character research or discover the password.
The terrible consequences of failure to protect Saskia's brain chip from damage, which she was informed of early on, felt overblown when the plot twisted once again and revealed a simple solution with no apparent downside. Though there could be a valid argument that the character who told her of the chip's fragility had every reason to lie, it still carried a whiff of deus ex machina.
The scene transitions are crisp and match the fast-paced tone. The writing is smart, leaving the reader to either keep up with the plot advances and twists or be constantly surprised. The end is similarly brilliant, leaving the reader with a handful of loose ends and some hints as to what sort of bow they'll form when Saskia is done with them.
Character Development: 5 Stars
Thanks to the twists and turns of erased identities and time travel, this book works its plot magic using surprisingly few characters. The alternate roles characters will assume are hardly predictable. I was kept guessing, but within a coherent world.
Saskia enjoys a metric ton (or rather, tonne, as Mr. Hocking is British) of character development during the course of the story, since she begins from a point that's worse off than a blank slate: the little she knows about her current life is a lie. As the plot progresses, she worries who she truly is, and if she'll be lost to the resurfacing of her body's violent personality. By the end, she's far outstripped everyone else in complexity and sheer awesomeness.
David Proctor, the other main character, has a completely different set of issues. Instead of learning about his present circumstances during the course of the book, his plot focuses more on revealing what has already happened to him in the past, and what that means for his future, if he has one. As a researcher with a beloved, estranged daughter and a secret of his own, he made for fascinating reading.
Beckmann, Saskia's employer, was deliciously sociopathic, making me wonder if he had a base personality too, and if it had bled through, or if he was just "following orders". Jenny Proctor, David's genius daughter, seemed to add more dimension to David than she kept for herself, probably due to being mentioned as a child in David's thoughts and memories at least as often as she had scenes as an adult scientist. Jago and McWhirter, Hartfield and Bruce added rich background to the story, each in their own way. Bruce was a favorite of mine, for going native and embracing his lust for life.
Writing Style: 5 Stars
Every scene is a good houseguest: it arrives only at your request and leaves before you're tired of its company. Mr. Hocking's descriptions and turns of phrase are delightful. His sentences are crisp and tight. Dialogue was intelligent and minimalistic, giving it a futuristic, snappy feel. The use of key phrases in Saskia's search for her true identity--Shakespeare, Greek myths--forms an irresistible trail of bread crumbs for the reader and Saskia alike, leading us through the mystery of the present and into the shadow of the past, without giving away their true importance until the very end. A truly delightful reading experience.
Editing: 4 3/4 Stars
Along with a nauseous/nauseated mixup and changing a minor character's name by one letter partway through the story, I discovered a handful of missing words.
January 15, 2013
First of all, I enjoyed the book. The story was interesting, and I'm a fan of this genre/sub-genre. I will likely read the 2nd in the series from this author.
However, there was a general issue I had with the book... somewhat hard to describe. Much of the writing had a short, choppy feel to it (for me). It seemed that this was a style choice by the author, as opposed to poor writing. But, I think that this may have caused me to feel lost at times. I often felt like I wasn't sure what was happening - and I understand that authors don't want to feed you everything at once... it wasn't that... it was as if tiny pieces were never quite clear.
I doubt this is making much sense, but there's a reason for that. I couldn't really put my finger on it. I was able to follow the story, and mostly understand it, but something about the style kept me somewhat confused at the same time.
I'll close by saying again that I liked it enough to come back to this author at some point in the future.
However, there was a general issue I had with the book... somewhat hard to describe. Much of the writing had a short, choppy feel to it (for me). It seemed that this was a style choice by the author, as opposed to poor writing. But, I think that this may have caused me to feel lost at times. I often felt like I wasn't sure what was happening - and I understand that authors don't want to feed you everything at once... it wasn't that... it was as if tiny pieces were never quite clear.
I doubt this is making much sense, but there's a reason for that. I couldn't really put my finger on it. I was able to follow the story, and mostly understand it, but something about the style kept me somewhat confused at the same time.
I'll close by saying again that I liked it enough to come back to this author at some point in the future.
January 18, 2015
I couldn't bring myself to finish reading this one, the cover is gorgeous but the writing inside... not so much.
The premise was definitely interesting but I didn't enjoy the writing style, and I couldn't connect with the characters. I can totally see this made into a movie or a tv show, though.
I received this book from NetGalley in return for a review.
The premise was definitely interesting but I didn't enjoy the writing style, and I couldn't connect with the characters. I can totally see this made into a movie or a tv show, though.
I received this book from NetGalley in return for a review.
July 12, 2013
The opening scenes immediately grabbed me and I was excited to push on and read further. However, it didn't take long for me to disconnect from the main character, Saskia Brandt, and lose all enthusiasm for this read. The concept of digital minds is fascinating, but difficult to deliver on paper. Given the subject matter, there must be an obvious human disconnect, but still, the reader needs to engage with the human sub-characters or at the very least, sympathize. In my opinion, this was not achieved in Deja Vu. Oh, how I wish it were, because it would have been epic. To my disappointment, Deja Vu was simply another time-traveling, plot-driven, sci-fi that was conceptually cool, but from a literary standpoint, fell into the pile labelled, basic and flat. I wasn't on the edge of my seat and the special effects that needed to translate from page to my imagination, didn't happen. The pieces weren't laid out and the tools were never given to construct what I imagine the author intended. This one left little impression and I won't be reading the sequel. This book just didn't move me.
June 6, 2012
Terrible.
Sub-adolescent prose fails to lift the pedestrian plot. Where there were attempts at twists, they were obvious and signalled to the reader in neon lights from several miles away. Cardboard characters perform series of actions in locations described in halting statements. They have stilted conversations with each other and the reader is left hard pressed to care what happens to any of them. The crass backstory provided for the [beautiful, sexy, female] lead protagonist is unnecessarily graphic and reads like filler material while the author is trying to work out how to proceed.
There may well have been a very good reason why this, and the author's other works, languished with a publisher for years without seeing the light of day.
On the other hand, I'm certain that with a little tweaking (to remove those pesky European elements) Hollywood could produce one of those dull summer blockbusters full of tits and explosions from this mess of a book.
Sub-adolescent prose fails to lift the pedestrian plot. Where there were attempts at twists, they were obvious and signalled to the reader in neon lights from several miles away. Cardboard characters perform series of actions in locations described in halting statements. They have stilted conversations with each other and the reader is left hard pressed to care what happens to any of them. The crass backstory provided for the [beautiful, sexy, female] lead protagonist is unnecessarily graphic and reads like filler material while the author is trying to work out how to proceed.
There may well have been a very good reason why this, and the author's other works, languished with a publisher for years without seeing the light of day.
On the other hand, I'm certain that with a little tweaking (to remove those pesky European elements) Hollywood could produce one of those dull summer blockbusters full of tits and explosions from this mess of a book.
February 12, 2015
zzzz... what?
Usually I'd be all over mindfucks and identity crises and time travel and virtual worlds and and and... there's a tickbox list of things I should be interested in here but the fact it took me two attempts to read this should tell you something just by itself. It's not bad, it's just dull, even when the clock is ticking and everything hangs in the balance. Even the needlessly graphic flashback fails to deliver, just becoming some tacked-on rape-as-backstory. To add insult to injury, one of the novel's central conceits ends up feeling like a deus ex machina written in because the author was backed into a corner and couldn't find any other way out. Do yourselves a favour: skip this, even if it's at the low price of free.
Usually I'd be all over mindfucks and identity crises and time travel and virtual worlds and and and... there's a tickbox list of things I should be interested in here but the fact it took me two attempts to read this should tell you something just by itself. It's not bad, it's just dull, even when the clock is ticking and everything hangs in the balance. Even the needlessly graphic flashback fails to deliver, just becoming some tacked-on rape-as-backstory. To add insult to injury, one of the novel's central conceits ends up feeling like a deus ex machina written in because the author was backed into a corner and couldn't find any other way out. Do yourselves a favour: skip this, even if it's at the low price of free.
September 4, 2025
Not a bad sci-fi thriller. I do have an issue with time because not only is it always going to be impossible (if there was time travel we would have met people from the future by now), It is also very confusing to read.
The gist of the story was a revenge novel where the main character was raped by a gang of illegal immigrants. This reveal was at the end of the book and I think it would’ve been better to be earlier on as it gave context to the whole story.
Not a bad read and I wondered about whether to read the second in trilogy but I have and probably will read the third.
The gist of the story was a revenge novel where the main character was raped by a gang of illegal immigrants. This reveal was at the end of the book and I think it would’ve been better to be earlier on as it gave context to the whole story.
Not a bad read and I wondered about whether to read the second in trilogy but I have and probably will read the third.
March 11, 2013
“It is 2023. Scientist David Proctor is running for his life. On his trail is Saskia Brandt, a detective with the European FIB. She has questions. Questions about a bomb that exploded back in 2003. But someone is hunting her too. The clues are in the shattered memories of her previous life."
Déjà Vu is Ian Hocking's first novel as well as volume 1 of his Saskia Brandt series. First published as a paperback by the UKA Press in 2005, it just came out in 4 eBook editions, one per novel plus a 3-in-1 omnibus edition. It's a complex tale of time travel, artificial intelligences and uploaded personalities which almost, but doesn't quite, come together for me. I like the way that Hocking handles the paradoxes inherent in his tropes and found his characters to be both believable and compelling. Now that he has his foundations laid, I rather hope the other books complete their main stories instead of leaving it all hanging as this one did.
For all that, it's a fast paced excellent read somewhat reminiscent of Gibson's cyberpunk genre. And a bool I read in a single sitting — not that it's short, just that I couldn't put it down. Which for book lovers is an indication of the quality of the read. Recommended.
Déjà Vu is Ian Hocking's first novel as well as volume 1 of his Saskia Brandt series. First published as a paperback by the UKA Press in 2005, it just came out in 4 eBook editions, one per novel plus a 3-in-1 omnibus edition. It's a complex tale of time travel, artificial intelligences and uploaded personalities which almost, but doesn't quite, come together for me. I like the way that Hocking handles the paradoxes inherent in his tropes and found his characters to be both believable and compelling. Now that he has his foundations laid, I rather hope the other books complete their main stories instead of leaving it all hanging as this one did.
For all that, it's a fast paced excellent read somewhat reminiscent of Gibson's cyberpunk genre. And a bool I read in a single sitting — not that it's short, just that I couldn't put it down. Which for book lovers is an indication of the quality of the read. Recommended.
February 10, 2013
Dr. Ian Hocking brings a refreshing aspect to time travel. The books are an embodiment of the terminology "technothriller". Though the Saskia Brandt Omnibus may be placed under the sci-fi category, it is most definitely in a class of it's own. I most enjoyed the fact that being a "sci-fi" book, the entire story stayed rooted on planet Earth. These three books are an obvious culmination of the time and study the author dedicated to the idea of travelling through time and addressing well-known historical data.
In DEJA VU we meet Saskia Brandt, an investigator who doesn't realize that her own actions are being dictated by someone or something else. She is in the midst of investigating David Proctor, who is accused of bombing a British facility in 2003, but he has no recollection of the incident. Proctor's genius daughter invents something that changes the course of everyone's lives. In the meantime, as Saskia finds her secretary killed at the office, she realizes that she is being hunted.
Find the entire review here:
Bookend Chronicles
In DEJA VU we meet Saskia Brandt, an investigator who doesn't realize that her own actions are being dictated by someone or something else. She is in the midst of investigating David Proctor, who is accused of bombing a British facility in 2003, but he has no recollection of the incident. Proctor's genius daughter invents something that changes the course of everyone's lives. In the meantime, as Saskia finds her secretary killed at the office, she realizes that she is being hunted.
Find the entire review here:
Bookend Chronicles
November 17, 2014
(Disclosure: I received an electronic copy from the publisher for review purposes via Netgalley.)
The science fiction tropes come thick, fast and early on in this techno-thriller, (artificial intelligence, mind wiping and implanted memories, time travel, virtual reality, nanotech and underwater cars, to name a few), so much so that at first I was concerned that many of them might have been thrown in gratuitously. But I needn’t have worried – Hocking soon gathers all the threads together and weaves them into an intricate, meticulously plotted tale. FIB detective Saskia Brandt is a compelling character as she struggles to discover and define her true self, all the while staying one step ahead of those who have the will and the means to end her.
I’d hazard a guess that P.K. Dick is one of the author’s influences; Déjà Vu is in some ways reminiscent of Dick’s work with its themes of memory (both real and invented) and identity. This novel doesn’t break new ground in SF, but is no less intelligent or well-crafted for it.
The science fiction tropes come thick, fast and early on in this techno-thriller, (artificial intelligence, mind wiping and implanted memories, time travel, virtual reality, nanotech and underwater cars, to name a few), so much so that at first I was concerned that many of them might have been thrown in gratuitously. But I needn’t have worried – Hocking soon gathers all the threads together and weaves them into an intricate, meticulously plotted tale. FIB detective Saskia Brandt is a compelling character as she struggles to discover and define her true self, all the while staying one step ahead of those who have the will and the means to end her.
I’d hazard a guess that P.K. Dick is one of the author’s influences; Déjà Vu is in some ways reminiscent of Dick’s work with its themes of memory (both real and invented) and identity. This novel doesn’t break new ground in SF, but is no less intelligent or well-crafted for it.
September 24, 2015
I'm glad I tried this book. It was a bit too focused on the action in the end without exploring the tech I was interested in or letting me get to know the characters, but it is still a fun hard scifi thriller!
May 17, 2019
Deja Vu (The Saskia Brandt Series Book One)by Ian Hocking
I really truly loved this novel. It started out a bit slow and almost pedantic but that sometimes is the nature of these psychological thrillers. If I were to take Philip K Dick and Lewis Purnell Davies and then throw in a healthy dose of excellent writing skill I'd say we have Ian Hocking and Deja Vu all wrapped up in a neat and tidy package.
The story starts out with Saskia Brandt being pulled off her vacation for special assignment with the European FIB. Only when she makes it to the office she finds herself being framed for her secretaries murder, with the added bonus of using her detective skills to discover that what looks like a frame might be the real thing as she catches herself in an image; committing the crime.
This is just the tip of the iceberg for something that is more twisted and on psychological thin ice that's waiting for Saskia. Add to this her newest assignment of bringing in David Proctor while trying to deal with personal revelations and that alone is wild, but we add in a bit of time travel and some virtual reality.
I found his description of the virtual reality quite interesting:
If a race of intelligent beings had evolved in this universe, and developed science, their physicists would discover that matter is continuous, not discrete. Their astronomers would find that their planet is the only planet, their star the only star. They would correctly place themselves at the centre of the universe. Should they build a computing machine, it would never outrun the computer that ran their universe: and what, indeed, would they hypothesize the limiting factor to be? God?
Hocking, Ian (2011-03-06). Déjà Vu (The Saskia Brandt Series Book One) (Kindle Locations 535-539). Writer As A Stranger. Kindle Edition.
Ian Hocking has a richness of language that shows up often in a peculiar turn of phrase that elicits specific unique images.
Such as:
The mimetic cloud of fines rendered the springy crunch of the undergrowth perfectly.
or
Coffee with memory.
Hocking, Ian (2011-03-06). Déjà Vu (The Saskia Brandt Series Book One) (Kindle Location 635). Writer As A Stranger. Kindle Edition.
At first it's difficult to know what to make of Saskia when we discover that she's a criminal convicted of some unknown crime who's memory was wiped to make room for a second memory from a donor. The first memory is suppressed and the second memory is custom arraigned so that the FIB can use her as an agent. They keep her under their thumb by suggesting that the crime is so bad that she wouldn't want those memories to ever return. They are kept in check by an imbedded bio-chip that contains the custom recollections of the donor. Her handler claims he can blow that chip away anytime she gets out of line. This causes her character to appear one dimensional and It makes it difficult to relate or feel any empathy for her.
But as it unfolds we begin to see the battle raging inside her head and as the story progresses we find that there are many more crimes here than those she thinks she needs to avoid remembering.There's a web of intrigue and lies that mixed with critical traumatic memories that give us that point we need to dig in and get a feel for the real character.
There's a second protagonist in the story, David Proctor. And I would almost swear there is a special pop reference in the text at one point. David is talking to a computer named Ego::
`Sing me a song.'
`Which song?'
`Daisy.'
`Just a moment.' There was a beep and David heard a crackle. The earpiece was picking up Ego's attempt to access the Internet via the wireless telecommunications
`Alright, forget it.'
Hocking, Ian (2011-03-06). Déjà Vu (The Saskia Brandt Series Book One) (Kindle Locations 1206-1207). Writer As A Stranger. Kindle Edition.
This novel should interest any fan of the Psychological Thrillers and SFF. It's sometimes a slower reading than some because you have to pay particular attention to details, but it's worth it.
J.L. Dobias
I really truly loved this novel. It started out a bit slow and almost pedantic but that sometimes is the nature of these psychological thrillers. If I were to take Philip K Dick and Lewis Purnell Davies and then throw in a healthy dose of excellent writing skill I'd say we have Ian Hocking and Deja Vu all wrapped up in a neat and tidy package.
The story starts out with Saskia Brandt being pulled off her vacation for special assignment with the European FIB. Only when she makes it to the office she finds herself being framed for her secretaries murder, with the added bonus of using her detective skills to discover that what looks like a frame might be the real thing as she catches herself in an image; committing the crime.
This is just the tip of the iceberg for something that is more twisted and on psychological thin ice that's waiting for Saskia. Add to this her newest assignment of bringing in David Proctor while trying to deal with personal revelations and that alone is wild, but we add in a bit of time travel and some virtual reality.
I found his description of the virtual reality quite interesting:
If a race of intelligent beings had evolved in this universe, and developed science, their physicists would discover that matter is continuous, not discrete. Their astronomers would find that their planet is the only planet, their star the only star. They would correctly place themselves at the centre of the universe. Should they build a computing machine, it would never outrun the computer that ran their universe: and what, indeed, would they hypothesize the limiting factor to be? God?
Hocking, Ian (2011-03-06). Déjà Vu (The Saskia Brandt Series Book One) (Kindle Locations 535-539). Writer As A Stranger. Kindle Edition.
Ian Hocking has a richness of language that shows up often in a peculiar turn of phrase that elicits specific unique images.
Such as:
The mimetic cloud of fines rendered the springy crunch of the undergrowth perfectly.
or
Coffee with memory.
Hocking, Ian (2011-03-06). Déjà Vu (The Saskia Brandt Series Book One) (Kindle Location 635). Writer As A Stranger. Kindle Edition.
At first it's difficult to know what to make of Saskia when we discover that she's a criminal convicted of some unknown crime who's memory was wiped to make room for a second memory from a donor. The first memory is suppressed and the second memory is custom arraigned so that the FIB can use her as an agent. They keep her under their thumb by suggesting that the crime is so bad that she wouldn't want those memories to ever return. They are kept in check by an imbedded bio-chip that contains the custom recollections of the donor. Her handler claims he can blow that chip away anytime she gets out of line. This causes her character to appear one dimensional and It makes it difficult to relate or feel any empathy for her.
But as it unfolds we begin to see the battle raging inside her head and as the story progresses we find that there are many more crimes here than those she thinks she needs to avoid remembering.There's a web of intrigue and lies that mixed with critical traumatic memories that give us that point we need to dig in and get a feel for the real character.
There's a second protagonist in the story, David Proctor. And I would almost swear there is a special pop reference in the text at one point. David is talking to a computer named Ego::
`Sing me a song.'
`Which song?'
`Daisy.'
`Just a moment.' There was a beep and David heard a crackle. The earpiece was picking up Ego's attempt to access the Internet via the wireless telecommunications
`Alright, forget it.'
Hocking, Ian (2011-03-06). Déjà Vu (The Saskia Brandt Series Book One) (Kindle Locations 1206-1207). Writer As A Stranger. Kindle Edition.
This novel should interest any fan of the Psychological Thrillers and SFF. It's sometimes a slower reading than some because you have to pay particular attention to details, but it's worth it.
J.L. Dobias
October 13, 2020
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 1.0 of 5
Saskia Brandt is a detective in the year 2023. She has returned from a vacation to find that her receptionist is dead and she is a leading suspect in the murder. In another part of the city, university professor David Proctor is informed that the very special computer he has on loan from the university is the very last of its kind. Meanwhile, someone has broken into his home. That someone wants Proctor to return to a lab where he wife died 20 years ago ... literally, as in travel to the past.
Saskia's and David's lives intersect and they must rely on one another as they travel in time and have to choose the right past in order to get the right future.
I'm no stranger to time-travel books, but it takes a really skilled author to handle the subject well - to deal with the complexities of how a past and future are intertwined and how one small change could affect everything, while delivering a story that's interesting (those complexities aren't really an interesting story by themselves), with characters who capture our interest and make us want to see them survive.
Author Ian Hocking misses on almost all counts.
The opening chapters, introducing us to the characters and setting up the scenario, were great. I thought, "Oh wow, this is going to be great! But I promise you that the opening chapters are the most interesting and exciting in the entire book, the rest of this is mostly just a bore.
The series is named after the detective, Saskia Brandt and if most of the book were featuring her, we might have been in decent shape, but she remains a shadow to the less likable and much less interesting David Proctor.
As a reader, I was hooked at the start, so I was Hocking's audience to lose, and unfortunately, lose me he did with a dull-driving plot, dull characters, and a failure to make even a time travel story interesting.
Looking for a good book? If you're experiencing Déjà Vu, put the book down and read something else.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Saskia Brandt is a detective in the year 2023. She has returned from a vacation to find that her receptionist is dead and she is a leading suspect in the murder. In another part of the city, university professor David Proctor is informed that the very special computer he has on loan from the university is the very last of its kind. Meanwhile, someone has broken into his home. That someone wants Proctor to return to a lab where he wife died 20 years ago ... literally, as in travel to the past.
Saskia's and David's lives intersect and they must rely on one another as they travel in time and have to choose the right past in order to get the right future.
I'm no stranger to time-travel books, but it takes a really skilled author to handle the subject well - to deal with the complexities of how a past and future are intertwined and how one small change could affect everything, while delivering a story that's interesting (those complexities aren't really an interesting story by themselves), with characters who capture our interest and make us want to see them survive.
Author Ian Hocking misses on almost all counts.
The opening chapters, introducing us to the characters and setting up the scenario, were great. I thought, "Oh wow, this is going to be great! But I promise you that the opening chapters are the most interesting and exciting in the entire book, the rest of this is mostly just a bore.
The series is named after the detective, Saskia Brandt and if most of the book were featuring her, we might have been in decent shape, but she remains a shadow to the less likable and much less interesting David Proctor.
As a reader, I was hooked at the start, so I was Hocking's audience to lose, and unfortunately, lose me he did with a dull-driving plot, dull characters, and a failure to make even a time travel story interesting.
Looking for a good book? If you're experiencing Déjà Vu, put the book down and read something else.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
May 16, 2013
Deja Vu by Ian Hocking is the first book in 'The Saskia Brandt Series".
Set in the year 2023, the story begins in Berlin. Saskia Brandt is returning to her office after a breakup with her boyfriend Simon- who was upset that her job with the FIB (Federal Office of Investigation) was always calling her away.
Having returned two days earlier than expected, she wonders where her secretary is. Computers in this future have very advanced AI and conversations with them are the norm. Which leads Saskia to ask both where her secretary is and why the air conditioning is off of her computer. Though it is extremely intelligent, its answers are not very helpful. But Saskia is able to solve the puzzle quickly when she finds her secretary's body in the fridge- with a stab wound below her left ear.
Realising that she is being framed, she goes to her superior, Beckman, and tells him what's happened, to which he replies that she needs to deal with it herself. Being charged with murder in this world leads to different repercussions than our own. If you are found guilty (which generally you are), you are executed (if you're lucky) or subjected to a brain wipe (which leaves you as a very literal, programmable blank slate).
Trying to find evidence that could prove her innocence, she manages to find and enhance a still shot of the murderer's face (off of the blade he used to kill her secretary). When the image comes back, her world falls apart. She's staring at a photo of herself. Scrutinising her mind for the missing memories of killing the woman, she's met with the cold truth that her whole life is fabricated. She has no memories of who she is that weren't created and implanted by someone else.
Beckman informs her that her mind was erased three weeks ago- after she was found guilty of murder- and that this was all a test to see if she could be part of a special group. One trained to hunt down other killers. He gives her a choice- work for him (receiving false memories and becoming his puppet) or be executed. With little choice, she accepts and is given her first mission.
Meanwhile in Nevada, Jennifer Proctor has invented the time machine. She works with the same facility that her father, David, used to work for. He lost his job after he was accused of planting a bomb in their own base in 2003. The explosion killed his wife and cost him his career, though he was acquitted of the charges.
David has been called to Scotland, to the deserted base to find his old friend, Bruce- who has broken into the labs. What he finds is a dying man. Both men wanted to destroy the project they were working on twenty years ago, but have been unable to. David plans to rectify that. This time, he is the one who plants the bomb- killing Bruce in the process and making David a wanted man, armed only with his pocket-computer (a prototype) called Ego and a drawing his daughter made when she was younger, he must depend on his wits and the help of a mysterious woman and her cryptic messages.
Saskia is now after David Proctor. She meets Klutikov, a Russian agent who is also a puppet like her. He tells her about the microchips in their brains, that transmit the false memories and knowledge they possess. If her chip fails, so does she. Her mind and body do not come from the same person. Her body is that of a killer she never knew and she is a parasite plugged into it. Even her being, what she calls herself, is just a bunch of donor memories.
Teamed up with an older Detective in Edinburgh, Pihilp Jago- who she affectionally nicknames Scotty, they search for the elusive David Proctor. Throughout, Saskia keeps seeing random flashes of another woman- the woman this body belonged to, but they are too disjointed and vague. All she comes away with is a woman's name- Ute. Does she want these memories? Does she want to meet Ute- who the press nicknamed the "Angel of Death"?
There are a lot of Greek and Shakespearean references scattered throughout this book. In particular, the three fates- who cut your string when they deem that your life is up. Quite fitting seeing as Saskia's life is in another's hands. I also got echoes of something else. For anyone who has seen Joss Whedon's Dollhouse series, this holds a lot of similarities. The obvious one being, wiping the minds of people so that you can insert new ones that make them anyone. They can have any skill, they can be anything their creator desires.
Time-travel (which is present in this story) is always tricky to work with. The unavoidable paradoxes can leave crumbling holes in the plot. Here, it is done well. The points align, while still leaving necessary things ambiguous. There is still that question of whether you can actually change anything in the past or whether it has to happen because it's already happened. Best not to dwell on it too long. If you're looking for a scientific, deeply detailed explanation of time-travel and the many issues around it, this is not that.
I don't have too much to say about the characters. The one character who really stood out to me was, as you might expect, Saskia. The thought that your personality, your mind, your being is all a digital splicing of other people is extraordinary- both in its obscureness and in the fear it creates. That you are an intruder, a stranger in your own body must be a terrifying thing. What would you do? Would you want to know who the other half of your 'self' had been?
The ending was a conclusion. What I mean is, all the strings are brought together and the questions answered. The reader is brought full circle, back to the very beginning. There's nothing more to really say. It was a little anticlimactic. The penultimate big reveal gives us the whole picture of Saskia, in all its dramatic glory. But afterwards, the story fizzles out and just ends. There is the finale, where everything is wrapped up, but so much of the pace is lost, that it just sits there.
I'm not sure whether I'll carry on with the series. I found the concept intriguing, but the plot less so and with the reveal of Saskia's backstory, I'm left wondering if there's any more that I want to know.
Overall, a good read. If you're a fan of action, sic-fi or the paradoxes of life- this is for you.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.
Set in the year 2023, the story begins in Berlin. Saskia Brandt is returning to her office after a breakup with her boyfriend Simon- who was upset that her job with the FIB (Federal Office of Investigation) was always calling her away.
Having returned two days earlier than expected, she wonders where her secretary is. Computers in this future have very advanced AI and conversations with them are the norm. Which leads Saskia to ask both where her secretary is and why the air conditioning is off of her computer. Though it is extremely intelligent, its answers are not very helpful. But Saskia is able to solve the puzzle quickly when she finds her secretary's body in the fridge- with a stab wound below her left ear.
Realising that she is being framed, she goes to her superior, Beckman, and tells him what's happened, to which he replies that she needs to deal with it herself. Being charged with murder in this world leads to different repercussions than our own. If you are found guilty (which generally you are), you are executed (if you're lucky) or subjected to a brain wipe (which leaves you as a very literal, programmable blank slate).
Trying to find evidence that could prove her innocence, she manages to find and enhance a still shot of the murderer's face (off of the blade he used to kill her secretary). When the image comes back, her world falls apart. She's staring at a photo of herself. Scrutinising her mind for the missing memories of killing the woman, she's met with the cold truth that her whole life is fabricated. She has no memories of who she is that weren't created and implanted by someone else.
Beckman informs her that her mind was erased three weeks ago- after she was found guilty of murder- and that this was all a test to see if she could be part of a special group. One trained to hunt down other killers. He gives her a choice- work for him (receiving false memories and becoming his puppet) or be executed. With little choice, she accepts and is given her first mission.
Meanwhile in Nevada, Jennifer Proctor has invented the time machine. She works with the same facility that her father, David, used to work for. He lost his job after he was accused of planting a bomb in their own base in 2003. The explosion killed his wife and cost him his career, though he was acquitted of the charges.
David has been called to Scotland, to the deserted base to find his old friend, Bruce- who has broken into the labs. What he finds is a dying man. Both men wanted to destroy the project they were working on twenty years ago, but have been unable to. David plans to rectify that. This time, he is the one who plants the bomb- killing Bruce in the process and making David a wanted man, armed only with his pocket-computer (a prototype) called Ego and a drawing his daughter made when she was younger, he must depend on his wits and the help of a mysterious woman and her cryptic messages.
Saskia is now after David Proctor. She meets Klutikov, a Russian agent who is also a puppet like her. He tells her about the microchips in their brains, that transmit the false memories and knowledge they possess. If her chip fails, so does she. Her mind and body do not come from the same person. Her body is that of a killer she never knew and she is a parasite plugged into it. Even her being, what she calls herself, is just a bunch of donor memories.
Teamed up with an older Detective in Edinburgh, Pihilp Jago- who she affectionally nicknames Scotty, they search for the elusive David Proctor. Throughout, Saskia keeps seeing random flashes of another woman- the woman this body belonged to, but they are too disjointed and vague. All she comes away with is a woman's name- Ute. Does she want these memories? Does she want to meet Ute- who the press nicknamed the "Angel of Death"?
There are a lot of Greek and Shakespearean references scattered throughout this book. In particular, the three fates- who cut your string when they deem that your life is up. Quite fitting seeing as Saskia's life is in another's hands. I also got echoes of something else. For anyone who has seen Joss Whedon's Dollhouse series, this holds a lot of similarities. The obvious one being, wiping the minds of people so that you can insert new ones that make them anyone. They can have any skill, they can be anything their creator desires.
Time-travel (which is present in this story) is always tricky to work with. The unavoidable paradoxes can leave crumbling holes in the plot. Here, it is done well. The points align, while still leaving necessary things ambiguous. There is still that question of whether you can actually change anything in the past or whether it has to happen because it's already happened. Best not to dwell on it too long. If you're looking for a scientific, deeply detailed explanation of time-travel and the many issues around it, this is not that.
I don't have too much to say about the characters. The one character who really stood out to me was, as you might expect, Saskia. The thought that your personality, your mind, your being is all a digital splicing of other people is extraordinary- both in its obscureness and in the fear it creates. That you are an intruder, a stranger in your own body must be a terrifying thing. What would you do? Would you want to know who the other half of your 'self' had been?
The ending was a conclusion. What I mean is, all the strings are brought together and the questions answered. The reader is brought full circle, back to the very beginning. There's nothing more to really say. It was a little anticlimactic. The penultimate big reveal gives us the whole picture of Saskia, in all its dramatic glory. But afterwards, the story fizzles out and just ends. There is the finale, where everything is wrapped up, but so much of the pace is lost, that it just sits there.
I'm not sure whether I'll carry on with the series. I found the concept intriguing, but the plot less so and with the reveal of Saskia's backstory, I'm left wondering if there's any more that I want to know.
Overall, a good read. If you're a fan of action, sic-fi or the paradoxes of life- this is for you.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2014
“The purpose of Russian roulette is edification. A lesson that poses the question: is there a bullet or is there not?”
Time travel is not a subject I usually adore. It’s hard to execute correctly. There’s this little thing called the Grandfather Paradox, and that’s where most of my criticism comes when I see time travel pop up in literature. But Ian Hocking’s debut, Déjà Vu, makes a believer out of me.
That, and he deals with perceived reality and unreliable memory. I’m a sucker for those.
This technothriller pulls you from the very first page. Saskia Brandt walks into her Berlin office with a broken A/C and her secretary dead in the fridge. This is enough to rattle any woman straight from vacation. Problem is, Saskia killed her secretary, and has no recollection of it. This spells problems, and essentially leads to her loss of control. Blackmail can be a dangerous thing, especially when you can’t remember more than just one murder you’ve committed.
Somewhere around Oxford, David Proctor wakes up to a battle of wits with his prototype alarm clock. Or AI computer, if you want to get fancy. But when he gets a phone call from the company telling him that the other two prototypes were stolen just last night, he begins to worry. Things really start to get fun when he’s drafted into a plot to help some robot rights activists. All so he can return home to life that he left behind.
Nothing is what it seems as Hocking strings us along for one helluva ride.
Throughout the entire novel, reality is called into question, because when you can erase somebody’s memories, you erase everything. You erase perception. You erase motivation. You erase predictability, and the author knows how to keep you on your feet.
His snappy dialogue rollicks the plot along, setting scenes and snipping them before they become too stale. He knows what editing is, and the clipped, no-nonsense prose shows that in spades.
While this can at times translate into a dry novel, that’s okay. His dry sense of humor more than makes up for the brittle writing. Whether it’s waking up to a regular morning, fighting crime at night, or losing yourself in between, there’s always a nice injection of jokes. It’s lovely and well done.
“Life is, you know, shaped by forces beyond your control.”
But I would be amiss to mention the characters spouting off most of these japes.
Saskia is a woman who must learn about herself as we do, which creates essentially a blank slate. This makes up for itself as time goes on. The wiped convict worries she’ll fall into her violent history, but as the plot progresses, she loses these doubting shackles. She receives the most character development, becomes more multi-layered than the entire cast, and by the end, takes center stage.
Juxtaposed to her is the Professor David Proctor. He’s not a man who has his sights set on the future, but on the past. Whereas Saskia adds layers throughout the novel, David removes them. He has a dark past that leaves the reader wondering for the most part if he was pivotal in this doing. Certain actions of his call this into question, and truthfully, those were my favorite parts.
But the cast is just as important. Jago and Bruce spring to mind early on, one a grizzled cop who talks without preamble, the other an almost insane virtual reality walker. More characters sprout to life in many scenes, like Jennifer and Janine and the always lovable sociopath, Crane (which is the first true rendition of a sociopath I’ve seen in a long time). But I would be wrong if I didn’t reveal the true thief of most every scene he enters: the prototype computer Ego.
Put simply, I want the control of all technology around me at my fingertips. All with a complete lack of subtlety and humor. I loved him.
“’And if your memories of the weekend are false, where do you draw the line between falsehood and truth?”
Now to the big staple of this book: time travel. I’m not a fan of this particular vein of Science Fiction. Sure, I love me a good cyberpunk book. But as I said earlier, I’m not a fan of jumping through wormholes to reverse the past. It’s too easy to create plot holes. Luckily, Hocking adheres to the rule “Everything happens for a reason.” Moments are fixed. There is nothing you can do to change them.
There are times that this stretches the suspension of disbelief. I did rolls my eyes at one coincidence. But he explains it well enough, waves it off and does a good job.
Littering the narrative is bits and bobs of Greek Mythology, Shakespeare, and more sayings than you can shake a stick at. Dolls within dolls was a personal favorite of mine. Questions can get you killed was another. But the reoccurring Fates and other snippets can leave a bread crumb trail for the past, and make you scratch your head until the ending.
And then it wraps it all up in a clear explosion, quite literally. It’s amazing.
Intersected with virtual worlds, questions about reality, unreliable memories, and nanotechnology, Déjà Vu is sure to astound most any Science Fiction reader. It’s a dry book on the surface that cuts deeper with its ideas. Simply put, it’s brilliant.
“The man was like a chess piece from a different game relocated to the center of Crane’s board.”
April 17, 2019
It was ok, not really much going on. A bit confusing in some parts (I know, it’s a time travel novel!) I don’t think I’ll be continuing the series
October 31, 2022
Excellent read!!
January 5, 2026
I did enjoy reading this book, there were some great twists, and I loved the time paradoxes.
February 2, 2011
It is inevitable that David Proctor and Saskia Brandt, the two protagonists of Ian Hocking's futuristic novel Déjà Vu, will meet. Proctor is suspected of multiple murders, most recently that of his former colleague Bruce Shimoda, with whom he had once worked on the creation of a top-secret virtual world. He is also suspected of bombing the lab that he and Shimoda shared some twenty years earlier, back in 2002, an explosion which happened to kill his own wife. Saskia Brandt, in contrast, doesn't know her own back-story, but she does know that she works for the FIB, Europe's Federal Investigation Bureau, and that she's been ordered to capture Proctor. Saskia also knows that she is super-human insofar as manifold bits of information have been implanted in her brain. She quite literally knows things she doesn't know she knows: should she find herself in the cockpit of an airplane, for example, she may or may not discover that she is an expert pilot. Using investigative skills she'd been unaware she possessed, Saskia follows Proctor across continents, a high-tech chase scene that will leave readers, if not breathless, certainly interested.
Déjà Vu is a smart read filled with clever, fresh dialogue:
"Saskia stared, unfocused, at the wall. 'If I fail, what will happen to me?'
'For murder?' The death penalty. Although after the Richter ruling, you might be lucky and just have your brain wiped. Street-cleaning isn't so bad. They wear epaulettes.'"
The book offers readers an intriguing mystery right from the get-go: Saskia, who is being framed herself for murder at the book's opening, must solve the crime before a refrigerator repairman arrives in her office the next day. (Really. It is the scene early on in which Saskia discovers the corpse she's allegedly responsible for that hooked me on the book.) The plot of Déjà Vu is intricate enough to leave readers pondering its twists long after they've finished it. It may indeed be a bit too complicated, or may at least occasionally leave too much unexplained: I was left with a few questions that might require a second reading to clear up. In particular, the almost dreamlike segments in the book in which the characters are acting in the virtual environment Proctor helped create can be confusing and are less satisfying than the rest of the story. That said, I very much enjoyed the world Hocking has created and the characters with which he's populated it.
While the virtual world Hocking's scientists created left me cold, I was otherwise smitten with the author's view of the future, in particular with its cool gadgetry. In the 2020's, computers are everywhere. Driverless taxis tool around providing easy transport. Refrigerators self-diagnose and summon repairmen when appropriate. Best of all is the computer prototype that David Proctor makes so much use of: Ego is a close to omniscient, credit-card-sized personal computer that is forever increasing its own store of knowledge and performing helpful tricks. Ego constantly scans innumerable sources--the internet, police communications, spy novels--for information relevant to its master's situation, and upon command it is ready to act as an interpreter or magnetic card key, a voice-activated recorder or explosive device, a lie detector or, well, an iPod. In short, I want one. I just hope Steve Jobs is paying attention.
Déjà Vu is a smart read filled with clever, fresh dialogue:
"Saskia stared, unfocused, at the wall. 'If I fail, what will happen to me?'
'For murder?' The death penalty. Although after the Richter ruling, you might be lucky and just have your brain wiped. Street-cleaning isn't so bad. They wear epaulettes.'"
The book offers readers an intriguing mystery right from the get-go: Saskia, who is being framed herself for murder at the book's opening, must solve the crime before a refrigerator repairman arrives in her office the next day. (Really. It is the scene early on in which Saskia discovers the corpse she's allegedly responsible for that hooked me on the book.) The plot of Déjà Vu is intricate enough to leave readers pondering its twists long after they've finished it. It may indeed be a bit too complicated, or may at least occasionally leave too much unexplained: I was left with a few questions that might require a second reading to clear up. In particular, the almost dreamlike segments in the book in which the characters are acting in the virtual environment Proctor helped create can be confusing and are less satisfying than the rest of the story. That said, I very much enjoyed the world Hocking has created and the characters with which he's populated it.
While the virtual world Hocking's scientists created left me cold, I was otherwise smitten with the author's view of the future, in particular with its cool gadgetry. In the 2020's, computers are everywhere. Driverless taxis tool around providing easy transport. Refrigerators self-diagnose and summon repairmen when appropriate. Best of all is the computer prototype that David Proctor makes so much use of: Ego is a close to omniscient, credit-card-sized personal computer that is forever increasing its own store of knowledge and performing helpful tricks. Ego constantly scans innumerable sources--the internet, police communications, spy novels--for information relevant to its master's situation, and upon command it is ready to act as an interpreter or magnetic card key, a voice-activated recorder or explosive device, a lie detector or, well, an iPod. In short, I want one. I just hope Steve Jobs is paying attention.
September 19, 2014
The opening chapters of the novel caught my attention, and Saskia Brandt and her predicament in this book regarding her identity and uncertain past hold a great deal of potential. The shift in narrative to Proctor was therefore a bit jarring, for the remainder of the novel remained on this protagonist.
This is especially unfortunate because he isn’t a particularly fascinating or likable character. Also it ends up negating the potential of Saskia, who the series is named after. The female protagonist ends up never having any self-definition. Instead she remains something created and manipulated, within the story as much as by the writer. By the time she returns to the novel after the chapters of focus on David, her purpose becomes fully tied to David’s, and there she basically remains.
Beyond disappointing with the wasted potential of a strong female character, Déjà Vu, doesn’t find any other way to significantly impress either. It is not a bad novel; it’s just rather ordinary. Nothing in the plot is particularly novel in terms of technology or twist. The mystery of how the various plot strands come together between past and future of course involves time travel, again not something new to science fiction. Here though time travel is kept to strict rules of causality, so that if something happened in the past, it will happen in the future. No exception.
So, if you try to shoot Hitler to prevent him from rising to power, it won’t happen. The gun will jam. The bullet will fly off at a ninety-degree angle and hit a wall instead. Etc. This ends up effectively making a deus ex machina situation where the plot advances simply because that is how the past was written – quite literally here, by the author.
There are concepts within Déjà Vu that while done in science fiction plenty of times, could be handled anew in a fresh significant way. The start of Saskia’s story had me excited that this might be the case, but unfortunately that isn’t what the novel became. Again, Déjà Vu isn’t terrible and there are nuggets of creative quality here, that even writer Ian Watson gave it praise. But with a generic plot and characters that never became captivating or profound the work just comes across as flat.
Disclaimer: I received a free advanced electronic reading copy of this via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Review with synopsis appeared at http://reading1000lives.com/
This is especially unfortunate because he isn’t a particularly fascinating or likable character. Also it ends up negating the potential of Saskia, who the series is named after. The female protagonist ends up never having any self-definition. Instead she remains something created and manipulated, within the story as much as by the writer. By the time she returns to the novel after the chapters of focus on David, her purpose becomes fully tied to David’s, and there she basically remains.
Beyond disappointing with the wasted potential of a strong female character, Déjà Vu, doesn’t find any other way to significantly impress either. It is not a bad novel; it’s just rather ordinary. Nothing in the plot is particularly novel in terms of technology or twist. The mystery of how the various plot strands come together between past and future of course involves time travel, again not something new to science fiction. Here though time travel is kept to strict rules of causality, so that if something happened in the past, it will happen in the future. No exception.
So, if you try to shoot Hitler to prevent him from rising to power, it won’t happen. The gun will jam. The bullet will fly off at a ninety-degree angle and hit a wall instead. Etc. This ends up effectively making a deus ex machina situation where the plot advances simply because that is how the past was written – quite literally here, by the author.
There are concepts within Déjà Vu that while done in science fiction plenty of times, could be handled anew in a fresh significant way. The start of Saskia’s story had me excited that this might be the case, but unfortunately that isn’t what the novel became. Again, Déjà Vu isn’t terrible and there are nuggets of creative quality here, that even writer Ian Watson gave it praise. But with a generic plot and characters that never became captivating or profound the work just comes across as flat.
Disclaimer: I received a free advanced electronic reading copy of this via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Review with synopsis appeared at http://reading1000lives.com/
April 18, 2013
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 3.5/5 (Rounded to 4)
Review:
First Lines: Saskia Brandt emerged from the shadow of the Brandenburg Gate and narrowed her eyes at the evening.
Deja Vu is a fast paced techno-thriller that hooked me in from the very beginning.
The book is set in 2023 and follows the lives of Saskia Brandt and David Proctor. Saskia is an FIB Agent who is under orders to capture David, who is a suspect in a number of murders.
The characters were the real stars, as far as I'm concerned. I loved how they were written in contrast of each other.
Saskia is unsure of her identity, her past and strives to make sense of the strange phrases that seem to reach out to her. She has a chip in the back of her head which basically provides her with whatever knowledge she needs (think Matrix). This, inevitably, raises the question whether any of her knowledge is her own. She is a very complex character and the revelations of her past were probably my favourite parts.
On the other hand, David's story largely dwells in his past; memories of his daughter, the bomb blasts that destroyed his work. I would've liked to know more about the virtual reality that he'd created.
I liked that the writing style was a tad bit choppy and clinical which enhanced the futuristic feel of the book. However, this also made it a bit tough to follow at a few points.
The world that Hocking created was quite interesting with time travel made possible and a virtual world being created that brought up all sorts of moral dilemmas. And, of course, tons of cool gadgetry which included self-diagnosing refrigerators and a credit card sized personal computer that can only be described as omniscient.
The explanation for time travel was a rather simplistic one and steered clear of paradoxes, which was a bit disappointing but probably better for the story as it mostly works in the background.
My only problem with the book was that it didn't maintain it's pace throughout. At some parts it was a veritable page turner but at others it slackened.
In conclusion, it was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the sequel, Flashback.
Rating: 3.5/5 (Rounded to 4)
Review:
First Lines: Saskia Brandt emerged from the shadow of the Brandenburg Gate and narrowed her eyes at the evening.
Deja Vu is a fast paced techno-thriller that hooked me in from the very beginning.
The book is set in 2023 and follows the lives of Saskia Brandt and David Proctor. Saskia is an FIB Agent who is under orders to capture David, who is a suspect in a number of murders.
The characters were the real stars, as far as I'm concerned. I loved how they were written in contrast of each other.
Saskia is unsure of her identity, her past and strives to make sense of the strange phrases that seem to reach out to her. She has a chip in the back of her head which basically provides her with whatever knowledge she needs (think Matrix). This, inevitably, raises the question whether any of her knowledge is her own. She is a very complex character and the revelations of her past were probably my favourite parts.
On the other hand, David's story largely dwells in his past; memories of his daughter, the bomb blasts that destroyed his work. I would've liked to know more about the virtual reality that he'd created.
I liked that the writing style was a tad bit choppy and clinical which enhanced the futuristic feel of the book. However, this also made it a bit tough to follow at a few points.
The world that Hocking created was quite interesting with time travel made possible and a virtual world being created that brought up all sorts of moral dilemmas. And, of course, tons of cool gadgetry which included self-diagnosing refrigerators and a credit card sized personal computer that can only be described as omniscient.
The explanation for time travel was a rather simplistic one and steered clear of paradoxes, which was a bit disappointing but probably better for the story as it mostly works in the background.
My only problem with the book was that it didn't maintain it's pace throughout. At some parts it was a veritable page turner but at others it slackened.
In conclusion, it was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the sequel, Flashback.
November 7, 2015
This book was sent to me by the publisher for review for no compensation. All opinions expressed are my own.
When Saskia Brandt arrives in her office after a depressing long weekend and breakup with her boyfriend, she finds her secretary dead and the blame about to be pinned on her. With only 12 hours to prove her innocence, she sets about unraveling the mystery, only to arrive at a shocking conclusion. David Proctor is a renowned professor, but when he gets a call telling him that his intelligent computer is the only one left, it seems he has no choice but to go back to the place where his wife was killed in a bombing twenty years earlier. As the mysteries tighten around Saskia and David, slowly pulling them into the same circle, they must both abandon everything they thought they knew about the events of their lives to discover the truth of their fates.
Sci-fi isn't one of my usual genres, but time travel fascinates me, particularly when it is complex and very well thought-out. Deja Vu qualified. From the very first chapter, I felt like it was a roller coaster of action and revelation.
To some extent, it was really difficult to keep up with what was going on in the book. There were so many little nuances related to the time travel that didn't make sense until the end. I think if I had some time to reread it, it's one of those books that would make more sense on the second time through.
It did read a bit like a brain teaser at points, but extremely engrossing with some really well thought out, believeable characters. Since I haven't read a whole lot of the sci-fi time travel genre, I don't have anything to really compare it to. It really doesn't compare to the historical fiction type time travel novels, because they don't really focus on the actual act of the time travel or the ramifications of changing the past. Deja Vu was much more technical and philosophical than that. So, all I can say is, with my limited experience, I loved it, and I recommend you try it, even if sci-fi time travel isn't a genre you ever thought you'd enjoy.
I loved it: 5 out of 5 stars.
When Saskia Brandt arrives in her office after a depressing long weekend and breakup with her boyfriend, she finds her secretary dead and the blame about to be pinned on her. With only 12 hours to prove her innocence, she sets about unraveling the mystery, only to arrive at a shocking conclusion. David Proctor is a renowned professor, but when he gets a call telling him that his intelligent computer is the only one left, it seems he has no choice but to go back to the place where his wife was killed in a bombing twenty years earlier. As the mysteries tighten around Saskia and David, slowly pulling them into the same circle, they must both abandon everything they thought they knew about the events of their lives to discover the truth of their fates.
Sci-fi isn't one of my usual genres, but time travel fascinates me, particularly when it is complex and very well thought-out. Deja Vu qualified. From the very first chapter, I felt like it was a roller coaster of action and revelation.
To some extent, it was really difficult to keep up with what was going on in the book. There were so many little nuances related to the time travel that didn't make sense until the end. I think if I had some time to reread it, it's one of those books that would make more sense on the second time through.
It did read a bit like a brain teaser at points, but extremely engrossing with some really well thought out, believeable characters. Since I haven't read a whole lot of the sci-fi time travel genre, I don't have anything to really compare it to. It really doesn't compare to the historical fiction type time travel novels, because they don't really focus on the actual act of the time travel or the ramifications of changing the past. Deja Vu was much more technical and philosophical than that. So, all I can say is, with my limited experience, I loved it, and I recommend you try it, even if sci-fi time travel isn't a genre you ever thought you'd enjoy.
I loved it: 5 out of 5 stars.
November 13, 2015
Crime thriller and psychologically-compromised sci-fi aren't exactly strangers and for a reason. This origin story for protagonist Saskia Brandt gets much right while resolving its immediate plot and setting up plenty to work with for sequels which are already available. The very near future timeline of the novel allows for innovative and speculative tech that is easily enough understood.
Berlin-based investigator, Saskia, is having a bad string of days. Her London boyfriend broke it off with her and returning to her Berlin office, she finds her secretary in the refrigerator, 3 days dead. This is how a crime novel should start. Things take a turn for the interesting when she concludes that she is the likeliest suspect for the crime--awkward.
Either she is being framed or this has the makings of Jason Bourne-esque plot twists. This proves to be the latter with false memories, uploaded talents, neural chips, and dual personalities,those of Saskia and Ute, vying for control in the body Saskia assumed to be hers.
Then, another crime mystery, a bombing with subsequent murder, is layered atop the first. Actually, two new crimes, in Scotland, from 20 years apart with the same players--both bombing-homicides. One key player, Prof. David Proctor, has created virtual universes that play through the plot, and his daughter warps time itself with wormholes. Now multiple timelines unfurl and are deftly woven together. Causation becomes both key and conundrum. . .
There is much to like and yet further to delve in the Ute storyline that reveals itself late and slowly in the novel. Even more, one can hope that Saskia and Ute can learn to work together in a way that has not been seen before. That would also help to make Saskia more likable, not that likability is necessary.
I received my copy of this novel directly from the publisher, Unsung Stories, through bookreviewdirectory.wordpress.com.
Berlin-based investigator, Saskia, is having a bad string of days. Her London boyfriend broke it off with her and returning to her Berlin office, she finds her secretary in the refrigerator, 3 days dead. This is how a crime novel should start. Things take a turn for the interesting when she concludes that she is the likeliest suspect for the crime--awkward.
Either she is being framed or this has the makings of Jason Bourne-esque plot twists. This proves to be the latter with false memories, uploaded talents, neural chips, and dual personalities,those of Saskia and Ute, vying for control in the body Saskia assumed to be hers.
Then, another crime mystery, a bombing with subsequent murder, is layered atop the first. Actually, two new crimes, in Scotland, from 20 years apart with the same players--both bombing-homicides. One key player, Prof. David Proctor, has created virtual universes that play through the plot, and his daughter warps time itself with wormholes. Now multiple timelines unfurl and are deftly woven together. Causation becomes both key and conundrum. . .
There is much to like and yet further to delve in the Ute storyline that reveals itself late and slowly in the novel. Even more, one can hope that Saskia and Ute can learn to work together in a way that has not been seen before. That would also help to make Saskia more likable, not that likability is necessary.
I received my copy of this novel directly from the publisher, Unsung Stories, through bookreviewdirectory.wordpress.com.
March 7, 2013
This is a fast-pace action book set in the near future of 2023 (with some flashbacks to 2003). It puts me in mind of something like the movie Salt – but without the assassination plotline.
Characters: The book is written in third person and mostly follows Saskia Brandt. Saskia is a strong character and one that I liked. Her life is basically turned upside as she is sent on an assignment to hunt down David. David Proctor, the other character the book follows, is on the run. Both characters have good dimensions in the story. The reader learns about the characters in more depth as the story progresses, including flaws and motives.
Plot: The plot is fast-paced with high-technology for the future. There are twists and turns, and it would be interesting to see what I missed upon rereading it. The story and ending is very detailed in linking everything together. The book ends nicely and leaves the reader wanting to find out what will happen. Without giving any spoilers away, I was shocked by the first chapter. I remember thinking in chapter two, “Okay, so it’s going to be that type of story” (meaning lots of action, mystery, suspense, and a few surprises.) Although the reader may guess the direction of where the story might go, he/she is not really sure of the details and reasons until he/she gets there.
Flaws for the novel? Well, considering 2023 is only ten years away, I think the technology was a little too advanced to be realistic, but hey, this is a science fiction novel, right? Also, sometimes the explanations with the technology could be confusing with all the letters/abbreviations/numbers involved. However, it was not very distracting, and I did not dwell too hard on it.
Overall, I liked this book. I saw this book on Amazon for free, and I then won The Amber Rooms (3rd book). I’m glad I started it and can’t wait to see what happens in the next one!
Characters: The book is written in third person and mostly follows Saskia Brandt. Saskia is a strong character and one that I liked. Her life is basically turned upside as she is sent on an assignment to hunt down David. David Proctor, the other character the book follows, is on the run. Both characters have good dimensions in the story. The reader learns about the characters in more depth as the story progresses, including flaws and motives.
Plot: The plot is fast-paced with high-technology for the future. There are twists and turns, and it would be interesting to see what I missed upon rereading it. The story and ending is very detailed in linking everything together. The book ends nicely and leaves the reader wanting to find out what will happen. Without giving any spoilers away, I was shocked by the first chapter. I remember thinking in chapter two, “Okay, so it’s going to be that type of story” (meaning lots of action, mystery, suspense, and a few surprises.) Although the reader may guess the direction of where the story might go, he/she is not really sure of the details and reasons until he/she gets there.
Flaws for the novel? Well, considering 2023 is only ten years away, I think the technology was a little too advanced to be realistic, but hey, this is a science fiction novel, right? Also, sometimes the explanations with the technology could be confusing with all the letters/abbreviations/numbers involved. However, it was not very distracting, and I did not dwell too hard on it.
Overall, I liked this book. I saw this book on Amazon for free, and I then won The Amber Rooms (3rd book). I’m glad I started it and can’t wait to see what happens in the next one!
May 8, 2013
I should probably start by confessing that I picked this up for free due to a generous promotion by the author.
The story follows a kommissarin (detective) from a European police agency as she tracks down an English professor who is on the run, suspected of blowing up a research facility (for the second time) and killing an ex-colleague.
The book contains lots of future tech, including submersive realities, decanted minds, the sort of personal digital assistants we all dream of and time travel.
All good stuff, but I found the opening chapters were written in a very staccato style–short sentences that didn’t seem to flow together–making it hard to get into a rhythm. After a few chapters it found its feet and the story began to draw me in.
The characters were good, they’re well-rounded and believable, and the story is packed with action and rarely dawdles.
The problem was that I got to the end and thought I had missed the point, that I had somehow blundered past the big reveal where we find out the Earth-shattering reason for everything and learn where our protagonist comes from and why she’s chasing the man she is.
I was so convinced I missed it that I went back ten chapters (or so) and read it again, only to conclude I hadn’t missed it, it just wasn’t there.
I didn’t see any reason not to let the antagonist do what he was trying to do, which took away the reason for all the rushing around (I’m still half-wondering if I’ve missed something). It was as if the backbone of the story, its very heart, was missing.
I didn’t find it a particularly easy book to read, it makes you work to keep up with what’s going on, some of which comes down to the breakneck pace.
The ideas were intriguing enough that I’ll probably give the second book, Flashback, a try (which I also managed to download for free), but I’m not sure I’d recommend it.
The story follows a kommissarin (detective) from a European police agency as she tracks down an English professor who is on the run, suspected of blowing up a research facility (for the second time) and killing an ex-colleague.
The book contains lots of future tech, including submersive realities, decanted minds, the sort of personal digital assistants we all dream of and time travel.
All good stuff, but I found the opening chapters were written in a very staccato style–short sentences that didn’t seem to flow together–making it hard to get into a rhythm. After a few chapters it found its feet and the story began to draw me in.
The characters were good, they’re well-rounded and believable, and the story is packed with action and rarely dawdles.
The problem was that I got to the end and thought I had missed the point, that I had somehow blundered past the big reveal where we find out the Earth-shattering reason for everything and learn where our protagonist comes from and why she’s chasing the man she is.
I was so convinced I missed it that I went back ten chapters (or so) and read it again, only to conclude I hadn’t missed it, it just wasn’t there.
I didn’t see any reason not to let the antagonist do what he was trying to do, which took away the reason for all the rushing around (I’m still half-wondering if I’ve missed something). It was as if the backbone of the story, its very heart, was missing.
I didn’t find it a particularly easy book to read, it makes you work to keep up with what’s going on, some of which comes down to the breakneck pace.
The ideas were intriguing enough that I’ll probably give the second book, Flashback, a try (which I also managed to download for free), but I’m not sure I’d recommend it.
October 28, 2014
(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).
(This review may contain spoilers).
Ideally, I'd give this book 3.5 stars. The premise of this book was quite an intriguing one, but I found myself disconnecting from the characters for about half of the book.
The first part of the book was really interesting and managed to pull me in. Although I did see a particular twist coming, that scene did hold my attention enough to keep me reading and interested. I found Saskia to be a fairly interesting character.
I was expecting the sensation of deja vu to be utilised more than it actually was. I was confused quite a bit by how everyone fit together, but by the end of the book, it did all make a bit more sense.
I did feel that the technology wasn't used as much as it could have been. I saw glimpses of the kinds of advances the world had made, but I was confused about the whole thing in Saskia's apartment and how that technology all worked.
Anything to do with time travel can be really tricky and I do think it was handled pretty well and made quite a lot of sense. I wasn't entirely sure about the ending of the book... but it's true that a lot of the loose ends were tied up nicely.
Saskia grew on me a bit more as the book went on. The whole memory thing was an interesting concept, but there were some things I didn't really understand towards the end. I had a lot of questions by that point.
It would be interesting to read a sequel to this book that answered some of my questions. There were some minor issues that were unresolved by the end of the book and it would be good to see those explained.
(This review may contain spoilers).
Ideally, I'd give this book 3.5 stars. The premise of this book was quite an intriguing one, but I found myself disconnecting from the characters for about half of the book.
The first part of the book was really interesting and managed to pull me in. Although I did see a particular twist coming, that scene did hold my attention enough to keep me reading and interested. I found Saskia to be a fairly interesting character.
I was expecting the sensation of deja vu to be utilised more than it actually was. I was confused quite a bit by how everyone fit together, but by the end of the book, it did all make a bit more sense.
I did feel that the technology wasn't used as much as it could have been. I saw glimpses of the kinds of advances the world had made, but I was confused about the whole thing in Saskia's apartment and how that technology all worked.
Anything to do with time travel can be really tricky and I do think it was handled pretty well and made quite a lot of sense. I wasn't entirely sure about the ending of the book... but it's true that a lot of the loose ends were tied up nicely.
Saskia grew on me a bit more as the book went on. The whole memory thing was an interesting concept, but there were some things I didn't really understand towards the end. I had a lot of questions by that point.
It would be interesting to read a sequel to this book that answered some of my questions. There were some minor issues that were unresolved by the end of the book and it would be good to see those explained.
September 14, 2014
Pretty decent sci-fi thriller. I could imagine it could make a decent film. I have to admit the first five chapters or so were brilliant, and I loved the twists and the story being set up there. The rest of the book didn't pan out quite as expected, and didn't meet what I'd hoped for, but it was still pretty good. It also feels as though this is a prelude in some ways, setting things up for the further adventures of Saskia Brandt. She is by far the best character in this book, although always a little illusive. I guess she doesn't know herself.
It's set in the not too distant future of 2023 - 9 years away, perhaps a tad unbelieveable now, although I think when this was written that was 20 years away (well, there's a note on goodreads to say it was first published in 2005). This is the grim future folks, we are now in a United States of Europe, it looks like Scotland never got independence, and computers are so complex they can be tiny chips popped into people's heads. And time travel is up and running. Prepare to have your mind boggled.
A minor irritation that lets the book down is this: when I'd finished it, and was thinking, yeah, pretty good, I turned over the page and there was a letter from the author. Now, whatever your opinion on Dan Brown is (personally I'm not a fan) I don't think it does anyone any favours to put snide remarks about him in your acknowledgements. Just leaves the book with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
It's set in the not too distant future of 2023 - 9 years away, perhaps a tad unbelieveable now, although I think when this was written that was 20 years away (well, there's a note on goodreads to say it was first published in 2005). This is the grim future folks, we are now in a United States of Europe, it looks like Scotland never got independence, and computers are so complex they can be tiny chips popped into people's heads. And time travel is up and running. Prepare to have your mind boggled.
A minor irritation that lets the book down is this: when I'd finished it, and was thinking, yeah, pretty good, I turned over the page and there was a letter from the author. Now, whatever your opinion on Dan Brown is (personally I'm not a fan) I don't think it does anyone any favours to put snide remarks about him in your acknowledgements. Just leaves the book with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
June 23, 2014
One of the new breed of internet publishing authors, Ian Hocking's 'Deja Vu' is a futuristic Intelligence thriller. The Saskia Brandt of the title is a bit of a mystery, since at the outset she is told that all her memories are fictional. She is a created personality grafted on to the wiped mind of a convicted serial killer. She has also been given, as Liam Neeson might say 'a specific set of skills' and is immediately put on a mission to track down David Proctor, a man involved in an experiment which seemed to combine virtual reality and artificial intelligence. David appears to have had concerns as to what use his research could be put to, and blew up his lab, killing his wife in the process.
Proctor's daughter is also a scientist, involved in research into time.
Saskia becomes paired up with a police officer, Inspector Jago, and they set off on the trail of Proctor, none of them quite sure what they've got themselves involved in. To make matters worse, Saskia is getting concerned that the original owner of her body might not be entirely suppressed, and is trying to return.
It's definitely a page turner, a thoroughly enjoyable read and on the whole I can sincerely recommend it. It's a fast-paced rollercoaster experience that actually surprised me at the finale because it wasn't what I had been expecting.
A very promising debut.
Proctor's daughter is also a scientist, involved in research into time.
Saskia becomes paired up with a police officer, Inspector Jago, and they set off on the trail of Proctor, none of them quite sure what they've got themselves involved in. To make matters worse, Saskia is getting concerned that the original owner of her body might not be entirely suppressed, and is trying to return.
It's definitely a page turner, a thoroughly enjoyable read and on the whole I can sincerely recommend it. It's a fast-paced rollercoaster experience that actually surprised me at the finale because it wasn't what I had been expecting.
A very promising debut.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2013
Excellent work of science fiction, beautifully balancing the science and the fiction. It is not so heavily into the realm of science that the average reader will struggle to the point of frustration, exasperation, or simple give up. Nor is the story all fiction - there is real science contained within. Granted you may not see the actual formulas for how certain things were arrived at, yet it clearly is bases upon true science.
It will, however, make the reader think. There are multiple layers to this story, so many that I expect I've only begun to scratch the surface. The more time spent thinking about the story and its multitude of angles, the more questions I find myself trying to answer. Or more accurately, trying to find the answers to within the book. Yet I don't think that they are all contained within the book. Some, I expect, are questions humanity has been asking since it could form questions, while others are on a somewhat smaller scale.
Thankfully this it only the first of three books, so there is more time to plumb the depth story and how everything interconnects.
It will, however, make the reader think. There are multiple layers to this story, so many that I expect I've only begun to scratch the surface. The more time spent thinking about the story and its multitude of angles, the more questions I find myself trying to answer. Or more accurately, trying to find the answers to within the book. Yet I don't think that they are all contained within the book. Some, I expect, are questions humanity has been asking since it could form questions, while others are on a somewhat smaller scale.
Thankfully this it only the first of three books, so there is more time to plumb the depth story and how everything interconnects.
July 24, 2014
Deja Vu was first published in 2005 and is the first in the Saskia Brandt series.
Book Description: It is 2023. Scientist David Proctor is running for his life. On his trail is Saskia Brandt, a detective with the European FIB. She has questions. Questions about a bomb that exploded back in 2003. But someone is hunting her too. The clues are in the shattered memories of her previous life.
Déjà Vu takes the reader on a startling journey through a possible future, though digital minds, and through the consequences of the choices we make. It is the debut novel by Ian Hocking.
A science fiction/futuristic novel that involves mind control and time travel, Deja Vu has intriguing characters in David Proctor and Saskia Brandt. On the other hand, the novel can be confusing and disjointed at times.
I found myself intrigued with the novel, but perhaps overwhelmed with story lines, and time-travel always brings complexities that are difficult to resolve. Overall, I found parts of the novel compelling and parts...just confusing.
NetGalley/Red Squirrell Publishing
Science Fiction/Futuristic. 2005 and July 2014.
Book Description: It is 2023. Scientist David Proctor is running for his life. On his trail is Saskia Brandt, a detective with the European FIB. She has questions. Questions about a bomb that exploded back in 2003. But someone is hunting her too. The clues are in the shattered memories of her previous life.
Déjà Vu takes the reader on a startling journey through a possible future, though digital minds, and through the consequences of the choices we make. It is the debut novel by Ian Hocking.
A science fiction/futuristic novel that involves mind control and time travel, Deja Vu has intriguing characters in David Proctor and Saskia Brandt. On the other hand, the novel can be confusing and disjointed at times.
I found myself intrigued with the novel, but perhaps overwhelmed with story lines, and time-travel always brings complexities that are difficult to resolve. Overall, I found parts of the novel compelling and parts...just confusing.
NetGalley/Red Squirrell Publishing
Science Fiction/Futuristic. 2005 and July 2014.
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