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Detective Barnes #1
Punishment
Do you want to know what it’s like to die, to kill, to really fear for your life? Then get hooked…
Detroit-based homicide detective John Barnes has seen it all—literally. Thanks to a technologically advanced machine, detectives have access to the memories of the living, the dying, and the recently dead. But extracting victims’ experiences firsthand and personally reliving everything up to the final, brutal moments of their lives—the sights, the sounds, the scents, the pain—is also the punishment reserved for the criminals themselves.
Barnes has had enough. Enough of the memories that aren’t his. Enough of the horror. Enough of the voices inside his head that were never meant to take root…until a masked serial killer known as Calavera strikes a little too close to home.
Now, with Calavera on the loose, Barnes is ready to reconnect, risking his life—and his sanity. Because in the mind of this serial killer, there is one secret even Barnes has yet to see…
Detroit-based homicide detective John Barnes has seen it all—literally. Thanks to a technologically advanced machine, detectives have access to the memories of the living, the dying, and the recently dead. But extracting victims’ experiences firsthand and personally reliving everything up to the final, brutal moments of their lives—the sights, the sounds, the scents, the pain—is also the punishment reserved for the criminals themselves.
Barnes has had enough. Enough of the memories that aren’t his. Enough of the horror. Enough of the voices inside his head that were never meant to take root…until a masked serial killer known as Calavera strikes a little too close to home.
Now, with Calavera on the loose, Barnes is ready to reconnect, risking his life—and his sanity. Because in the mind of this serial killer, there is one secret even Barnes has yet to see…
239 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2018
3337 people are currently reading
4278 people want to read
About the author
Scott J. Holliday
9 books124 followersScott J. Holliday was born and raised in Detroit. In addition to a lifelong love of books and reading, he’s pursued a range of curiosities and interests, including glassblowing, boxing, and much more. His most recent novel is Machine City, the sequel to Punishment, both in the Detective Barnes series. He loves to cook and create stories for his wife and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 447 reviews
February 18, 2018
Despite the futuristic tech, most of this story isn't anything new. World weary, Machine addicted, and psychologically damaged Detective Barnes is searching for a murderer in the siphoned memories of his victims. Plugged into a device that replays their last moments at full sensory levels, he is taunted by a serial killer whose crimes had already tipped the last investigator over the edge.
It all sounds pretty interesting, but is let down by the poor characterisation, especially the unlikely redemptive relationship that develops between Barnes and a beautiful, young, clever woman- some serious wish fulfilment going on here I think. Also, the way the Machine works doesn't quite fit in with the wider uses of it in the world. Someone's final moments are taken so that clues about their killer can be seen by detectives once they are plugged it, yet continuous use apparently moves across their whole personality, so much that they can talk to Barnes and respond to outside stimuli- even take over his speech if he isn't paying attention. Surely having investigators with a whole collection of vying victims 'living' in their minds is hardly ideal? This is hinted at during the book, Barnes is the subject if a journalistic investigation into the pitfalls of using the Machine, but i'm not sure where it leaves the potential for the future?
Even so, Holliday does some great work with the way really the tech is being used in the background, this is where it kicks into feeling like a real, almost inevitable extension of contemporary society. The whole Machine experience is akin to a hardcore street drug, desperate individuals escaping their lives in the memories of others, with zombie like junkies on the streets, lost in borrowed adventures and whoever traces are left behind on their own psyche- sometimes to the extent that their own 'self' is lost. Criminals are punished by reliving their acts over and over again, but from the perspective of those they hurt- all the pain and trauma over and over for years, a physical and mental scarring of forced empathy. Then there are the stars of the day, and those looking for money and fame, selling their own memories- that once in a lifetime goal or sexual experience with that model or actor, all are fodder for the Machine- and for people willing to pay hard cash to be someone else, even for a short time. Again, this is somewhat problematic with the way the Machine actually works for Barnes, each sale would give over way more info than desired.. where the seller lived? Where they keep their money? Online passwords? Their whole damn lives....???
Despite some good moments, it's not something that grabbed me enough to continue.
It all sounds pretty interesting, but is let down by the poor characterisation, especially the unlikely redemptive relationship that develops between Barnes and a beautiful, young, clever woman- some serious wish fulfilment going on here I think. Also, the way the Machine works doesn't quite fit in with the wider uses of it in the world. Someone's final moments are taken so that clues about their killer can be seen by detectives once they are plugged it, yet continuous use apparently moves across their whole personality, so much that they can talk to Barnes and respond to outside stimuli- even take over his speech if he isn't paying attention. Surely having investigators with a whole collection of vying victims 'living' in their minds is hardly ideal? This is hinted at during the book, Barnes is the subject if a journalistic investigation into the pitfalls of using the Machine, but i'm not sure where it leaves the potential for the future?
Even so, Holliday does some great work with the way really the tech is being used in the background, this is where it kicks into feeling like a real, almost inevitable extension of contemporary society. The whole Machine experience is akin to a hardcore street drug, desperate individuals escaping their lives in the memories of others, with zombie like junkies on the streets, lost in borrowed adventures and whoever traces are left behind on their own psyche- sometimes to the extent that their own 'self' is lost. Criminals are punished by reliving their acts over and over again, but from the perspective of those they hurt- all the pain and trauma over and over for years, a physical and mental scarring of forced empathy. Then there are the stars of the day, and those looking for money and fame, selling their own memories- that once in a lifetime goal or sexual experience with that model or actor, all are fodder for the Machine- and for people willing to pay hard cash to be someone else, even for a short time. Again, this is somewhat problematic with the way the Machine actually works for Barnes, each sale would give over way more info than desired.. where the seller lived? Where they keep their money? Online passwords? Their whole damn lives....???
Despite some good moments, it's not something that grabbed me enough to continue.
February 25, 2018
Punishment introduces a cool concept into the dark world of crime fiction; a machine which enables law enforcement to temporarily transpose the dying memories of murder victims into their own corpus of memories. The criminals in the fictional (future?) world have acclimatized to this new wave of policing and now wear masks to hide their identity, which means good old fashioned policing is still paramount to catching a killer.
In Punishment, a killer is terrorizing the populace and taunting the police by brutally murdering unsuspecting and seemingly random victims with a pick axe and leaving cryptic clues at the murder scene for the likes of Detective Barnes and his partner Franklin to decipher.
This is an inventive book which not only introduces some cool tech into the crime fictional realm but also provides the real world implications of such technology on the open market; b-grade celebs selling memories, prostitutes selling weird and wonderful experiences at a price, and addicts known as munkey's who can't get enough. And the perhaps the best part of the 'machine', the ghost memories which live on in those who experience the transference.
The criminal element itself is pretty straight forward serial killer and the protagonist conforms to the tried and true genre troupes, however, these are both a positive and complimentary to the complexities introduced by the technology.
My rating: 5/5 stars. This is a great start to a new series featuring a troubled Detective who himself looks like being on the brink of sanity - I mean, how long can someone function with a bunch of murdered peoples dying memories? One of the top new books of 2018.
In Punishment, a killer is terrorizing the populace and taunting the police by brutally murdering unsuspecting and seemingly random victims with a pick axe and leaving cryptic clues at the murder scene for the likes of Detective Barnes and his partner Franklin to decipher.
This is an inventive book which not only introduces some cool tech into the crime fictional realm but also provides the real world implications of such technology on the open market; b-grade celebs selling memories, prostitutes selling weird and wonderful experiences at a price, and addicts known as munkey's who can't get enough. And the perhaps the best part of the 'machine', the ghost memories which live on in those who experience the transference.
The criminal element itself is pretty straight forward serial killer and the protagonist conforms to the tried and true genre troupes, however, these are both a positive and complimentary to the complexities introduced by the technology.
My rating: 5/5 stars. This is a great start to a new series featuring a troubled Detective who himself looks like being on the brink of sanity - I mean, how long can someone function with a bunch of murdered peoples dying memories? One of the top new books of 2018.
January 1, 2018
Author Scott J. Holliday’s “Punishment” has a lot going for it. It contains a great plot idea wrapped in a mystery/thriller story, nicely helped by talented writing. There are a few elements that bothered me about the book, but none that would cause me to encourage others to leave it on the shelf.
The author’s overall theme, a world where memories are chipped and sold, is not new. However, the twist of using the science as a tool to aid in police investigations is something I haven’t read before (I do recall there was a movie some years back with similarities, but there is plenty of originality in this book that sets it apart). Mr. Holliday spends time educating readers exactly how this science works and even personalizes the machine the detectives use (the main character, John Barnes, hooks up to a machine the department has named “Eddie”). The author is very exact on this science, which is the foundation for the book. His subsequent description of the science and its effects add an additional layer of subtle horror as readers experience the story through Detective Barnes.
The story is neatly packaged, providing the clues left by a psychopathic killer and then leading readers to a realistic ending that neatly ties all the story threads together. The author’s writing is descriptive and entertaining, at times presenting images in a unique way (“…the Barnes brothers’ bedroom looked like a resale shop had barfed in it”). Detailing what is necessary and writing in an engaging manner are two of the author’s five-star efforts.
While it slightly bothered me that a police detective wouldn’t know the proper terminology for his gun (magazine, not clip), it was the author’s excellent description of the science that also served to illuminate a potential flaw in the story. Mr. Holliday is very clear that that memories of the killer’s victims are being built into the host’s brain (the only time the words “…someone else’s consciousness…” are used is in the From the Editor section when she describes the book). It is apparent to readers that something else is going on, but the story never addresses this. Perhaps the author thought it was obvious, but as it was his words that produced the setting for the tale, I hoped he would enlarge upon this element in the storyline. I also thought the relationship with Jessica was a bit forced and could have been embellished, which would have granted her more realism and less appearance as nothing more than a plot device.
Overall, a good blend of scifi and a thriller. “Punishment” is a quick, easy read that was entertaining and enjoyable. Four stars.
The author’s overall theme, a world where memories are chipped and sold, is not new. However, the twist of using the science as a tool to aid in police investigations is something I haven’t read before (I do recall there was a movie some years back with similarities, but there is plenty of originality in this book that sets it apart). Mr. Holliday spends time educating readers exactly how this science works and even personalizes the machine the detectives use (the main character, John Barnes, hooks up to a machine the department has named “Eddie”). The author is very exact on this science, which is the foundation for the book. His subsequent description of the science and its effects add an additional layer of subtle horror as readers experience the story through Detective Barnes.
The story is neatly packaged, providing the clues left by a psychopathic killer and then leading readers to a realistic ending that neatly ties all the story threads together. The author’s writing is descriptive and entertaining, at times presenting images in a unique way (“…the Barnes brothers’ bedroom looked like a resale shop had barfed in it”). Detailing what is necessary and writing in an engaging manner are two of the author’s five-star efforts.
While it slightly bothered me that a police detective wouldn’t know the proper terminology for his gun (magazine, not clip), it was the author’s excellent description of the science that also served to illuminate a potential flaw in the story. Mr. Holliday is very clear that that memories of the killer’s victims are being built into the host’s brain (the only time the words “…someone else’s consciousness…” are used is in the From the Editor section when she describes the book). It is apparent to readers that something else is going on, but the story never addresses this. Perhaps the author thought it was obvious, but as it was his words that produced the setting for the tale, I hoped he would enlarge upon this element in the storyline. I also thought the relationship with Jessica was a bit forced and could have been embellished, which would have granted her more realism and less appearance as nothing more than a plot device.
Overall, a good blend of scifi and a thriller. “Punishment” is a quick, easy read that was entertaining and enjoyable. Four stars.
January 24, 2020
It was an interesting story, but it lacked character depth and was a bit short on reason in some places. We've got our damaged, self-hating, weary detective (very unoriginal) who hooks himself into a machine where he relives his homicide victims' deaths to solve the crime. While we do learn about why the detective believes he deserves punishment, the reader never feels it. The detective is Mr. Macho, sad and misunderstood, always doing more than he should, risking his well-being, but somehow always pulling through... of course, you don't connect to his struggle, it just is. While pursuing the case, he interviews a school teacher who, for some strange reason, is instantly attracted to this damaged man. True to the male fantasy, she's beautiful and always knows the right thing to say and do to ease his pain... and let's not forget the rest of the fantasy where he gives absolutely nothing back to her in return... unless the booty call is supposed to be her reward. It turns out that this machine he's using, not only allows him to relive the last 5 minutes of someone's life, but it also leaves the residual of other people's personalities in his brain and they often speak their opinion. It's ridiculous to imagine that any employer would ever allow this to be part of someone's job. They'd be paying out millions in workers' compensation claims and would be fighting endless lawsuits. Now perhaps if this side effect was only happening to the main character and the author dug into emotional ramifications, this could be interesting.
May 25, 2019
This was a contemporary crime story with a sci-fi twist. It was a detective mystery and a dark psychological thriller that even included a tiny hint of romance. The tone of the story was fairly dark but there was enough hints of hope that it kept things from getting too bleak.
A masked serial killer going by the name, Calavera, has been on a murderous rampage in Detroit. Detective John Barnes is the lead on the case but things become more complicated when Calavera starts to bait Barnes personally and then more complicated still when it becomes apparent that the killer may even have personal links to Barnes past. All that is pretty standard detective story stuff and John Barnes himself was a pretty tropey crime story detective with his dark past and troubled and brooding present.
The twist in this story came from the sci-fi elements. This was set in what appeared to be a modern day alternate Detroit where the only difference between our world and Scott J. Holliday's fictional one was the development of a special bit of technology called The Machine. The Machine is a device that has the ability to transfer memories from one person to another. The tech is still fairly new but is used by the police to help solve crimes as it gives them the ability to share and experience the victims memories of the crime. It was a super cool concept and even if it has been done a few times before elsewhere I felt like Scott J. Holliday explored (or at least hinted at) some fun and thought-provoking issues caused by the arrival of such powerful technology. I'll not share too much so as not to spoil things but clearly detectives who shared the memories of victims of brutal crimes including all the sights, the sounds, the scents, the pain experienced in such moments were doing nothing good for their mental well being and that was an issue that Holliday touched upon. Another topic he explored in the story was the fact that black market versions of the machine had become available and that people were as hooked to them as drug addicts were to their drug of choice. In this world it was common place for people, including celebrities, to share (sell) their good/exciting/happy memories to others! The other use of the Machine that peaked my interest was the fact that the authorities not only used it to investigate crimes but also as a device to punish the victims. The criminals were forced to experience their own victims memories. I thought that was interesting but only lasted 50% of this one so never got to see if that topic was more fully explored. It seems ridiculous to think that any government would torture criminals in this way upon first thought but one only has to think of things like the death penalty and the use of things like solitary confinement as a form of punishment as well as other safety issues with modern day prisons before they realize that the use of a torture device like the Machine is not all that far fetched and likely would be implemented by nuts who think the very idea of it is "justice".
Punishment was a story full of cool ideas and despite some of the tropeyness of the crime/detective elements of the story I did feel like all the building blocks were in place for a fantastic story. Unfortunately it just never materialized. I'm not totally sure what went wrong as I really should have enjoyed this one but I just never managed to connect with any of the characters or get sucked into the story. I think I just failed to connect with Holliday's writing style. I quit this one around the 50% mark as it was failing to hold my attention and I noticed I was beginning to avoid picking it up. I could have plodded onto the end as this was not an awful story and it did have some fantastic ideas but I decided to just move onto something that I might enjoy more as it is not like I'm lacking in potentially fun other books to read and I'm determined to quit books that are not working for me rather than plodding on with them until I fall victim to another reading slump.
All in all I feel like this was a book with some great ideas and some solid building blocks but that just never managed to use those things in a way that worked for me. Which was a pity!
Rating: 2 stars.
Audio Note: This was narrated by JD Jackson and I felt he gave a very average performance. It likely hurt this story that Jackson was a bit of a monotone narrator who failed to breathe any life into the characters or story.
A masked serial killer going by the name, Calavera, has been on a murderous rampage in Detroit. Detective John Barnes is the lead on the case but things become more complicated when Calavera starts to bait Barnes personally and then more complicated still when it becomes apparent that the killer may even have personal links to Barnes past. All that is pretty standard detective story stuff and John Barnes himself was a pretty tropey crime story detective with his dark past and troubled and brooding present.
The twist in this story came from the sci-fi elements. This was set in what appeared to be a modern day alternate Detroit where the only difference between our world and Scott J. Holliday's fictional one was the development of a special bit of technology called The Machine. The Machine is a device that has the ability to transfer memories from one person to another. The tech is still fairly new but is used by the police to help solve crimes as it gives them the ability to share and experience the victims memories of the crime. It was a super cool concept and even if it has been done a few times before elsewhere I felt like Scott J. Holliday explored (or at least hinted at) some fun and thought-provoking issues caused by the arrival of such powerful technology. I'll not share too much so as not to spoil things but clearly detectives who shared the memories of victims of brutal crimes including all the sights, the sounds, the scents, the pain experienced in such moments were doing nothing good for their mental well being and that was an issue that Holliday touched upon. Another topic he explored in the story was the fact that black market versions of the machine had become available and that people were as hooked to them as drug addicts were to their drug of choice. In this world it was common place for people, including celebrities, to share (sell) their good/exciting/happy memories to others! The other use of the Machine that peaked my interest was the fact that the authorities not only used it to investigate crimes but also as a device to punish the victims. The criminals were forced to experience their own victims memories. I thought that was interesting but only lasted 50% of this one so never got to see if that topic was more fully explored. It seems ridiculous to think that any government would torture criminals in this way upon first thought but one only has to think of things like the death penalty and the use of things like solitary confinement as a form of punishment as well as other safety issues with modern day prisons before they realize that the use of a torture device like the Machine is not all that far fetched and likely would be implemented by nuts who think the very idea of it is "justice".
Punishment was a story full of cool ideas and despite some of the tropeyness of the crime/detective elements of the story I did feel like all the building blocks were in place for a fantastic story. Unfortunately it just never materialized. I'm not totally sure what went wrong as I really should have enjoyed this one but I just never managed to connect with any of the characters or get sucked into the story. I think I just failed to connect with Holliday's writing style. I quit this one around the 50% mark as it was failing to hold my attention and I noticed I was beginning to avoid picking it up. I could have plodded onto the end as this was not an awful story and it did have some fantastic ideas but I decided to just move onto something that I might enjoy more as it is not like I'm lacking in potentially fun other books to read and I'm determined to quit books that are not working for me rather than plodding on with them until I fall victim to another reading slump.
All in all I feel like this was a book with some great ideas and some solid building blocks but that just never managed to use those things in a way that worked for me. Which was a pity!
Rating: 2 stars.
Audio Note: This was narrated by JD Jackson and I felt he gave a very average performance. It likely hurt this story that Jackson was a bit of a monotone narrator who failed to breathe any life into the characters or story.
May 7, 2018
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
Detective John Barnes is a policeman who solves crime by using a technology that lets him experience the last memories of the victims. Unfortunately, there is a huge cost to the procedure, as Barnes suffers from PTSD.
He quits, but then a serial killers starts in. Can Barnes withstand the pain to catch the killer.
Pretty good. Thought provoking.
Detective John Barnes is a policeman who solves crime by using a technology that lets him experience the last memories of the victims. Unfortunately, there is a huge cost to the procedure, as Barnes suffers from PTSD.
He quits, but then a serial killers starts in. Can Barnes withstand the pain to catch the killer.
Pretty good. Thought provoking.
January 2, 2018
Brilliant!
I chose this book from this months Kindle First selection. It was a difficult choice, with real competition this month and at least 4 out of 6 of those on offer which got my interest. In the end it was this that won out, the machine..... I just had to know more.
The concept of a machine that can tap into and then replay not just memories, but physical sensation, pain, fear, love, the whole gamut of human emotions, taken from a person and then played into the mind and body of someone else, is mind bending stuff. The possibilities and the consequences, many of which would never have even occurred to me had the author not crafted a story around them in intricate detail like a true artist.
Intelligently written and thought provoking. I could see this as a blockbuster movie and perhaps a sequel?
Great book, well written with the pace of a racehorses run wild and I have no hesitation in recommending it. Something a little bit different, but if you like mind bending, psychological thrillers then why not give it a go, you won't be disapounted! X
I chose this book from this months Kindle First selection. It was a difficult choice, with real competition this month and at least 4 out of 6 of those on offer which got my interest. In the end it was this that won out, the machine..... I just had to know more.
The concept of a machine that can tap into and then replay not just memories, but physical sensation, pain, fear, love, the whole gamut of human emotions, taken from a person and then played into the mind and body of someone else, is mind bending stuff. The possibilities and the consequences, many of which would never have even occurred to me had the author not crafted a story around them in intricate detail like a true artist.
Intelligently written and thought provoking. I could see this as a blockbuster movie and perhaps a sequel?
Great book, well written with the pace of a racehorses run wild and I have no hesitation in recommending it. Something a little bit different, but if you like mind bending, psychological thrillers then why not give it a go, you won't be disapounted! X
June 12, 2018
Thought-provoking concept, and a compelling sci-fi murder mystery.
October 20, 2019
The key to this story is a machine that was invented to extract the last few memories of a person (even after death). The machine is not only used by police to track down criminals, but its use has also become like an addictive drug, allowing people to live the experiences of others. It does have its side effects. Detective Barnes is currently using it to try to track down a serial killer that wears a sugar skull mask and kills his victims with a pickax. The killer is aware that the detective is using the machine and leaves clues in the memories of his victims.
It took me a little while to orient myself to what was going on in this story. I got that there was a serial killer that the MC was trying to capture and I understood the gist of the machine, but the way the memories/personalities of the victims inserted themselves periodically was disorienting. As the story progressed, it got easier. I never did bond with Barnes as a character though. I found everything else about the story interesting, except him. Oh well, it was still entertaining and I still liked it.....but I didn't love it.
It took me a little while to orient myself to what was going on in this story. I got that there was a serial killer that the MC was trying to capture and I understood the gist of the machine, but the way the memories/personalities of the victims inserted themselves periodically was disorienting. As the story progressed, it got easier. I never did bond with Barnes as a character though. I found everything else about the story interesting, except him. Oh well, it was still entertaining and I still liked it.....but I didn't love it.
February 3, 2018
What an absolutely unique look into how future crime may be solved. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to be able to see the memories of not only the living but the dead too. The absolute weight it must put on someone not only mentally but physically would be cumbersome and surely cause their mind to break itself... eventually. Barnes has seen past users of this machine end up in a ward for the criminally insane. He swears he doesn't "need" the machine and that he can bring himself back to the surface at any time.... but can he really? The closer he gets to solving this crime, the closer he gets to losing himself in the process.
Let's talk about this cover for a moment. I LOVE sugar skulls! Although after this read, I may see them slightly differently. My favorite colors, with my favorite skull and I can see this absolutely being a cover buy. Add this to such a unique storyline and well, who wouldn't be sold!!
Here's some things that just didn't quite work for me. Throughout the book, we see Barnes "hearing" different voices and these are italicized ... but at the beginning it's not quite clear what is going on so it was a tad bit confusing to see this. Once I realized what was going on it made more sense. I did feel the relationship between Barnes and Jessica felt a bit forced and just thrown in there as a romantic arc and to have someone he cares about get thrown into the mix. I think the book would've worked just fine, if not better, without this at all. I would have liked to have seen more about the machine itself - the background of how this came about and how it became not only a means for punishment, helping to solve crimes and for entertainment for some. This absolutely fascinated me.
What absolutely did work for me was the uniqueness of it all. We have seen some touching on this type of science fiction in movies and books in the past but this took on a bit of a different take. I could also see this happening at some point. Celebrities downloading their memories so the every day person can spend a day in their shoes/memories and get a break from their own reality. **Shiver** A bit scary, but I like scary so......
Those who like that sci-fi mixed with crime will definitely enjoy this novel. As book one in a series, I am intrigued to see where this could potentially go and maybe I'll get the answers I'm seeking later on.
Thank you to Amazon Publishing / Thomas & Mercer for this copy in return for my honest review.
Let's talk about this cover for a moment. I LOVE sugar skulls! Although after this read, I may see them slightly differently. My favorite colors, with my favorite skull and I can see this absolutely being a cover buy. Add this to such a unique storyline and well, who wouldn't be sold!!
Here's some things that just didn't quite work for me. Throughout the book, we see Barnes "hearing" different voices and these are italicized ... but at the beginning it's not quite clear what is going on so it was a tad bit confusing to see this. Once I realized what was going on it made more sense. I did feel the relationship between Barnes and Jessica felt a bit forced and just thrown in there as a romantic arc and to have someone he cares about get thrown into the mix. I think the book would've worked just fine, if not better, without this at all. I would have liked to have seen more about the machine itself - the background of how this came about and how it became not only a means for punishment, helping to solve crimes and for entertainment for some. This absolutely fascinated me.
What absolutely did work for me was the uniqueness of it all. We have seen some touching on this type of science fiction in movies and books in the past but this took on a bit of a different take. I could also see this happening at some point. Celebrities downloading their memories so the every day person can spend a day in their shoes/memories and get a break from their own reality. **Shiver** A bit scary, but I like scary so......
Those who like that sci-fi mixed with crime will definitely enjoy this novel. As book one in a series, I am intrigued to see where this could potentially go and maybe I'll get the answers I'm seeking later on.
Thank you to Amazon Publishing / Thomas & Mercer for this copy in return for my honest review.
February 14, 2018
Future machine extracts memory from living or dead people and can be downloaded into someone else. Used for fun ("you can be a Kardashian for a day"), detective tool, and as punishment for criminals. Murderers must relive their victims final moments as the victim. The murderer feels every fear, terror, and pain that they caused the victim. Now that's justice.
The story line of a detective trying to find a serial killer by tapping in and experiencing the victims last memories is so unique. This is a fast read only because you can't wait to see what's on the next page. You won't need a book marker for this bad boy.
I dont know if I want this made into a movie or a regular tv series. This would have made a good Bruce Willis movie.
Hey HBO, let's get this made into a series.
The story line of a detective trying to find a serial killer by tapping in and experiencing the victims last memories is so unique. This is a fast read only because you can't wait to see what's on the next page. You won't need a book marker for this bad boy.
I dont know if I want this made into a movie or a regular tv series. This would have made a good Bruce Willis movie.
Hey HBO, let's get this made into a series.
January 7, 2018
Really interesting concepts
I thoroughly enjoyed this take on the machine and it's side effects. I really thought the killer was a few different people and had not guessed the truth.
The author was able to make a middle ground of details, but not being overblown about it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this take on the machine and it's side effects. I really thought the killer was a few different people and had not guessed the truth.
The author was able to make a middle ground of details, but not being overblown about it.
December 7, 2017
3.5 stars but I'll round up.
**I received a free advance copy of this book in exchange for this unbiased review**
This book took the cliché burned out detective vs serial killer trope and put an interesting and engrossing sci-fi touch on it. The world of this novel is just like ours, with one additional technology: people can download memories into their own brains. This is especially useful for homicide detectives, who "plug in" to their victims to get a first person view of their demise. In addition to personal demons and alcoholism, our lead character, the detective, is struggling due to having seen/experienced/been so many murder victims in his relatively short time in homicide. The author does a good job of making you feel as discombobulated as the detective is, with fragmented dreams and memories surfacing during the main narrative. It can be a little confusing until you figure out that that is what he is doing (and still sometimes even then), but as I said, it adds to the atmosphere of the novel and putting you in the detective's head.
The female love interest is not handled with any subtlety; she is a fantasy version of a woman who immediately loves our hero and wants to help and please him in every way within minutes of meeting him. That's fine, because the story isn't really about her, but it was jarring and blatant enough to interrupt my suspension of disbelief. In other words, this female character was the most unrealistic part of a world in which people can download each other's memories!
Still, I really enjoyed it, and won't say more about the serial killer/plot to avoid spoilers. This is a fun read, and would recommend it to serial killer/noir fans who want a twist.
**I received a free advance copy of this book in exchange for this unbiased review**
This book took the cliché burned out detective vs serial killer trope and put an interesting and engrossing sci-fi touch on it. The world of this novel is just like ours, with one additional technology: people can download memories into their own brains. This is especially useful for homicide detectives, who "plug in" to their victims to get a first person view of their demise. In addition to personal demons and alcoholism, our lead character, the detective, is struggling due to having seen/experienced/been so many murder victims in his relatively short time in homicide. The author does a good job of making you feel as discombobulated as the detective is, with fragmented dreams and memories surfacing during the main narrative. It can be a little confusing until you figure out that that is what he is doing (and still sometimes even then), but as I said, it adds to the atmosphere of the novel and putting you in the detective's head.
The female love interest is not handled with any subtlety; she is a fantasy version of a woman who immediately loves our hero and wants to help and please him in every way within minutes of meeting him. That's fine, because the story isn't really about her, but it was jarring and blatant enough to interrupt my suspension of disbelief. In other words, this female character was the most unrealistic part of a world in which people can download each other's memories!
Still, I really enjoyed it, and won't say more about the serial killer/plot to avoid spoilers. This is a fun read, and would recommend it to serial killer/noir fans who want a twist.
January 25, 2018
You know this story: The world-weary homicide cop with deep personal damage and cheerlessly engaged in a cycle of self-destructive behavior sets out on a case that will bring him a measure of redemption. This very tired setup is given a new twist in Punishment with the introduction of The Machine, a plugin and drug combo that captures short term memories stored in the hippocampus. Once those memories are recorded they are then accessible to anyone else willing to jack in. If that technology angle sounds familiar too, it's because it is only just a little less tired than the gumshoe trope. Natalie Woods' last film, Brainstorm had this exact technology, and Faye Dunaway's murder thriller Eyes of Laura Mars this exact premise, and what about Minority Report which had the more interesting ability to predict crimes in advance?
Now smashing up two tired tropes can be interesting, but it requires that something be added that appears at the intersection. This book adds nothing. The Machine, which is introduced as a critical tool of law enforcement, plays absolutely no part in the actual case work. Even worse it is proven to be absolutely destructive to the people who use it, so why would you put your trained police staff on this machine since it drives them insane? Then there is what really bugged me the most, the Machine does not work as described. Memories taken from the hippocampus would convey emotions and events, but what we find is that the Machine implants entire personalities, personalities that occupy Barnes' mind with him and respond to stimuli. If there is an original angle to this novel it is this occupation angle on a memory transfer (although personality transfer plots are also dime a dozen), but it simply doesn't make sense as a result of the described process. These memories scraped from the short-term memory process also haul in incredible amounts of long term memories, which Holliday seems to think are also in the hippocampus rather than simply accessed during an event. If memory transfers transplanted personalities then everyone who wrote a well-written memoir would then also get a copy of the author in their head. Even more problematic is that this aspect really makes this machine entirely undesirable as a law enforcement tool. Why would a police force want their detectives to be conflicted by murder victims? Even more so, why would you want your armed officers be subject to possession by those traumatized victims? Is Barnes somehow special in this regard? At least one other person in this novel is occasionally possessed by their inner voices as Barnes is, which suggests that Barnes is NOT special. Furthermore this aspect opens the question of why anyone with any degree of free will would allow their memories and personality to be recorded. It is shown repeatedly that recording your memories lays open all of one's repressed memories and stray thoughts, and implants little copies of oneself in anyone who uploads a taken memory. We are shown a scene where sex memories of a failing actress are retailed to the rubes... what excess baggage do those memories carry? PIN numbers? Locations of hidden valuables?
Let's just say that I could go on for a long time on the many problems of the ghosts in the Machine, but I won't bore you.
After finishing this book I set it down to let it digest for a couple of days before writing this review in the hopes that if I had some perspective I would feel better about it. Instead I kept thinking about the entire lack of character development, the illogic of the setup, and most of all the falsely happy ending. Like many of the other readers who commented on this book, the redemptive and loving relationship that Barnes finds in the course of the investigation just doesn't make any sense and appears out of nowhere. It just makes no sense that a young, attractive, free-spirited, and intelligent woman would fall hopelessly in love at first sight with the drunken and psychotic wreck that is Barnes. Also I kept recalling the grotesque first hand accounts of death by pickax. Is there a demand for that kind of description? Not by me. I was actively repelled, and I have read some horrific stuff before. And the MO of the PA killer is strange to begin with since there are serious timing issues and relies a lot of the victims behaving in certain ways that cannot be relied upon. But it is only at the end that the full ridiculousness of the killer's motivations are laid open to view to ridicule.
Let's just say that I am not sorry that I read the novel, but I won't be reading any more of Holliday's writing. Even if I am intrigued and mystified as to how he will squeeze a book two out of this series.
Now smashing up two tired tropes can be interesting, but it requires that something be added that appears at the intersection. This book adds nothing. The Machine, which is introduced as a critical tool of law enforcement, plays absolutely no part in the actual case work. Even worse it is proven to be absolutely destructive to the people who use it, so why would you put your trained police staff on this machine since it drives them insane? Then there is what really bugged me the most, the Machine does not work as described. Memories taken from the hippocampus would convey emotions and events, but what we find is that the Machine implants entire personalities, personalities that occupy Barnes' mind with him and respond to stimuli. If there is an original angle to this novel it is this occupation angle on a memory transfer (although personality transfer plots are also dime a dozen), but it simply doesn't make sense as a result of the described process. These memories scraped from the short-term memory process also haul in incredible amounts of long term memories, which Holliday seems to think are also in the hippocampus rather than simply accessed during an event. If memory transfers transplanted personalities then everyone who wrote a well-written memoir would then also get a copy of the author in their head. Even more problematic is that this aspect really makes this machine entirely undesirable as a law enforcement tool. Why would a police force want their detectives to be conflicted by murder victims? Even more so, why would you want your armed officers be subject to possession by those traumatized victims? Is Barnes somehow special in this regard? At least one other person in this novel is occasionally possessed by their inner voices as Barnes is, which suggests that Barnes is NOT special. Furthermore this aspect opens the question of why anyone with any degree of free will would allow their memories and personality to be recorded. It is shown repeatedly that recording your memories lays open all of one's repressed memories and stray thoughts, and implants little copies of oneself in anyone who uploads a taken memory. We are shown a scene where sex memories of a failing actress are retailed to the rubes... what excess baggage do those memories carry? PIN numbers? Locations of hidden valuables?
Let's just say that I could go on for a long time on the many problems of the ghosts in the Machine, but I won't bore you.
After finishing this book I set it down to let it digest for a couple of days before writing this review in the hopes that if I had some perspective I would feel better about it. Instead I kept thinking about the entire lack of character development, the illogic of the setup, and most of all the falsely happy ending. Like many of the other readers who commented on this book, the redemptive and loving relationship that Barnes finds in the course of the investigation just doesn't make any sense and appears out of nowhere. It just makes no sense that a young, attractive, free-spirited, and intelligent woman would fall hopelessly in love at first sight with the drunken and psychotic wreck that is Barnes. Also I kept recalling the grotesque first hand accounts of death by pickax. Is there a demand for that kind of description? Not by me. I was actively repelled, and I have read some horrific stuff before. And the MO of the PA killer is strange to begin with since there are serious timing issues and relies a lot of the victims behaving in certain ways that cannot be relied upon. But it is only at the end that the full ridiculousness of the killer's motivations are laid open to view to ridicule.
Let's just say that I am not sorry that I read the novel, but I won't be reading any more of Holliday's writing. Even if I am intrigued and mystified as to how he will squeeze a book two out of this series.
April 16, 2018
Ok. This book is sooooooo cool. Definitely the most unique and exciting story I have read this year. I loved every single page and character. Pumped that this will be a series!!!
January 9, 2018
This was a Kindle First Read book selection. It did not jump out at me - it just seemed to be the best possibility of a good read. The subject matter is intense and not for the squeamish or those who cannot take violent scenes.
The premise is intriguing, if macabre - creation of a machine that can pull recent memories from peoples' minds, including recently deceased, and make the guilty parties (and detectives) relive those last memories. This is definitely at the forefront, as a serial killer is on the loose, and has already broken one detective ...
The characters are well written, even though most of them are not fleshed out beyond the main character. This is understandable, as the book us FULL of characters, courtesy of the memory machine. The pacing is very good too. I read this book in one sitting and I did not expect to.
Spoilers ----
The deceased characters overlapping in several living characters' memories was a new and interesting approach. I enjoyed it. If this is going to be a series, we are going to need better background of the police department and those working in it. The romance felt a bit forced - for most women, a guy that falling apart and self-medicating with alcohol should be setting off warning alarms, not pheromones. The happy ending was a tad bit trite, but after all the grimness and horror, the simple joys were forgivable. I'd check out further books if this becomes a series.
The premise is intriguing, if macabre - creation of a machine that can pull recent memories from peoples' minds, including recently deceased, and make the guilty parties (and detectives) relive those last memories. This is definitely at the forefront, as a serial killer is on the loose, and has already broken one detective ...
The characters are well written, even though most of them are not fleshed out beyond the main character. This is understandable, as the book us FULL of characters, courtesy of the memory machine. The pacing is very good too. I read this book in one sitting and I did not expect to.
Spoilers ----
The deceased characters overlapping in several living characters' memories was a new and interesting approach. I enjoyed it. If this is going to be a series, we are going to need better background of the police department and those working in it. The romance felt a bit forced - for most women, a guy that falling apart and self-medicating with alcohol should be setting off warning alarms, not pheromones. The happy ending was a tad bit trite, but after all the grimness and horror, the simple joys were forgivable. I'd check out further books if this becomes a series.
January 20, 2018
For people who love thrillers and science fiction this is the book for you. The science fiction element isn't too strong, but it threads throughout the book creating what if questions. I was at the edge of my seat while reading this book. I was torn between reading more and putting it down because of anticipating the actions of the two main characters. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. The ending was somewhat of a surprise. Overall a good book, and a quick read.
July 12, 2018
Interesting idea. It started off pretty good but I found it hard to keep the voices in Barnes’ head straight toward the end. Some things didn’t make sense either.
January 2, 2018
Categorizing this one is a bit difficult. It's definitely a Crime/Detective book, but it's also Sci-fi. I've seen negative reviews about the fact that Holliday didn't go into overly elaborate discussions of the 'science' behind the machine. I'm glad Holliday made that choice because I usually find that stuff is just distracting from the point of the story (e.g. midichlorians). One caveat with this book is that it has quite a bit of gore and violence (murder detective after all), so if that's not something you can take, then this one isn't for you. All in all I really liked it and highly recommend it. It was compelling, making it a fast read even for a tortoise paced reader like myself. I have a pet peeve about how books are ended and I HATE terrible (e.g. rushed) endings or cliffhangers (i.e. no ending) in books, but this one was really well tied-up (something I find unusual in the first of a series) and had a cool twist. I'm really looking forward to reading the next in the series!
April 3, 2018
The idea was intriguing, the execution fell a little short. The main character was unsympathetic at times and the side characters weren't fleshed out at all. I felt that you didn't even get a good idea of how the characters moved, what they cared about or what they were motivated by besides supporting the main character and its no wonder with character descriptions like "She looked tired, and she looked Mexican." It felt like many of the characters were just hollow shells with stereotypical personalities.
April 11, 2018
Interesting
I liked the idea of a machine that downloads memories and the killer was fairly interesting. The lead character wasn't exactly original but solid. The story was paved well & I enjoyed ut.
I liked the idea of a machine that downloads memories and the killer was fairly interesting. The lead character wasn't exactly original but solid. The story was paved well & I enjoyed ut.
February 14, 2018
Not only did I enjoy it, I preordered book 2.
March 20, 2018
This book didn't do much for me. It was just ok. To think about hooking a dead person up to a machine to get their last memories kind of made my stomach turn. It was just too unreal for me.
January 20, 2018
I am an insomniac and as such I guard the few hours I sleep jealousy. I avoid things that I know will haunt me at night and steal what little sleep I have away. I wasn't very far into this book when it became obvious it fell into that category. Generally when that happens the book lands in my "trashed it" pile, a pile littered with the likes of Stephen King and Lee Child. After that I generally sooth my frayed nerves with a cozy mystery or something else designed to clear my head and push my fears to the back of my addled brain. So… I don't know what happened but I kept reading. I read at the car dealership, I read during dinner, I read until I finished it. I read even though I was jumping at noises and peeking around corners.
The voices from Barnes' head will haunt me for nights and I may never sleep again. This book is part mystery, part science fiction, or at least I hope it is science fiction, and part horror. All of those parts are well written. Without giving anything away that is not in book's blurb, Barnes' is a detective who, through advanced science, can live out the experiences of his victims in the hopes of catching the perpetrator. I might be haunted by these voices but Barnes is consumed by them and the ghosts from his own past. He wavers on the brink of incapacitation while he struggles to find a killer before he kills again. This is the first in a series and I can't imagine what the rest will bring. I don't know honestly know if I will find out but I am glad I finished this one.
The voices from Barnes' head will haunt me for nights and I may never sleep again. This book is part mystery, part science fiction, or at least I hope it is science fiction, and part horror. All of those parts are well written. Without giving anything away that is not in book's blurb, Barnes' is a detective who, through advanced science, can live out the experiences of his victims in the hopes of catching the perpetrator. I might be haunted by these voices but Barnes is consumed by them and the ghosts from his own past. He wavers on the brink of incapacitation while he struggles to find a killer before he kills again. This is the first in a series and I can't imagine what the rest will bring. I don't know honestly know if I will find out but I am glad I finished this one.
January 9, 2018
This is one of the most unique, intriguing, and yet disturbing police procedurals (can I really call it that) I have ever read. I nearly gave it five stars. Then my better judgment kicked in and reminded me that such ratings are reserved for more literary works than this. But it was a near thing.
John Barnes is a detective. He is investigating a serial killer, who eviscerates his victims with a pickaxe. (Yuck) He also write a poem at each killing. Of course, the background twist is that this civilization (today with a twist) includes the machine, a device which can store memories, memories of either the living or the recently living. So the detective can live the last few minutes of each of the victims, experiencing their death as his own, while observing the murderer. But the murderer knows this, and speaks directly to him, which confuses the victims immensely.
The cast of characters (mostly victims) is large. But they are ever present. And their presence is critical, as is Detective Barnes background.
Its a great quick read. It's not for the squeamish, but the blood and guts should be expected in a murder book.
John Barnes is a detective. He is investigating a serial killer, who eviscerates his victims with a pickaxe. (Yuck) He also write a poem at each killing. Of course, the background twist is that this civilization (today with a twist) includes the machine, a device which can store memories, memories of either the living or the recently living. So the detective can live the last few minutes of each of the victims, experiencing their death as his own, while observing the murderer. But the murderer knows this, and speaks directly to him, which confuses the victims immensely.
The cast of characters (mostly victims) is large. But they are ever present. And their presence is critical, as is Detective Barnes background.
Its a great quick read. It's not for the squeamish, but the blood and guts should be expected in a murder book.
April 8, 2021
I really liked the premise of this book, though the book itself wasn't as much of a page turner as I thought it would be.
What if there were a machine that could download people's memories and then upload them into another person? What if this could be done with the recently deceased? It would create a new way to solve murders, and a new way for psychopathic serial killers to torment the police.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I didn't really connect with the characters, and by not connecting with them, I had a hard time keeping them straight. There were a bunch to keep track of too as some of the downloaded character's memories kept living on inside the recipient and had opinions about things.
Though I think the idea was really cool, I don't know if I will read book #2.
What if there were a machine that could download people's memories and then upload them into another person? What if this could be done with the recently deceased? It would create a new way to solve murders, and a new way for psychopathic serial killers to torment the police.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I didn't really connect with the characters, and by not connecting with them, I had a hard time keeping them straight. There were a bunch to keep track of too as some of the downloaded character's memories kept living on inside the recipient and had opinions about things.
Though I think the idea was really cool, I don't know if I will read book #2.
November 27, 2018
Too off the walk for me
First off, memories don't keep living ... I mean, they might be able to survive and be relived by another person in some sort of bio-digital way but they are not living things that will gain MORE memory unto themselves when they're relived by another mind. Like, all the memories of the dead do not and cannot add more to their stories! They're dead! Memories stopped being created when the original thinker's neurons stopped firing! Memories age but they only will fade, not be added to! So, the idea that a dead person's memory wants revenge is hogwash!
And the idea of a murderer's punishment being forced to relive their victim's agony over and over again, feeling it all as if they were the victim ... for decades ...or until they lose their minds is horrible!. The punished become victims themselves then! No. That's just sadism.
First off, memories don't keep living ... I mean, they might be able to survive and be relived by another person in some sort of bio-digital way but they are not living things that will gain MORE memory unto themselves when they're relived by another mind. Like, all the memories of the dead do not and cannot add more to their stories! They're dead! Memories stopped being created when the original thinker's neurons stopped firing! Memories age but they only will fade, not be added to! So, the idea that a dead person's memory wants revenge is hogwash!
And the idea of a murderer's punishment being forced to relive their victim's agony over and over again, feeling it all as if they were the victim ... for decades ...or until they lose their minds is horrible!. The punished become victims themselves then! No. That's just sadism.
November 15, 2020
A very unique story line that raises so many questions, Scott J Holliday could probably write several more books from them. Good old fashioned police work, investigating crimes and catching criminals now has an unusual twist. There exists a machine that allows the police to see the victim's memories, right up to the point of death. This should make catching the killers easier, but nooooo, there is always someone out there smart enough to get around the systems. So how do you catch them? You will just have to read the book and find out...and you really do want to read the book.
January 8, 2018
Maybe 3.5 stars. I picked this as my Kindle First option for January and while I thought the concept was really unique and I enjoyed the pace, I really didn’t care for the rushed romance part of it. Not that I want a long drawn out romance in a thriller book, but if there’s going to be romance, I want it to be believable.
There was a good mix of predictability and twists + turns. Kept my attention and overall a good read.
There was a good mix of predictability and twists + turns. Kept my attention and overall a good read.
June 30, 2018
Interesting Take on Criminal Justice
Addicts crave their drug of choice, munkies crave the machine. Criminals have the machine forced on them like Tom Paris in a Voyager episode.
Addicts crave their drug of choice, munkies crave the machine. Criminals have the machine forced on them like Tom Paris in a Voyager episode.
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