Witness X

by S.E. Moorhead

From one of the most original new voices in fiction comes a startling vision of a world where hero Kyra must fight the past to save our future. A genre-bending thriller for the Netflix generation, for fans of Altered Carbon, Dark and Mindhunter.

She's the only one who can access the truth...

Fourteen years ago, the police caged a notorious serial killer who abducted and butchered two victims every February. He was safe behind bars. Wasn't he?

But then another body is discovered, and soon enough, the race is on to catch the real killer. Neuropsychologist Kyra Sullivan fights to use a new technology that accesses the minds of the witnesses, working with the police to uncover the truth. Will Kyra discover the person behind the murders, and if so, at what cost? And how far will she go to ensure justice is served?

An addictive futuristic thriller, perfect for fans of Stranger Things.

Genres: Crime, Science Fiction, Thriller, Fiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published February 6, 2020

Reviews

[Paul Holden · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 A good idea, hampered by occasional wooden dialogue and far too many clumsy plot devices. It has it’s moments and the pacing is good, but ultimately this is sub standard stuff.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silence of the lambs meet blade runner might over sell this just a little but is a sound analogy - this was a darkly addictive serial killer thriller with a strong psychological core and a well drawn set of characters.

The intriguing premise at the heart of it - the ability to link to another person's memories - is well imagined and within the context of the story extremely believable. Kyra's determination to see her Sister's killer brought to justice adds a layer of involvement that keeps you turning the pages and I read this in two sittings.

The writing is excellent, the plotting taut and often very disturbing, the descriptive sense of it is atmospheric and cleverly layered. Overall a most excellent read and one I have no problem highly recommending.

For fans of the dark side.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Das war wohl für lange Zeit mein letzter Thriller, da ich mich einfach nicht mehr gepackt fühle und gedanklich nur noch abschweife…

[maskedbookblogger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Im Zukunftsthriller begeben wir uns in das Jahr 2035. Es ist Februar und Neuropsychologin Kyra Sullivan arbeitet an einer Zukunftstechnologie. Dabei bekommt sie mit, dass in der Stadt wieder eine brutale Leiche gefunden worden ist. Kyra geht vom Schlimmsten aus, da vor 14 Jahren ihre Schwester Opfer eines brutalen Serienkillers wurde, welcher aber jetzt im Gefängnis seine Strafe absitzt. Wie ist es dann möglich, dass der Serienkiller im Gefängnis hinter dem Mord steckt, da dasselbe Vorgehen bei dem Opfer entdeckt worden ist? Kyra macht sich zur Aufgabe diesen Fall zu lösen, indem sie auf ihre Technologie zurückgreifen möchte.

Durch Zeitsprünge in die Vergangenheit, Einblicke in die Perspektive des Killers sowie eines Opfers und Kyras Erzählperspektive entwirft die Autorin einen sehr facettenreichen Thriller, welcher einen Hauch an Sci-Fi Elementen aufweist. Dabei stellt eine Technologie, welche es ermöglicht, in die Gedanken anderer Menschen einzutauchen, den Hauch an Sci-Fi Elementen dar. Das hat mir gut gefallen, hätte mir aber bezüglich der Technologie einen Tiefgang erwünscht, weil mir die Darstellung der Technologie zu kurz kam. Trotzdem war es für mich ein interessanter Thriller, der mich gut unterhalten hat. An der Seite von Kyra und mit Hilfe eines Ermittlungsteams begibt man sich auf die Suche nach dem wahren Täter. Die Ermittlungen werden durch die Autorin sehr detailliert und realistisch beschrieben. Auch vor bildhaften Beschreibungen von Leichen und Actionszenen schreckt die Autorin nicht zurück. Nichts für schwache Nerven.

Ihr ist es sehr gelungen, einen sehr konstanten Spannungsbogen zu entwerfen, der zudem noch viele Höhepunkte aufgrund guter Wendungen aufwies. Auf der anderen Seite gab es natürlich ab und zu ruhigere Szenen, die aber keinen signifikanten Einfluss auf den Spannungsbogen hatte. Auf jeden Fall lässt sich noch sagen, dass dieser Thriller kein einfaches Buch ist, da er zum Teil auch komplexer Textpassagen aufweist. Kyra als Protagonistin hat mir gut gefallen, da sie tough ist und trotz einzelner Charakterschwächen, immer ihr Ziel erreichen möchte. Zudem fand ich ihre Rolle als Neuropsychologin sehr interessant, da man auch hier viel über den Beruf aber auch über sie als Person erfahren hat.

Fazit: Witness X ist ein Thriller, welcher mich aufgrund der neuropsychologischen Thematik sehr unterhalten hat. Er ist durch die Autorin sehr facettenreich entworfen sowie weist er einen konstanten Spannungsbogen auf. Für Thriller-Fans eine Leseempfehlung! Ich bewerte das Buch mit 4,5 Sternen, Tendenz nach unten.

[Jordan Ricks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not finish this book, but I only had 2 hrs to go in the audiobook, so close enough. Blade Runner meets Silence of the Lambs... that was the catchphrase that sold me this book. What a good trick. Problem is, it is NOTHING like Blade Runner, with only a little bit of SotL. I realized this fairly quickly, but I like whodunnits, and science fiction is my jam, so I figured I would stick it out.

However, this book failed on both levels—whodunnit and science fiction. The whodunnit failed because there were a few glaring logic holes in the plot, and the sf failed because a gimmicky technology and a few future buzz words were all there were. A splash of sf to slap BLADE RUNNER! on the cover for marketing so fools like me would buy in.

Then there’s the ridiculous style of the narrative, which bounced between third person past tense, third person present tense, and first person present tense. Great Zeus, third person past tense would have served perfectly well for every point of view, but no, we had to be artsy. (I frigg’n hate present tense!)

Maybe the ending justifies everything but I don’t care. Not spending two more hours to find out.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich fand das futuröse setting(findet alles 2035 statt) und die Handlung sehr interessant, aber meiner Meinung nach ging es manchmal zu langsam voran und ich konnte mich nicht so in die Hauptfigur hineinfühlen. Also normalerweise fiebert man ja immer mit, aber das war diesmal nicht der Fall.

Deswegen 3.5 Sterne.

[Jesus]

MRS MCGEEHAN I LOVE YOU BABY GIRL GO YOU <3333333333333333333333333333

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the near future this is a serial killer thriller with a difference and it’s an excellent read. Kyra Sullivan a neuropsychologist has invented a new technology that can tap in on people’s minds and memories so can this be used to find a particularly gruesome serial killer, well here we start on an thrilling race against the clock to find out just the killer is because it’s looking very much like the the person behind bars may not be the actual killer.
This is a brilliant story from a new writer and is exceptionally well written, the characters are well crafted and the book moves at fair old pace as Kyra is determined to find the truth. I do hope in the future to read more from this author and would love to see more from Kyra it’s an addictive and intelligent read that I can highly recommend.
My thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Marie TG · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous debut novel from S.E Moorhead. A fast-paced, exciting thriller set in the future. I usually pride myself on working out "whodunnit" quite early on but not this time. No - spoilers I promise. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for Kyra surely this can't be it! More Kyra please.

[Kirsty Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crime isn’t my natural genre but I was totally drawn in by the tag line Silence of the Lambs meets Blade Runner.

Kyra is immediately a loveable heroine who you can see has her heart in the right place. She has developed a mind reading technology that can delve into people’s memories - but it’s not quite ready for public consumption for a number of reasons, and she’s definitely not behind the use of it by force.

And suddenly the killer is back, along with some horrifying memories she doesn’t need a machine to bring back to life. Kyra has a very personal reason to want them caught, and works with the police to see justice done.

The writing is great, pacy and thrilling. The characters are intriguing: as well as directly hearing from Kyra we get to delve into the mind of the killer and the victim they are on the clock to save.

Relationships are a vital plot point and there are a whole host of complex ones explored.

The book is set in 2035 so it still has relevant references as well as new technology to make it both present and futuristic.

I found it interesting that the memory device didn’t really come into real play until half way through so we got some “old fashioned” detective work thrown in the mix too.

With some clever misdirection and just enough of the reader being steps ahead of Kyra this was an on the edge of your seat thriller that I would highly recommend.

This was published on the 6th February so it’s out now. If crime, psychological thriller, and/or sci-fi are your bag you won’t want to miss this.

Thank you to TrapezeBooks/Orion for the gifted copy for the purposes of an honest review.

[Becca Fowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Gollancz for sending me a e-copy of this book.
Just from reading the blurb of this book I was intrigued, I needed an 'on the edge of your seat' book and this sounded perfect for it. I didn't really know what to expect as I do not think this author has any other books, so I was going into this with a fresh mind and nothing to compare to. It definately met my need for being on the edge of my seat, at one point I was biting my nail (which I never do) because the chapter I was reading was so thrilling and I had completely shut out the outside world. I was hooked on this book from start to finish.

I liked how the story was obvious in the fact you knew it couldn't be the person they had caught and thrown in jail fourteen years earlier, but at the same time the mystery behind who the killer actually was, was so intense. At a couple of points I had an idea on who it could be, which was clevely done to make me think I knew, then something would happen that would clear that person off my list. I liked Kyra as a character and I liked how it showed her obsession with finding out who killed her sister fourteen years ago, led her to discovering clues, all while everyone else just thought she was going crazy and trying to find things that weren't there. This could have also been because she's a woman and people do tend to automatically assume the 'crazy, obsessed' route, instead of listening and making a proper judgement, but this wasn't touched on in the book (that's just my personal ramblings).

I would definately recommend this to other people, especially if you're someone who loves crime, thrillers, or even better - both. I noticed that a friend of mine has already added this to her 'Want to Read' on Goodreads so I'm very happy with that.

[Christopher Hooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witness X is one of the BEST Sci-fi/Crime/Thriller novels I’ve read. It feels like you’re reading an episode of Black Mirror. I’ve also been playing Cyberpunk 2077 recently and I think Witness X would make a great video game!

Kyra is cut from the same cloth as Clarice Starling. Bold, brave and courageous. The prefect heroine for a novel of this nature. Kyra’s emotional journey throughout the novel was a particular highlight - uniquely personal because of her relationship with her sister and a bold move for Moorhead to make, but it totally paid off as your connection and love for Kyra deepens.

I loved the exploration of memory and how it is used as a plot device, but also made you think about your own memories and the truth within them. I thought this was an original idea done brilliantly. Fans of crime fiction and serial killers will love Witness X.

I will be keeping a keen eye out for anything else by S.E. Moorhead and I urge you to read this book, you won’t regret it!

[Jonathan Smeds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the concept in this book, and the futuristic setting that Moorhead builds up in her story. In the year 2035 Kyra has invented a machine that can look in to other peoples deepest memories. It sets up for an exciting narrative, in which Kyra must help the police find a serial killer.

The pacing was really good, which gave me this mentality of "just one more chapter" until I more or less had read the whole book! I've seen a few reviews comparing this to Silence of the lambs, which to some degree is understandable. It really gives you the access to the mind of a serial killer.

What bothered me was the last 40-50 pages. Everytime Kyra uses her machine, she suffers from some side effects. Without revealing too much, I have to say that I didn't really like the way the effects took place in the last part of the book. However, as a whole I quite enjoyed it.

[Alex Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 2035, Kyra Sullivan is neuropsychologist who has developed a machine that allows her to get into peoples minds and reanact their memories.

Using the technology Kyra sets about finding a serial killer who started is killings some 14 years prior.

Kyra is resolute and hell bent on finding the killler and SE Moorhead has created a strong determined character.

An interesting and intriguing premise, it’s a serial killer thriller with a futuristic difference and is a very well thought out, excellently written thriller that tanks along At apace.

An enjoyable, inventive compulsive thriller.

Recommended

4 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[Kelly Silver · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'll find my review here https://murdermurder.news/2020/10/10/...

[Barry Hurford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read much sci-fi, recently (I typically read traditional crime fiction, and prefer to watch Sci-Fi, nowadays) but when I saw Witness X advertised I was immediately sold on 'Witness X' thanks to the “Silence of the Lambs meets Blade Runner” blurb, and I'm glad to say that it didn’t disappoint!

The book is set in the near-future, and tells the story of a former police psychologist (neuropsychologist) called Kyra, who leaves the force after her own sister is murdered by the serial killer they were hunting. Kyra has since taken a job at a tech company, where she has developed a device which enables her to ‘transfer’ into the minds of witnesses, and replay their memories, to assist in bringing criminals to justice. True to form, ‘big tech’ can see other, more profitable uses for this technology, which doesn’t sit well with Kyra.

Unfortunately, the serial killer who we believe to been caught and imprisoned, strikes again, and Kyra assists the police in the race to hunt down the killer and save the person they’ve kidnapped.

Naturally, the mind reading technology is used to good effect in this story, but also includes plenty good old-fashioned detective work, which helps balance the story.

The entire book moves at a brisk pace, but it really steps up a gear once we discover the killer is active again. The chapters are short, punchy, and engaging, and I couldn’t help but race through to the end of book in one sitting when I’d reached this point in the story.

I had no problem with the changes in point of view throughout the book - I barely noticed them at the time, in fairness, but looking back on it, I think they were all well executed, and the author writes intelligently, subtly keeping the answers just out of our grasp until we reach a very satisfying and dramatic conclusion.

Now that I’ve read the book, I think the comparison between Silence of the Lambs and Blade Runner is a great hook, but as others have suggested, Minority Report is probably a better comparison instead of Blade Runner - thanks to MR’s Pre-Cogs, who can foresee future events. The comparison to SOTL is makes sense (Fair warning: the murders are pretty gruesome), but I don’t have an issue with Baxter’s blurb, as it sold me on what I could expect from this book, and I’m delighted that it did.

If Amazon or Netflix don’t pick this up, I think they will have missed a trick. Either way, I hope we get to see a lot more from both Kyra and S E Moorhead. Excellent stuff!

[MS G POWER · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a 'pre-launch' copy of this and didn't know what to expect as I'm not a massive thriller reader. However I couldn't put it down! It hooked me right from the beginning, mainly because I found the main character- Kyra - to be 'real' and likeable and there were lots of hints about where the story might be going, but none of them too obvious. I felt like I was solving the mystery along with Kyra throughout the book. What I liked most though was how intelligently it was written - something which I find lacking in some books of this type. This author doesn't just tell a story, she paints a credible picture, firstly of our near-future world, and secondly of a woman and her family in turmoil. The language used by the author throughout is is absolutely beautiful, to the extent that I even felt much sympathy for the killer. I feel that there are no two-dimensional 'goodies' and 'baddies' in this book - just people who are a product of their upbringings and the world around them. If I were to compare this book to any others I would say that it is a cross between Silence of the Lambs and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, mainly because these two books, like Witness X, scared the daylights out of me but left me reflecting much on what it is that makes us human or makes us a 'monster' - something which has intrigued me since reading East of Eden as a teenager.
I sincerely hope that a sequel will be on its way soon as I would like to read more by this author and I need to know more about what happens to these characters!

[Nicole Sweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted on The Bibliophile Chronicles.

Witness X is a fast paced thriller set in the future, the story follows a neuropsychologist named Kyra Sullivan as she races to uncover who is behind a recent murder. Using technology that allows Kyra to access the memory of those who were witnesses, she must work to uncover the truth – but at what cost?

This was such an addictive read! It’s tagged ‘Silence of the Lambs meets Blade Runner’ and I think that’s a really apt description. It’s the perfect blend of technology filled future and fast paced crime mystery. It will appeal to fans of both genres, and it certainly had me turning pages faster and faster to know what was going to happen next.

The world is built incredibly well and I really enjoyed Moorhead’s writing style – it was so easy to sink into this world and I really liked the unique and engaging premise. Moorhead does a great job ramping up the tension in this atmospheric read and it will definitely have you on the edge of your seat for the ending.

Kyra is a really interesting protagonist and the characters are well fleshed out and realistic. She’s a really intelligent, determined character and it was fascinating to see her become more and more obsessed as she sought the truth behind the murders fourteen years ago.

If you’re looking for something that is fast paced, compulsively readable and will leave your heart pounding, Witness X is exactly the book you’re looking for.

[John Hodgkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this bopok in anticipation of something new and/or extraordinary. However, I'm afraid the hype of "Silence of the Lambs meets Blade Runner" was not justified, nor even near. There was a bit of futuristic mind-reading, although nothing was explained about how the technology should work, and there was quite a bit of detective work, but it became fairly obvious well before the end as to what (though not who) the perpetrator was.
Quite disappointing, in fact.

[Bertie Y · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very run of the mill stuff. Blurb claiming it to be a mix of silence of the lambs and blade runner is overstating it's quality. But that's what blurbs are for.....

Was not engaged by characters nor was the premise overly unique or intriguing.

Should have given up on it but saw it through eventually. Wanted to like but couldn't.

Sorry

[Jackiesreadingcorner · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG, WOW, this is one hell of a read, I started it late yesterday and finished earlier this afternoon, I could not put it down. If you like a serial killer, with plenty of twists, a mix up of Silence of the lambs and blade runner then grab a copy of this you will not be disappointed.

Kyra Sullivan is a neuropsychologist, her sister had been killed by a serial killer 14 years earlier, the killer David Lomax was behind bars. But did they have the right person? Kyra had been on the original investigating team as a profiler before her sister was taken, she had also been dating the officer in charge Tom. But after Emma’s death they had split up. The day Emma had disappeared Kyra had been at a cafe with Emma’s three year old daughter Molly, when Emma arrived an hour late, her and Kyra had had words, Emma had stormed off taking Molly with her. Despite Kyra following a few minutes later what she found was Molly standing on a corner on her own, saying her mum had been taken in a red car. The next time Kyra saw Emma it was as a mutilated corpse.

The year is 2035 and technology has moved on, no longer the internet now the hypernet, electric cars, public transport is used by many as it is free, commsets a type of mobile phone device, microchips can be put in people or on cars. Kyra has devised a machine which she had hoped would be used by the Justice system. CASNDRA short for ‘Computer Assisted Scientific Neurological Detail Recall Aid’. In essence what this machine does is reads memories and images from one persons brain and transfers them to another person. In the initial case at the beginning of the story Kyra has on VR glasses sitting in one chair, a man from the MOD Brownrigg (Kyra is unaware of who he is from) is sat in another chair separate, once the experiment starts Kyra sees what the man saw and experienced years earlier. When the experiment is over Kyra learns who the man is, Carter her business partner is selling the technology to the MOD. Jimmy works in the same place as Kyra he works mainly with bio-chips and tracking devices.

Throughout the story there are other interesting technological ideas which don’t seem to far fetched when you think how far we have moved in the last 20 years alone. So where does the serial killer come in? David Lomax has escaped custody whilst attending his mums funeral. Another woman is killed with the same MO as his, each year in February two women are abducted and killed one labelled as type A is abducted, murdered and mutilated and dumped in a horrible place, type B is abducted and killed but left whole and posed in water.

The killer is known as the Mizpah Murderer as there is always a silver Mizpah necklace left with the bodies. When Kyra learns that Lomax is out she is worried for her mum and niece. She also gets a call from Tom the first in years asking for her help on the case because she knew it so well. Kyra had always had doubts that they had the right man. But the fact that he has escaped and another woman has died where he was tracked to makes him look guilty, they had also found his DNA at each crime scene.

But Lomax is soon behind bars again and one girl is still missing, time is running out to find her before its too late. Kyra becomes obsessed with the case. Along with having some visions from the new technology at times she doesn’t know what is real and what isn’t. By the time she starts to work some things out no one will listen to her.

This is an absolute rollercoaster ride of a read, my heart was pounding as I got to the last 30 or so pages, not knowing what was going to happen.

This is a book I will not forget in a hurry and I definitely highly recommend it to anyone who likes a thrilling, engrossing,breathtaking read. Gripping from start to finish.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Auf dieses Hörbuch war ich unglaublich gespannt! Das Cover gefiel mir auf Anhieb und auch der Klappentext klang einfach zu gut.
Ich war gespannt was mich hier erwarten würde.

Der Einstieg ins Buch war etwas holprig. Ich musste mich erst einmal zurecht finden. Doch nach kurzer Zeit gelang es mir und ich war völlig in der Story versunken.

Sabina Godec als Sprecherin überzeugte mich hier völlig. Ich mochte ihre Stimmfarbe auf Anhieb. Zudem brachte sie das Ganze unglaublich gut rüber. Sie bescherte mich immer wieder eine Gänsehaut.

Die Thematik des Buches war etwas völlig neues. Etwas vergleichbares habe ich bisher noch nicht gelesen / gehört.
Zudem faszinierte mich mich die Handlung völlig.

Die Charaktere wurden authentisch und greifbar gezeichnet.
Ich konnte mich gut in die hineinversetzen. Kyra wuchs mir sehr schnell ans Herz.

Zum Inhalt kann ich leider nicht viel sagen aber dieses Buch hat mich schier umgehauen.

Die Handlung an sich war schon unglaublich spannend. Doch als sich die Ereignisse überschlugen war ich völlig atemlos!
Die Spannung war kaum auszuhalten. Ich hoffte auf ein Happy Ende war mir dessen aber nicht sicher. Denn der Täter hat es in sich.

Das Ende glich hier einem finalen Showdown! Es war so nervenaufreibend und spannend! Das war echt ganz großes Kino!

Dieses Buch hat mir schier den Boden unter den Füßen weggezogen. Bitte mehr davon!

„Fazit":

Mit „Witness X" gelingt S. E. Moorhead ein gigantischer Thriller in dem nichts so ist wie es scheint! Eine nervenaufreibende und spannende Handlung und ein Erzählstil der begeistert überzeugten mich auf ganzer Linie!!!!

[T-uli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zeitreise ins Jahr 2035

Kyra Sullivan ist Neuropsychologin, ihre Schwester Emma wurde 14 Jahre zuvor von einem Serienmörder ermordet, der Mörder David Lomax ist hinter Gittern. Aber hatten sie die richtige Person? Kyra war vor der Ermordung ihrer Schwester als Profilerin Teil des ursprünglichen Ermittlungsteams gewesen, und sie war auch mit dem zuständigen Beamten Tom zusammen. Aber nach Emmas Tod hatten sie sich getrennt.
Nun schreiben wir das Jahr 2035 und die Technologie hat sich weiterentwickelt, nicht mehr das Internet, sondern das Hypernet, autonom fahrende Fahrzeuge, Commsets (eine Art Mobiltelefon) und weitere Errungenschaften sind alltäglich. Kyra hat eine Maschine entwickelt, von der sie hofft, dass sie in der Justiz eingesetzt werden kann. CASNDRA ist die Abkürzung für "Computer Assisted Scientific Neurological Detail Recall Aid", eine computergestützte Erinnerungshilfe auf neurowissenschaftlicher Basis. Im Wesentlichen liest diese Maschine Erinnerungen und Bilder aus dem Gehirn einer Person aus und überträgt sie auf eine andere Person.
Im Laufe der Geschichte gibt es weitere interessante technologische Ideen, die gar nicht so weit hergeholt erscheinen, wenn man bedenkt, wie weit wir uns allein in den letzten 20 Jahren entwickelt haben.
Aber was hat es mit dem Serienmörder auf sich? David Lomax ist bei der Beerdigung seiner Mutter aus dem Gewahrsam entkommen. Als Kyra erfährt, dass Lomax auf freiem Fuß ist, macht sie sich Sorgen um ihre Mutter und Nichte. Außerdem erhält sie einen Anruf von Tom, den ersten seit Jahren, in dem er sie um Hilfe in dem Fall bittet, weil sie Lomax so gut kennt. Kyra hatte immer daran gezweifelt, dass sie den richtigen Mann hatten. Aber die Tatsache, dass er geflohen ist und eine andere Frau an dem Ort gestorben ist, an dem er aufgespürt wurde, lässt ihn als schuldig erscheinen, und sie haben seine DNA an jedem Tatort gefunden.
Doch Lomax sitzt bald wieder hinter Gittern, aber ein Mädchen wird immer noch vermisst und die Zeit läuft ab, um sie zu finden, bevor es zu spät ist. Kyra wird von dem Fall besessen. Neben den Visionen, die ihr die neue Technologie beschert, weiß sie manchmal nicht, was real ist und was nicht. Als sie beginnt, einige Dinge aufzudecken, hört ihr niemand mehr zu, da jeder sie für verrückt oder zumindest ernsthaft krank hält.
Was mich gestört hat, waren die für meinen Geschmack zu langwierigen Beschreibungen der Nebenwirkungen, die jedes Mal auftreten, wenn Kyra ihre Maschine benutzt. Sie verliert mehr oder weniger jeden Bezug zur Realität und das ging mir gehörig auf die Nerven. Schade, denn ansonsten war es sehr spannend geschrieben.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
Gore score 2/5 🗡🗡
A high concept debut serial killer crime thriller/ fusion.

It is set 15 years in the future 2035. But it doesn’t feel ‘way out there’ or on anyway sci fi. It just feels a few years in the future.
There are several time frames with the present being 2035.

The point of views are mainly Kyras and the killer.

I found the pace to be on the slower side. That is the main reason for it not being 5⭐️ and small niggles with a couple of things at the end.

There are some creepy sections, the author gave a warning not to read it alone at night in the dark 😳

As for high concept, it’s just a unique premise for a crime novel. I love to see authors managing to come up with unique ideas, but I have to feel that I can buy into it. I certainly felt that the premise of this story is very realistic so I had no problem connecting with it. I love the authors imagination.
It grabbed my attention straight away.

Kyra is a neuropsychologist who has developed a memory transference procedure which she is desperate to use to find her sisters killer.

Favourite quote ‘time doesn’t exist in the silence of the mortuary fridge’

The tension is really ramped up towards the end. An excellent innovative plot which I highly recommend.

I think readers of J P Delaney books would enjoy this novel.

[Roj · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this, especially from the blurb and quotes, but despite it being a page turner, I really didn't.

The characters are entirely dislikeable throughout (except for one, who only appears in two scenes), and all have big conflicts or personal troubles set up without any resolution.

The big sci-fi element is described only in layman's terms, and is clearly an over-thought plot device used to push the narrative. It doesn't make any sense (especially given this is set 15-years ahead of the date it was published), and for something so massively controversial and militarily important is ridiculously insecure!

The actual main plot (person arrested for serial murders escapes, and another body turns up) is good, and keeps you interested if you're into crime thrillers. But everything around it is horrendous. The author goes out of the way to make the villain as despicable as possible, but that only ends up highlighting the worst in everyone else.

Overall, the blurb and quotes on this are hyperbole, and this is - at best - a plodding crime thriller using a sci-fi element as a ridiculous macguffin.

If you want "Bladerunner" meets "Silence of the Lambs", this is not it.

[Angi Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been in my reading pile since it came out. It really should have been read much, much sooner!

I loved Kyra and her determination to get to the truth and see justice delivered. It’s a fantastic look at a possible future. A what if book, as I call them. It’s not so far fetched that you can’t imagine the things written here becoming a reality. If indeed some of these things aren’t already. It does have a few near the knuckle gory moments but nothing that will put most crime lovers off.

I started the book and read it in it’s entirety inside a day. I needed to know what happened, who did it and why. The writing is well put together and easy to follow. It’s not so techie that you need to be a complete science lover to understand and follow it. It’s pace is perfect and it’s twisty and clever. If you, like me, have made the error of leaving this on your TBR pile, me because I had so many reviews I forgot about it, READ IT NOW!

S.E. Moorhead is a great new talent, so keep an eye on her. She’s definitely got a cracking debut here!

[Vihara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kyra has been working as a neuropsychologist for years, working to develop technology that would enable her to read memories of people. At the same time she wishes she could forget the memories she has of her sister Emma, who was taken from her by a serial killer, fifteen years ago. When the killer escapes prison and the murders start up again, it's a race against time before another innocent victim dies.

The plot as fast because this takes over the span of a week or so, and towards the end I was really anxious to know how the story would end. The author managed to increase the anticipation of the ending bit by bit, which I found to be pretty good. The way we see the repercussions of technology, and the fact that the book is set a few years into the future, and just how accessible humans are at the point, was truly a scary thing to me, especially since it seems to be coming true everyday. This was an interesting read.

[Victor S Southern · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't rehash plots when reviewing books but try to convey how good are the plot, the writing and even the original concept. This book score highly on all three. The writing is skilful and atmospheric, the plot quite original as is the central premise of a sort of mind or memory reader. Less good is the way in which the principal characters are drawn and their individual motivations apart from the heroine. From the whodunnit point of view it fails since the criminal's identity is only mentioned right at the end so not Agatha Christie in any way.
As usual in many crime thrillers one is amazed at how very bad the professional crime-catchers are at their jobs, how slapdash, unhearing and ill-prepared. No Inspector Frost here.

Overall I am glad I read it and recommend it to you, warts and all.

[Sarah Faichney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great premise and what an opening! My heart was in my mouth from the start. "Witness X" is an at times brutal, gory, creepy, genre bending psychological thriller. Protagonist Kyra has invented technology that she hopes can be used to improve the efficiency of the criminal justice system. SE Moorhead's imagination and attention to detail are exemplary, with lots of interesting observations on what life might be like in the not-too-distant future. She has spawned a range of plausible technology including virtual holidays, newspops, computer auto-logging of police briefings and injectable bio-trackers. Personally I hope that the expensive Thames Estuary wine was a dig at Brexit! The story unfolds from the point of view of Kyra, with interjections from the killer's perspective. I thought it was an exciting, fast-paced read and would love to see it optioned for film or television.

[Neet Neilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I really couldn't put it down. Yes, the hype that it was 'the silence of lambs meets Bladerunner," attracted my attention to it BUT it was even better than that. It would stand up as an epic film in its own right against these two! Set in the not-too-distant future - and you can see Moorehead did her homework here based on what is being predicted politically and technically for us, you can see this type of future emerging very easily - we have a crime thriller at heart with all the suspense and tension you desire, keeping us guessing till the end. I hope there will be more. It definitely lends itself to being a series. The tech is still there and so is the heroine...