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The Coming Darkness
A thrilling debut that has been likened to John Le Carré and Raymond Chandler . . .
Paris, 2037. Alexandre Lamarque of the French external security service is hunting for eco-terrorists. Experience has taught him there is no one he can trust. Experience has taught him there is no one he can trust – not his secretive lover Mariam, not even his old mentor, Professor Fayard, the man at the centre of the web. He is ready to give up. But he can’t.
In search of the truth, Alex must follow the trail through an ominous spiral of events, from a string of brutal child murders to a chaotic coup in North Africa. He rapidly finds himself in a heart-thumping race against chaos and destruction. He could be the world’s only hope of preventing THE COMING DARKNESS . . .
Paris, 2037. Alexandre Lamarque of the French external security service is hunting for eco-terrorists. Experience has taught him there is no one he can trust. Experience has taught him there is no one he can trust – not his secretive lover Mariam, not even his old mentor, Professor Fayard, the man at the centre of the web. He is ready to give up. But he can’t.
In search of the truth, Alex must follow the trail through an ominous spiral of events, from a string of brutal child murders to a chaotic coup in North Africa. He rapidly finds himself in a heart-thumping race against chaos and destruction. He could be the world’s only hope of preventing THE COMING DARKNESS . . .
414 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 10, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 9, 2022
The Coming Darkness is set just far enough in the future for things to feel different – the use of advanced technology such as holoscreens and comm-watches – but just close enough to be scary. There’s a dystopian feel to the world we’re introduced to, a world in which surveillence cameras are everywhere, some parents have their children micro-chipped in order to keep tabs on them and there are nightly curfews in some cities. Actually, maybe apocalyptic is a better description. It’s a glimpse into a future where environmental degradation has caused desertification of some areas of the world, resulting in poverty, mass migration and inequality. Add to this the threat of deadly transgenic viruses and you have the stuff of nightmares.
Trying to bring some order to this disordered world is Alexandre Lamarque, a government agent who has becoming increasingly disillusioned with the actions he is asked to carry out. (Like Van Der Valk of the 1970s crime series, he lives on a boat.) But Alex possesses an unique intuitive ability that means his bosses don’t want to let him go. ‘The young man had a kind of sixth sense, an ability to envision possible futures, like a chess Grandmaster anticipating countless iterations of cause and effect.’ Alex can sense that ‘something’ is coming – an absence, a darkness – but he doesn’t know quite what it is, when it will happen or from where it will come. The thrill of the book is accompanying Alex on the journey to find out. In the process, he will come up against those who embrace a twisted, destructive and nihilistic ideology, and wonder if there’s anyone he can truly rely on.
The short chapters keep the pace and the tension high. The occasional switches to events involving other, sometimes unnamed, characters keep the reader guessing. And there are some terrific action scenes, such as the extraction of an influential political figure from a sealed compound during an attempted coup, that have a real cinematic quality. I also loved that in this high-tech future some of the key breakthroughs depend on the use of ‘outdated’ analogue technology and there’s still a role for an ejector seat.
According to his author biography, Greg has long had an ambition to write ‘a powerful thriller’. Well, it’s job done as far as I’m concerned because The Coming Darkness has everything I look for in a political thriller: interesting characters, an intricate plot, a constant sense of jeopardy and plenty of surprises. And is that a tantalising suggestion at the end of the book that there could be a follow-up? I do hope so.
Trying to bring some order to this disordered world is Alexandre Lamarque, a government agent who has becoming increasingly disillusioned with the actions he is asked to carry out. (Like Van Der Valk of the 1970s crime series, he lives on a boat.) But Alex possesses an unique intuitive ability that means his bosses don’t want to let him go. ‘The young man had a kind of sixth sense, an ability to envision possible futures, like a chess Grandmaster anticipating countless iterations of cause and effect.’ Alex can sense that ‘something’ is coming – an absence, a darkness – but he doesn’t know quite what it is, when it will happen or from where it will come. The thrill of the book is accompanying Alex on the journey to find out. In the process, he will come up against those who embrace a twisted, destructive and nihilistic ideology, and wonder if there’s anyone he can truly rely on.
The short chapters keep the pace and the tension high. The occasional switches to events involving other, sometimes unnamed, characters keep the reader guessing. And there are some terrific action scenes, such as the extraction of an influential political figure from a sealed compound during an attempted coup, that have a real cinematic quality. I also loved that in this high-tech future some of the key breakthroughs depend on the use of ‘outdated’ analogue technology and there’s still a role for an ejector seat.
According to his author biography, Greg has long had an ambition to write ‘a powerful thriller’. Well, it’s job done as far as I’m concerned because The Coming Darkness has everything I look for in a political thriller: interesting characters, an intricate plot, a constant sense of jeopardy and plenty of surprises. And is that a tantalising suggestion at the end of the book that there could be a follow-up? I do hope so.
November 23, 2022
Alex has a new mission.
The Coming Darkness is quite a book and I’m not certain my limited intellect coped with every facet of this rich, engaging and absolutely blistering narrative!
Intricately plotted, I found I had to concentrate hard on retaining who was who and how the various aspects were interrelated in the story. I’d say The Coming Darkness is not a book to read in short blasts. It needs, and deserves, sustained concentration fully to appreciate how interconnected the different strands are and I think it best for readers to immerse themselves completely. Greg Mosse’s style is skilfully eloquent and I loved the balance of exposition to short pithy dialogue because it drives the narrative forward with rapidity and tension. This is intelligent writing.
Short chapters create a fast paced, episodic style. Indeed, the seemingly fragmentary, and yet totally interconnected, plotting has all the hallmarks of a film or television series that would garner cult status. It’s so difficult to define, but I found The Coming Darkness thrums with menace so that I felt unnerved and tense most of the time I was reading it.
I thought the near future setting was pitch perfect. With reference to aspects like viruses, reliance on technology, cultish terrorism and the unsettling desire for some to control and dominate others, Greg Mosse has put his finger right on the pulse of modern life in an authentic manner. I found the Parisian setting particularly effective because it was simultaneously familiar and unusual. This means that although The Coming Darkness is slightly futuristic, it is entirely plausible and disturbing.
In amongst the big themes and global aspects, what resonated so beautifully was Alex’s relationship with his mother and with Mariam. Through this strand the author gives hope and humanity, illustrating the human ability to love and to care in amongst the greed, the desire for power, and the need to for dominance. I’m hoping The Coming Darkness will not be the last we see of Alexandre Lamarque.
Terrifying, taut and prescient The Coming Darkness might be one of the most disturbing thrillers I’ve read in years because Greg Mosse manages to blend all the potential terrors of the world into an enthralling and convincing story that could just happen very, very soon.
The Coming Darkness is quite a book and I’m not certain my limited intellect coped with every facet of this rich, engaging and absolutely blistering narrative!
Intricately plotted, I found I had to concentrate hard on retaining who was who and how the various aspects were interrelated in the story. I’d say The Coming Darkness is not a book to read in short blasts. It needs, and deserves, sustained concentration fully to appreciate how interconnected the different strands are and I think it best for readers to immerse themselves completely. Greg Mosse’s style is skilfully eloquent and I loved the balance of exposition to short pithy dialogue because it drives the narrative forward with rapidity and tension. This is intelligent writing.
Short chapters create a fast paced, episodic style. Indeed, the seemingly fragmentary, and yet totally interconnected, plotting has all the hallmarks of a film or television series that would garner cult status. It’s so difficult to define, but I found The Coming Darkness thrums with menace so that I felt unnerved and tense most of the time I was reading it.
I thought the near future setting was pitch perfect. With reference to aspects like viruses, reliance on technology, cultish terrorism and the unsettling desire for some to control and dominate others, Greg Mosse has put his finger right on the pulse of modern life in an authentic manner. I found the Parisian setting particularly effective because it was simultaneously familiar and unusual. This means that although The Coming Darkness is slightly futuristic, it is entirely plausible and disturbing.
In amongst the big themes and global aspects, what resonated so beautifully was Alex’s relationship with his mother and with Mariam. Through this strand the author gives hope and humanity, illustrating the human ability to love and to care in amongst the greed, the desire for power, and the need to for dominance. I’m hoping The Coming Darkness will not be the last we see of Alexandre Lamarque.
Terrifying, taut and prescient The Coming Darkness might be one of the most disturbing thrillers I’ve read in years because Greg Mosse manages to blend all the potential terrors of the world into an enthralling and convincing story that could just happen very, very soon.
November 27, 2022
The Coming Darkness by Greg Mosse is a dystopian thriller set in 2037, it is futuristic but not too far into the future that the technology seems implausible. I must admit to being loath to read anything dystopian in recent years because of the way in which the world is developing, and the fact that dystopia feels closer to reality than it ever has in my lifetime. However, what swung it for me was a quote I read from Anthony Horowitz about The Coming Darkness which said “I haven’t read a book like this since I AM PILGRIM”. I make no secret of the fact that I am Pilgrim is one of my favourite books, and so I was immediately tempted to read The Coming Darkness, and I am so glad that I did!
The Coming Darkness is such a cleverly multi-layered and complex thriller that it draws the reader in to a future world where society has been divided, and unrest is being propagated as an almost cult-like terroristic ethos. Written during the pandemic, global health and climate change appear to be worse in this future, and worldwide immigration has created an underclass of stateless people called Blanks, all of which feels incredibly believable and scarily realistic.
The protagonist Alexandre Lamarque is a strong, emotionally sensitive character, who is immensely likeable. He is conflicted in his role as an operative in French secret services. A skill that he has is being able to see what others might miss, in terms of being able to identify what is going to happen, so the book begins with him only being able to see darkness ahead of him, and it prompts a series of events which take him to different locations in an attempt to prevent chaos and destruction. I really enjoyed the characters of Mariam, his girlfriend, and Professor Fayard, his former professor, who appears to be at the centre of everything.
The story is expertly woven so the strands of the story come together as it progresses, with the tension rising to a crescendo the closer towards the convergence of the storylines the reader gets. I found myself on tenterhooks towards the end of the book and felt that I could not stop reading because it was so exciting. I really hope that there are future plans for a book series featuring Alex, Mariam and Professor Fayard, but as the story felt so cinematic I also have high hopes for even more!
The Coming Darkness is such a cleverly multi-layered and complex thriller that it draws the reader in to a future world where society has been divided, and unrest is being propagated as an almost cult-like terroristic ethos. Written during the pandemic, global health and climate change appear to be worse in this future, and worldwide immigration has created an underclass of stateless people called Blanks, all of which feels incredibly believable and scarily realistic.
The protagonist Alexandre Lamarque is a strong, emotionally sensitive character, who is immensely likeable. He is conflicted in his role as an operative in French secret services. A skill that he has is being able to see what others might miss, in terms of being able to identify what is going to happen, so the book begins with him only being able to see darkness ahead of him, and it prompts a series of events which take him to different locations in an attempt to prevent chaos and destruction. I really enjoyed the characters of Mariam, his girlfriend, and Professor Fayard, his former professor, who appears to be at the centre of everything.
The story is expertly woven so the strands of the story come together as it progresses, with the tension rising to a crescendo the closer towards the convergence of the storylines the reader gets. I found myself on tenterhooks towards the end of the book and felt that I could not stop reading because it was so exciting. I really hope that there are future plans for a book series featuring Alex, Mariam and Professor Fayard, but as the story felt so cinematic I also have high hopes for even more!
October 11, 2024
I loved this book. Well written, fast paced and a gripping storyline. What’s not to like? I am looking forward to reading the next in this futuristic series.
January 27, 2023
What is The Coming Darkness? That’s what we don’t know until we get towards the end of the book. Set in 2037, Summer, things are so different to how we live now. There is a brown out, curfew every night at around 12.30 everyone has to be indoors if you aren’t you are in trouble. Alexandre Lamarque is on a covert mission he had been tipped off by his friend Amaury Barra about a planned attack by some international students from Marseille. Amaury said they were little more than children that were being manipulated. Alex was alone deciding he didn’t need back up. As he hides undercover watching them plant what could be a bomb he wonders how effective it could be. As he watched them moving he still thought of them as amateurs. When he announced himself they reacted Alex stunned then told them both they could go. But the woman had no intention of going she shouted something then shot her colleague twice in the head, as Alex followed her he tried to reason with her, she shouted the same five words she had already said and then shot herself in the head. Why?
That is just from the opening chapter, adrenalin fuelled and the story continues in this way. It is a very complex story with lots of characters, you have no idea who you can trust. Except for Alex. As you are reading the tension builds and builds throughout the pace is steady at times then speeds up. Who is the woman with blonde hair? Who are the two men dressed as undertakers. You have no idea what these people want but most are prepared to die for it.
If you think of the technology twenty years ago we didn’t have half of what we have now. So imagine that that technology keeps getting more and more by 2037 they have holo comms, everyone is chipped the ones who aren’t are known as Blanks I believe mostly the homeless or living in shanties with no links. When Alex returns he visits his mum Gloria as she had wanted to give him some important information, but she was ill, and hadn’t notified anyone of her illness. She ended up in quarantine. But how did she contract this virus? Where has some of her work gone, the work she wanted Alex to read over?
Who is killing children? Then just disposing the bodies, some have had the chips removed from then so they cannot be traced and just come up as BLANKS. Why take them to kill them immediately? What can anyone gain from that?
What I enjoyed about this read was it was fast paced but very complex you really need to follow all the main characters, too many to mention along with their positions of power. There were quite a few twists and turns you just don’t see coming. Who can Alex trust? He had been secretly dating Mariam for 8 years she was his bosses driver/aide can he trust her, she even wondered at one stage if she could trust Alex. So I would say trust no one.
Can Alex along with others save the planet? Who is behind everything? What is The Coming Darkness. This is a very well written complex novel, how the author kept track of all the character’s and where they were is mind blowing, because by the end every bit was tied up neatly. An engrossing, gripping espionage thriller with gadgets that haven’t yet been invented but could quite easily be by 2037. A thrilling rollercoaster ride, with lots of action to keep your mind occupied, watch out for those twists. Who can you trust? Read this and see if you can guess. A great debut novel I look forward to see what Greg Mosse comes up with next.
That is just from the opening chapter, adrenalin fuelled and the story continues in this way. It is a very complex story with lots of characters, you have no idea who you can trust. Except for Alex. As you are reading the tension builds and builds throughout the pace is steady at times then speeds up. Who is the woman with blonde hair? Who are the two men dressed as undertakers. You have no idea what these people want but most are prepared to die for it.
If you think of the technology twenty years ago we didn’t have half of what we have now. So imagine that that technology keeps getting more and more by 2037 they have holo comms, everyone is chipped the ones who aren’t are known as Blanks I believe mostly the homeless or living in shanties with no links. When Alex returns he visits his mum Gloria as she had wanted to give him some important information, but she was ill, and hadn’t notified anyone of her illness. She ended up in quarantine. But how did she contract this virus? Where has some of her work gone, the work she wanted Alex to read over?
Who is killing children? Then just disposing the bodies, some have had the chips removed from then so they cannot be traced and just come up as BLANKS. Why take them to kill them immediately? What can anyone gain from that?
What I enjoyed about this read was it was fast paced but very complex you really need to follow all the main characters, too many to mention along with their positions of power. There were quite a few twists and turns you just don’t see coming. Who can Alex trust? He had been secretly dating Mariam for 8 years she was his bosses driver/aide can he trust her, she even wondered at one stage if she could trust Alex. So I would say trust no one.
Can Alex along with others save the planet? Who is behind everything? What is The Coming Darkness. This is a very well written complex novel, how the author kept track of all the character’s and where they were is mind blowing, because by the end every bit was tied up neatly. An engrossing, gripping espionage thriller with gadgets that haven’t yet been invented but could quite easily be by 2037. A thrilling rollercoaster ride, with lots of action to keep your mind occupied, watch out for those twists. Who can you trust? Read this and see if you can guess. A great debut novel I look forward to see what Greg Mosse comes up with next.
May 27, 2024
loads going on which doesn't really come together until the last 3rd of the book.
December 5, 2023
The plot only developed about 300 pages in. So terrible
November 22, 2022
Paris, 2037. Alexandre Lamarque, agent of the French external security service, is on the trail of eco-terrorists. He is just in time to head off an attack in Marseille, but something about this incident pricks the rare sense of intuition that marks him out as the top of his field - and this feeling of foreboding will not go away.
Throughout the missions that follow, a certainty that something bad is on the horizon continues to worry Alex, but he cannot put his finger on why. Then a bold attempt to extract a beleaguered Prime Minister from the chaos of a military coup in North Africa goes awry, and Alex finds himself with time on his hands as he awaits the judgement on his future - time he uses to look a little more closely at the goings on of the eco-terrorists with the help of his secret lover Mariam, and his old mentor Professor Fayard who wants him to come and work for him in Internal Security.
To find out the truth, Alex must follow a trail of disparate clues connected to a series of child murders in France; the mystery of his mother's infection with a dangerous, unknown pathogen; and the worrying agenda of a shady organisation called Tabula Rosa. Can Alex's intuition save the world from the coming darkness?
Well, what an absolute little gem this turned out to be! It starts with a series of episodes across different global locations, which do not immediately seem to be related. The diverse nature of the threads make them something of a poser, and very much like our protagonist Alex you feel yourself scrabbling about to make sense of it all. However, there is a seductive, slow-burn charm about the way Greg Mosse writes, and by degrees you are pulled into a gloriously twisty tale that encompasses unsettling near-future dystopia, first-class espionage shenanigans, and a delicious mystery that zings with everything I love about noir crime stories. It is a combination that is seriously addictive.
The near-future setting is cleverly imagined, in a world where the global impact of climate change is starting to bite. Political instability; the scarcity of resources; the rising risk of untreatable viral infections; and the suspicion with which displaced people are viewed make the perfect breeding grounds for intrigue, greed, mania, and violence - and Mosse uses this simmering, melting pot of potential motivators to devious perfection in the way he plots out this complex thriller. He does his level best to throw red-herrings and misdirection at you throughout, which prove to be excellent fun to sift through at the side of Alex and his colleagues, and for most of the story you really have no idea who Alex can trust. The pace ratchets up with exquisite suspense, until the evil intentions of the villains of the piece are laid bare, and all the little pieces fall into place with shocking clarity. Mosse then treats you to a fine double climax full of James Bond-esque thrills and spills, with the action flipping between Paris and North Africa as the clock counts down to global disaster. My heart was in my throat for the entire final section of this book, and I loved every second.
This book has all the hallmarks of the first in a new series of really intelligent page-turners. Alex is an intriguing protagonist, with his almost supernatural prophetic abilities, but Mosse builds a really interesting team around him over the course of the story too - and I really want to see them working together to save the world once more. My fingers are crossed!
Throughout the missions that follow, a certainty that something bad is on the horizon continues to worry Alex, but he cannot put his finger on why. Then a bold attempt to extract a beleaguered Prime Minister from the chaos of a military coup in North Africa goes awry, and Alex finds himself with time on his hands as he awaits the judgement on his future - time he uses to look a little more closely at the goings on of the eco-terrorists with the help of his secret lover Mariam, and his old mentor Professor Fayard who wants him to come and work for him in Internal Security.
To find out the truth, Alex must follow a trail of disparate clues connected to a series of child murders in France; the mystery of his mother's infection with a dangerous, unknown pathogen; and the worrying agenda of a shady organisation called Tabula Rosa. Can Alex's intuition save the world from the coming darkness?
Well, what an absolute little gem this turned out to be! It starts with a series of episodes across different global locations, which do not immediately seem to be related. The diverse nature of the threads make them something of a poser, and very much like our protagonist Alex you feel yourself scrabbling about to make sense of it all. However, there is a seductive, slow-burn charm about the way Greg Mosse writes, and by degrees you are pulled into a gloriously twisty tale that encompasses unsettling near-future dystopia, first-class espionage shenanigans, and a delicious mystery that zings with everything I love about noir crime stories. It is a combination that is seriously addictive.
The near-future setting is cleverly imagined, in a world where the global impact of climate change is starting to bite. Political instability; the scarcity of resources; the rising risk of untreatable viral infections; and the suspicion with which displaced people are viewed make the perfect breeding grounds for intrigue, greed, mania, and violence - and Mosse uses this simmering, melting pot of potential motivators to devious perfection in the way he plots out this complex thriller. He does his level best to throw red-herrings and misdirection at you throughout, which prove to be excellent fun to sift through at the side of Alex and his colleagues, and for most of the story you really have no idea who Alex can trust. The pace ratchets up with exquisite suspense, until the evil intentions of the villains of the piece are laid bare, and all the little pieces fall into place with shocking clarity. Mosse then treats you to a fine double climax full of James Bond-esque thrills and spills, with the action flipping between Paris and North Africa as the clock counts down to global disaster. My heart was in my throat for the entire final section of this book, and I loved every second.
This book has all the hallmarks of the first in a new series of really intelligent page-turners. Alex is an intriguing protagonist, with his almost supernatural prophetic abilities, but Mosse builds a really interesting team around him over the course of the story too - and I really want to see them working together to save the world once more. My fingers are crossed!
November 12, 2022
The Coming Darkness is set in a near future which looks quite different from the present, but by featuring some of the most pressing current issues – climate change, global health and the refugee crisis, in particular – Greg Mosse describes a world which is disconcertingly easy to accept as fact. It's also a cracking thriller, with enough narrative strands to fill more than one book.
The opening chapters of this ambitious novel introduce numerous characters and locations and the complexity of the plot means that although there is a sense of foreboding from the start, it does take a while to grasp what is happening. However, the early scenes are compelling enough as individual moments, which means that although I (fittingly) felt as though I was in the dark, I was always keen to discover more.
The central protagonist, Alexandre Lamarque soon made an impression and he is the most intriguing character in the book. He is a highly skilled operative, able to infiltrate various organisations and agencies but his most singular talent is as much a curse as a gift. While not an actual soothsayer, Alex has an ability to predict trouble before it happens – and when all he can see is the coming darkness. he knows the world is in trouble. However, he is also feeling jaded and guilty about the deceptive nature of his missions. As a reluctant spy needed to save the world, Alex is dangerous enough to be exciting yet tormented enough to be sympathetic, and consequently seems to be made for the screen as well as the page.
There is a vivid cinematic sense to The Coming Darkness throughout, with a storyline that takes readers across, to Norway and arguably most interestingly to North African and the fictional state of Cyrene. The transient nature of popularity in politics, especially in the face of anger and betrayal becomes a key subject, with ruthless ambition and deadly intent combining to risk more than just the stability of one country. As an oil rich, well-armed nation which also offers safe haven to refugees, Cyrene has global respect but an insurrection threatens Prime Minister Mourad and the dramatic scene involving her attempted extraction is just one of the highlights of this multilayered thriller.
As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that the world has adopted a more proactive, authoritarian attitude towards health. Masks are still worn, people are screened and the unwell are expected to quarantine themselves, with the worst affected taken into compulsory isolation. Meanwhile, with wars, poverty and climate change already leading to migration on an unprecedented scale, it isn't difficult to foresee a time when the stateless become almost effectively throwaway nonentities, referred to as the Blanks.
Alex is convinced of an imminent catastrophe in this hyperconnected dystopia and with readers given an insight into events elsewhere, the tension steadily builds throughout The Coming Darkness. Greg Mosse cleverly seeds doubt about who can really be trusted in Alex's mind and the rising, distressing death count, twisty narrative and various revelations scattered throughout ensures it's impossible to predict the outcome. The breathtaking final few chapters are particularly terrific and a fitting conclusion to this intelligent, persuasive and dynamic debut. I highly recommend it and look forward to reading more from Greg Mosse in the future.
The opening chapters of this ambitious novel introduce numerous characters and locations and the complexity of the plot means that although there is a sense of foreboding from the start, it does take a while to grasp what is happening. However, the early scenes are compelling enough as individual moments, which means that although I (fittingly) felt as though I was in the dark, I was always keen to discover more.
The central protagonist, Alexandre Lamarque soon made an impression and he is the most intriguing character in the book. He is a highly skilled operative, able to infiltrate various organisations and agencies but his most singular talent is as much a curse as a gift. While not an actual soothsayer, Alex has an ability to predict trouble before it happens – and when all he can see is the coming darkness. he knows the world is in trouble. However, he is also feeling jaded and guilty about the deceptive nature of his missions. As a reluctant spy needed to save the world, Alex is dangerous enough to be exciting yet tormented enough to be sympathetic, and consequently seems to be made for the screen as well as the page.
There is a vivid cinematic sense to The Coming Darkness throughout, with a storyline that takes readers across, to Norway and arguably most interestingly to North African and the fictional state of Cyrene. The transient nature of popularity in politics, especially in the face of anger and betrayal becomes a key subject, with ruthless ambition and deadly intent combining to risk more than just the stability of one country. As an oil rich, well-armed nation which also offers safe haven to refugees, Cyrene has global respect but an insurrection threatens Prime Minister Mourad and the dramatic scene involving her attempted extraction is just one of the highlights of this multilayered thriller.
As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that the world has adopted a more proactive, authoritarian attitude towards health. Masks are still worn, people are screened and the unwell are expected to quarantine themselves, with the worst affected taken into compulsory isolation. Meanwhile, with wars, poverty and climate change already leading to migration on an unprecedented scale, it isn't difficult to foresee a time when the stateless become almost effectively throwaway nonentities, referred to as the Blanks.
Alex is convinced of an imminent catastrophe in this hyperconnected dystopia and with readers given an insight into events elsewhere, the tension steadily builds throughout The Coming Darkness. Greg Mosse cleverly seeds doubt about who can really be trusted in Alex's mind and the rising, distressing death count, twisty narrative and various revelations scattered throughout ensures it's impossible to predict the outcome. The breathtaking final few chapters are particularly terrific and a fitting conclusion to this intelligent, persuasive and dynamic debut. I highly recommend it and look forward to reading more from Greg Mosse in the future.
August 27, 2023
"A darkness was coming, and there was not much left to believe in."
"Revolution is a childish dream - a belief that if only the old order could be destroyed, something bright and perfect and new would emerge as if by magic, to fix everything."
I picked this book up at a free book drop, attracted by the purple colour and the neon title. Mine is actually a review copy, so I assume it differs at least a little to what was later on the market.
The year is 2037, and things are similar but just different enough to give us a futuristic, slightly dystopian feel. Alex Lamarque works for DGES, French foreign security, and is adept at spotting patterns, intuiting motivations, and colouring in the bigger picture. Something isn't right. A lot of somethings, actually. Research at a gene lab, security woes about undersea cables, student revolutionaries, the disturbing murder of two children, a military coup in northern Africa, suicides, sicknesses, deaths. How are they all connected?
At first, it seems overwhelming to try following all of the various strands. But as the book speeds onwards, the pieces start to fall together, or else we just trust Lamarque to weave the strands into a tapestry that makes sense!
The technology is largely the same with a few logical updates, and the book references a number of recent current events (the Beirut explosion, 9/11, certain conferences and natural disasters) to feel authentic, like this is what 2037 is actually like. (That said, it's missing the covid pandemic and Russia Ukraine war despite being published in 2022... I think I'd include a reference or two for consistency's sake.
All of this makes the reader feel immersed and tense under its umbrella of what the near future could look like. It's unsettling and nail-biting.
The book is fast-paced and seemingly improves as you sink your teeth in. This is not a book to dip your toes in; rather, this is one to settle down with a coffee in the sun and tear through 50 pages. It's not my usual genre and at first, I was less than impressed. Too many plot lines, too many things going on. But as I read, I got immersed and started to love it. By the time I was half way, it was already teetering on 5 stars, and the last 100 pages and zoomed through, loving every minute.
I hope Greg Mosse decides to write this as a series because I would definitely read more of Alex and Miriam's world!
.
"Revolution is a childish dream - a belief that if only the old order could be destroyed, something bright and perfect and new would emerge as if by magic, to fix everything."
I picked this book up at a free book drop, attracted by the purple colour and the neon title. Mine is actually a review copy, so I assume it differs at least a little to what was later on the market.
The year is 2037, and things are similar but just different enough to give us a futuristic, slightly dystopian feel. Alex Lamarque works for DGES, French foreign security, and is adept at spotting patterns, intuiting motivations, and colouring in the bigger picture. Something isn't right. A lot of somethings, actually. Research at a gene lab, security woes about undersea cables, student revolutionaries, the disturbing murder of two children, a military coup in northern Africa, suicides, sicknesses, deaths. How are they all connected?
At first, it seems overwhelming to try following all of the various strands. But as the book speeds onwards, the pieces start to fall together, or else we just trust Lamarque to weave the strands into a tapestry that makes sense!
The technology is largely the same with a few logical updates, and the book references a number of recent current events (the Beirut explosion, 9/11, certain conferences and natural disasters) to feel authentic, like this is what 2037 is actually like. (That said, it's missing the covid pandemic and Russia Ukraine war despite being published in 2022... I think I'd include a reference or two for consistency's sake.
All of this makes the reader feel immersed and tense under its umbrella of what the near future could look like. It's unsettling and nail-biting.
The book is fast-paced and seemingly improves as you sink your teeth in. This is not a book to dip your toes in; rather, this is one to settle down with a coffee in the sun and tear through 50 pages. It's not my usual genre and at first, I was less than impressed. Too many plot lines, too many things going on. But as I read, I got immersed and started to love it. By the time I was half way, it was already teetering on 5 stars, and the last 100 pages and zoomed through, loving every minute.
I hope Greg Mosse decides to write this as a series because I would definitely read more of Alex and Miriam's world!
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November 8, 2022
I was really looking forward to reading this, as I love a dystopian novel and this sounded like it might be scarily relevant to what is going on in the world today. I can tell you, I was no disappointed in this latter regard.
I’m going to be honest here, the beginning of the book was not easy going. There was a lot of scene-setting, technical information and a massive cast of characters introduced extremely quickly and it all felt a little bit too much to take in to begin with. An information bombardment that I had to concentrate really hard on to keep everything straight in my head and, if I had been a different type of reader (perhaps one not quite so bloody minded and determined not to be defeated) I might have given up early on. However, I am really glad I didn’t because once you assimilate all this information, this book gets really, really good.
This is a fight to the death between people wanted to use technical advancement to the good of all and people who want to wipe everything out and start again from scratch. We are talking global level destruction here, the likes of which it would take generations to recover from, so the stakes are high. The problem is, no one really know where these eco terrorists have come from, how they plan to achieve their aims or who is on whose side, it is like fighting against ghosts, so it takes a person with unusual levels of perception to lead the charge. Luckily, such a person exists.
This book is a real rollercoaster of a ride that crosses continents and leaps from character to character in a whirlwind of a plot that starts to pick up pace about halfway through and then is impossible to put down until you reach the end. I was totally gripped by the characters and the plight of the planet that is being faced here, which was nail biting in its plausibility. This book takes place in the not-too-distant future and it is too likely to make for comfortable reading. A lot of the narrative being explored here will be familiar to anyone who has even got drawn into the fringes of conspiracy theory Twitter or similar internet sites. it only takes a nudge or two in these times of misinformation proliferation to push people in the direction of extremism. In fact, you begin to wonder if this book is dystopian fiction at all by the end, or just a premonition.
This is a complex, thinking person’s thriller that takes some work to appreciate it but is well worth the effort and will delight anyone who enjoys a book that presents a challenge with great rewards by the end. An impressive debut.
I’m going to be honest here, the beginning of the book was not easy going. There was a lot of scene-setting, technical information and a massive cast of characters introduced extremely quickly and it all felt a little bit too much to take in to begin with. An information bombardment that I had to concentrate really hard on to keep everything straight in my head and, if I had been a different type of reader (perhaps one not quite so bloody minded and determined not to be defeated) I might have given up early on. However, I am really glad I didn’t because once you assimilate all this information, this book gets really, really good.
This is a fight to the death between people wanted to use technical advancement to the good of all and people who want to wipe everything out and start again from scratch. We are talking global level destruction here, the likes of which it would take generations to recover from, so the stakes are high. The problem is, no one really know where these eco terrorists have come from, how they plan to achieve their aims or who is on whose side, it is like fighting against ghosts, so it takes a person with unusual levels of perception to lead the charge. Luckily, such a person exists.
This book is a real rollercoaster of a ride that crosses continents and leaps from character to character in a whirlwind of a plot that starts to pick up pace about halfway through and then is impossible to put down until you reach the end. I was totally gripped by the characters and the plight of the planet that is being faced here, which was nail biting in its plausibility. This book takes place in the not-too-distant future and it is too likely to make for comfortable reading. A lot of the narrative being explored here will be familiar to anyone who has even got drawn into the fringes of conspiracy theory Twitter or similar internet sites. it only takes a nudge or two in these times of misinformation proliferation to push people in the direction of extremism. In fact, you begin to wonder if this book is dystopian fiction at all by the end, or just a premonition.
This is a complex, thinking person’s thriller that takes some work to appreciate it but is well worth the effort and will delight anyone who enjoys a book that presents a challenge with great rewards by the end. An impressive debut.
November 8, 2023
Set in the not-too-distant future of 2037, Alex Lamarque is an intriguing, mysterious sort of character who carries out security missions, hunting down eco terrorists in the world that is now feeling the cruel hand of world disasters, brought about by the fact that the world's population carried on as we are doing right now, not caring about its impact on the planet. A world beset by sickness, poverty and the disastrous consequences of global warming. Caught up in a major threat that could ultimately bring the world to its knees, Alex must race against forces that are determined to bring about a sort of reset to the world. But at what cost? Alex's unique ability to foresee coming events in a type of sixth sense means that we are carried along with his sense of foreboding about what is to come and whether he can stop it.
I have to admit that initially I found this book really hard to get into. The beginning of it was largely scene setting with a lot of characters to get my head round, but I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. It's a very cleverly written book with undertones of what is happening to the world right now and carries with it a chilling message. Sometimes it felt that this wasn't a story set in the future but was in fact our current reality, or at least something not too far off. Because the book is set in 2037 and not hundreds of years into the future it was much easier to relate to although the technology used in 2037 did seem quite advanced. I did struggle a bit with some of the French names and remembering who was but soon found my stride. I sometimes switched between the paperback and the audio version and enjoyed going between the two and listening to the story while in the car driving. I found the audio book helped me relate a little more to the characters.
The Coming Darkness is a tense thriller that can be hard going at times but definitely worth the read if you can commit to getting to know the characters and which ones are the major players in this story of intrigue and a terrifying familiarity of what might be and what we've actually all endured through the recent pandemic. If we're not careful, Alex's world might very well soon become our own!
I have to admit that initially I found this book really hard to get into. The beginning of it was largely scene setting with a lot of characters to get my head round, but I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. It's a very cleverly written book with undertones of what is happening to the world right now and carries with it a chilling message. Sometimes it felt that this wasn't a story set in the future but was in fact our current reality, or at least something not too far off. Because the book is set in 2037 and not hundreds of years into the future it was much easier to relate to although the technology used in 2037 did seem quite advanced. I did struggle a bit with some of the French names and remembering who was but soon found my stride. I sometimes switched between the paperback and the audio version and enjoyed going between the two and listening to the story while in the car driving. I found the audio book helped me relate a little more to the characters.
The Coming Darkness is a tense thriller that can be hard going at times but definitely worth the read if you can commit to getting to know the characters and which ones are the major players in this story of intrigue and a terrifying familiarity of what might be and what we've actually all endured through the recent pandemic. If we're not careful, Alex's world might very well soon become our own!
November 15, 2022
‘The Coming Darkness’ is a bleak dystopian tale that sets a reader's blood pressure spiking as it's all too real threats of disease, climate change, waves of migration and war seem scarily familiar and not at all far-fetched! It's more than plausible and that is what can make your heart beat faster as you plough through the pages. This is a complex thriller that does take a while to assimilate all the information but once you get a handle on all the characters and how the events finally link together than you are blown away.
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Alex Lamarque works for the French external services but it becoming disillusioned with his work. He doesn't understand what is happening and that disturbs him as he is something who can connect the dots and see what others cannot. When he is sent to stop an act of terrorism at a data centre in Marseille it sets off a chain reaction in his psyche - he knows there is a danger approaching but he has no clue what it could be.
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Alex Lamarque is a very interesting and complex character - he seems to live quite a solitary life. Just visiting his mother, his childhood friend and occasionally another operative visits his canal boat at night! But he is respected in his career and he is known for seeing what others can't. He is intelligent, I'm guessing good-looking and loyal. I can imagine that if this turns into a series that he might become on the most popular spies in modern literature! I loved him.
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The pacing of the book makes this more of a thinkers novel I feel. There is a lot of information bombarded to the reader in say the first third and that I think might put people off who are looking for action from the outset! But stick with it as I promise you the effort is worth if! The middle section sets up the entralling and exciting conclusion and it definitely left me wanting from them! People still need to be caught, there is still a threat and I can imagine Alex running all over the world to catch them!
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Alex Lamarque works for the French external services but it becoming disillusioned with his work. He doesn't understand what is happening and that disturbs him as he is something who can connect the dots and see what others cannot. When he is sent to stop an act of terrorism at a data centre in Marseille it sets off a chain reaction in his psyche - he knows there is a danger approaching but he has no clue what it could be.
.
.
Alex Lamarque is a very interesting and complex character - he seems to live quite a solitary life. Just visiting his mother, his childhood friend and occasionally another operative visits his canal boat at night! But he is respected in his career and he is known for seeing what others can't. He is intelligent, I'm guessing good-looking and loyal. I can imagine that if this turns into a series that he might become on the most popular spies in modern literature! I loved him.
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The pacing of the book makes this more of a thinkers novel I feel. There is a lot of information bombarded to the reader in say the first third and that I think might put people off who are looking for action from the outset! But stick with it as I promise you the effort is worth if! The middle section sets up the entralling and exciting conclusion and it definitely left me wanting from them! People still need to be caught, there is still a threat and I can imagine Alex running all over the world to catch them!
December 31, 2022
When you wade through the vast amount of information, characters, scenes, era and abilities - it would be easy to miss what I believe to be the core of the book. Ironically, despite the story taking place in 2037, that core isn't really much different from a possible current scenario. Good vs evil, advancement vs the comfortable status quo.
Who is right? The people wanting to use technology allegedly for the good of mankind and advancement or the group intent on creating a carte blanche. Strange conundrum - when is an eco-activist a terrorist and when are they just rebels with a cause? Depends on your perspective and perhaps more importantly; what is the end goal and how many victims will your crusade or agenda cost the movement and the world. In this case the group is an invisible entity willing to die for their cause.
The use of misinformation to connect a legion of believers, those who find patterns where others don't - conspiracy theory vs fact. Uncomfortably close to the truth, and in this case how it can fuel a lethal narrative.
Just a side note - I read this with the image of 2037 being the future, like really far into the future, and then it dawned on me afterwards that it's actually only fifteen years. That was a bit mindboggling, then again, A Space Odyssey 2000 and the 21st century once seemed yonks away too. I wonder if that was the intention to create a scenario that appears unfathomable, but it's probably closer to reality than we realise.
I enjoyed the speculative nature of story. It combines current with futuristic, facts with intuition and perception. In the midst there is the moral dilemma of how we know who is on the right side of morality or is it a case of you only get to judge the situation when it has become a reality. Looking forward to what this author brings to the table next.
Who is right? The people wanting to use technology allegedly for the good of mankind and advancement or the group intent on creating a carte blanche. Strange conundrum - when is an eco-activist a terrorist and when are they just rebels with a cause? Depends on your perspective and perhaps more importantly; what is the end goal and how many victims will your crusade or agenda cost the movement and the world. In this case the group is an invisible entity willing to die for their cause.
The use of misinformation to connect a legion of believers, those who find patterns where others don't - conspiracy theory vs fact. Uncomfortably close to the truth, and in this case how it can fuel a lethal narrative.
Just a side note - I read this with the image of 2037 being the future, like really far into the future, and then it dawned on me afterwards that it's actually only fifteen years. That was a bit mindboggling, then again, A Space Odyssey 2000 and the 21st century once seemed yonks away too. I wonder if that was the intention to create a scenario that appears unfathomable, but it's probably closer to reality than we realise.
I enjoyed the speculative nature of story. It combines current with futuristic, facts with intuition and perception. In the midst there is the moral dilemma of how we know who is on the right side of morality or is it a case of you only get to judge the situation when it has become a reality. Looking forward to what this author brings to the table next.
November 18, 2022
The Coming Darkness is the debut novel by Greg Mosse. A dystopian novel which is both extremely believable and utterly terrifying.
Paris, 2037. global warming and pathogenic viruses are rampant causing curfews and blackouts. Alexandre Lamarque of the French external security service is hunting for eco-terrorists. His target is set on destabilising the controls placed on global governments that protect human life from climate change. One wrong move and the world could be plunged into darkness.
As Lamarque travels from Paris to North Africa, he is drawn into an ominous sequence of events: a theft from a Norwegian genetics lab; a string of violent child murders; his mother’s desperate illness; a chaotic coup in North Africa, and the extraction under fire of its charismatic leader.
Experience has taught Alex there is no one he can trust – not his secretive lover Mariam, not even his mentor, Professor Fayard – the man at the centre of a deadly web of government control. Lamarque rapidly finds himself in a heart-thumping race against time, the one man with the ability to prevent chaos and destruction taking over. Perhaps the world’s only hope of preventing The Coming Darkness…
Mosse wrote this during 2020's lockdown and it certainly shows in his writing. Although, there is a lot of futurist references, such as the advanced technological comms-watches, holoscreens and use of mirco-chips in humans, it definitely feels very believable. There was a lot going on in this book, with a host of characters and different themes running parallel, making for a meaty read.
A complex, chilling thriller which would suit fans of I Am Pilgrim or those who enjoy espionage novels.
Paris, 2037. global warming and pathogenic viruses are rampant causing curfews and blackouts. Alexandre Lamarque of the French external security service is hunting for eco-terrorists. His target is set on destabilising the controls placed on global governments that protect human life from climate change. One wrong move and the world could be plunged into darkness.
As Lamarque travels from Paris to North Africa, he is drawn into an ominous sequence of events: a theft from a Norwegian genetics lab; a string of violent child murders; his mother’s desperate illness; a chaotic coup in North Africa, and the extraction under fire of its charismatic leader.
Experience has taught Alex there is no one he can trust – not his secretive lover Mariam, not even his mentor, Professor Fayard – the man at the centre of a deadly web of government control. Lamarque rapidly finds himself in a heart-thumping race against time, the one man with the ability to prevent chaos and destruction taking over. Perhaps the world’s only hope of preventing The Coming Darkness…
Mosse wrote this during 2020's lockdown and it certainly shows in his writing. Although, there is a lot of futurist references, such as the advanced technological comms-watches, holoscreens and use of mirco-chips in humans, it definitely feels very believable. There was a lot going on in this book, with a host of characters and different themes running parallel, making for a meaty read.
A complex, chilling thriller which would suit fans of I Am Pilgrim or those who enjoy espionage novels.
November 14, 2022
Paris, Summer 2037. Alexandre Lamarque of the French external security service is hunting for eco-terrorists. Experience has taught him to trust no-one - not even his mentor, Professor Fayad or his secret lover, Mariam. He follows the trail of a string of brutal child murders, a chaotic coup in North Africa, and the extraction of its leader while under fire, all against the stressful backdrop of his mother fighting a new virus that threatens her life. As events spiral further out of control, Alex is haunted by the coming darkness he sees looming on the horizon. Can he discover who is trying to once again destabilise climate controls and prevent them from wreaking destruction on the world?
Greg Mosse’s compelling debut is set in a dystopia not too far into our future. References to Covid 19, climate change and other current events make the world he has created feel frighteningly familiar. Like we are glimpsing a possible future rather than reading fiction. It jumps straight into the action and is filled with an ominous tension and sense of foreboding from beginning to end. While it is mostly steady or fast-paced, there was a time where I felt it slowed down and the plethora of characters we follow got a little confusing, but this soon changed and I was left on tenterhooks as I read, rooting for Alex as he tries to save the world. He is a great protagonist who is easy to get behind and relate to, even in the most extraordinary of circumstances.
Timely, thought-provoking and intelligent, this is not your average thriller and I’d recommend reading it even if you aren’t usually a fan of dystopian fiction.
Greg Mosse’s compelling debut is set in a dystopia not too far into our future. References to Covid 19, climate change and other current events make the world he has created feel frighteningly familiar. Like we are glimpsing a possible future rather than reading fiction. It jumps straight into the action and is filled with an ominous tension and sense of foreboding from beginning to end. While it is mostly steady or fast-paced, there was a time where I felt it slowed down and the plethora of characters we follow got a little confusing, but this soon changed and I was left on tenterhooks as I read, rooting for Alex as he tries to save the world. He is a great protagonist who is easy to get behind and relate to, even in the most extraordinary of circumstances.
Timely, thought-provoking and intelligent, this is not your average thriller and I’d recommend reading it even if you aren’t usually a fan of dystopian fiction.
November 29, 2022
The Coming Darkness - Greg Mosse
Paris 2037, Alexander Lamarque of the French external security service is searching for eco- terrorists. He has learned to trust no-one, not his lover, Mariam or his old mentor Professor Reynard. He follows a trail of child murders, a coup in North Africa and extraction of its leader under fire, a sequence of events including his mothers infection with a novel virus which ominously threaten to spiral out of control. Whilst always at the edge of his vision is The Coming Darkness, someone wants to destabilise the controls that protect the world from climate change and Alex may be the one man to prevent chaos and destruction taking over.
A dystopian future comes knocking and it’s a bit scary. This book made me feel on edge with Covid and the Climate Emergency it seems it could become our reality. Quietly seething with tension which builds through the book, it is dark and astoundingly bleak. Alex is troubled, there are so many secrets, it felt like a twilight darkening world, each event taking us spiralling further toward the centre of a dark web. This is next level Tinker Tailor crossed with the Night Manager, addictive, brutal and oh so good!
‘I don’t mean that I have no sense of the future. I mean I see ‘a nothing.’ An absence. A vast loss.’
I didn’t know who to trust, even Alex himself, Mosse cleverly manipulates the reader into seeing one thing only to blindside you the next with a truth.
This is a dark and brooding dystopian thriller with intelligent and complex characters. Add a twisting plot which gathers pace and we have a truly chilling and fantastically executed novel with a superb ending!
Paris 2037, Alexander Lamarque of the French external security service is searching for eco- terrorists. He has learned to trust no-one, not his lover, Mariam or his old mentor Professor Reynard. He follows a trail of child murders, a coup in North Africa and extraction of its leader under fire, a sequence of events including his mothers infection with a novel virus which ominously threaten to spiral out of control. Whilst always at the edge of his vision is The Coming Darkness, someone wants to destabilise the controls that protect the world from climate change and Alex may be the one man to prevent chaos and destruction taking over.
A dystopian future comes knocking and it’s a bit scary. This book made me feel on edge with Covid and the Climate Emergency it seems it could become our reality. Quietly seething with tension which builds through the book, it is dark and astoundingly bleak. Alex is troubled, there are so many secrets, it felt like a twilight darkening world, each event taking us spiralling further toward the centre of a dark web. This is next level Tinker Tailor crossed with the Night Manager, addictive, brutal and oh so good!
‘I don’t mean that I have no sense of the future. I mean I see ‘a nothing.’ An absence. A vast loss.’
I didn’t know who to trust, even Alex himself, Mosse cleverly manipulates the reader into seeing one thing only to blindside you the next with a truth.
This is a dark and brooding dystopian thriller with intelligent and complex characters. Add a twisting plot which gathers pace and we have a truly chilling and fantastically executed novel with a superb ending!
November 9, 2022
At the start of this clever espionage thriller we meet with Alexander Lamarque, a man of many identities, who uses his considerable wits to keep one step ahead of those who seek to bring harm. Lamarque works for the French external security services but as we discover, over the space of the story, there is far more to this enigmatic man than meets the eye and very soon we are swept into a dangerous world which is heading towards chaos and destruction. Set in futuristic world The Coming Darkness seems remarkably alien and yet there are some similarities with our post pandemic world as in 2037 the insecurities around health continues, and there is an uneasy distrust amongst the population.
The Coming Darkness is definitely not a story to rush as the many twists and turns in the plot need careful consideration but the short, sharp chapters help to create a tight edginess and there’s a real sense of disquiet throughout the whole of the story. The writer has an interesting style of writing and there is much to consider over the space of the novel, lots of characters to get to know and intricate plot strands woven together so it’s imperative that you concentrate, especially during the first third of the novel when the complex layers of the story are being carefully built up.
The Coming Darkness is an accomplished futuristic thriller by a writer who knows how to keep the reader engrossed in a totally believable alternate world.
The Coming Darkness is definitely not a story to rush as the many twists and turns in the plot need careful consideration but the short, sharp chapters help to create a tight edginess and there’s a real sense of disquiet throughout the whole of the story. The writer has an interesting style of writing and there is much to consider over the space of the novel, lots of characters to get to know and intricate plot strands woven together so it’s imperative that you concentrate, especially during the first third of the novel when the complex layers of the story are being carefully built up.
The Coming Darkness is an accomplished futuristic thriller by a writer who knows how to keep the reader engrossed in a totally believable alternate world.
November 16, 2022
Extract
Alex’s mother lived on the fourth floor of a noble townhouse on Boulevard Henri IV, near the Bastille in central Paris. Gloria Lamarque shared his high forehead and firm jawline, as well as his intelligence and determination. She questioned him closely as he told her what had happened in Marseille.
‘How did they get the code to enter the pumping station, Alexandre?’
Alex, who had barely slept in the two days since he left Marseille with its smell of blood and failure, shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’
‘And the car. You haven’t been able to trace it?’
‘I had to leave. I shouldn’t have been there at all. I cut a hole in the fence at the far end of the alley to get in. I left the same way.’
‘So no official follow up. What do you think were they trying to do?’
‘Destroying the cooling system would have taken the data centre offline, but only for a short time. So I don’t know.’
The mission had been a failure. Two dead young people and no answers at all.
‘You had a hunch,’ said Gloria. ‘You felt the need to be there. They must have had an accomplice of some kind. The employee whose car it was, who gave them the gate code.’
‘Or they might have concealed themselves in the car without the employee knowing. In any case they’re both dead.’
‘Suicide.’ Said his mother, shaking her head.
‘Technically, one murder and one suicide.’ Not your fault.’she insisted. ‘Professionals?’
Alex’s mother lived on the fourth floor of a noble townhouse on Boulevard Henri IV, near the Bastille in central Paris. Gloria Lamarque shared his high forehead and firm jawline, as well as his intelligence and determination. She questioned him closely as he told her what had happened in Marseille.
‘How did they get the code to enter the pumping station, Alexandre?’
Alex, who had barely slept in the two days since he left Marseille with its smell of blood and failure, shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’
‘And the car. You haven’t been able to trace it?’
‘I had to leave. I shouldn’t have been there at all. I cut a hole in the fence at the far end of the alley to get in. I left the same way.’
‘So no official follow up. What do you think were they trying to do?’
‘Destroying the cooling system would have taken the data centre offline, but only for a short time. So I don’t know.’
The mission had been a failure. Two dead young people and no answers at all.
‘You had a hunch,’ said Gloria. ‘You felt the need to be there. They must have had an accomplice of some kind. The employee whose car it was, who gave them the gate code.’
‘Or they might have concealed themselves in the car without the employee knowing. In any case they’re both dead.’
‘Suicide.’ Said his mother, shaking her head.
‘Technically, one murder and one suicide.’ Not your fault.’she insisted. ‘Professionals?’
November 18, 2022
The Coming Darkness by Greg Mosse
Dark, deadly, determined, dastardly people are out to wreak havoc on the unsuspecting – will they succeed or will good prevail over evil?
This debut novel opened big then took time to introduce pieces on the world gameboard that would all play parts in the outcome of the story. Norway, France, Cyprus, Northern Africa, and others were visited to give a sense of the intricate network involved while also giving a sense of urgency.
Alexandre Lamarque is the key figure in this story. Watching him move from one scene to the next while wondering why he was doing what he was doing when and where he went was intriguing. It did take awhile to get into the story but once I had made the connections, I was invested and couldn’t stop reading.
Poiret and Fayard, senior government officials, played their parts well. Mariam was an interesting romantic partner for Alex as well as excellent in her job. The questions I had as I watched the various game pieces move on the board had me curious while reading and then satisfied when the game finally came to the end.
This was a well written, interesting, compelling story set in the not-too-distant future. It looks at what could happen to earth as we know it while providing an action-packed, suspense-filled, thought-provoking story.
Thank you to MidasPR and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4-5 Stars
Dark, deadly, determined, dastardly people are out to wreak havoc on the unsuspecting – will they succeed or will good prevail over evil?
This debut novel opened big then took time to introduce pieces on the world gameboard that would all play parts in the outcome of the story. Norway, France, Cyprus, Northern Africa, and others were visited to give a sense of the intricate network involved while also giving a sense of urgency.
Alexandre Lamarque is the key figure in this story. Watching him move from one scene to the next while wondering why he was doing what he was doing when and where he went was intriguing. It did take awhile to get into the story but once I had made the connections, I was invested and couldn’t stop reading.
Poiret and Fayard, senior government officials, played their parts well. Mariam was an interesting romantic partner for Alex as well as excellent in her job. The questions I had as I watched the various game pieces move on the board had me curious while reading and then satisfied when the game finally came to the end.
This was a well written, interesting, compelling story set in the not-too-distant future. It looks at what could happen to earth as we know it while providing an action-packed, suspense-filled, thought-provoking story.
Thank you to MidasPR and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4-5 Stars
November 15, 2022
What a tremendous debut this book is! Set in the not-too-distant future, plenty of characters will grip your every waken moment. I soon knew I wouldn't sleep unless I read it all in one session. The opening scenes grabbed me from the start, as what at first seemed like an amateur break-in at a pretty hi-tech facility soon turned into a world-changing scenario.
The writing flows with perfection, with each scene bringing its qualities with quirkiness from the undertakers, who kept me entertained, to the star of the book, for me, Alex. I hope to see more of these full-bodied characters, that have solid personalities already.
I liked how the author created vulnerable characters in the story. It made me feel very involved in each chapter. It affected my emotions as they didn't hold back on what lengths and means people would go to, to make their points a reality. The story and characters got under my skin.
A great story that shocked me and quickened my heart rate in every chapter. Fantastic!
The writing flows with perfection, with each scene bringing its qualities with quirkiness from the undertakers, who kept me entertained, to the star of the book, for me, Alex. I hope to see more of these full-bodied characters, that have solid personalities already.
I liked how the author created vulnerable characters in the story. It made me feel very involved in each chapter. It affected my emotions as they didn't hold back on what lengths and means people would go to, to make their points a reality. The story and characters got under my skin.
A great story that shocked me and quickened my heart rate in every chapter. Fantastic!
May 6, 2024
In this novel, Greg Mosse fast-forwards the current state of the world to 2030, which enables him to invent a country (Cyrenia) whose President faces a military overthrow.
Across the globe, climate change has gotten worse and new strains of virus keep the population under government restrictions for public health.
Main character Alex Lamarque and his friends Fayard, Amaury and Mariam must get to the bottom of a series of child murders and suicides. Are they a mere distraction from a bigger threat? Alex certainly believes so.
Overall a good thriller in the style of Bourne, Bond, and my favourite, Richard Hannay.
Looking forward to the next instalment.
Theee Word Review: Bond but French.
Across the globe, climate change has gotten worse and new strains of virus keep the population under government restrictions for public health.
Main character Alex Lamarque and his friends Fayard, Amaury and Mariam must get to the bottom of a series of child murders and suicides. Are they a mere distraction from a bigger threat? Alex certainly believes so.
Overall a good thriller in the style of Bourne, Bond, and my favourite, Richard Hannay.
Looking forward to the next instalment.
Theee Word Review: Bond but French.
June 19, 2025
This is a book of two halves, after a slow and slightly technical start, I really began to enjoy the story line midway and began to work out who was who.
Set in the near future, this is a crime novel with an ecological twist. French special agent Alex Lamarque is hunting down a network of eco-terrorists; a widespread group whose ultimate aim is for the world to regenerate following its total destruction. And he’s not too sure who he can trust, not even his old mentor or his current girlfriend.
A well paced story (once it gets going) with lots of twists and curious goings-on as the race is on to thwart the bad guys, if they can be discovered in time.
An enjoyable read with not an impossible scenario.
Rob D
Set in the near future, this is a crime novel with an ecological twist. French special agent Alex Lamarque is hunting down a network of eco-terrorists; a widespread group whose ultimate aim is for the world to regenerate following its total destruction. And he’s not too sure who he can trust, not even his old mentor or his current girlfriend.
A well paced story (once it gets going) with lots of twists and curious goings-on as the race is on to thwart the bad guys, if they can be discovered in time.
An enjoyable read with not an impossible scenario.
Rob D
July 27, 2024
Quite enjoyed this book. It was set in 2037 which is not that far off really which is a bit uncomfortable. The main character Alex has to ward off a coming darkness that he can sense and the story ranges from Paris to a supposedly new country Cyrenia, which is a bit of Libya. There’s quite a lot of use of acronyms and different government bodies which I found quite hard to get my head round! Add to the mix more pandemics and new diseases - makes for scary reading. Other future things like comm watches and different types of phones are probably on their way, if not already here. I can see it being made into a film perhaps.
November 14, 2022
I loved the sound of this book, set in Paris in 2037. Alexandre is the main character and he works for a security service in France. He trusts no one even those that are close to him. He is on the hunt for eco terrorists and will stop at nothing to find them. There is a lot of tension and grittiness to this story, I liked Alexandre, he is a very bold character. There are parts to it that are dystopian too. I feel like it was not punchy and thrilling enough for a thriller which is a shame because it could of been a really good read.
November 1, 2022
This is tricky to review there’s lots I like it’s slightly futuristic, there’s some cool uses of tech/pandemic type stuff. But there’s a lot of espionage, plot within a plot things that don’t really float my boat. It is however exceptionally well written and thought out with an intriguing and Fresh concept 4* from me but probably a 5* win for a fan of a clever thriller
November 15, 2022
The Coming Darkness by Greg Mosse.
Paris, 2037. Alexandre Lamarque of the French external security service is hunting for eco-terrorists. Experience has taught him there is no one he can trust – not his secretive lover Mariam, not even his old mentor, Professor Fayard, the man at the centre of the web. He is ready to give up. But he can’t.
Brilliant read. Couldn't put it down. 5*.
Paris, 2037. Alexandre Lamarque of the French external security service is hunting for eco-terrorists. Experience has taught him there is no one he can trust – not his secretive lover Mariam, not even his old mentor, Professor Fayard, the man at the centre of the web. He is ready to give up. But he can’t.
Brilliant read. Couldn't put it down. 5*.
January 22, 2023
This futuristic thriller is not my usual read, but I found that every time I opened the book, I couldn't wait to see what would happen next to Alex and how the coming darkness would reveal itself. This was a great winter-break read -- just enough futuristic world's-hanging-in-the-balance tension to keep me coming back for more.
November 25, 2023
The first 100 pages were confusing and lacked cohesion. There also seemed a desire for the author to show off his research, slowing progress down. I had little if no empathy with the characters and was ready to DNF the book. However, it picked up in the final two thirds and became a reasonably good thriller. It lacked real tension but I became more involved in the plot.
October 7, 2024
Never read anything so awful 😣. Didn’t really know was going on and only got into the book over halfway through 🥴. Honestly don’t recommend. Preferred his other book series way more and probably won’t read the second book “The Coming storm” just yet 🫨. Never have rated books 1 star and was close DNFing the book icl🫣.
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