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Penguin (Transworld) Tick Tock A Times Thriller of the Year.
' A slice of scary, escapist fun' Observer'The twists and turns are never-ending' Daily Mail'An unnervingly plausible and scintillatingly paced thriller' Radio Times'A phenomenal thriller, meticulously plotted and brilliantly realised' Clare Mackintosh, Books of the Year_______________________________If you can hear it, your time is running out.Teacher Kit Chaplin can't understand why some students at his north London school are experiencing an extreme ticking noise in their ears. Perhaps it's just a severe form of tinnitus? But only days later, it spreads to more students - and starts leaving bodies in its wake.Eminent vaccinologist Lilly Slater has never seen anything like this before. She must race against the clock to work out what is happening - and to find a cure.But their investigation throws up more questions than answers until they realise the mystery behind the illness is even bigger than they could have imagined...Will the truth behind this catastrophe become clear before it's too late?_______________________________Readers are loving Tick Tock'Well, BBC Radio presenter Simon Mayo sure can write a darned good thriller!''An excellent conspiracy theory thriller, it's exciting, full of danger... it's riveting and hard to put down''I was utterly gripped and read this in one sitting! I could feel the tension and fear in every page - loved it!''Never has there been a more timely thriller! I was gripped from the first page. I was so immersed, I read it in one night.'
368 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2022
94 people are currently reading
824 people want to read
About the author
Simon Mayo
25 books213 followersSimon started work in Hospital radio and later became a Dj on BBC radio 1 and later on BBC radio 2.
His series 'Itch' is closely related to best selling series such as Alex Rider & Jason Steed. Also written by British authors.
Simon was recognised as the Radio Broadcaster of the Year at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards in 2008, and has won several Sony Awards for his work in radio.
His series 'Itch' is closely related to best selling series such as Alex Rider & Jason Steed. Also written by British authors.
Simon was recognised as the Radio Broadcaster of the Year at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards in 2008, and has won several Sony Awards for his work in radio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 245 reviews
May 31, 2022
*4.5 stars *
Tick Tock’ takes place post Covid, and I would probably have chosen not to read it whilst Covid was at its very worst, however, having read Simon Mayo’s previous novel Knife Edge ( which was particularly good) I decided to give it a chance, and I’m very glad I did.
Tick Tock begins in the present and then goes back to four days earlier, as it slowly builds the storyline over the coming days, to when the tick tock ‘clicking’ sound began in peoples ears. Everyone can actually hear the clicking in other people’s ears. Videos start to be shared online. Most people found it hilarious and thought it was probably tinnitus, it wasn’t tinnitus and it wasn’t hilarious - it was a nightmare!
We then go back even further, to eighteen months before this strange phenomenon began, back to when teacher Kit Chaplin met Lilly, the mother of one of his English students. Lilly’s daughter Jess and Kit’s daughter Rose find the relationship embarrassing to say the least. As the disease spreads, this embarrassing relationship will be the least of their worries!
The storyline becomes ever more tense and dangerous, as Kit and Lilly get closer to the truth of what is really going on here! A cracker of a read and another winner for Simon Mayo!
*I was invited to read Tick Tock by the publisher and have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
Tick Tock’ takes place post Covid, and I would probably have chosen not to read it whilst Covid was at its very worst, however, having read Simon Mayo’s previous novel Knife Edge ( which was particularly good) I decided to give it a chance, and I’m very glad I did.
Tick Tock begins in the present and then goes back to four days earlier, as it slowly builds the storyline over the coming days, to when the tick tock ‘clicking’ sound began in peoples ears. Everyone can actually hear the clicking in other people’s ears. Videos start to be shared online. Most people found it hilarious and thought it was probably tinnitus, it wasn’t tinnitus and it wasn’t hilarious - it was a nightmare!
We then go back even further, to eighteen months before this strange phenomenon began, back to when teacher Kit Chaplin met Lilly, the mother of one of his English students. Lilly’s daughter Jess and Kit’s daughter Rose find the relationship embarrassing to say the least. As the disease spreads, this embarrassing relationship will be the least of their worries!
The storyline becomes ever more tense and dangerous, as Kit and Lilly get closer to the truth of what is really going on here! A cracker of a read and another winner for Simon Mayo!
*I was invited to read Tick Tock by the publisher and have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
June 15, 2022
Well, BBC Radio presenter Simon Mayo sure can write a darned good thriller! I really enjoyed his last book Knife Edge and eagerly anticipate this one and I’m most definitely not disappointed!
A dramatic and very tense situation develops on board a No 27 bus which increases exponentially when Rose Chaplin tries to board. It then backtracks four days to teacher Kit Chaplin, Rose’s father, who struggles to understand the situation before him when students develop an audible ticking in their ear. His partner scientist Lilly Slater is equally baffled by the phenomenon which increases and spreads across the globe. The story is told in days and hours and from Rose, Kit and Lilly’s perspectives.
Wow. What may seem like an improbable premise via the use of actual evidence the author makes the whole thing feel all too plausible and just to reassure those who don’t want to read about Covid - this is not a Covid story. It’s a well developed thriller where tension builds incredibly well so you actually feel the rising fear factor. It’s very intriguing and although I do figure out part of the story early on, there is no way I figure most of it out, not by any stretch of the imagination! This is an excellent conspiracy theory thriller, it’s exciting, full of danger especially from feral behaviour provoked by fear and knowing what we do now is sadly all too believable! It’s riveting and hard to put down.
I like the well chosen setting for much of the action which I won’t mention as it could be a spoiler and the characters are well rounded and clearly portrayed. I really like Rose who is full of gumption and bravery, Kit is kind, caring and a great dad and Lilly is dogged in support of them
both and in pursuit of the truth. It builds well to a good and enjoyable ending.
Overall, another cracking read from a man of many talents.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K./Cornerstone for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
A dramatic and very tense situation develops on board a No 27 bus which increases exponentially when Rose Chaplin tries to board. It then backtracks four days to teacher Kit Chaplin, Rose’s father, who struggles to understand the situation before him when students develop an audible ticking in their ear. His partner scientist Lilly Slater is equally baffled by the phenomenon which increases and spreads across the globe. The story is told in days and hours and from Rose, Kit and Lilly’s perspectives.
Wow. What may seem like an improbable premise via the use of actual evidence the author makes the whole thing feel all too plausible and just to reassure those who don’t want to read about Covid - this is not a Covid story. It’s a well developed thriller where tension builds incredibly well so you actually feel the rising fear factor. It’s very intriguing and although I do figure out part of the story early on, there is no way I figure most of it out, not by any stretch of the imagination! This is an excellent conspiracy theory thriller, it’s exciting, full of danger especially from feral behaviour provoked by fear and knowing what we do now is sadly all too believable! It’s riveting and hard to put down.
I like the well chosen setting for much of the action which I won’t mention as it could be a spoiler and the characters are well rounded and clearly portrayed. I really like Rose who is full of gumption and bravery, Kit is kind, caring and a great dad and Lilly is dogged in support of them
both and in pursuit of the truth. It builds well to a good and enjoyable ending.
Overall, another cracking read from a man of many talents.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K./Cornerstone for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
dnf
July 17, 2022DNF. NO RATING!
I just can’t read any more!
If you’re going to write a book about a new global pandemic with unusual, unheard of symptoms I highly recommend you don’t open with a scene where the virus is in full swing, and everyone is in the know – except the reader – who has no idea what is going on in what turned into a very long scene with people acting crazy with no explanation given. I shouldn’t have to read the synopsis for a book to make sense. My opinion – only a really short teaser scene would’ve worked here.
Then we rewind to four days earlier where a girl is described as an ‘irate fourteen year old girl” and two paragraphs later it’s her father who’s an ‘irate thirty nine year old man’. Give me a break! Moving onto the dialogue, which was awful and stilted, making it impossible for me to give a hoot about characters who talk nonsense.
This one is receiving rave early reviews, so I’m definitely in the minority, but I just can’t read another 90% so I’m giving up.
I’d like to thank Netgalley, Random House UK, and Simon Mayo for the e-ARC.
Publication Date: 18th August, 2022.
I just can’t read any more!
If you’re going to write a book about a new global pandemic with unusual, unheard of symptoms I highly recommend you don’t open with a scene where the virus is in full swing, and everyone is in the know – except the reader – who has no idea what is going on in what turned into a very long scene with people acting crazy with no explanation given. I shouldn’t have to read the synopsis for a book to make sense. My opinion – only a really short teaser scene would’ve worked here.
Then we rewind to four days earlier where a girl is described as an ‘irate fourteen year old girl” and two paragraphs later it’s her father who’s an ‘irate thirty nine year old man’. Give me a break! Moving onto the dialogue, which was awful and stilted, making it impossible for me to give a hoot about characters who talk nonsense.
This one is receiving rave early reviews, so I’m definitely in the minority, but I just can’t read another 90% so I’m giving up.
I’d like to thank Netgalley, Random House UK, and Simon Mayo for the e-ARC.
Publication Date: 18th August, 2022.
July 26, 2022
3.5 rounded up.
Set in the near future after COVID this book is about another mysterious illness that ends up being much more serious than initially thought. People’s ears are starting to ‘click’, initially thought to be tinnitus the clicks are audible to others. The clicks speed up. It turns out to be contagious. And then things a whole lot worse.
Kit Chaplin, English teacher at a London college, wonders what is going on. His daughter Rose’s best friend Harriet has started to click and a few others at the school are clicking too. His girlfriend, Lilly Slater, an eminent vaccinologist doesn’t know what’s happening either but she works her contacts in the field and it is looking like a form of meningococcal disease that no one has seen before. As people start dying it becomes apparent that none of the currently available antibiotics are working.
The plot soon gets intriguing as Lilly learns that one of the disease hotspots is Porton Down - the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory where ‘secret squirrel’ research has been conducted. The author cleverly links this to real life events like the Skripal poisoning and the ricin attack on a Tokyo train.
As the epidemic spreads and Kit and Rose both start clicking it becomes a race against time to devise a vaccine or a cure. The intelligence community, Lilly’s dead father’s former colleague and international intrigue all feature in this “ripped from the headlines” story. And why does Lilly seem to be immune?
This was an entertaining book with relatable characters and a solid plot that might be too close to home for some readers. But I thought it was a well put together story. Who knows - it might be our next pandemic. Who really knows what goes in some of the various government secret research facilities around the world? Let’s hope this one stays in the realm of fiction. Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishing for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
Set in the near future after COVID this book is about another mysterious illness that ends up being much more serious than initially thought. People’s ears are starting to ‘click’, initially thought to be tinnitus the clicks are audible to others. The clicks speed up. It turns out to be contagious. And then things a whole lot worse.
Kit Chaplin, English teacher at a London college, wonders what is going on. His daughter Rose’s best friend Harriet has started to click and a few others at the school are clicking too. His girlfriend, Lilly Slater, an eminent vaccinologist doesn’t know what’s happening either but she works her contacts in the field and it is looking like a form of meningococcal disease that no one has seen before. As people start dying it becomes apparent that none of the currently available antibiotics are working.
The plot soon gets intriguing as Lilly learns that one of the disease hotspots is Porton Down - the Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory where ‘secret squirrel’ research has been conducted. The author cleverly links this to real life events like the Skripal poisoning and the ricin attack on a Tokyo train.
As the epidemic spreads and Kit and Rose both start clicking it becomes a race against time to devise a vaccine or a cure. The intelligence community, Lilly’s dead father’s former colleague and international intrigue all feature in this “ripped from the headlines” story. And why does Lilly seem to be immune?
This was an entertaining book with relatable characters and a solid plot that might be too close to home for some readers. But I thought it was a well put together story. Who knows - it might be our next pandemic. Who really knows what goes in some of the various government secret research facilities around the world? Let’s hope this one stays in the realm of fiction. Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishing for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
June 15, 2022
I read ‘Knife Edge’ by Simon Mayo last year and thoroughly enjoyed it so I was very much looking forward to reading his latest novel. The radio presenter come author writes well and along with intruging storylines and interesting characters the novels make entertaining reading.
There are cases of suspected tinnitus that starts as a ticking sensation and gets steadily worse. But to make matters worse appears to be infectious. The outbreaks are occurring across the world, starting on a small scale but accelerating to plague level and ultimately killing people.
No one knows or can explain what is happening but the situation is getting worse all the time. What is the mystery behind the illness that is threatening to change the world.
The premise for this book is excellent and most of the time proved to be a fascinating read. However I personally felt it didn’t have to be quite so long and maybe a 50 page edit would have worked a lot better. Still a fascinating and thought provoking read.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
There are cases of suspected tinnitus that starts as a ticking sensation and gets steadily worse. But to make matters worse appears to be infectious. The outbreaks are occurring across the world, starting on a small scale but accelerating to plague level and ultimately killing people.
No one knows or can explain what is happening but the situation is getting worse all the time. What is the mystery behind the illness that is threatening to change the world.
The premise for this book is excellent and most of the time proved to be a fascinating read. However I personally felt it didn’t have to be quite so long and maybe a 50 page edit would have worked a lot better. Still a fascinating and thought provoking read.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up
It starts quickly enough. A tick tock ticking you can hear in your ear. Tinnitus, you think. It will pass. But it doesn't. It gets worse - and then you pass it on. Before you know it, it spreads.
Elsewhere across the globe, it emerges, small outbreaks at first, contained groups of people. young and old, and suddenly it's a plague - and ten days later it's killing people. The hospitals are overflowing and there is no cure. There is paranoid panic which sets friend against friend, neighbour against neighbour. Where does the world go from here?
Simon Mayo is a radio DJ who has turned his hand to writing novels, This is the second book that I've read by the author. Set in post-Covid, it deatures a new epidemic. The story is told from multiple perspectives. Panic sets in all over the world as this new epidemic takes hold. The pace is fast at the beginning, then it takes a bit of a dip in the middle, (I took half a star off for this), then it picks up the pace again. There's twists along the way. The plotline has been cleverly crafted. This is a decent thriller with well developed characters. But no one is safe. Another fantastic read by the author.
I would like to thank #Netgalley #RandomHouseUK #TransworldPublishers and the author #SimonMayo for my ARC of #TickTock in exchange for an honest review.
It starts quickly enough. A tick tock ticking you can hear in your ear. Tinnitus, you think. It will pass. But it doesn't. It gets worse - and then you pass it on. Before you know it, it spreads.
Elsewhere across the globe, it emerges, small outbreaks at first, contained groups of people. young and old, and suddenly it's a plague - and ten days later it's killing people. The hospitals are overflowing and there is no cure. There is paranoid panic which sets friend against friend, neighbour against neighbour. Where does the world go from here?
Simon Mayo is a radio DJ who has turned his hand to writing novels, This is the second book that I've read by the author. Set in post-Covid, it deatures a new epidemic. The story is told from multiple perspectives. Panic sets in all over the world as this new epidemic takes hold. The pace is fast at the beginning, then it takes a bit of a dip in the middle, (I took half a star off for this), then it picks up the pace again. There's twists along the way. The plotline has been cleverly crafted. This is a decent thriller with well developed characters. But no one is safe. Another fantastic read by the author.
I would like to thank #Netgalley #RandomHouseUK #TransworldPublishers and the author #SimonMayo for my ARC of #TickTock in exchange for an honest review.
March 12, 2023
Terrifying!
The scientific political games countries play that could lead to a bio-medical terrorism scenario are played out in this horrifyingly real near future event. It makes Covid seem likes child’s play!
Characters, plot line, pace, drama and the sheer horror of what unfolds and what it could mean for society is told brilliantly in this novel.
Now, praying that nothing like this ever happens!
The scientific political games countries play that could lead to a bio-medical terrorism scenario are played out in this horrifyingly real near future event. It makes Covid seem likes child’s play!
Characters, plot line, pace, drama and the sheer horror of what unfolds and what it could mean for society is told brilliantly in this novel.
Now, praying that nothing like this ever happens!
September 14, 2022
I received a gifted advance reader copy of this book to read as part of the book tour hosted by Transworld Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
Tick Tock is a fast paced post-covid thriller with well formed characters, a realistic plot and events that have your heart pounding. Set in London, a teacher (Kit) and his teenage daughter discover a cluster of children who have had a ticking noise coming from their ears. Each teenager is part of a couple and when people start popping up around the world with the same mysterious condition, panic starts to set in. Rose starts a protest to close the school as her friend becomes deaf from this ticking. But it's not just causing tinnitus or ticking, people are becoming sick and even dying. Kits girlfriend Lily is a bacteriologist but even she is stumped as to what is causing this and how to cure it. Can they protect themselves and find a reason for it or a cure before it's too late.
This book is so hard to put down. The chapters are short and told from multiple POVs but easy to follow. I found the storyline plot very realistic and believable. The twists are fantastic and so many I didn't expect or see coming!
Tick Tock is a fast paced post-covid thriller with well formed characters, a realistic plot and events that have your heart pounding. Set in London, a teacher (Kit) and his teenage daughter discover a cluster of children who have had a ticking noise coming from their ears. Each teenager is part of a couple and when people start popping up around the world with the same mysterious condition, panic starts to set in. Rose starts a protest to close the school as her friend becomes deaf from this ticking. But it's not just causing tinnitus or ticking, people are becoming sick and even dying. Kits girlfriend Lily is a bacteriologist but even she is stumped as to what is causing this and how to cure it. Can they protect themselves and find a reason for it or a cure before it's too late.
This book is so hard to put down. The chapters are short and told from multiple POVs but easy to follow. I found the storyline plot very realistic and believable. The twists are fantastic and so many I didn't expect or see coming!
August 28, 2022
As a DJ I rate Simon Mayo highly, and God knows he was treated shabbily by the BBC who constructively dismissed him from his brilliant and popular drive time show. But as an author, of this particular novel, not so much. We all now know the plausibility of a global pandemic and the fear it can generate, but, for me this didn’t quite capture the mood and I didn’t connect with Lilly, Rose or Kit much either, their actions and reactions lacked any real emotional depth. It all felt a little bit too contrived and unsophisticated. Overall, a bit disappointing.
August 20, 2023
Slow start but really enjoyed and loved the main characters.
May 24, 2022
I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. It had a great story and characters and I loved the way it all pulled together in the end, I will be recommending this book.
May 27, 2022
Thank you to the publisher for the invite to read Tick Tock by Simon Mayo.
Wow, wow, wow - this is a cracker of a read which I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end. Having read Knife Edge I had high hopes with this book and was not disappointed. The author has, in my opinion, excelled and wrote a real page turner of a book here. The main characters Kit, Lilly and Rose are very believable and tenacious and I liked and warmed to them straightaway. I loved everything about this book - the writing, the plot line, the separate story threads, the ease in which the book moved from past to present and how everything all came together as the book raced to a thrilling and nail biting ending. For me, it was one of those reads I found very hard to put down and I kept returning to it whenever I had any free time. And when I wasn’t reading this book I was thinking about the story, the characters and wondering how everything would work out. I loved the twists that kept me entertained and I think the author can really connect with his readers through his characters and writing. I absolutely loved this book, can’t fault it at all and at the moment this is one of my top reads for this year. I’d recommend this if you like books with a mystery/thriller element, give it a go, you won’t be disappointed.
Wow, wow, wow - this is a cracker of a read which I thoroughly enjoyed from beginning to end. Having read Knife Edge I had high hopes with this book and was not disappointed. The author has, in my opinion, excelled and wrote a real page turner of a book here. The main characters Kit, Lilly and Rose are very believable and tenacious and I liked and warmed to them straightaway. I loved everything about this book - the writing, the plot line, the separate story threads, the ease in which the book moved from past to present and how everything all came together as the book raced to a thrilling and nail biting ending. For me, it was one of those reads I found very hard to put down and I kept returning to it whenever I had any free time. And when I wasn’t reading this book I was thinking about the story, the characters and wondering how everything would work out. I loved the twists that kept me entertained and I think the author can really connect with his readers through his characters and writing. I absolutely loved this book, can’t fault it at all and at the moment this is one of my top reads for this year. I’d recommend this if you like books with a mystery/thriller element, give it a go, you won’t be disappointed.
April 18, 2023
A strange story. Definitely relevant to recent world events but written with abit too much mundane detail, but without enough explanation about some of the more important aspects of the plot in my opinion.
October 16, 2022
Think I'm alone here but this book wasn't for me....I kept thinking 'oh,how convenient'.
November 20, 2022
Started good
Thought I was going to really like this book but halfway through I lost interest. It just seemed to drag. I really tried to enjoy this book but just not for me.
Thought I was going to really like this book but halfway through I lost interest. It just seemed to drag. I really tried to enjoy this book but just not for me.
July 13, 2022
What a fantastic book!
As soon as I read the synopsis of this book I knew I had to read it.
The concept was so interesting and unique. On the back of the covid pandemic this made for a very intriguing and also terrifying read.
I loved the short chapters and the structure of the book. It made for a really quick, fast paced and easy to read book.
The author does a fantastic job at mixing fiction with reality. I had to Google a couple of things while reading which just added to the fear. The fact this book includes the recent pandemic and the Salisbury poisonings into the fictional storyline made the book very believable and quite terrifying.
This book is action packed and full of twists and turns I didn't see coming.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable but equally terrifying book. I wasn't aware Simon Mayo wrote fiction but I'll definitely be checking out more of his books in the future- highly recommend.
As soon as I read the synopsis of this book I knew I had to read it.
The concept was so interesting and unique. On the back of the covid pandemic this made for a very intriguing and also terrifying read.
I loved the short chapters and the structure of the book. It made for a really quick, fast paced and easy to read book.
The author does a fantastic job at mixing fiction with reality. I had to Google a couple of things while reading which just added to the fear. The fact this book includes the recent pandemic and the Salisbury poisonings into the fictional storyline made the book very believable and quite terrifying.
This book is action packed and full of twists and turns I didn't see coming.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable but equally terrifying book. I wasn't aware Simon Mayo wrote fiction but I'll definitely be checking out more of his books in the future- highly recommend.
December 30, 2022
A good pace to this thriller about an epidemic of a new illness which presents with audible tinnitus in those affected. The illness spreads initially through school children and soon some become seriously ill.
The book focuses on Kit a school teacher who first identifies the problem at his school, his daughter Rose and his girlfriend Lily a vaccine scientist. The race is on to discover what is causing the illness and possible treatment. Clever. Frightening. For me 4.5/5.
The book focuses on Kit a school teacher who first identifies the problem at his school, his daughter Rose and his girlfriend Lily a vaccine scientist. The race is on to discover what is causing the illness and possible treatment. Clever. Frightening. For me 4.5/5.
August 24, 2023
I did enjoy this book - a bit different to anything I’ve read before. Gets you thinking about how these pandemics come about and spread and how easily they can be started. Also all the politics behind it all. Just makes you wonder!
August 28, 2022
Tick tock starts with a bang in a post covid world and centers around father and daughter Kit and rose
The people around them are presenting with ticking from their ears
They do an online search for similar cases and they find that similar things are happening all over the world
If you enjoy a good thriller mixed with a coming of age drama this is the book for you
It's a breakneck thriller and be prepared to be off to a fast start and it slows slightly in the middle but then it's foot to the floor and you will be wanting to read just one more chapter before bed
Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this book
The people around them are presenting with ticking from their ears
They do an online search for similar cases and they find that similar things are happening all over the world
If you enjoy a good thriller mixed with a coming of age drama this is the book for you
It's a breakneck thriller and be prepared to be off to a fast start and it slows slightly in the middle but then it's foot to the floor and you will be wanting to read just one more chapter before bed
Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this book
October 31, 2022
Straight after Covid 19 (where did he get the inspiration?) another outbreak this time it’s meningitis.
The build up was good, what is this ? Why is it happening? Then it fell flat, the panic, the fear wasn’t really captured. It was just 3 people running around trying to solve a mystery that wasn’t even the solution. (Although it did save two of them) ok but could have been better.
The build up was good, what is this ? Why is it happening? Then it fell flat, the panic, the fear wasn’t really captured. It was just 3 people running around trying to solve a mystery that wasn’t even the solution. (Although it did save two of them) ok but could have been better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2024
Got a bit messy towards the end but entertaining.
July 18, 2022
Finished reading: July 18th 2022
"Kit had no idea what this was about and no understanding of the anatomy of the ear either. But he did know he didn't like any of it."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Doubleday in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! **
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
August 19, 2022
Tick Tock centres around Kit and Rose, a father and daughter who are in the middle of the initial outbreak of what is originally called "objective tinnitus"; whereby individuals hear a clicking noise...and "once you hear it, the clock starts ticking".
Tick Tock brought me right back to the conversations had surrounding Covid-19, about closing schools and stopping travel and how people started to question everything. This book is very current and discusses topics surrounding vaccination and weaponising viruses.
There was obviously a lot of research that has gone into the book on these topics and I thank Simon Mayo for the way he discusses them.
Plotline aside, I thought the characters were great and their own storyline of loss and grief were well handled. The interplay between father and daughter was lovely and I was really invested in the major players of the book. This was my first try at a conspiracy thriller and I very much enjoyed the tension and suspense.
CW: please note, the book goes into detail about pandemics, vaccines, illness and refers to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tick Tock brought me right back to the conversations had surrounding Covid-19, about closing schools and stopping travel and how people started to question everything. This book is very current and discusses topics surrounding vaccination and weaponising viruses.
There was obviously a lot of research that has gone into the book on these topics and I thank Simon Mayo for the way he discusses them.
Plotline aside, I thought the characters were great and their own storyline of loss and grief were well handled. The interplay between father and daughter was lovely and I was really invested in the major players of the book. This was my first try at a conspiracy thriller and I very much enjoyed the tension and suspense.
CW: please note, the book goes into detail about pandemics, vaccines, illness and refers to the COVID-19 pandemic.
November 22, 2022
Simon Mayo’s Tick Tock is a tale of a creeping post Covid 19 pandemic, a previously unknown virus with no known antibiotic cure. This is a well-written book and initially full of tension up until Kit and his daughter Rose start to run out of time and Kit’s scientist partner Lilly embarks upon a one-woman quest for the answers.
The history of the virus becomes very confusing, neither that, nor the strange climax scene lead neatly to the hoped-for solution.
Still, an entertaining enough read.
The history of the virus becomes very confusing, neither that, nor the strange climax scene lead neatly to the hoped-for solution.
Still, an entertaining enough read.
March 29, 2023
After reading a (really) bad book, it's always a pleasant experience and relief to read a good one. I wouldn't normally (or knowingly) choose to read a pandemic-thriller so soon after COVID and did so somewhat accidentally as a consequence of being curious about DJ and presenter Simon Mayo's novels. That said this was engaging, well researched and with a couple of interesting twists along the way. Recommended.
October 17, 2022
Wow this was brilliant! I really enjoyed his previous book Knife Edge so snapped this up when I saw it at the library. It throws you straight into the action - people's ears have started to make a clicking noise which seems funny at first but soon becomes apparent as an early sign of a deadly infection - and doesn't stop. Tense and a real page-turner.
August 20, 2023
I'm not really a thriller reader. I forgot my holiday books when I went to Ireland this summer and got this in the supermarket as an emergency read. I really enjoyed it. Well plotted and tense throughout, which I guess is the point of a thriller.
April 14, 2024
Definitely written in the wake of Covid, but with something more serious infecting people. For some reason I didn't care enough about the characters, which perhaps meant that I wasn't so gripped by their predicament. Not a bad read, just not anything special.
June 25, 2023
Enjoyed it, but wouldn’t say I loved it. Relatable characters and written well, but just okay.
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