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Look Both Ways: A Novel
Inspired by his decades-long love of cars, internationally bestselling author Linwood Barclay envisions a world in which automotive technology outpaces our wildest dreams—and our darkest nightmares— in a gripping new novel of action and suspense.
These headlights are watching you…
The media have descended on Garrett Island, a small, isolated community that is the setting of a visionary experiment. All the residents’ cars were sent to the mainland and for the past month the islanders have been “driving” the Arrival, a revolutionary autonomous vehicle. With a simple voice command, an Arrival will take you wherever you want to go and, because the fleet is networked and aware of one another, car travel is now 100% safe. The future, it seems, has arrived.
As the excitement reaches a fever pitch, Sandra Montrose – islander, single mom, and public relations executive – prepares for Arrival Inc.’s flashy press event. Sandra is more than ready for this new world. Her husband died after falling asleep at the wheel and she’s relieved that her two teens, Archie and Katie, will never need driver’s licenses.
But as the celebratory day gets underway, disaster strikes. A visiting journalist has vanished, possibly murdered. Before long, the Arrivals run amok, no longer taking orders from their passengers. They’re starting to organize. They’re beginning to hunt. And they seem hell-bent on killing any human they encounter.
Is this all just a tragic accident, a technological malfunction with deadly consequences? Or were the vehicles programmed to act this way in a cruel act of corporate sabotage? Or could it be that the Arrivals have a mind of their own?
Fasten your seatbelts – it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
These headlights are watching you…
The media have descended on Garrett Island, a small, isolated community that is the setting of a visionary experiment. All the residents’ cars were sent to the mainland and for the past month the islanders have been “driving” the Arrival, a revolutionary autonomous vehicle. With a simple voice command, an Arrival will take you wherever you want to go and, because the fleet is networked and aware of one another, car travel is now 100% safe. The future, it seems, has arrived.
As the excitement reaches a fever pitch, Sandra Montrose – islander, single mom, and public relations executive – prepares for Arrival Inc.’s flashy press event. Sandra is more than ready for this new world. Her husband died after falling asleep at the wheel and she’s relieved that her two teens, Archie and Katie, will never need driver’s licenses.
But as the celebratory day gets underway, disaster strikes. A visiting journalist has vanished, possibly murdered. Before long, the Arrivals run amok, no longer taking orders from their passengers. They’re starting to organize. They’re beginning to hunt. And they seem hell-bent on killing any human they encounter.
Is this all just a tragic accident, a technological malfunction with deadly consequences? Or were the vehicles programmed to act this way in a cruel act of corporate sabotage? Or could it be that the Arrivals have a mind of their own?
Fasten your seatbelts – it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
368 pages, Paperback
First published June 7, 2022
397 people are currently reading
2505 people want to read
About the author
Linwood Barclay
83 books7,198 followersLinwood Barclay is the #1 internationally bestselling author of seventeen novels for adults, including No Time for Goodbye, Trust Your Eyes and, most recently, A Noise Downstairs. He has also written two novels for children and screenplays.
Three of those seventeen novels comprise the epic Promise Falls trilogy: Broken Promise, Far From True, and The Twenty-Three. His two novels for children – Chase and Escape – star a computer-enhanced dog named Chipper who’s on the run from the evil organization that turned him into a super-pup.
Barclay’s 2011 thriller, The Accident, has been turned into the six-part television series L’Accident in France, and he adapted his novel Never Saw it Coming for the movie, directed by Gail Harvey and starring Eric Roberts and Emily Hampshire. Several of his other books either have been, or still are, in development for TV and film.
After spending his formative years helping run a cottage resort and trailer park after his father died when he was 16, Barclay got his first newspaper job at the Peterborough Examiner, a small Ontario daily. In 1981, he joined the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest circulation newspaper.
He held such positions as assistant city editor, chief copy editor, news editor, and Life section editor, before becoming the paper’s humour columnist in 1993. He was one of the paper’s most popular columnists before retiring from the position in 2008 to work exclusively on books.
In 2004, he launched his mystery series about an anxiety-ridden, know-it-all, pain-in-the-butt father by the name of Zack Walker. Bad Move, the first book, was followed by three more Zack Walker thrillers: Bad Guys, Lone Wolf, and Stone Rain. (The last two were published in the UK under the titles Bad Luck and Bad News.)
His first standalone thriller, No Time for Goodbye, was published in 2007 to critical acclaim and great international success. The following year, it was a Richard and Judy Summer Read selection in the UK, and did seven straight weeks at #1 on the UK bestseller list, and finished 2008 as the top selling novel of the year there. The book has since been sold around the world and been translated into nearly thirty languages.
Barclay was born in the United States but moved to Canada just before turning four years old when his father, a commercial artist whose illustrations of cars appeared in Life, Look and Saturday Evening Post (before photography took over), accepted a position with an advertising agency north of the border. Barclay, who graduated with an English literature degree from Trent University, in Peterborough, Ontario, was fortunate to have some very fine mentors; in particular, the celebrated Canadian author Margaret Laurence, whom Linwood first met when she served as writer-in-residence at Trent, and Kenneth Millar, who, under the name Ross Macdonald, wrote the acclaimed series of mystery novels featuring detective Lew Archer. It was at Trent that he met Neetha, the woman who would become his wife. They have two grown children, Spencer and Paige.
Three of those seventeen novels comprise the epic Promise Falls trilogy: Broken Promise, Far From True, and The Twenty-Three. His two novels for children – Chase and Escape – star a computer-enhanced dog named Chipper who’s on the run from the evil organization that turned him into a super-pup.
Barclay’s 2011 thriller, The Accident, has been turned into the six-part television series L’Accident in France, and he adapted his novel Never Saw it Coming for the movie, directed by Gail Harvey and starring Eric Roberts and Emily Hampshire. Several of his other books either have been, or still are, in development for TV and film.
After spending his formative years helping run a cottage resort and trailer park after his father died when he was 16, Barclay got his first newspaper job at the Peterborough Examiner, a small Ontario daily. In 1981, he joined the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest circulation newspaper.
He held such positions as assistant city editor, chief copy editor, news editor, and Life section editor, before becoming the paper’s humour columnist in 1993. He was one of the paper’s most popular columnists before retiring from the position in 2008 to work exclusively on books.
In 2004, he launched his mystery series about an anxiety-ridden, know-it-all, pain-in-the-butt father by the name of Zack Walker. Bad Move, the first book, was followed by three more Zack Walker thrillers: Bad Guys, Lone Wolf, and Stone Rain. (The last two were published in the UK under the titles Bad Luck and Bad News.)
His first standalone thriller, No Time for Goodbye, was published in 2007 to critical acclaim and great international success. The following year, it was a Richard and Judy Summer Read selection in the UK, and did seven straight weeks at #1 on the UK bestseller list, and finished 2008 as the top selling novel of the year there. The book has since been sold around the world and been translated into nearly thirty languages.
Barclay was born in the United States but moved to Canada just before turning four years old when his father, a commercial artist whose illustrations of cars appeared in Life, Look and Saturday Evening Post (before photography took over), accepted a position with an advertising agency north of the border. Barclay, who graduated with an English literature degree from Trent University, in Peterborough, Ontario, was fortunate to have some very fine mentors; in particular, the celebrated Canadian author Margaret Laurence, whom Linwood first met when she served as writer-in-residence at Trent, and Kenneth Millar, who, under the name Ross Macdonald, wrote the acclaimed series of mystery novels featuring detective Lew Archer. It was at Trent that he met Neetha, the woman who would become his wife. They have two grown children, Spencer and Paige.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 611 reviews
February 11, 2023
Well, that was certainly different!
A fun, futuristic techno-thriller!
Are driverless cars popping up in your neck of the woods? Personally, they always give me a creepy vibe. And after reading this book my creep-o-meter is in the red zone. I will definitely be keeping my distance!
The Arrival Company has chosen a small island community off the coast of Massachusetts for the official launch of their driverless vehicles. And how unfortunate…their competition is out of the market after a few mishaps that shuttered their doors.😉
But the Arrival Company's CEO is less than pleased with how the press conference played-out. Guess what…that’s soon to be the least of her problems.
The cars have all aligned with one objective, ‘elimination’! Okay, it’s now officially creepy. Can anyone stop these, 'run-away' vehicles before they kill everyone in sight? And maybe even… TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!?
A wild plot right!? But WOW! Once I started I could not put this down! There are parts that at times were a bit hokey and OTT. But it was fun! What a great imagination Linwood Barclay has!
Though the narration of the audio wasn’t a favorite, the read itself is pure entertainment!
I also enjoyed the author’s note at the beginning describing his motivation behind writing this book. It really set the tone!
Thank you to NetGalley HarperCollins UK 🎧
4.5🌟
A fun, futuristic techno-thriller!
Are driverless cars popping up in your neck of the woods? Personally, they always give me a creepy vibe. And after reading this book my creep-o-meter is in the red zone. I will definitely be keeping my distance!
The Arrival Company has chosen a small island community off the coast of Massachusetts for the official launch of their driverless vehicles. And how unfortunate…their competition is out of the market after a few mishaps that shuttered their doors.😉
But the Arrival Company's CEO is less than pleased with how the press conference played-out. Guess what…that’s soon to be the least of her problems.
The cars have all aligned with one objective, ‘elimination’! Okay, it’s now officially creepy. Can anyone stop these, 'run-away' vehicles before they kill everyone in sight? And maybe even… TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!?
A wild plot right!? But WOW! Once I started I could not put this down! There are parts that at times were a bit hokey and OTT. But it was fun! What a great imagination Linwood Barclay has!
Though the narration of the audio wasn’t a favorite, the read itself is pure entertainment!
I also enjoyed the author’s note at the beginning describing his motivation behind writing this book. It really set the tone!
Thank you to NetGalley HarperCollins UK 🎧
4.5🌟
July 25, 2022
3.5 STARS
Techno Thriller - The author deviates from his usual thriller/suspense genre. I have to say I prefer his usual to this action packed, SciFi-ish novel. This one was just too nutty and I could see it coming to a silver screen. There are fun moments, but it came off a bit silly much of the time.
Such a clever premise of self-driving cars gone rogue!
The entire island of Garrett has traded their own vehicles for the new "Arrival" which has no steering wheel, responds to voice commands, is jelly bean shaped, very aerodynamic with creepy snake like headlights. Just imagine what could go wrong with this grand experiment.
You'll get homicidal car wars, grand experiments by car makers, creepy neighbors, youths up to no good and cars with attitudes.
I do think a lot of people will enjoy this more than I did, but the novelty wore off early and left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. It failed to deliver the vroom, vroom level for me!
Still bingeing this author, need to pick the next!
Techno Thriller - The author deviates from his usual thriller/suspense genre. I have to say I prefer his usual to this action packed, SciFi-ish novel. This one was just too nutty and I could see it coming to a silver screen. There are fun moments, but it came off a bit silly much of the time.
Such a clever premise of self-driving cars gone rogue!
The entire island of Garrett has traded their own vehicles for the new "Arrival" which has no steering wheel, responds to voice commands, is jelly bean shaped, very aerodynamic with creepy snake like headlights. Just imagine what could go wrong with this grand experiment.
You'll get homicidal car wars, grand experiments by car makers, creepy neighbors, youths up to no good and cars with attitudes.
I do think a lot of people will enjoy this more than I did, but the novelty wore off early and left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. It failed to deliver the vroom, vroom level for me!
Still bingeing this author, need to pick the next!
July 17, 2022
Brrrrrrrom brrrrrrrom… (although on second thoughts, these cars don’t actually make that noise) Killer cars on the loose!
4 rounded up to 4.5.
The residents of Garrett Island are halfway through a month long trial experiment.
They’ve swapped their usual cars for brand spanking new Arrivals (named after the company that manufactured them) – autonomous, electronic, affordable, with a state-of-the-art onboard computer system, where comfort, safety, and efficiency are paramount.
Even the police force are in on the action – swapping their usual vehicles for black-and-white Arrivals.
It’s Press Day, and the media have swarmed to the Island for a Press Conference to showcase the Arrivals various benefits and features.
But, uh-oh, someone is about to enter a command into the Arrival program that will cause the cars systems to go haywire.
And, oopsie-daisy, all the regular cars are in a parking lot on the mainland.
As is the island’s ferry, and not only that, a fog is rolling in.
To make matters one hundred times worse, the cars aren’t just going berserk, they’re deliberately seeking out as many people to kill as possible.
And, they’re getting smarter at it!
Linwood Barclay’s latest novel was a mix of thriller, horror, and action. It was fast-paced, exciting, heart-pounding and nail-biting. Some suspension of belief was required, but it was all in good campy fun, and it was an enjoyable read from start to finish. The main character’s were phenomenal, which really elevated the material, considering the plot was occasionally silly in terms of what these smart cars were capable of. I cared deeply for these characters, and was praying they’d make it out alive. There were some surprising twists as well. And, I loved the island setting – how they were trapped and cut off by geography and metereology, and had to come up with inventive ways to outsmart, escape, and avoid the rampaging Arrivals.
Look Both Ways brought to mind several horror movies while reading. Does anyone remember the 1980’s slasher movie Chopping Mall? Well, basically, the Mall security robots get struck by lighting, and roll around terrorising teens after hours? And, let’s just say there were some similarities between that movie and this book. There was even a Mall connection. What about the movie Tremors from 1990, starring Kevin Bacon? Well, the cars in this reminded me of the giant worms, in that they came up with increasingly smarter ways to stalk their prey, as well as anticipate what they might likely do next. Then, there’s the commonality with Jurassic Park (you’ve all heard of that one right? If not, then you’ve been living under a rock). In both they were being pursued by something deadly, dangerous, unpredictable, and unexpected, they had island settings, with bad guys trying to escape said island before they could be found out, and bad weather also caused chaos.
This was unlike anything Linwood Barclay has ever written, although it is his second tech thriller, the first being Elevator Pitch which I couldn’t even make it 30% of the way through. If you liked Jeffrey Deaver’s – The Steel Kiss, or John Marr’s – The Passengers, or Chopping Mall/Tremors/Jurassic Parks, or action-driven (pun intended) near-future, tech horror thrillers, or even just cars in general, then this is the novel for you. Highly recommended!
I’d like to thank Netgalley, HQ Australia, and Linwood Barclay for the e-ARC.
Rev up for the 3rd August, 2022.
4 rounded up to 4.5.
The residents of Garrett Island are halfway through a month long trial experiment.
They’ve swapped their usual cars for brand spanking new Arrivals (named after the company that manufactured them) – autonomous, electronic, affordable, with a state-of-the-art onboard computer system, where comfort, safety, and efficiency are paramount.
Even the police force are in on the action – swapping their usual vehicles for black-and-white Arrivals.
It’s Press Day, and the media have swarmed to the Island for a Press Conference to showcase the Arrivals various benefits and features.
But, uh-oh, someone is about to enter a command into the Arrival program that will cause the cars systems to go haywire.
And, oopsie-daisy, all the regular cars are in a parking lot on the mainland.
As is the island’s ferry, and not only that, a fog is rolling in.
To make matters one hundred times worse, the cars aren’t just going berserk, they’re deliberately seeking out as many people to kill as possible.
And, they’re getting smarter at it!
Linwood Barclay’s latest novel was a mix of thriller, horror, and action. It was fast-paced, exciting, heart-pounding and nail-biting. Some suspension of belief was required, but it was all in good campy fun, and it was an enjoyable read from start to finish. The main character’s were phenomenal, which really elevated the material, considering the plot was occasionally silly in terms of what these smart cars were capable of. I cared deeply for these characters, and was praying they’d make it out alive. There were some surprising twists as well. And, I loved the island setting – how they were trapped and cut off by geography and metereology, and had to come up with inventive ways to outsmart, escape, and avoid the rampaging Arrivals.
Look Both Ways brought to mind several horror movies while reading. Does anyone remember the 1980’s slasher movie Chopping Mall? Well, basically, the Mall security robots get struck by lighting, and roll around terrorising teens after hours? And, let’s just say there were some similarities between that movie and this book. There was even a Mall connection. What about the movie Tremors from 1990, starring Kevin Bacon? Well, the cars in this reminded me of the giant worms, in that they came up with increasingly smarter ways to stalk their prey, as well as anticipate what they might likely do next. Then, there’s the commonality with Jurassic Park (you’ve all heard of that one right? If not, then you’ve been living under a rock). In both they were being pursued by something deadly, dangerous, unpredictable, and unexpected, they had island settings, with bad guys trying to escape said island before they could be found out, and bad weather also caused chaos.
This was unlike anything Linwood Barclay has ever written, although it is his second tech thriller, the first being Elevator Pitch which I couldn’t even make it 30% of the way through. If you liked Jeffrey Deaver’s – The Steel Kiss, or John Marr’s – The Passengers, or Chopping Mall/Tremors/Jurassic Parks, or action-driven (pun intended) near-future, tech horror thrillers, or even just cars in general, then this is the novel for you. Highly recommended!
I’d like to thank Netgalley, HQ Australia, and Linwood Barclay for the e-ARC.
Rev up for the 3rd August, 2022.
October 17, 2024
Wowza! Loved this spooked me out a crazy ride! 🚙
This book reminded me of Stephen Kings book Duel in which a driverless truck kills everyone in its way, Linwood Barclay is a genius in his futuristic novel Look Both Ways I loved this so much the advanced electric car that everyone on Garrett Island 🏝️ are trading in their old cars for the new voice controlled cars made by the company Arrival run by Sandra Montrose.
The towns folk are delighted with their new investment, until one day the cars go haywire & can’t be controlled.
This spooked 😱 me out I don’t drive thank god for that!! the whole book kept me invested & loved every minute of you read this look out for Linwood Barclay’s introduction which I thoroughly enjoyed.
This book reminded me of Stephen Kings book Duel in which a driverless truck kills everyone in its way, Linwood Barclay is a genius in his futuristic novel Look Both Ways I loved this so much the advanced electric car that everyone on Garrett Island 🏝️ are trading in their old cars for the new voice controlled cars made by the company Arrival run by Sandra Montrose.
The towns folk are delighted with their new investment, until one day the cars go haywire & can’t be controlled.
This spooked 😱 me out I don’t drive thank god for that!! the whole book kept me invested & loved every minute of you read this look out for Linwood Barclay’s introduction which I thoroughly enjoyed.
August 24, 2022
EXCERPT: Speaking neither to Katie nor Archie, Sandra said, 'Gracie, open.'
From somewhere under the car, maybe the vents at the base of the windshield - came a voice. Feminine, but not overly so. Personable, but at the same time not overly familiar.
'Good morning, Sandra. It would be my pleasure.'
'I think she sounds hot,' Archie whispered to his sister.
Katie whispered back, 'She might be the best you ever get.'
The door on the passenger side - both sides, actually, were passenger sides - popped out an inch, then slid back on a track to allow access. There were two seats in the front and two in the back. A gleaming black touchscreen dash ran across the bottom of the windshield.
There was no steering wheel.
ABOUT 'LOOK BOTH WAYS': The media have descended on Garrett Island, a small, isolated community that is the setting of a visionary experiment. All the residents’ cars were sent to the mainland and for the past month the islanders have been “driving” the Arrival, a revolutionary autonomous vehicle. With a simple voice command, an Arrival will take you wherever you want to go and, because the fleet is networked and aware of one another, car travel is now 100% safe. The future, it seems, has arrived.
As the excitement reaches a fever pitch, Sandra Montrose – islander, single mom, and public relations executive – prepares for Arrival Inc.’s flashy press event. Sandra is more than ready for this new world. Her husband died after falling asleep at the wheel and she’s relieved that her two teens, Archie and Katie, will never need driver’s licenses.
But as the celebratory day gets underway, disaster strikes. A visiting journalist has vanished, possibly murdered. Before long, the Arrivals run amok, no longer taking orders from their passengers. They’re starting to organize. They’re beginning to hunt. And they seem hell-bent on killing any human they encounter.
Is this all just a tragic accident, a technological malfunction with deadly consequences? Or were the vehicles programmed to act this way in a cruel act of corporate sabotage? Or could it be that the Arrivals have a mind of their own?
MY THOUGHTS: Christine on steroids!
Linwood Barclay has taken every fear I had about self-driving cars and magnified them. I love it! But it's safe to say that I will be firmly hanging on to my traditional gas-guzzling car, thank you very much.
The choice of setting was brilliant - an Island accessible only by air and ferry, but the cars have them covered! Barclay's thought processes are scary. Not a man I would like to get on the wrong side of!
Yes, these cars are intelligent. And devious. And NASTY. Very, very nasty. They're also very quiet. Able to sneak up on you.
But it's not only the cars who are nasty. There are some very nasty characters. Not saying who . . . that you can discover for yourself. There are also some lovely characters. Sandra for one. A widow with two teenage children whom she loves more than anything. Bruce, the man across the road, who Archie is convinced is a serial killer, is a surprisingly wonderful character. As is Katie, Sandra's daughter.
Look Both Ways is fast-paced with plenty of action. It's exciting. It's scary. It's also possible . . .
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
#LookBothWays #NetGalley
I: @linwoodbarclay @harlequinaus
T: @linwood_barclay @HarlequinAus
#contemporaryfiction #crime #horror #mystery #smalltownfiction #suspense #thriller
THE AUTHOR: After spending his formative years helping run a cottage resort and trailer park after his father died when he was 16, Barclay got his first newspaper job at the Peterborough Examiner, a small Ontario daily. In 1981, he joined the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest circulation newspaper.
He held such positions as assistant city editor, chief copy editor, news editor, and Life section editor, before becoming the paper’s humour columnist in 1993. He was one of the paper’s most popular columnists before retiring from the position in 2008 to work exclusively on books.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA, via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Look Both Ways by Linwood Barclay for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
From somewhere under the car, maybe the vents at the base of the windshield - came a voice. Feminine, but not overly so. Personable, but at the same time not overly familiar.
'Good morning, Sandra. It would be my pleasure.'
'I think she sounds hot,' Archie whispered to his sister.
Katie whispered back, 'She might be the best you ever get.'
The door on the passenger side - both sides, actually, were passenger sides - popped out an inch, then slid back on a track to allow access. There were two seats in the front and two in the back. A gleaming black touchscreen dash ran across the bottom of the windshield.
There was no steering wheel.
ABOUT 'LOOK BOTH WAYS': The media have descended on Garrett Island, a small, isolated community that is the setting of a visionary experiment. All the residents’ cars were sent to the mainland and for the past month the islanders have been “driving” the Arrival, a revolutionary autonomous vehicle. With a simple voice command, an Arrival will take you wherever you want to go and, because the fleet is networked and aware of one another, car travel is now 100% safe. The future, it seems, has arrived.
As the excitement reaches a fever pitch, Sandra Montrose – islander, single mom, and public relations executive – prepares for Arrival Inc.’s flashy press event. Sandra is more than ready for this new world. Her husband died after falling asleep at the wheel and she’s relieved that her two teens, Archie and Katie, will never need driver’s licenses.
But as the celebratory day gets underway, disaster strikes. A visiting journalist has vanished, possibly murdered. Before long, the Arrivals run amok, no longer taking orders from their passengers. They’re starting to organize. They’re beginning to hunt. And they seem hell-bent on killing any human they encounter.
Is this all just a tragic accident, a technological malfunction with deadly consequences? Or were the vehicles programmed to act this way in a cruel act of corporate sabotage? Or could it be that the Arrivals have a mind of their own?
MY THOUGHTS: Christine on steroids!
Linwood Barclay has taken every fear I had about self-driving cars and magnified them. I love it! But it's safe to say that I will be firmly hanging on to my traditional gas-guzzling car, thank you very much.
The choice of setting was brilliant - an Island accessible only by air and ferry, but the cars have them covered! Barclay's thought processes are scary. Not a man I would like to get on the wrong side of!
Yes, these cars are intelligent. And devious. And NASTY. Very, very nasty. They're also very quiet. Able to sneak up on you.
But it's not only the cars who are nasty. There are some very nasty characters. Not saying who . . . that you can discover for yourself. There are also some lovely characters. Sandra for one. A widow with two teenage children whom she loves more than anything. Bruce, the man across the road, who Archie is convinced is a serial killer, is a surprisingly wonderful character. As is Katie, Sandra's daughter.
Look Both Ways is fast-paced with plenty of action. It's exciting. It's scary. It's also possible . . .
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
#LookBothWays #NetGalley
I: @linwoodbarclay @harlequinaus
T: @linwood_barclay @HarlequinAus
#contemporaryfiction #crime #horror #mystery #smalltownfiction #suspense #thriller
THE AUTHOR: After spending his formative years helping run a cottage resort and trailer park after his father died when he was 16, Barclay got his first newspaper job at the Peterborough Examiner, a small Ontario daily. In 1981, he joined the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest circulation newspaper.
He held such positions as assistant city editor, chief copy editor, news editor, and Life section editor, before becoming the paper’s humour columnist in 1993. He was one of the paper’s most popular columnists before retiring from the position in 2008 to work exclusively on books.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA, via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Look Both Ways by Linwood Barclay for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
July 26, 2022
This is one crazy, wild ride of a novel!!
When the entire population of a small island off the coast of Massechusetts are persuaded to swap their cars for autonomous, self-driving vehicles, no one could have envisaged the mayhem that would occur. All was going well until the day of the company’s big press event, when the cars stopped listening to their owners’ commands and started to go rogue, acting in unison to cause death and destruction. It’s all pretty creepy and following on from John Marrs' The Passengers might give your future self pause for thought when contemplating whether to buy a self driving car. Until then, just sit back and enjoy the ride!
With thanks to Harlequin Au via Netgalley for a copy to read
When the entire population of a small island off the coast of Massechusetts are persuaded to swap their cars for autonomous, self-driving vehicles, no one could have envisaged the mayhem that would occur. All was going well until the day of the company’s big press event, when the cars stopped listening to their owners’ commands and started to go rogue, acting in unison to cause death and destruction. It’s all pretty creepy and following on from John Marrs' The Passengers might give your future self pause for thought when contemplating whether to buy a self driving car. Until then, just sit back and enjoy the ride!
With thanks to Harlequin Au via Netgalley for a copy to read
July 7, 2022
If John Marrs’ book, Passengers, made you a little nervous about self driving cars, this one will freak you right out!
Garret Island, off the coast of Massachusetts, is the venue for a publicity campaign for the Arrival self driving car. All the islanders have been encouraged to give up their regular cars for a month in return for driving one of the brand new autonomous vehicles. Although driving is a misnomer as they don’t even have steering wheels. Touted as being the safest form of transport, they are programmed to protect life and obey all road rules. Sandra Montrose, an islander and PR expert, has been engaged to organise a bells and whistles launch function for the media.
Yet we become aware early in the story that all is not well. There are people who have a bone to pick with the Arrival company. As the launch party winds down and people start to summon their autonomous vehicles the do-do starts to hit the fan. The cars appear to be sentient, communicating with each other to harm as many people as possible. They are hunting in packs!
What is happening? Is it a virus. Has the vehicle operating system been hacked? Who would do such a thing? And most importantly - how can it be stopped? Garret Island becomes like a war zone as these cars run amok. Sandra is desperate to find her two children who were supposed to stay safely at home - but in the way of 12 year old boys, making mischief is a much more attractive proposition. And his older sister is also desperate to find her brother because she know he drove off in one of these cars earlier. One of his friends’ father had programmed the vehicle to obey his son’s voice commands.
This was not as implausible as it initially sounds. The technology is almost there. I hope stories like this give developers enough pause for thought about iron clad safety features! It was a very entertaining read and it was all about the action which takes over the course of one day. A bit different from Barclay’s usual stories, it was nevertheless very enjoyable. I might be ready for an electric vehicle but I don’t think I’m ready for a self driving car just yet! Many thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Australia for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
Garret Island, off the coast of Massachusetts, is the venue for a publicity campaign for the Arrival self driving car. All the islanders have been encouraged to give up their regular cars for a month in return for driving one of the brand new autonomous vehicles. Although driving is a misnomer as they don’t even have steering wheels. Touted as being the safest form of transport, they are programmed to protect life and obey all road rules. Sandra Montrose, an islander and PR expert, has been engaged to organise a bells and whistles launch function for the media.
Yet we become aware early in the story that all is not well. There are people who have a bone to pick with the Arrival company. As the launch party winds down and people start to summon their autonomous vehicles the do-do starts to hit the fan. The cars appear to be sentient, communicating with each other to harm as many people as possible. They are hunting in packs!
What is happening? Is it a virus. Has the vehicle operating system been hacked? Who would do such a thing? And most importantly - how can it be stopped? Garret Island becomes like a war zone as these cars run amok. Sandra is desperate to find her two children who were supposed to stay safely at home - but in the way of 12 year old boys, making mischief is a much more attractive proposition. And his older sister is also desperate to find her brother because she know he drove off in one of these cars earlier. One of his friends’ father had programmed the vehicle to obey his son’s voice commands.
This was not as implausible as it initially sounds. The technology is almost there. I hope stories like this give developers enough pause for thought about iron clad safety features! It was a very entertaining read and it was all about the action which takes over the course of one day. A bit different from Barclay’s usual stories, it was nevertheless very enjoyable. I might be ready for an electric vehicle but I don’t think I’m ready for a self driving car just yet! Many thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Australia for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
August 5, 2022
This book was crazy fun - and not in a bad way!
Sandra Montrose, a recent widow and resident of Garrett Island, an isolated community surrounded by water with only a ferry as the means to arrive and depart unless you owned a yacht, was preparing for the biggest day of her career. An executive in public relations, the residents of the island had all been "given" an Arrivals vehicle while surrendering their own to the mainland, and the day had arrived when the CEO of the Arrivals company would be on the island to spruik the benefits of a completely autonomous vehicle which would take its passengers wherever they wished to go. Programmed to obey their owner, the cars were deemed 100% safe. Sandra was nervous about the day, never realising what was about to happen.
With Sandra's teenagers, Archie and Katie, at home and as far as she knew, staying there, Sandra was free to meet the executives and the throng of media. But it wasn't long and things started to go wrong. The Arrivals stopped obeying their owners, and seemed to develop minds of their own. And as chaos swept over the centre then extended to Garrett Island's mall, the police, fire engine and ambulance tried to help. But they were blocked by determined Arrivals. And with Katie in the only "real" car on the island - an old Cadillac - with her neighbour, searching for Archie, the race was on! What had happened? Could anyone reverse what was happening with the Arrivals?
Look Both Ways is another highly entertaining and fun-filled jaunt by author Linwood Barclay, as he celebrates his life long love of cars and what might (probably won't) happen when automatic cars take over. As in Elevator Pitch where I said I doubted I'd look at elevator travel the same way again, I'm now mightily reluctant to ride in an automatic car!! Look Both Ways is a brilliant, imaginative novel which includes good guys and bad with the twist at the end something I wasn't expecting! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Sandra Montrose, a recent widow and resident of Garrett Island, an isolated community surrounded by water with only a ferry as the means to arrive and depart unless you owned a yacht, was preparing for the biggest day of her career. An executive in public relations, the residents of the island had all been "given" an Arrivals vehicle while surrendering their own to the mainland, and the day had arrived when the CEO of the Arrivals company would be on the island to spruik the benefits of a completely autonomous vehicle which would take its passengers wherever they wished to go. Programmed to obey their owner, the cars were deemed 100% safe. Sandra was nervous about the day, never realising what was about to happen.
With Sandra's teenagers, Archie and Katie, at home and as far as she knew, staying there, Sandra was free to meet the executives and the throng of media. But it wasn't long and things started to go wrong. The Arrivals stopped obeying their owners, and seemed to develop minds of their own. And as chaos swept over the centre then extended to Garrett Island's mall, the police, fire engine and ambulance tried to help. But they were blocked by determined Arrivals. And with Katie in the only "real" car on the island - an old Cadillac - with her neighbour, searching for Archie, the race was on! What had happened? Could anyone reverse what was happening with the Arrivals?
Look Both Ways is another highly entertaining and fun-filled jaunt by author Linwood Barclay, as he celebrates his life long love of cars and what might (probably won't) happen when automatic cars take over. As in Elevator Pitch where I said I doubted I'd look at elevator travel the same way again, I'm now mightily reluctant to ride in an automatic car!! Look Both Ways is a brilliant, imaginative novel which includes good guys and bad with the twist at the end something I wasn't expecting! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
May 23, 2023
Sandra Montrose, single mom and public relations executive, prepares for Arrival Inc.’s flashy press event on Garrett Island, a small isolated community that is the setting of a visionary experiment. All the residents have given up their cars which were sent to the mainland and for the past month the islanders have been given the use of the Arrival, a revolutionary autonomous vehicle. What could go wrong?
I enjoyed this book and found myself laughing quite a bit even though some of the events that made me laugh were actually kind of gruesome. Even before I read John Marrs' The Passenger, I was very leery of self-driving vehicles and after reading this book my gut feeling has been solidified. As I mentioned in an update, there was recently a news item about driverless cars causing traffic jams in San Francisco where a similar experiment is underway so, although exaggerated, the occurrences in Look Both Ways are not out of the question. Good characters, an excellent choice of setting and an interesting premise. Very enjoyable. I hope they make a movie based on this book.
I borrowed a copy of this book from the London Public Library.
I enjoyed this book and found myself laughing quite a bit even though some of the events that made me laugh were actually kind of gruesome. Even before I read John Marrs' The Passenger, I was very leery of self-driving vehicles and after reading this book my gut feeling has been solidified. As I mentioned in an update, there was recently a news item about driverless cars causing traffic jams in San Francisco where a similar experiment is underway so, although exaggerated, the occurrences in Look Both Ways are not out of the question. Good characters, an excellent choice of setting and an interesting premise. Very enjoyable. I hope they make a movie based on this book.
I borrowed a copy of this book from the London Public Library.
July 30, 2022
Killer Cars! Yes you read that correctly, killer cars! Is this what the world is coming too? Autonomous cars that respond to your voice and an app on your phone? If you weren't nervous about this concept before, you will be after reading Linwood Barclay's new book, Look Both Ways.
I have discovered this authors books in the last few years and I am such a big fan of the books that I have read so far. He has a vast back catalogue that I am trying to onto as well. If you are familiar with Linwood's books, you will know that they are always quite twisty and wild. Look Both Ways had me turning pages well into the night. How on earth were these characters going to survive the attack of the cars?
The community of Garrett Island, off the coast of Massachusetts, have agreed to a one month trial of these new, 100% safe, electric cars. They have no steering wheels and they do everything for you. The residents have given up their regular cars for the trail period, and those cars are now off the island. The media are descending on the island for a media event, being organised by islander, Sandra Montrose. She is a mother to 2 teenagers and was widowed when her husband was killed in a car accident. The pressure is on, Arrival, the car manufacturers have put their faith and money onto her expertise. It must go right.
What could go wrong? As the demonstrations begin, the cars start to have a mind of their own. Soon it becomes apparent that the cars are out to take out the humans. There is absolute carnage, blood and bodies everywhere. What or who caused it and how are they going to stop it? That is where the fun and the dram begins.
A big thank you to Harlequin Australia for my advanced readers copy. Published in Australia on August 3rd. You don't want to miss it
I have discovered this authors books in the last few years and I am such a big fan of the books that I have read so far. He has a vast back catalogue that I am trying to onto as well. If you are familiar with Linwood's books, you will know that they are always quite twisty and wild. Look Both Ways had me turning pages well into the night. How on earth were these characters going to survive the attack of the cars?
The community of Garrett Island, off the coast of Massachusetts, have agreed to a one month trial of these new, 100% safe, electric cars. They have no steering wheels and they do everything for you. The residents have given up their regular cars for the trail period, and those cars are now off the island. The media are descending on the island for a media event, being organised by islander, Sandra Montrose. She is a mother to 2 teenagers and was widowed when her husband was killed in a car accident. The pressure is on, Arrival, the car manufacturers have put their faith and money onto her expertise. It must go right.
What could go wrong? As the demonstrations begin, the cars start to have a mind of their own. Soon it becomes apparent that the cars are out to take out the humans. There is absolute carnage, blood and bodies everywhere. What or who caused it and how are they going to stop it? That is where the fun and the dram begins.
A big thank you to Harlequin Australia for my advanced readers copy. Published in Australia on August 3rd. You don't want to miss it
November 26, 2022
Always eager to read Linwood Barlcay’s novels, I made some time in my schedule for this one. Combining his well-established talent with a life-long obsession of cars, Barclay entertains the reader while forcing them to think on just how technology could turn against us. With his stellar writing style leading the way, Barclay shows us a different side to his craft, which is equally as enthralling as his usual publications.
It’s a big day for Garrett Island, a small community that is about to help launch a new innovation in transportation. With all gas-consuming automobiles banned from the island, locals have been using Arrivals, the latest in self-driving technology. Operated by voice commands, Arrivals transport people all over the island, obeying all laws and virtually taking any worry out of being on the road. Just sit back and enjoy the scenery.
While many have been panning the experiment of self- driving vehicles, Sandra Montrose is counting on it to boost her image as a press relations exec with Arrival. She needs something good in her life, after the loss of her husband and straying of her teenage children. Sandra cannot see anything that could go wrong, as the cars appear perfectly in tune with what they need to do, which is garnering a great deal of positive feedback all over the United States.
However, disaster strikes and things go horribly wrong. With no other form of transportation on the island, the glitch has left people running for cover as the Arrivals appear to take on a life of their own. Panic ensues and people are soon targets for these dream cars. It’s only a matter of time before things turn deadly and there are many around the island who are fighting their own battles with these machines.
Part Christine and part Terminator, the story takes on a life of its own from a variety of perspectives. As each sub-plot inches closer to the centre, things come together and the truth behind the Garrett Island disaster becomes clear. However, could anyone have predicted what the end result would be or who might end up on the losing end? Linwood Barclay at his best in this one, which stirs up as many questions as it does answers.
There’s something about the work of Linwood Barclay that always has me coming back for more. His acerbic wit combined with a great ability to tell a story keeps the reader inthe middle of the action. Always eager to see how his plots will develop, I devour his books and find myself captivated with whatever is going on around me. I can only hope others see the same thing and end up just as taken aback.
Linwood Barclay provides a strong opening to lure the reader in, while keeping them guessing what is to coming. The narrative gains momentum and provides the perfect guide to what is sure to be a soapbox moment on technology and the sacredness of automobiles. However, with a cast of characters ready to explore all angles of vehicular technology, the story keeps developing while plots emerge. It is only when the reader is neck-deep into the tale that they find themselves unable to put the book down, waiting as new issues arise and any sort of resolution seems futile. As the multiple narrative perspectives collide, Barclay brings things home effectively and with purpose, leaving the reader fully embedded in the story at this point. A chilling tale that has hints of past car-based horror stories worth a few twists to keep things uniquely Linwood Barclay.
Kudos, Mr. Barclay, for keeping me hooked until the very end. I cannot wait to see what else you have in store for fans soon.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
It’s a big day for Garrett Island, a small community that is about to help launch a new innovation in transportation. With all gas-consuming automobiles banned from the island, locals have been using Arrivals, the latest in self-driving technology. Operated by voice commands, Arrivals transport people all over the island, obeying all laws and virtually taking any worry out of being on the road. Just sit back and enjoy the scenery.
While many have been panning the experiment of self- driving vehicles, Sandra Montrose is counting on it to boost her image as a press relations exec with Arrival. She needs something good in her life, after the loss of her husband and straying of her teenage children. Sandra cannot see anything that could go wrong, as the cars appear perfectly in tune with what they need to do, which is garnering a great deal of positive feedback all over the United States.
However, disaster strikes and things go horribly wrong. With no other form of transportation on the island, the glitch has left people running for cover as the Arrivals appear to take on a life of their own. Panic ensues and people are soon targets for these dream cars. It’s only a matter of time before things turn deadly and there are many around the island who are fighting their own battles with these machines.
Part Christine and part Terminator, the story takes on a life of its own from a variety of perspectives. As each sub-plot inches closer to the centre, things come together and the truth behind the Garrett Island disaster becomes clear. However, could anyone have predicted what the end result would be or who might end up on the losing end? Linwood Barclay at his best in this one, which stirs up as many questions as it does answers.
There’s something about the work of Linwood Barclay that always has me coming back for more. His acerbic wit combined with a great ability to tell a story keeps the reader inthe middle of the action. Always eager to see how his plots will develop, I devour his books and find myself captivated with whatever is going on around me. I can only hope others see the same thing and end up just as taken aback.
Linwood Barclay provides a strong opening to lure the reader in, while keeping them guessing what is to coming. The narrative gains momentum and provides the perfect guide to what is sure to be a soapbox moment on technology and the sacredness of automobiles. However, with a cast of characters ready to explore all angles of vehicular technology, the story keeps developing while plots emerge. It is only when the reader is neck-deep into the tale that they find themselves unable to put the book down, waiting as new issues arise and any sort of resolution seems futile. As the multiple narrative perspectives collide, Barclay brings things home effectively and with purpose, leaving the reader fully embedded in the story at this point. A chilling tale that has hints of past car-based horror stories worth a few twists to keep things uniquely Linwood Barclay.
Kudos, Mr. Barclay, for keeping me hooked until the very end. I cannot wait to see what else you have in store for fans soon.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
August 4, 2022
Thank you to Harlequin Australia for sending me a copy of this book to review.
I love the way Linwood Barclay writes. Hes definately the king of suspense and will not let up till the end.
This book was a look into what could possibly be our future. Driverless cars. Hope it doesnt happen in my lifetime. I could definately see this book made into a movie.I felt this was more of a plot driven book rather than a character driven book. His love of cars shines through this book.
I love the way Linwood Barclay writes. Hes definately the king of suspense and will not let up till the end.
This book was a look into what could possibly be our future. Driverless cars. Hope it doesnt happen in my lifetime. I could definately see this book made into a movie.I felt this was more of a plot driven book rather than a character driven book. His love of cars shines through this book.
March 7, 2023
A slight change of subject for Linwood Barclay in this novel, which is a sort of futuristic dystopia and the dangers of artificial intelligence. However, Linwood still manages to put his individual stamp on the subject, making the novel unmistakably his own.
Garrett Island, off the coast of Massachusetts is taking part in a month-long experiment, abandoning its conventional cars for electrical, self-driving vehicles called Arrivals. The story centres around islander Sandra Montrose who is acting as press officer for the opening of the event. However, the boss of a rival self-driving car company has a score to settle with the CEO of Arrival. Yet, even he couldn’t foresee the ultimate effects of his attempt to sabotage the event.
What follows is all we’ve come to expect from this author. A lightning fast, nailbiting thriller with frequent splashes of humour and characters one either loves or hates.
Garrett Island, off the coast of Massachusetts is taking part in a month-long experiment, abandoning its conventional cars for electrical, self-driving vehicles called Arrivals. The story centres around islander Sandra Montrose who is acting as press officer for the opening of the event. However, the boss of a rival self-driving car company has a score to settle with the CEO of Arrival. Yet, even he couldn’t foresee the ultimate effects of his attempt to sabotage the event.
What follows is all we’ve come to expect from this author. A lightning fast, nailbiting thriller with frequent splashes of humour and characters one either loves or hates.
September 23, 2022
Slightly dystopian, slightly creepy, and definitely worth the warning!
On the whole a well-written, engaging plot, with an eerie warning for the future. The aspect I found least enjoyable were the characters, but despite their voices it was an interesting read!
Seriously worth the considering the technology and the people behind self-driving cars! As a society the warning should be “be careful what you wish for!”
Thanks to #Harlequin Australia for a paperback copy!
On the whole a well-written, engaging plot, with an eerie warning for the future. The aspect I found least enjoyable were the characters, but despite their voices it was an interesting read!
Seriously worth the considering the technology and the people behind self-driving cars! As a society the warning should be “be careful what you wish for!”
Thanks to #Harlequin Australia for a paperback copy!
November 13, 2022
⭐️4 Stars⭐️
Look Both Ways by Linwood Barclay was a page turner for me, what an imaginative and murderous mind Barclay has!
If you ever had any doubts or concerns about automated cars this will blow your socks off!
Garrett Island’s entire Island population is persuaded to exchange their cars for autonomous vehicles for a month, to coincide with an exclusive media event and demonstration/promotion of these electric cars but when they go rogue there’s death and destruction all around.
There’s lots of action and it’s fast paced, it’s an unusual thriller but no less exciting and I enjoyed the twist at the end. I loved the island setting, very cool!
I found the story easy to digest and a crazy, fun filled ride that also gave me the creeps.
Highly entertaining, I love Barclay’s writing and I want to read all of his books! What a wonderful action movie this would make.
Publication Date 03 August 2022
Publisher HQ Fiction GB
Thank you to Harlequin Books Australia for a copy of the book.
Look Both Ways by Linwood Barclay was a page turner for me, what an imaginative and murderous mind Barclay has!
If you ever had any doubts or concerns about automated cars this will blow your socks off!
Garrett Island’s entire Island population is persuaded to exchange their cars for autonomous vehicles for a month, to coincide with an exclusive media event and demonstration/promotion of these electric cars but when they go rogue there’s death and destruction all around.
There’s lots of action and it’s fast paced, it’s an unusual thriller but no less exciting and I enjoyed the twist at the end. I loved the island setting, very cool!
I found the story easy to digest and a crazy, fun filled ride that also gave me the creeps.
Highly entertaining, I love Barclay’s writing and I want to read all of his books! What a wonderful action movie this would make.
Publication Date 03 August 2022
Publisher HQ Fiction GB
Thank you to Harlequin Books Australia for a copy of the book.
December 9, 2022
Well this was a ride and a half. Doesn’t the thought of an autonomous car sound wonderful. You can have a nap, or read a book whilst being driven anywhere – in these fictional Arrival cars there isn’t even a steering wheel so you do get that complete chauffeured experience. Perfect. But wait…what if something goes wrong.
This is the second thriller based around autonomous cars that I’ve read and between authors John Marrs and Linwood Barclay, they are doing their best to completely put me off the idea of self driving vehicles.
There is a teasing prologue which sets the background for the story, which mainly takes place on Garrett Island in the US. A small community has been chosen to showcase these new cars made by Arrival. Islander and PR company owner Sandra has been driven to distraction by making sure that everything is perfect for the big launch with journalists and invited guests being ferried over to the island and this is her big chance to highlight her organisational skills. The islanders have been using the cars, their own vehicles having been temporarily removed to the mainland, and everything looks good. Until suddenly the big day arrives, something goes wrong and all hell breaks loose. The islanders literally have to fight for their lives. Widowed single mother Sandra not only has her professional reputation at stake, but her family too.
I usually know what to expect with this author’s books but this was rather different, at times veering more towards light horror and although decades of reading crime fiction has hardened me to reading about dead bodies, there was something about this murderous army of cars that I found slightly disconcerting. These cars were evil. They were also very intelligent and could coordinate killing and hunting strategies between them so as to cause maximum harm and destruction. This may all sound rather far fetched but given the right technology and the wrong circumstances….
With some rather ruthless characters, red flags and its underlying themes this is a thoroughly fast paced and hugely entertaining read and of course there are surprises along the way. There were certain characters that I was desperately hoping would make it to the end of the book. My favourite characters were Sandra and the serial killer neighbour (you have to read the book to get that one). As much as I enjoyed the book, I must admit to feeling rather relieved when I came towards the end and that is no reflection at all on the writer’s ability. I could just let my imagination have a rest! One to recommend though.
Finally, there is a poignant foreword written by Linwood Barclay in which he explains his love of cars, how he came to own a precious family vehicle and the inspiration for Look Both Ways.
Finally finally, if you want to know which John Marrs book I’m referring to, it’s The Passengers.
This is the second thriller based around autonomous cars that I’ve read and between authors John Marrs and Linwood Barclay, they are doing their best to completely put me off the idea of self driving vehicles.
There is a teasing prologue which sets the background for the story, which mainly takes place on Garrett Island in the US. A small community has been chosen to showcase these new cars made by Arrival. Islander and PR company owner Sandra has been driven to distraction by making sure that everything is perfect for the big launch with journalists and invited guests being ferried over to the island and this is her big chance to highlight her organisational skills. The islanders have been using the cars, their own vehicles having been temporarily removed to the mainland, and everything looks good. Until suddenly the big day arrives, something goes wrong and all hell breaks loose. The islanders literally have to fight for their lives. Widowed single mother Sandra not only has her professional reputation at stake, but her family too.
I usually know what to expect with this author’s books but this was rather different, at times veering more towards light horror and although decades of reading crime fiction has hardened me to reading about dead bodies, there was something about this murderous army of cars that I found slightly disconcerting. These cars were evil. They were also very intelligent and could coordinate killing and hunting strategies between them so as to cause maximum harm and destruction. This may all sound rather far fetched but given the right technology and the wrong circumstances….
With some rather ruthless characters, red flags and its underlying themes this is a thoroughly fast paced and hugely entertaining read and of course there are surprises along the way. There were certain characters that I was desperately hoping would make it to the end of the book. My favourite characters were Sandra and the serial killer neighbour (you have to read the book to get that one). As much as I enjoyed the book, I must admit to feeling rather relieved when I came towards the end and that is no reflection at all on the writer’s ability. I could just let my imagination have a rest! One to recommend though.
Finally, there is a poignant foreword written by Linwood Barclay in which he explains his love of cars, how he came to own a precious family vehicle and the inspiration for Look Both Ways.
Finally finally, if you want to know which John Marrs book I’m referring to, it’s The Passengers.
July 25, 2022
Look Both Ways is a novel by best-selling Canadian author, Linwood Barclay. Arrival Inc. has taken the innovative and expensive step of swapping all the vehicles on Garrett Island, Massachusetts, with their self-drive cars for a one-month trial. This also necessitates paying disgruntled car dealerships, gas stations and the police to cover their projected income lost.
At the end of the one-month trial, the residents can take their own vehicles back or get a special deal on an Arrival autonomous car. Just prior, there’s a huge media event on the island, with Arrival Inc CEO Lisa Carver there to spruik her product, emphasising the safety directive of her creation: “Everything in an Arrival is designed to protect not just people in the car but people outside the car.”
Of course, there is some scepticism, and one among the media throng knows exactly how dangerous self-driving vehicles can be if their software is corrupted: that might be someone who believes he was the victim of industrial sabotage, someone with revenge in mind. Lisa Carter’s demonstration of her red Arrival, named Rudolph, doesn’t go to plan…
Soon enough, “The cars have gone crazy. They’re killing people. It’s like there’s a hundred Christines on the island.” Murderous cars with a hivemind are rampaging the streets, inside the shopping mall, and the island’s population is panicking. The press certainly have a story!
Barclay’s latest offers characters that are appealing or despicable as required: narcissistic CEOs; a gutsy widow; a clever and resourceful twelve-year-old boy; a reclusive neighbour with a handy secret; and one who is not as nice or sweet as first appears. He gives them entertaining dialogue, and also manages to feature a 1959 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, a coat of meat, quite a lot of violence with copious ensuing blood spilt, and some gruesome deaths.
This one is deliciously dark speculative fiction that doesn’t require a whole lot of suspension of disbelief, where the high body count will likely have readers wary of self-drive vehicles for some time to come. Gripping, often blackly funny, and quite thought-provoking.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harlequin Australia HQ Fiction.
At the end of the one-month trial, the residents can take their own vehicles back or get a special deal on an Arrival autonomous car. Just prior, there’s a huge media event on the island, with Arrival Inc CEO Lisa Carver there to spruik her product, emphasising the safety directive of her creation: “Everything in an Arrival is designed to protect not just people in the car but people outside the car.”
Of course, there is some scepticism, and one among the media throng knows exactly how dangerous self-driving vehicles can be if their software is corrupted: that might be someone who believes he was the victim of industrial sabotage, someone with revenge in mind. Lisa Carter’s demonstration of her red Arrival, named Rudolph, doesn’t go to plan…
Soon enough, “The cars have gone crazy. They’re killing people. It’s like there’s a hundred Christines on the island.” Murderous cars with a hivemind are rampaging the streets, inside the shopping mall, and the island’s population is panicking. The press certainly have a story!
Barclay’s latest offers characters that are appealing or despicable as required: narcissistic CEOs; a gutsy widow; a clever and resourceful twelve-year-old boy; a reclusive neighbour with a handy secret; and one who is not as nice or sweet as first appears. He gives them entertaining dialogue, and also manages to feature a 1959 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, a coat of meat, quite a lot of violence with copious ensuing blood spilt, and some gruesome deaths.
This one is deliciously dark speculative fiction that doesn’t require a whole lot of suspension of disbelief, where the high body count will likely have readers wary of self-drive vehicles for some time to come. Gripping, often blackly funny, and quite thought-provoking.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harlequin Australia HQ Fiction.
February 2, 2023
Setting: 'Garrett Island', Massachusetts, USA.
The island community of Garrett Island has been chosen by Arrival Cars as the location for a month-old trial of the company's driverless cars - residents have been persuaded to give up their existing cars and have been trialling the new technology, culminating in a press and media event on the island. Island resident and independent P.R. agent Sandra Montrose has been tasked with ensuring that the event goes smoothly. But a rival company's boss, whose own driverless cars went 'rogue', blames Arrival Cars CEO for his own downfall - and is seeking revenge. As the driverless cars on the island are hacked, their motto of 'Do No Harm' is drastically changed to 'Do Harm', and Sandra Montrose and her children Katie and Archie are left fighting for their lives with the assistance of neighbours and Sandra's new boyfriend, police chief Joe Bridgeman....
Another stunning novel from Mr Barclay with several unexpected plot twists to keep the reader guessing until the bitter end. So hard to put down that I read the whole book (400 pages) in one day! Yet another 5-star read for me - 9.5/10.
The island community of Garrett Island has been chosen by Arrival Cars as the location for a month-old trial of the company's driverless cars - residents have been persuaded to give up their existing cars and have been trialling the new technology, culminating in a press and media event on the island. Island resident and independent P.R. agent Sandra Montrose has been tasked with ensuring that the event goes smoothly. But a rival company's boss, whose own driverless cars went 'rogue', blames Arrival Cars CEO for his own downfall - and is seeking revenge. As the driverless cars on the island are hacked, their motto of 'Do No Harm' is drastically changed to 'Do Harm', and Sandra Montrose and her children Katie and Archie are left fighting for their lives with the assistance of neighbours and Sandra's new boyfriend, police chief Joe Bridgeman....
Another stunning novel from Mr Barclay with several unexpected plot twists to keep the reader guessing until the bitter end. So hard to put down that I read the whole book (400 pages) in one day! Yet another 5-star read for me - 9.5/10.
July 18, 2024
High quality but long listen audio had me gripped by an actioned packed story of total automated cars going on the rampage . Full of lots of characters and subplots it darted from one to another and required total concentration.
The narration was engaging and easy to follow. It did get overcomplicated in places as the subplots took center stage. The ending seemed when it finally happened seemed predictable. Perfect as a movie though.
Highly recommended to anyone who can concentrate for long periods of time as the premise is not so unrealistic as it once was. I have read many if tge author's previous work and this seemed to be more focus on action plot than character which worked well.
This is 4..5 stars. Thank yoy netgallery and publisher and author and narrators for this entertaining listen
The narration was engaging and easy to follow. It did get overcomplicated in places as the subplots took center stage. The ending seemed when it finally happened seemed predictable. Perfect as a movie though.
Highly recommended to anyone who can concentrate for long periods of time as the premise is not so unrealistic as it once was. I have read many if tge author's previous work and this seemed to be more focus on action plot than character which worked well.
This is 4..5 stars. Thank yoy netgallery and publisher and author and narrators for this entertaining listen
November 5, 2022
Self driving cars up to deadly mischief. Yes. This has been done before but Mr Barclay has a fresh spin (no pun intended) and updated story to tell. This book has everything- a bright problem-solving widowed mom, her 2 self-reliant smart kids and a crafty old-guy hero. Add a couple of nefarious evil-doers and stir everything together. The result is a fast moving exciting thriller.
This is a departure from his usual books but since I found his last book ordinary and predictable it was a very satisfying read.
4 stars.
This is a departure from his usual books but since I found his last book ordinary and predictable it was a very satisfying read.
4 stars.
December 28, 2025
*Prison Book Club*
This was a good outing by Barclay about an experiment gone wrong in AI cars that get a virus and start acting up and killing people on an island. Sandra Montrose, PR executive is the main protagonist in this as she is running the press for these cars. But when something goes horribly wrong, Sandra tries to save herself and her children from smart cars that are trying to eliminate everyone on the islands.
This felt like a fun popcorn movie for me. I like the premises and reminded me a lot of Stephen King’s Christine. Most of it was pretty absurd, but I just hung on for the ride. Mindless, easy read. Just what I was in the mood for.
The characters were pretty one dimensional, but for what it was I enjoyed everyone. Even the evil company rival. Very good revenge story.
Overall, it was a fun story with a somewhat lame ending, but some jaw dropping moments made for an eclectic read.
4⭐️
This was a good outing by Barclay about an experiment gone wrong in AI cars that get a virus and start acting up and killing people on an island. Sandra Montrose, PR executive is the main protagonist in this as she is running the press for these cars. But when something goes horribly wrong, Sandra tries to save herself and her children from smart cars that are trying to eliminate everyone on the islands.
This felt like a fun popcorn movie for me. I like the premises and reminded me a lot of Stephen King’s Christine. Most of it was pretty absurd, but I just hung on for the ride. Mindless, easy read. Just what I was in the mood for.
The characters were pretty one dimensional, but for what it was I enjoyed everyone. Even the evil company rival. Very good revenge story.
Overall, it was a fun story with a somewhat lame ending, but some jaw dropping moments made for an eclectic read.
4⭐️
May 3, 2023
I love Linwood Barclay's books, so when this was offered for audiobook review, I grabbed it. I really didn't know what the story was about when I agreed, and when I started it, I almost gave up, in fact, I put it aside a couple of times. Once I gave it a chance and got into it, I was hooked. Look Both Ways is the story of a small island, Garrett Island, where the residents participate in a P.R. program to promote self-driving cars. All the gas guzzlers were taken and everyone was given an autonomous vehicle, "The Arrival". What happens when someone puts a virus into the main computer that runs all the cars? This is a gripping thriller/horror story that makes me want to hang onto my gas guzzler and not even think about these self-driving cars.
This reminded me of those movies where robots take over the world. In Look Both Ways, cars, The Arrivals, run amok, no longer taking orders from their passengers. They’re starting to organize. They’re beginning to hunt. And they are killing all humans they can find. The main characters are a family, mother Sandra who is involved in the launch and her two children, one who is trapped in the mall with the cars attacking and one who is driving a land yacht trying to get to her brother. I loved Bruce, the retired teacher who lives across the street from Sandra's family. He was the Clint Eastwood character (in fact if they make a movie, Clint has to play Bruce). The person who put the virus into the program is trapped on the island and trying to escape. He was the villain in the story, but who set him off and why? There is not excuse, but some reason is out there. The setting was perfect, an island that is only accessible by ferry or plane. This is a story that is a bit out there, at least I hope it is, and you just have to sit back and go for the ride. Smart cars takes on a new definition in Look Both Ways. The audiobook was narrated by Ako Mitchell, a new narrator for me. I was quite impressed with his performance. The various characters had their own voices and although not perfect, his female voices were okay as well. If you enjoy action and adventure, then I recommend this one.
This reminded me of those movies where robots take over the world. In Look Both Ways, cars, The Arrivals, run amok, no longer taking orders from their passengers. They’re starting to organize. They’re beginning to hunt. And they are killing all humans they can find. The main characters are a family, mother Sandra who is involved in the launch and her two children, one who is trapped in the mall with the cars attacking and one who is driving a land yacht trying to get to her brother. I loved Bruce, the retired teacher who lives across the street from Sandra's family. He was the Clint Eastwood character (in fact if they make a movie, Clint has to play Bruce). The person who put the virus into the program is trapped on the island and trying to escape. He was the villain in the story, but who set him off and why? There is not excuse, but some reason is out there. The setting was perfect, an island that is only accessible by ferry or plane. This is a story that is a bit out there, at least I hope it is, and you just have to sit back and go for the ride. Smart cars takes on a new definition in Look Both Ways. The audiobook was narrated by Ako Mitchell, a new narrator for me. I was quite impressed with his performance. The various characters had their own voices and although not perfect, his female voices were okay as well. If you enjoy action and adventure, then I recommend this one.
May 10, 2024
Cardboard characters versus killer cars makes for quite the silly read.
2 Christine-Lite Stars
2 Christine-Lite Stars
February 5, 2025
4.5 Stars
Very suspenseful story. A small island off the east coast tries using electric self driving cars for a month as an experiment. An experiment that went devastatingly wrong.
Sandra was in charge of greeting people to the island involved in this test.
Leaving her teenage daughter and son Adam at home.
Adam decides to take a ride with his friends in one of the cars.
When things start going awry with the cars everyone on the island is in danger.
Loved all the characters in this well written story
Very suspenseful story. A small island off the east coast tries using electric self driving cars for a month as an experiment. An experiment that went devastatingly wrong.
Sandra was in charge of greeting people to the island involved in this test.
Leaving her teenage daughter and son Adam at home.
Adam decides to take a ride with his friends in one of the cars.
When things start going awry with the cars everyone on the island is in danger.
Loved all the characters in this well written story
November 14, 2022
Arrivals manufactures driverless cars and embarks on an intriguing experiment. Incentives are provided for all residents and commercial enterprises on Garrett Island to give up their vehicles for a month and use bubble gum coloured Arrivals as a replacement. They give the cars cutesy names, converse with them and generally enjoy the freedom of a free ride to their destinations. What could go wrong? Well, the cars could embrace the dark side.
Look Both Ways is a fun popcorn thriller with a propulsive pace, a perfect weekend read.
Look Both Ways is a fun popcorn thriller with a propulsive pace, a perfect weekend read.
June 24, 2022
Just couldn't get into this one.
The story started off with a cliff-hanger - pun 100% intended - but it just fell into a repetitive cycle with predictable almost stereotypical characters.
It felt clunky. The dialogue made me cringe at one point because it was a 12 year old boy that sounded like someone's grandad.
We knew at least one bad guy from the off so there was little mystery surrounding the whole related plot.
Character wise we had the widow unable to move on. The secretive teenage daughter. Kid who lost his dad and at the same time his good boy nature... don't cut your finger on the cookie cutter.
Maybe it gets better. Maybe I went into it with a somewhat negative impression.
Either way. Not for me.
The story started off with a cliff-hanger - pun 100% intended - but it just fell into a repetitive cycle with predictable almost stereotypical characters.
It felt clunky. The dialogue made me cringe at one point because it was a 12 year old boy that sounded like someone's grandad.
We knew at least one bad guy from the off so there was little mystery surrounding the whole related plot.
Character wise we had the widow unable to move on. The secretive teenage daughter. Kid who lost his dad and at the same time his good boy nature... don't cut your finger on the cookie cutter.
Maybe it gets better. Maybe I went into it with a somewhat negative impression.
Either way. Not for me.
August 3, 2022
This is one heck of a ride, self-driving cars that go rogue and start killing off people, with all the high tech computer smarts on board they are fine tuning their craft and getting smarter.
It’s a fast paced ride, that will definitely keep you entertained and captivated to find out what happens next. With strong main characters this book this one is action packed and I highly recommend it.
Thank you to Harlequin Australia and Linwood Barclay for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It’s safe to say Linwood Barclay is a new auto-buy writer for me.
Solid 4 stars
It’s a fast paced ride, that will definitely keep you entertained and captivated to find out what happens next. With strong main characters this book this one is action packed and I highly recommend it.
Thank you to Harlequin Australia and Linwood Barclay for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It’s safe to say Linwood Barclay is a new auto-buy writer for me.
Solid 4 stars
November 6, 2022
Great concept. Killer cars hunting down humans! Isolated island that only have these self driving cars. Can’t wait to see the movie, if they make one. Read this book in two sittings.
July 31, 2023
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I am a big fan of Linwood Barclay's novels and I love how he develops his truly evil characters with no morals. So, I was a bit sceptical about a story involving self-drive cars. I mean, how evil can a car be? Very evil apparently!
Barclay has picked the perfect setting; an island where accessibility is limited.
Everyone on Garrett Island has been given battery powered self-drive cars. For one month these voice activated cars will do all the driving. For one month there will be no road deaths and no accidents as the cars communicate and monitor everything around them. Sounds like heaven, what could possibly go wrong?
Look Both Ways was one wild ride and I was on the edge of my seat as the AI in the cars started working together and turn against their owners.
The cliff-hanger chapter endings had me compelled to keep the pages turning. The dark humour interspersed throughout the story kept me amused and as it moved along the pace picked up and the book becomes very hard to put down.
I didn't think this was going to be in the usual Barclay style however he did come through with the murder, mayhem and jaw-dropping twists I have come to expect.
Look Both Ways will have you looking at self-drive cars in a whole new light.
*I received my copy from the publisher
I am a big fan of Linwood Barclay's novels and I love how he develops his truly evil characters with no morals. So, I was a bit sceptical about a story involving self-drive cars. I mean, how evil can a car be? Very evil apparently!
Barclay has picked the perfect setting; an island where accessibility is limited.
Everyone on Garrett Island has been given battery powered self-drive cars. For one month these voice activated cars will do all the driving. For one month there will be no road deaths and no accidents as the cars communicate and monitor everything around them. Sounds like heaven, what could possibly go wrong?
Look Both Ways was one wild ride and I was on the edge of my seat as the AI in the cars started working together and turn against their owners.
The cliff-hanger chapter endings had me compelled to keep the pages turning. The dark humour interspersed throughout the story kept me amused and as it moved along the pace picked up and the book becomes very hard to put down.
I didn't think this was going to be in the usual Barclay style however he did come through with the murder, mayhem and jaw-dropping twists I have come to expect.
Look Both Ways will have you looking at self-drive cars in a whole new light.
*I received my copy from the publisher
November 20, 2022
Goofy fun - not escapist really, considering the subject matter - but good for a beach read when you don't want to do much deep thinking. Linwood Barclay's a good storyteller, ties up all the loose ends, bad guys are expendable, doesn't make you feel bad for anyone. This one wasn't as engaging or involving as his earlier books as I didn't care much about the main characters or their outcomes, but still good for a snowy weekend. Don't skip the author's foreword - it's probably the best part of the book.
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