They think as one. They act as one. They kill as one. Just because that car sees you doesn’t mean it’s safe to cross…
From the international bestseller Linwood Barclay comes a new, action-packed, utterly gripping crime thriller!
The residents of Garrett Island are part of a visionary experiment. Their cars have been sent to the mainland and for one month, they’ve got self-driving vehicles called Arrivals. With just a voice command, an Arrival will take you where you want to go, and as the cars are all aware of each other, road accidents should be a thing of the past.
As the world’s press arrives for a glimpse of this driverless future, islander and single mom Sandra Montrose preps for the huge media event. She’s ready for this new world. Her husband died when he fell asleep at the wheel, and she’s relieved her two teens, Archie and Katie, may never need driver’s licenses.
But as the day gets underway, there are signs all is not well. A member of the press has vanished. There are rumours of industrial sabotage.
Before long, the sleek driverless cars are no longer taking orders. They’re starting to organize. They’re starting to hunt. And they’ve got the residents of Garrett Island in their sights.
Linwood Barclay is one of my favourite thriller authors, and I’m not alone in my admiration of him. Stephen King calls him ‘the real deal.’ Barclay consistently delivers unputdownable thrillers with blockbuster-style premises. Elevator Pitch had elevators all over Manhattan plummeting from great heights, driving New York City into chaos. I called it a weight-loss book because it had me using the stairs for months. Now he returns with another high-concept premise, that’s not that far-fetched – self-driving cars that don’t drive as they should.
In the foreword, Barclay explains where his love of cars began. His father, Everett, was a commercial artist in the 1950s and 60s, at a time when ads were illustrations, not photographs. Everett drew cars, and his son would watch. A love of cars was born. So now with the self-driving car imminent, Barclay says, “It’s boring. It’s soulless. It is the death of fun. However, it’s also a springboard to a great “what if.”
Look Both Ways is the “what if”. This is a breakneck thriller that will have you powering through the pages. I particularly liked single mom Sandra Montrose who hopes these self-driving cars will keep her two teens, Archie and Katie, out of danger on the road. Any mother who has learner or provisional drivers at home will relate, and as always, Barclay’s relentless pace isn’t at the cost of compelling storylines.
Look Both Ways is adrenaline-packed entertainment – but now I can’t cross the road.
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