This was a very different take on a dark and emotive subject.
Brings up some thought-provoking moments around the connections we have in our lives and definite made me think.

Character-led novel about the way people can interact - different and interesting.

I chose this book to read because of the author, a comedian whose work I enjoy. However this book is not humorous but deadly serious, which was a disappointment at first for me. The central character, for various reasons, decides to kill himself and the novel concentrates on all the people, closest to him, and their way of reacting to the prospect. These characters dominate and reveal past actions which may have led to James’s decision. The book therefore is very good at developing these characters, including James. It’s reasonably easy to read, even if the content can be quite depressing and I felt that part of the ending was unnecessary but that’s just me. Recommended to readers who like character-led drama. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgallley and Harper Collins for gifting me a copy of this book to review. This is a heavy book to read as it deals with suicide but the author does it well I think. I rarely read books like this but this one interested me.

The writing style was good and I liked that there were some lighter moments in it. I thought the conceit was interesting and it was interesting seeing how it all played out. The book does switch POVs a lot and it can be a little confusing at first as it shows how the people James knew react to his suicide message. It was interesting to see the reactions and how characters dealt with it. However towards the end it just felt a little repetitive. I’m also not sure how I feel about the ending.

The characters are a variety and I thought they were all okay. It jumps around the world as some characters are living in different places which I liked. James is the main character who sends the suicide note and I think it’s hard not to feel for him. The book also has a focus on technology and how it impacts people which was a good theme.

Overall this was an interesting read, it felt a little long and the ending didn’t really work for me but I can see why people will love this book.

Wow. Just wow. *Trigger Warning : Suicide*
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What a beautifully written exploration of such a scary and yet all too present issue that hits many of our population. This powerful story explores the story of a man, driven to the brink of his life and wanting to end it, he sends a text to all of his contacts informing them of his plan and then turns his phone to airplane mode. The story then flits between his journey to the end and the stories of those receiving the text
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It has been a long time since I've read a book where I've been this invested in the lead characters ending and I felt like I was with Steffi (his housemate) trying my hardest to find out where he was and stop this before it happens. A gripping and beautiful story that doesn't shy away from the horrible thoughts we can push on ourselves.
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Truly a wonderful book and exploration of humanity. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC!

Mark Watson is one of my favourite comedians and yet I had absolutely no idea that he was also a novelist until I spotted his forthcoming book, Contacts, on Netgalley. The premise hooked me immediately. Set on ending it all, James sends one final goodbye text to all of the contacts on his phone and then switches it off. Unbeknownst to him, this one message sets a whole load of people, who he believes to be largely indifferent to him, off on a mission to try to find and dissuade him.

I thought this book was a solid and well-executed examination of the best and the worst in human nature. Focusing on mental health, loneliness, bereavement and suicide, it was obviously not going to be an altogether light-hearted read. But it was injected with a taste of Watson’s wry humour and some great characters.

My heart ached for James. A lovely guy who had had a run of misfortune and ended up in a situation he was really unhappy with. I thought that the sections from James’ point of view were particularly well-written and his internal monologue brought a little tear to my eye.

As we follow James’ friends and family members as they try to track him down, it is poignant to see how profoundly James has actually impacted their lives, despite his own feeling of worthlessness. Some of the characters, most notably James’ sister, Sally, and his estranged best friend, Karl, struggle with feelings of regret over how they lost touch with him. But his flat mate Steffi stole my heart, a virtual stranger, who pours every ounce of effort into the nocturnal search, partly because she’s an insomniac but also because she’s just a lovely person! I loved how each element of the plot unravelled slowly, revealing sometimes fairly shocking pieces of the puzzle, towards the final chapters.

If you’re the type of person that likes all of a book’s plot point tied up in a neat little bow at the end then this book probably won’t be for you. Contacts is messy, that’s for sure, and I came away kind of feeling like I had more questions than answers. But then, doesn’t that reflect life’s messy reality..? I think this is quite a brave move by Watson, one which I think has thoroughly paid off!

An original, emotional and thought-provoking read with a touch of humour, with thanks for the gifted copy for review.

“Contacts” is the new novel by Mark Watson. He might be perhaps better known as a stand up comic and is a regular on panel shows. You might just was easily know him as an author, of course, as this is his seventh novel.

Halfway through this book I remembered that this is actually the second Mark Watson book I’ve read. I read The Knot a few years ago – about a wedding photographer. “Contacts” has the same tone of voice, a kind of regretfulness to the main character.

James is our main character, and he is in trouble. He’s lost his job, his girlfriend left him and he’s finding it a struggle to keep his weight under control, which means his clothes don’t fit and he sweats even more than usual. His flatmate never speaks to him and despite all of his best efforts, no-one cares if he’s alive or not.
So he decides to make a plan to end it.

I know, it doesn’t sound very cheery. To be honest, it’s not a particularly cheery story. James gets on the sleeper train to Edinburgh at Euston, sends a text to his 158 contacts in his phonebook, and turns it off, determined to see his plan through to the end.

As the train rattles up the country, James’ story unravels and his family are introduced. His ex girlfriend, his estranged sister, his ashamed best friend. They are all connected by the same text they receive and glavanised into action. Too little, too late, perhaps – they don’t know what James is doing, where he’s living, even.

It doesn’t sound like a compelling read, either, I know, but it was. Maybe because too many people commit suicide (one is too many, for me, to be honest) and I want to do all I can to stop that. Perhaps because I was born near Edinburgh and the stories through the familiar streets and landmarks were interesting. It could be because Scott Hutchison, the beautiful and much missed singer of Frightened Rabbit, committed suicide there a couple of years ago. He was open about his mental health struggles, wove them into his lyrics and drawings. Had a close family and thousands of adoring fans and it still wasn’t enough to anchor him here. To convince him that he is loved and valued. That’s probably it.

I don’t want to spoil it, so I won’t talk anymore about it except to say – this is a tough read. Mark Watson knows his stuff and he doesn’t shy away from the hard things. The people who receive the text and shrug, as someone else will have picked it up. Or dismissed it as attention seeking.

It’s fitting that this comes only a couple of weeks after Suicide Prevention day on September 10th, but please, don’t make it the only day of the year you ask how someone is feeling. Or notice that your friend is a bit quieter than usual, or turning down invites to places. Or not even your friend, but some bloke behind the counter at the supermarket. Likewise – find someone to talk to if you need it. Heck, I am here or on twitter or Instagram if you need anything. I can listen, or send you cat photos or whatever you need. Just please, don’t feel that you are alone.

If you want to talk to someone anonymously, you won’t go wrong with these brilliant organisations:

Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/
Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/need-urgent-help/using-this-tool
Tiny Changes: https://tinychanges.com/

A very enjoyable book from an author I’ve not read before. Although dealing with a dark subject, the novel is written in a light-hearted way. I must now read the rest of his work.

I know Mark Watson as a comedian and his voice is extremely strong in this novel. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it in all honesty. It certainly has a caustic word or two to say about social media with which I can empathise. the book is well written but I did find it hard to connect to the characters who whilst well constructed to me lacked depth. I had sympathy for James and I do feel the ending is not going to help him, in fact would likely make matters worse. An interesting premise and well executed just lacked-well I'm not sure what really and that is the problem

For a novel about suicide, this was surprisingly light. I had not come across the author before, and the subject matter meant that I was expecting something more serious. Somewhat lost amongst all the humour, there was a long drip-feed of events which culminated in James sending out his suicide note to everybody in his contacts list.

Lives lived virtually is the strongest theme. At the same time as the novel highlights the vast reach of social media in the attempt to find a missing person, it also covers the billions of pieces of inane chatter and reaction that go on every second. In the context of James's message, people felt compelled to comment in order to be a part of a problem that they could not help with in any way.

At times hilarious, at times tragic, I finished the book not quite knowing how I should feel about it. An easy book that left me confused probably sums it up.

I'd like to have felt uplifted by the ending for James, but a night of being the centre of a social media storm would not solve his problems. There was also a strange twist which I couldn't quite believe in which spoilt the final pages for me, and thinking forward to how James would deal with it makes me think it would only cause him yet more anxiety.

James has reached a stage in his life where he can't see a way to go on. He has been knocked back by bereavement, the breakdown of relationships and career misfortune. He is lonely and has no hope and no confidence left. He boards an overnight train to Edinburgh to end his life, enroute sending a suicide note to all of the contacts on his phone, which triggers friends and family into reflection on their own lives and relationships with James as they race to stop him.

The character of James is written with great sensitivity and humour. You can understand his bewilderment and his despair and he's incredibly likeable. I enjoyed the way that chapters gradually reveal more about what has happened to bring him to his current situation and the development of the other characters, such as Sal, his sister and Karl, his best friend. However, his mum is a weak point character-wise as she's rather caricatured. In 2020 it seems unlikely that someone in their sixties would be unable to use the internet or a mobile phone.

The book has great pace and I devoured it but it does somewhat fall apart at the end. It's not clear what actually happens at the end, how or why, and this was a bit of a let down overall. Nevertheless, this novel is quite profound but written with a skilful lightness and I enjoyed it.

At 23:55, James Chiltern, having just boarded a sleeper train from London to Edinburgh, sends a text message to all 158 contacts in his phone, telling them that he is going to end his life in the morning. He then immediately switches his phone to flight mode, and settles down to begin his final journey.

I was invested in James’ story right from the outset and eager to learn how those closest to him would feel upon receiving such a message. For them, this message was just the beginning of their journey. I really liked how this story was told from multiple perspectives including not only James, but his sister Sally, his mother Jean, his ex-girlfriend and love of his life Michaela, ex-best friend Karl and his flatmate Steffi (a particular favourite character of mine given all that she does after receiving James’ message).

It was extremely effective having the whole story set over the course of this one night too. James finds himself reflecting throughout his train journey on the particular moments that led to him making this decision, and other key events from his past. The reason he has chosen Edinburgh as his final destination is explored, as well as the end of his relationship with Michaela, the breakdown of his friendship with Karl and the fractured nature of his and his sister Sally’s relationship. Those people receiving James’ message struggle to know what to do next when all of their phone calls and text messages to him go straight to voicemail or remain undelivered. They also find themselves reminiscing on their previous interactions with James, reflecting on the words they should have said or the things they wish they had done differently. These multiple perspectives therefore provided a really important insight and understanding into James’ life.

Whilst this story covers a very serious subject matter, there are many moments of light relief and humour throughout. A balance between light and dark that I found was just right. I also found the story to be thought provoking and effective with an important take home message. It serves as a powerful reminder to always tell those closest to us just how much they mean and how much we love them. Reaching out to let someone know you are thinking of them and letting them know you are there for them to share their thoughts and feelings with, could make such a huge difference!

This beautifully written story will stay with me for a long time to come and I will definitely be reading more of Mark Watson’s books in the future!

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre,  however I wanted to take the opportunity to read something from outside my norm. And I am glad I did!! Thank you for  opening up my mind to something totally different. Characters were so well developed that I felt as though I knew them. I love when a book draws you into the story and it feels like you are living it with them.

ames Chiltern boards the 23:50 sleeper train from London to Edinburgh with two pork pies, six beers and a packet of chocolate digestives. At 23:55 he sends a message to all 158 people in his contacts, telling them that he plans to end his life in the morning. He then switches his phone to flight mode. He’s said goodbye. To him, it’s the end of his story – and time to crack open the biscuits.

But across the world, 158 phones are lighting up with a notification. Phones belonging to his mum. His sister. His ex-best friend. The woman who broke his heart. People he’s lost touch with. People he barely knows. And for them, the message is only the beginning of the journey.

A very thought provoking read with interesting characters and a cleverly constructed storyline. Slow going at times but I am pleased I persevered.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins UK & the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

James Chiltern, the novelist's protagonist, is a character that is very likeable and easy to identify with. A quiet, ordinary everyman; overweight, around forty, lonely after a spell of bad luck in his relationships, and stuck in an unrewarding job as a ticket seller at Euston station. He's also kind hearted and self-effacing, and suicidal. The novel opens with James boarding the overnight sleeper train to Edinburgh, having decided to end his life at the spot he scattered his father's ashes. He sends a text to all 158 numbers in his phone's contacts, saying goodbye, and switches off his phone to spend his last night alone with beer and biscuits. Meanwhile, his friends, family and acquaintances are left reeling from his message and start to both reflect on their relationships with James, and try desperately to find him and prevent his death.

It sounds like a melodramatic concept, which in a way it is, but it's not handled in that way. Mark Watson is good at writing about ordinary people and ordinary lives and avoids any hysteria. The problems that have led James to this dark place are not extraordinary soap-opera like traumas. They are the sort of commonplace everyday sorrows and disappointments that will come to everyone. And herein lays the power of the book's underlying message. James is an ordinary man, like many ordinary men that we know, and is driven to attempt suicide. Male suicide is a significant problem in the UK and a novel that tackles it is welcome. All too often stories about mental health go for the most dramatic causes, this one avoids that. Like many real male suicide victims, the people James knows are unaware of his misery - he's kept going in his quiet, unassuming way, until he can't keep going any longer.

The other characters are also believable. There's James' mother, his sister, his ex-girlfriend, his flatmate, and his best friend. None of them are cardboard villains - just ordinary people with their own lives and worries and their own side to the story of their relationships with James. Some have treated him worse than others, but none of them are utterly awful. The girlfriend who was always less keen on him than he was on her - should she have stayed with him even though she was unhappy? The sister whom he let down and lost touch with. The flatmate who made little effort to get to know him. Virtually everyone reading is going to fall into at least one of those categories themselves in one relationship or other. Not only do we all know someone a bit like James, we also can see all of ourselves in the people who receive his final message and find themselves in a horrible position of fear and guilt.

It's not a story that offers easy answers, but it is full of warmth and humanity and the recognition that human beings are fallible and deserving of patience and second chances. As James continues his journey towards potential oblivion, the tension naturally increases and it's a gripping read. But the best thing about it remains the compassion towards people that shines through the writing and that ultimately makes it a book that restores your faith in people - and perhaps makes you think a bit harder about the people in your own life that need reaching out to.

I really enjoyed this book
But I would recommend it with caution.

The story of a man’s descent into depression and towards suicide told because he sends a message to every contact.
Ultimately positive we watch friends and family react to his news and reflect on their what they have done or failed to do.

This book tells the story of James Chilton who boards a sleeper train from London and Edinburgh and sends out a text to his 158 contacts saying that he is ending his life.

This amazing book tells the story of the contacts trying to get in touch with James who has turned his phone on to Airplane mode.

This book touches on the subject of Suicide and I would recommend this book.

With thanks to Netgalley & Harper Collins for the ARC of this book in exchange for this review.

A difficult subject to write about but handled really well. It’s not the big problems that effect our mental health but an overwhelming build up of little things. That’s why people often miss that their friend or loved one is struggling. It creeps up on you and so it has here with James. Reading this book made me think about my brother who, like James is a kind person, always wanting to please and putting others before himself. Because of this book I had a conversation with him and about the recent loss of our mother. He told me how he was being strong for his family but really he just wanted to curl up in a ball and go to sleep! I was shocked but so glad that we had that conversation. He is now talking more openly with me about he feelings. It’s such a relief he says to be able to share how he really feels.
My only criticism is the ending. It is rushed and things are left unresolved. All that social media exposure wouldn’t just stop. It would put other pressures on James that would be equally destructive. Once you are seen as social media property people think they ‘own’ a piece of your life. They have a right to comment ‘trolls’ are the perfect example of this. Maybe Mark can write about that too. I would look forward to reading it.

"23:55.

I've decided to end my life."

I didn't expect a book about suicide to be so charming and... nice? Its a weird one to process!
The book follows the aftermath of James texting all 158 contacts in his phone book telling them his plan for the next day and what they do about it. You get a variety of people's POV and it works really well. I was intrigued enough to keep turning the pages and keep reading, its poignant, I dont think its possible to approach this subject without that, but also funny and endearing. Worth an absolute read. 😉

This is such a clever, different, premise for a book. A man is sitting on a train sending a text to all of his contacts, informing them of his planned suicide.
What follows is the reaction to receiving that text, from some of his key friends and family.

It’s well written, thought provoking and inventive and makes some excellent points about our connections as human beings and the influence of social media on relationships. I found it to be a solid 3* Good Read, as it was quite hard to maintain interest throughout, but, worth sticking with.


Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to preview in exchange for this honest review.

Difficult subjects can be hard to deal with in a sensitive manner but Watson effortlessly manages to treat the topic of suicide with consideration and grace. He has created a believable situation & protagonist that means as the story ebbs & flows you become emotionally attached to the unfolding drama and not only James but his supporting cast that make up his mixed up life. This book shows that while we may not realise it, we all make connections that shape and affect us for the better. Sometimes you need a moment of clarity to bring those emotions to the surface but how you deal with them is just as important,

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book due to the subject matter but I’m glad I gave it a go. It could’ve so easily been mawkish and exploitive but thankfully I never felt that it was taken the reader down that route. Showing the reactions & actions of the contacts was an excellent way to reflect the mixed emotions that this type of event would produce. It makes the reader think, what would you do?