This story begins with tension that never goes away throughout the book. Set in the not too distant future technology has overtaken itself with hackers being able to break just about any encrypted code and steal its contents, so the government had come up with an idea of loading all their secrets, past and present onto various forms of transport and keeping them constantly moving. By air by sea and by boat, robotically driven while being watched by a specialised team, that is until a specialised team try to invade one of the vehicles. Well, that doesn’t work out well for them but it is the end of the line until a more viable method is found.
Hence the minders, five ordinary-looking people who have extraordinary minds. The chosen five are given the opportunity to leave their pasts behind and start again. There are a few rules, they cannot contact anyone from their past and they cannot tell anyone about what they are doing. They must not contact each other or divulge any of the secrets. In return, they will really want for nothing.
This is a hit the road running story that turns into a marathon that never stops. The story-line is superb, the likelihood possible and the outcome so believable. You really have to read this yourself, you will find out about each of the carries. You will play detective and you will be stunned like I was. I was like a rabbit in headlights, mesmerized by what was in front of me but totally thrown by what was behind it all.
This is a book you won’t put down, a book you won’t forget. a book that would make great TV.
I wish to thank the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

You know when you finish a book and you want to shout and tell the world how brilliant it is and that they have to go buy it? Well that’s how I felt when I finished The Minders. I’ve sat though now for a good couple of hours trying to figure out how to convince you to go buy it without giving anything away and I’m struggling, there are just so many good bits I want to tell you about. I won’t though and I’ll keep this spoiler free.

The Minders is set in the future and one of the things that stood out for me was the references to current day situations making you feel like you are looking back in time. It’s quite a weird feeling but unique.

Also if you’re a John Marrs fan and have read his previous books The One (I hang my head in shame and admit it’s in my tbr pile, I have heard lots about it though) and The Passengers then you’ll notice the references to these books throughout The Minders. If you haven’t though it won’t spoil your enjoyment in the slightest.

Five people are specially selected to become ‘The Minders’ and each character has their own story, they all have demons to deal with and you really get a feel for each of them. I can’t say I liked them all but the way the book is written it’s easy to get to grips with each character quite quickly which I loved.

Although the story is set in the future with technology that hasn’t been invented yet it feels incredibly real, I couldn’t help feeling while I was reading that some of the things could happen. The story is written so well that it really is quite believable.

Fast paced and exciting, The Minders is a story that grips you from page one and doesn’t let go until the very final word. It was twisty, violent, dark and utterly unique, it’s a story that surprised me and left me stunned. It’s definitely a book I will be recommending and one I would love to see on screen one day too.

4.5 stars rounded up.
firstly, although this is a stand alone book, it does refer to things that have happened in previous books so, if you want my advice, you'll go back and read his previous books The One and Passengers before tackling this one. To be honest, they are both excellent reads so you wouldn't be doing yourself any disservice in doing so...
Oh My - government secrets... whoda think it! And secrets that are vulnerable and open to being hacked. After their first attempt at protection goes a bit south, a new initiative is developed which involves 5 people undertaking a medical procedure to protect this information. 5 secret people who have had to leave their lives and everything they've known to start again. 5 people who now know every secret, lie, cover up, and conspiracy the Government is desperate to keep hidden...
What Could Go Wrong...!
As it happens, quite a lot. None of which I am going to expand on here apart from the fact that they are all in danger. I can speak about he characters though - they are all very well crafted and also very different from each other - an eclectic mix if you like. Some I liked more than others and, well, some were a bit "not on my Xmas card list" if you get what I mean! But they all played their parts very well.
The story goes along at a fair lick, twisting and turning as it goes, delivering sucker punches along the way too. With no superfluous padding and waffle, combined with relatively short, punchy chapters, be warned, it's a very hard book to put down once you start... And the ending... well... Didn't see that coming! *Stands up and applauds author for a job well done... BTW the half star off is for the overuse of chapter cliffhangers. I don't need blackmailed to read on if I am enjoying a book - less of the dirty tricks please... personal preference I know but it irks me nonetheless!
All in all a cracking addition to an already impressive back catalogue. Really can't wait to see what he serves up next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

For those of you who follow me on this blog or THE Book Club will know I have a love/hate relationship with John Marrs - he absolutely LOVES me and I absolutely HATE him! Actually the truth is I am a HUGE fan of all his books - having read The Wronged Sons in 2012 we struck up a friendship and I have been honoured to watch him grow from an unknown self-published journalist to a full time published author with a backlog of bestselling books, a Netflix series and a potential Hollywood film in the making.

John Marrs is, in my opinion, a very talented author who has the ability to write really dark and twisted psychological thrillers such as What Lies Between Us, The Good Samaritan and of course the book that started it all - The Wronged Sons (now called When You Disappeared) AND then he produces mind blowing, head spinning semi-sci-fi, futuristic books like The One and The Passengers and his latest book The Minders (published on 23rd July) falls into the mind blowing, head spinning semi sci-fi futuristic pile - in fact it could actually be the love child of The One and The Passengers!.

Set in the future (but not too far), The Minders are a group of 5 unique and flawed characters who have been given the opportunity to walk away from their lives, have a fresh start and all they have to do is let the Government implant the UK's most deadliest secrets and information into a teeny tiny microchip in their brain and then keep safe and under the radar for 5 years. Sounds simple .. but in the usual Marr's fashion - nothing is simple, no-one is who they say they are, everyone has secrets and someone out there wants them dead.

I loved the way John Marrs kept referring to the DNA Matches from The One and the driverless cars from The Passengers. It felt like a like "inside secret" between the author and the reader and made the book even more enjoyable.

If you are a fan of conspiracy theories and love a bit of science-fiction then you will thoroughly enjoy The Minders. Full of twists, turns, oohs and aahs, this book kept me gripped from the opening chapter to the final paragraph and I also admit to getting a bit teary in places.

Once again John Marrs has proved just why he is so popular with today's readers. The Minders is set very slightly in the future, but not so far ahead for me to see his writing as the sci-fi or fantasy genre. The book links very cleverly with some of his previous novels - that said you don't need to have read the other books to understand the events which have gone before. There is just enough information given here to set the scene for this book and to tempt you to read the others.

The premise of the book is that the cyber security of all nations of the world is under threat, several countries having been held to ransom for their national secrets already. The Hacking Collective are out to make money from every nation's secrets; from how many weapons each country has access to and where they are stored to names of those involved in government level cover ups which would cause international tensions, and the leaders of the world are worried. They need to come up with ways to keep their information secure. The ways they have come up with so far are nowhere near satisfactory so government scientists have devised a new plan: implanting the information in the brains of suitable hosts in exchange for the chance to start new lives, all connections to their previous lives terminated. 5 candidates are selected from the preliminary test stage and go on to have the information implanted. But this is new and uncharted territory so how do the scientists know their subjects are reliable and won't go rogue?

We follow each of the chosen candidates from their lives before the programme, understanding why each of them has opted to be part of the plan, right through to the closure of the programme. The only person whose role I couldn't quite place was the mysterious Emilia who seems completely different to the others. Even she doesn't know who she is or her own personal history, having woken up in some kind of facility where all she is certain of is that she is not safe and needs to get as far away as possible.

The journey the author takes us on leads to mistrust virtually every single character in the book. Who is really in charge of the programme? Is every candidate genuine or has a member of the Hacking Collective managed to infiltrate the programme in order to steal the national secrets of the UK?
I really enjoyed trying to disentangle the facts from the emotional ties which are threaded through the story. Can you really just walk away completely from the only life you've ever known or will there be strands of your real self which you cannot shake off and will ultimately make you vulnerable?

As with John Marrs' previous works I found the plot to be totally absorbing and credible - there must be so many things we (the general public) have absolutely no idea are happening which get squirreled away by those in power and could compromise national security if the information got into the wrong hands. I love the way the author's mind works outside the box, questioning everything we know and accept to be the norm in our every day lives, presenting new and quite frankly scary possibilities and challenges to how life could change in an instant.

If you like to be taken out of your comfort zone and are willing to open your mind to how the dark side of society could take over the civilised world then this is definitely a read for you. It all sounds a bit 'out there' but honestly, I don't 'do' science fiction and I love all of this author's work. It's definitely different from any other author I have ever read, but that in itself has me on tenterhooks waiting for each and every new title he publishes. If you haven't read any of his books I cannot stress strongly enough how much I recommend that you do. You are definitely missing out!

Well, The Minders has “ADAPT ME FOR NETFLIX” written all over it! This is a compelling thriller that has flashes throughout from The One and The Passengers and, although you don’t need to have read these to immerse yourself in The Minders, the background knowledge that they hold may well make your reading experience a more rounded one. As a huge John Marrs fan, I was intrigued by the plot outline but after reading it, I can’t believe how cleverly he brought his future world to life once more. I still recommend The One to so many people as it’s a unique and fascinating take on society’s expectations and to have that insight moved to the next level in this new novel made perfect sense to me. But don’t expect an easy read-The Minders is a violent and twisty take on our future society and there are plenty of “gasp out loud” shocks in store for you.

I don’t want to regurgitate too much of the plot here as this is one of those books you need to go into blind. And although it’s set in a near future with technology that doesn’t exist yet, it somehow felt incredibly plausible and forthcoming! It must have been so difficult to create a world that is ours but just updated and but I think it was delivered perfectly here to show a realistic view of a possible future.

The characters here were all difficult to like at times but that was probably because it was impossible to work out who could be trusted! But my favourite character by far was Flick (and not just because she was living in one of my most favourite places in the UK!). She was everything I wanted in a female protagonist-strong minded but vulnerable at the same time, self preserved but altruistic and always on her guard. Her connection to a previous book made her an enigmatic presence and it was her story that I found myself connected to and desperate to return to after following the other “minders” in this terrifying world.

The Minders has a dark, gripping and unpredictable storyline that sits on your chest, slowing crushing you with the weight of its oppressive moral tale and shocking outcomes. I couldn’t put it down!

Hostiles are hacking the networks used by governments and countries all over the world and holding them to ransom with the threat of revealing sensitive material to the whole world. The British government must come up with a plan to keep all our sensitive data secure from any breech. A network of rolling trucks carrying the data doesn’t work so a new more ingenious plan is concocted using the minds of a few select individuals. These special individuals will all contain every last piece of knowledge the government possess and keep it safe for five years. But what happens when those five are compromised or if the data starts to leak into their own consciousness.

An addictive cyber crime thriller that is audacious and brilliant in its concept. After all we as humans don’t use our brains to there full capacity so why not fill the unused with sensitive data. What could possibly go wrong , oh dear lots of things and its down to those with the data to live separate from the life they knew whilst holding information that might impact on them in many ways. Trained to evade , and survive they are given the funds and means to disappear. Will the five subjects ever truly disappear or will past lives still hold some form of sway over their current situation. Slick, fast paced the book is a rush from page one to the very unexpected ending. When things start to go wrong will those five even know who to trust even when their lives depend on it. A compulsive read from an author whose previous work has also been daring and enjoyably well plotted. If you haven’t read any by this author I recommend you do he never fails to deliver a mind blown read.

** TOTALLY NOT CONFIDENTIAL**

Not-so-secret: book lovers eyes only. Classified ‘review’, this document is the property of Her Majesty Meggy Roussel’s, aka Your Loveliness, minutes of reading journal / blog notes. Re: John Marrs’ THE MINDERS novel.

*Please note this is an account of Meggy Roussel’s reading experience. Portion of texts – exclamations, swear words – have been redacted to allow this document to be shared online without shocking the public.

Location: Chocolate’n’Waffles headquarters, aka, my couch.

Member presents: Meggy Roussel, Yûki and Iris Roussel, cake, decaf tea.

Non-present members: The voices in my head.

MEGGY ROUSSEL: Holy heck, how do I review this book?

VOICE 1: Type words on a document. Copy-paste onto your blog editor. Press Publish.

MEGGY ROUSSEL: Thank you very much, but there is so much more at stake than what you think. First, we ought to think of our feelings! Then I need to get rid of the book hangover John Marrs sent my way. Finally, I need to be coherent enough to share a readable account of the situation. The fate of the world is in our hands!

VOICE 3: We don’t have hands. And don’t you think you’re exaggerating a bit?

MEGGY ROUSSEL: Am I exaggerating? AM I EXAGERRATING? Were you there when I was reading The Minders? Haven’t you felt the powers of the words?????

VOICE 2: You must remain vague about…

MEGGY ROUSSEL: I know! No spoilers! I’ve watched Doctor Who, I know what happens…

VOICE 1: Then let’s start before we 2030 rings…

MEGGY ROUSSEL: Why do you have to rain on my parade? Okay, first of all, the basics. Our future. Wow. My expectations are always off the roof when an author such as John Marrs takes us to a different decade.

Voice 2: Your expectations are ALWAYS high with John Marrs.

MEGGY ROUSSEL: That’s Secret Defense, you don’t want him to feel pressured! What was I saying? Yes, the future. How do you connect readers from 2020 with a story set in years yet to come? You sprinkle your narrative with references to the present! Every element I recognized as my reality made the characters’ own timeline tangible, real. And scary. We are in the middle of Brexit…

VOICE 1: Oh no, not Brexit stuff again.

MEGGY ROUSSEL: Well, for once, they are useful! Using the debacle we’re seeing happening right now is the best way to enable the reader to link the present to the future. After all, the author’s job is to make his plot plausible and realistic.

VOICE 3: According to your reaction when you began reading, it’s a success…

MEGGY ROUSSEL: Are you referring to the shivers I got when I realized the situation the UK government was in at the beginning of The Minders? The goosebumps that broke out when I was hoping for the best in such a dark setting? The lip-biting when things turned sour? I admit it rang so true I felt awful. With every passing year, technology gets more advanced, it takes over our lives, while putting us more at risk. Only this week, Twitter was hacked! Our personal information are in danger. Doesn’t it give you nightmares? So imagine when the targeted data are massive sensitive government information?

VOICE 2: Big Bang. We didn’t get it in 2000, so…

MEGGY ROUSSEL: Don’t give anyone ideas. Okay, back to the book! To protect the UK from an imminent attack, big genius heads come up with a solution. I am simplifying here, but there is nothing simple, nor light with the decisions taken here. While I was devoring the chapters, it occurred to me that it all resonated as possible. I accepted the big threat, the need for a solution. How? Why?

ALL VOICES: Because John Marrs can turn any scenario into a reality you believe in…

MEGGY ROUSSEL: See, you agree! Now, to select five different people through a simple game, and offer them the chance to start anew, if they agree to carry the Queen and Kingdom secrets for a maximum of five years, that takes balls. There is no other way to say it.

Voice 1: So, use of a dangerous and taut plan that can explode at any time.

MEGGY ROUSSEL: The RIGHT use of a dangerous, taut, and crazy plan to save the UK. It almost sounded obvious, and yet, asked if I’d take part, I probably wouldn’t have. But the Five ones each get the right incentive to agree to become the carrier of heavy loads of information. Mind-blowing!

VOICE 1: In every sense of the way…

MEGGY ROUSSEL: NO SPOILERS! But you’re right. Holy Moly! From “all you have to do is leave all you know behind and protect your secrets” to “hello, there’s a red target on your back, you’re on your own, and good luck living with what you know as well as the consequences of how you came into possession of it all.” If getting a new life, a training, and being given a mission is hard, imagine what it’s like when things don’t go according to plan…

VOICE 3: Nothing ever goes according to plan.

VOICE 1: Definitely not this review.

MEGGY ROUSSEL: Shush! Transferring data from computers to humans through DNA. Is this what is waiting for us? The Minders definitely has The One vibes. It’s not far-fetched, it’s so close you can almost touch it. And the five British citizens who got that DNA implanted can actually feel it. See it.

VOICE 2: I wouldn’t want to know about what the government is hiding. I mean, Lady Di…

VOICE 1: SPOILERS!

MEGGY ROUSSEL: I love the foundation of all those secrets and the repercussions they have on the characters. To be able to absorb the monstrosities and horrors we don’t know, they leave more than their previous life behind. They leave themselves behind.

VOICE 2: John Marrs explores this at…

MEGGY ROUSSEL: Oi, that’s my review! But yes, he does, and so perfectly you wonder if it’s true. I’m on the conspiracy side.

VOICE 1: You’re paranoid.

MEGGY ROUSSEL: Thanks to books like The Minders! Because, again, THEY MAKE IT REAL. You can’t tell me you’ve never asked yourself about what goes on behind-the-scenes. How does a country build itself? On good things, bad things, and hidden things. I felt empowered with The Minders as I was privy to the juicy parts, but they didn’t make it easier to swallow. The sacrifices, the blood, are they really necessary?

VOICE 3: You know you’ve read a fabulous book when you question everything.

MEGGY ROUSSEL: Well, The Minders is ASTOUNDINGLY FABULOUS, then, because I was fearing for the country, running through the chapters as the protagonists were running for their life…

VOICE 1: Without the sweat.

MEGGY ROUSSEL: Stop interrupting. Where was I? Oh yeah, the running… But also, the idea of what makes a person… Injecting data as DNA changes you. Your internal balance changes, it evolves. What happens when it deprives you of what made you you? What happens when we strip you off physical pain? What happens to your emotions? Do they get smothered? Were they smothered by your previous life? Oh, the ferocity of this perfectly-written plot is enough to make The Minders a unique and fierce novel.

VOICE 2: But what about the characters?

MEGGY ROUSSEL: No plot is useful without the right cast. Here, I hated some characters…

VOICE 1: Surely, calling ***** a ba…

MEGGY ROUSSEL: Censor yourself. As I said, I loathed some people, never made up my mind about others, and rooted for one. Anyone is bound to feel as ensnared as the group is, and it creates bonds between the reader and the players in the game. Such a dangerous bond!

VOICE 3: We never saw the denouement coming!

MEGGY ROUSSEL: I am not over it. The hunt was merciless. It was breath-taking, delivered with punchy and pacey chapters. John Marrs knows how to throw punches!

VOICE 1: That explains your face today…

MEGGY ROUSSEL: Please refrain from any judgement. I am still recovering from the masterpiece I am talking about today. Mystery and chases, life versus death, lies and truths.

VOICE 2: We are losing her again…

MEGGY ROUSSEL: No! I’m here! But think of what you would do to protect yourself, or the secrets you’ve been trusted with? How fascinating it is and how captivating the author keeps it throughout? Okay, let me wrap up. We all agree that The Minders is an absolute belter of a book. John Marrs is a genius writer who reeled me in again with an addictive, more-real than real, edge-of-your-seat and twisty tale of what might await us sooner than we think.

VOICE 3: Agree!

VOICE 1: It was good.

MEGGY ROUSSEL: Now it’s up to others to care for The Minders… May the Marrs force be with them!

THE END.

It took me a while to get into this book,there was a lot going on and it took me a while to process it, and just let the book flow.I am so glad I persevered though, because this is a brilliant book.It pays homage to the authors previous books The One and Passengers ,but as they are all stand alone books as is this one a new reader wouldn't have to have read them first, but after reading this will almost certainly want to seek them out in my opinion.I think this book is so clever the imagination behind it is incredible and it is totally original.As far as I am aware no one else is writing like this and it is on another level to most other writers.No spoilers from me but I really enjoyed this book, and did my usual trick of staying up way too late to read it.Fantastic book, really recommend it.

This is only the second book I have ever read by John Marrs. And i found this one so much better than the other.

I was very sceptical of it to begin with, as I just couldn't grasp the concept. I think this is just because of the futuristic element of it, is so far outside of my comfort zone and not something I would have chosen if I knew. But this book has opened my eyes to it a little.

I really enjoyed the storyline and definitely found it difficult to put down at times. As it really gripped me.

I do feel that I would have benefitted from reading Johns past books 'The One' and 'The Passengers' before this one, just due to parts of the storylines and the characters involved. So I will look into them now and get stuck in.

On a whole I would recommend this book to so many people, even the ones that say it isn't their thing. Because sometimes being pushed out of your comfort zone is just what you need.

Having just finished What lies between us, I didn't think John could surprise me again, but never fear, once again this was a read like nothing else. You as the reader get so invested in each of the 5 special minders' lives, that you start to see them as your friends. This was an amazing read, just do it, you know you have to!
Highly recommended.
TB

This book is clever, well written, unique and intriguing.
I’ve read all of John Marrs previous books and he’s one of my favourite authors at the moment. If I’m honest, this one didn’t grip me quite so much as the others. I wasn’t drawn in to the characters as I have been previously with his other books.
However, I would definitely still recommend this book for anyone who like this genre. The plot is memorable and will easily be transferred to a TV series.

This is my 6th book by this author, and he is fast becoming one of my favorites. The biggest reason for this is that his books are wildly inventive and fast-paced which makes for a compulsive reading experience.

In The Minders John Marrs does what he does best, creates a full cast of characters taking turns narrating each chapter, and ensuring that every chapter ends in a mini-cliffhanger, so you just have to read one more... I also liked that he included plot lines from his previous books, so before you get this, make sure that you have already read The One and The Passengers.

The only reason this did not get more stars is because all the characters were horrible people, and normally this doesn't bug me at all, but with the current state of the world, it just drained me a bit.

I still highly recommend this and his other books for original story lines.

Having read all of John's previous work I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy through Netgalley.

A well paced futuristic thriller which is original and exciting. I loved the references to previous works (The One and and The Passengers).

Another great story from John Marrs,highly recommend.

Books set in the future are not my favourite genre but I liked the sound of the synopsis for the book and I was intrigued by the author, never having read his work before.

The Minders has a strong storyline. Transport is dominated by autonomous vehicles, which doesn't seem far fetched. Governments around the world are concerned by the terrorist threat of information being stolen by hackers and used against that country, which also seems credible. The UKs solution is to implant sensitive data into the heads of volunteer 'minders' for five years, whilst a more permanent is found. Most of the book follows the lives of the volunteer minders.

It's a good book. It's well written with a strong sense of place and with several perspectives contributing to the whole. I liked it enough to rate it four star, but didn't love it enough to rate five star. This is probably a reflection on the genre rather than the writer and it wouldn't stop me from reading other works by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Do you see the smoke cloud above my head following me everywhere? Nope, I’m smoking weeds to calm my nerves. I don’t smoke! I create smoke when I’m regularly cooking and burning the ingredients. But this time: the reason of the smoke is not my lack of culinary skills! After reading incredible mind numbing, extremely intelligent but also horrifying, captivating story, my brain cells find themselves into deep dish literature fryer.
My advise: Don’t try to put it down! I tried. It doesn’t work that way!I felt like not only hands but also my mind was hooked by the intriguing, exciting, action packed story.

Did you love “One”? Of course, you did. I don’t accept “no” for an answer.
How about “Passenger”? Well, I personally gave it five gazillion stars.
But what if this book is better than those two books? Yes, It is definitely better and it is so far at my top ten best reads of 2020 and my all time favorite books list! The book takes place as same universe with “One” and “Passengers” and there are so many connections and references with those books. So reading them first will help you get a better understanding about “Minders” universe.

I’m telling you my friends: reading this book made my felt like binge watching best episodes of Black Mirror and Dr. Who at the same time frame while sipping my favorite Chardonnay. Euphoria may be the exact word can define my feelings!

Let’s give you some clues about grey cell destroyer, IQ terminator story:

“Knowledge is the power”: When the international hackers are so adamant to dig out the governments’ dirty secrets which have been meticulously swept under the rug, UK’s brilliant politicians, secret service agents, scientists gather around for a secret government initiative. They select 5 people for this secret project: the 5 people who have unique capabilities.

They called them MINDERS: a coded name someone like them with exceptional perception. Their brains are capable to store massive amounts of data because of their neurological trait or let’s say their condition called “SYNESTHESIA” (help them hear colors or see sounds): only %4.4 of the global adult population has. ( I know your brain cells are already boiling right now! Please keep on reading)

The government will store important limitless amount of datas by coding then onto a single strand of DNA. And that DNA will be stored inside a plastic bead which will be used to inject to the minders’ lesser used sections of their brains.

See: that’s the formula will help Great Britain’s security to be permanently unhackable!

Let’s meet with the minders: actually we have four of them and a woman who doesn’t know who she’s ( but there’s a hint she might be one of them)

Flick Kennedy, 36,OUAT a restaurateur and now a bartender. Fast learner, smart, but emotionally broken after her disastrous DNA match experiment: her soulmate is dangerous serial killer which made her question her own mental health.

She joined the program by solving a puzzle which is designed to choose extraordinary people like her and moved to Aldeburgh, Suffolk for five years as a carrier of DNA Bead. Her life seems peaceful at this small town till she meets Elijah, a famous and wealthy artist returned back to his native land. Her mission doesn’t let any emotional involvement but... yes you may fill the blanks and sense what will happen.

Charlie Manchester, 25, OUAT a graphic designer starts his new life in Manchester, moving into a luxurious hotel room, forming a new friendship bounds but he feels like empty shell of his old self. Of course ultra depressed, isolated old self was suffering from anxiety attacks but at least he was feeling pain and sorrow but after program’s medical procedure about somatosensory cortex and thalamus parts of his brain, he cannot recognize the pain even they cut his leg without anesthesia.

Sinead Kelly, 33, OUAT office worker, leaves her mental abused husband to start fresh in Sunderland, fraternizing with women of the town. She seems like adapting well till she realizes one of the newborn mother of her group has abusive relationship with her husband.

Bruno York, 39, OUAT stay at home parent, taking care of his son suffering from autism, loyal, passionate and emotional man who isn’t handling the DNA bed injection so well because he coincidentally cheated when he was solving the puzzle ( his son was holding his phone and he was the one who solved it.) now he’s dealing with inner voices and hallucinative images of echoes who turn him into a madman and serial killer.

During the driverless car crash, his wife died with her lover and now he wants to avenge to each person who made him lose everything in his life and destroyed his family.

The key to the four minders is Emilia who suffers from amnesia and is taken home by a man who tells her he is her husband but she isn’t sure he’s telling her the truth. To find who she is, connected with finding four minders’ identities.

And....I already talked, wrote too much. I have to shut my mouth and open another chilled Chardonnay but I have to warn you about last chapters:

Wear helmet to protect yourself ear bleeding or brain concussion: because there are so many fast, harsh, jaw dropping, WTF moments of the book. All those ultra smart twists will spin your head and crush your soul.

And the conclusion of the story turned me into Chazz Palminteri’s detective character at the end scene of Usual Suspects. I didn’t drop my mug but I was so close to drop my whole wine case! Now I know : the greatest trick the devil ever pulled!

Special thanks to John Marrs for sharing this NetGalley widget of incredible ARC with me in exchange my honest opinions and creating this masterpiece. I also have to thank to publisher Random House UK, Cornerstone, Del Rey.

Countries around the world are being held to ransom by the threat of their most classified information being made public.
But the British government comes up with an idea of counteracting the enemy.
Five people are chosen to carry the country's most sensitive state secrets, stored inside their brains. But soon, the Minders find themselves in danger.

I have a love/hate relationship with John Maars' novels, so I was wary yet excited and curious to read his newest book.
I loved the premise, which was original and gripping.
I'm not a fan of multiple perspectives, but in this case, I found myself able to follow all of the characters without confusion, but because there were so many of them, I couldn't connect with any of them.
Overall, it was a fast-paced and entertaining story, but I found it lacked the kind of suspense that keeps me on the edge of my seat.
However, it is definitely a book worth reading, and I recommend you give it a go.

A thriller based in the future - but with a few current references including the 2020 Corona pandemic. It probably helps to have read 'The Passengers' first, partly because it is a top book but also it sets the scene for this tale.

There are so many twist and turns that my head felt as if it had undergone an information implant - thankfully all is revealed in the end. A fast paced, thoroughly enjoyable read.

I have read everything by John Marrs, and have been a massive fan since the start of his writing career. Probably my two favourite books of his have been The One and The Passengers. When I found out that the Minders referenced these 2 books my happiness was at a whole new level! John Marrs is a master of intrigue and suspense, and also of leading you up paths you didn't realise you were travelling. His writing is just brilliant and every word is carefully thought out and placed. This book is utterly amazing. I feel privileged at having read it and envious of those who have yet to read it.

In the UK cyber hacking is rife, and so the secrets of the country are implanted into 5 people with extraordinary skills - the Minders. Their job is to stay safe, live cut off from their previous lives, and guard the data in their heads.

When Minders start being killed, what happens to the nation's security, and what steps can the other Minders take to ensure that they won't be next?

There are not enough superlatives for this book. Definitely a 'must read'.

Another brilliant fast paced thriller from John Marrs.

It’s completely enjoyable from a stand-alone read but I think if you read The One and Passengers first it adds an extra dimension to the story.