Okay - first things first. If you haven't yet read The Passengers by John Marrs (and why not), then you might want to consider doing so before reading this book. Not essential, but they are both set in the same dystopian world and there are several links back to that book and his earlier novel, (and soon to be Netflix favourite) The One. If you have read both books (good on you) then you will recognise the references in this book and the knowing smiles will appear in quick succession.

The book opens with a rather ... unusual attempt made to steal classified government information. I say unusual because of the way that the information is being kept safe. Not half as strange as it is set to become, but certainly not something one would anticipate being the number one method of cyber protection in the current world. That said, as demonstrated in 'other' books and, sadly, in modern life, cyber crime is on the rise and there is no such thing as a system that is entirely safe from hackers. And so in come the 'Minders' - a group of individuals with a very specific talent who are to be trusted with some of the most valuable, and often damning, secrets that the state holds.

The story takes us through the lives of the four individuals in question as they set about making a new life for themselves. leaving behind family, friends and, in essence, everything they know, in a bid to keep themselves, and the secrets they hold, safe. The four could not be more different and it is the real skill of the author that he is able to create characters who are immediately fascinating, if not always likeable. I could identify with them, in a different kind of way each time, even if I did not always agree with their actions. Each has their own reason to want to escape, all of which are revealed throughout the course of the novel, but it is Flick that I really liked the most. Possibly because she has the dubious honour of matching with one of my favourite characters from 'The One', but also because she was the only one of the four to really retain the core of who she was. Down to earth, level headed and someone you could imagine wanting to be friends with, no matter how dangerous that concept may prove to be.

This being a John Marrs story, there is a sting in the. tale, a twisted complex and multi-layered back story which is woven throughout the book. You wonder where and how it ties in with everything else - an experiment gone wrong perhaps - and as the story plays out the tension, and the speed of the action, begins to increase. This was a book that had me from the start and kept my attention right to the last page. You don't always know who to trust, can't immediately tell where the true threat comes from. Not even the four main characters can really be trusted and some of the secrets they hold ... well put it this way, it's the kind of information that could bring down a Government if not a whole country.

I think this is classic Marrs, definitely in the same gripping and character driven style as The One, and I loved it. Conspiracy theories abound, some of this story is not all that unbelievable, partly rooted in the gradual progression of science and technology as it starts to take over our lives. Hopefully some of it is a still a good few lifetimes away from reality but then again, driver less cars and 'smart tech' was only a pipe dream once upon a time. If I could convince Alexa to cook me a chilli con carne every now and again, I'm pretty sure I'd let it completely rule my life ...

Tense, exciting, with brilliant characters and a very though provoking and intriging plot, I loved this. Definitely recommended. This has Netflix special written all over it.

The Minders is a fast-paced thriller with a clever plot and plenty of twists and turns, just what you expect from John Marrs.

The short chapters kept me reading due to the regularity of chillhangers throughout. I found myself thinking "just one more chapter..." on more than one occasion. I particularly enjoyed the previous references to other novels Marrs has written. I don't feel these need to be read in order to enjoy this book but it was a nice touch.

The characters here are excellently written and I felt invested in them pretty quickly. I enjoyed each of their perspectives and found all their individual stories interesting. There was a particular Minder I didn't take to as much as the others but I still found myself rooting for them.

If you like fast paced thrillers with plenty of twists you won't be disappointed in this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the ARC.

Absolutely loved this book, the characters were so well-written, I really liked some of them and they felt like friends.
It was such an interesting read, set in the not too distant future and I loved how it had elements from previous books tying in. (The Passengers is still one of my favourites)
There were so many twists and turns and shocks that I was absolutely gripped and couldn't put it down until i found out how it ended, and now I'm gutted that it's over.
Brilliantly done though, I laughed, I cried, I was shocked and surprised, creeped out and delighted. Talk about all the feels.
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for my eARC in return for my honest review.

The more of John Marrs' books I read, the more his name becomes synonymous with quality. This is another in a string of cracking reads from Marrs, once again set in a future world with advanced tech and with references back to 2019's 'The Passengers' and 2017's 'The One'.

In 'The Minders' the countries of the world are being picked off one by one and held to ransom for their state secrets by an organisation known as the Hacking Collective. The UK takes extraordinary measures to avoid meeting the same fate and, in an incredible feat of science, entrusts its secrets to the minds of five individuals who are tasked with keeping those secrets safe whilst the government works to develop a more permanent, hack-proof storage solution.

Becoming a Minder has life-altering implications for those deemed up to the task and the different ways the characters react to these is well-explored by Marrs through a series of point of view chapters which serve to both allow the reader to immerse themselves in each character's thoughts and feelings and to build the tension for the reader as we see the potential consequences of each Minder's actions on their colleagues. These are interspersed with chapters from the point of the view of those working to find the Minders, which also adds to the tension.

This is a well-paced, cleverly plotted rollercoaster of a read and, whilst 'The Passengers' remains my personal favourite of Marrs' books, this is yet another fantastic novel from one of the masters of the psychological thriller genre. Highly recommended.

A new government initiative sees classified information being turned into a genetic code and planted inside the mind of a small group of people, in order to try to avoid hacking and cyber-terrorism. In return, the five individuals are given the chance to leave their old lives behind and start their lives anew. But it soon becomes apparent that not everyone can be trusted, especially when they have their own secrets they will do anything to protect...

This was a thrilling and unique story set in the same futuristic universe as John Marrs' books 'The One' and 'Passengers' - there were lots of mentions of things from them which I really liked. I loved all the twists and reveals and really recommend the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

John Marrs is one of my favourite authors, he never fails to write a book that I can’t put down! ‘The Minders’ is so unique; a storyline that’s not like any other. I loved that it was set in the same universe as The One and Passengers. It’s a great book, very fast paced and told from different points of view - my favourite type of writing style! I can sum up this book with one word...Brilliant!!

John is a writer who pens thrillers so well, but also has the ability to chameleon into the sub-categories of that genre - over the years, a collection of techno-thrillers have been written by John and published, each one has a highly plausible futuristic concept, which doesn't change with The Minders. The concept of this novel revolves around biotechnology, one where government information has been translated into a genetic code and inserted within five individual with an extremely rare ability in the way that they process information. The way in which the concept and storyline is choreographed feels like it exists in a not too distant future. Although it includes nods to John's other alternate futuristic reads, The One and The Passengers, The Minders can be read either as a third instalment in that series or as a completely independent bookish entity.

The plotline that's weaved throughout the pages of The Minders is told through a variety of points of views, with each perspective showing both the motivation of each individual as well as their ability to be a walking government tool. You get to connect with each person thread into the story, you learn their depths while also slipping further into a storyline, so much so that you get not only invested within the unravelling sequence of events but also the lives of those living through them and their personal lives. Between the characterisations and fabulous taut plotline, the mixture of technological terrorism, government cover-ups and lies will draw you in to a unique counter-espionage read, keep you hooked and leave you pretty speechless.

The Minders has been the most thrilling and addictive read and from the outset I loved the crossover and references to John Marrs’ two previous books in this genre (The One and The Passengers). This book is set in the same dystopian world so I would definitely recommend reading these two books first, as the big twists and reveals from these are mentioned early on in The Minders.

In this book we meet five key characters whose perspectives the chapters are told from: Flick, Charlie, Sinead, Emilia and Bruno. In this futuristic 21st Century, information is everything but with it still being possible for computers and files to be hacked and broken into, a unique government initiative has been created. These five ordinary people have been selected to become Minders. In a revolutionary procedure, the country’s most classified information has been taken offline and instead transformed into genetic code which has been implanted inside their heads. In return for having the countries’ truths and secrets hidden inside them, they are each given the chance to leave their own problems behind and given a blank slate to reinvent themselves. However, not everyone can be trusted, especially when they each have their own dark secrets which they will do anything to protect.

I loved that this story is written in John’s signature style of short, punchy chapters with many a cliffhanger/surprise at the end of them. This had me racing through the pages, desperate to get back to a particular character again to find out what would happen next! Flick, Charlie, Sinead, Emilia and Bruno were each so fascinating and I found myself really invested in them and learning of their backstories. My loyalty and sympathies were definitely tested though, and for two characters in particular the actions they took had me gasping in surprise; I did not see these events coming at all. There were so many incredible moments throughout this book that left be gobsmacked!

John is a genius for the little twists as well as the big reveals in his books! I still cannot stop thinking about how incredible the ending and build up of this story was. The intricacies and surprise of one particular character’s truth was fantastic and I couldn’t believe what I was reading. Just when I thought I had been surprised enough something else then happened! It was just brilliant! The epilogue provided a really perfect end to this story for me too, and I found myself really smiling and feeling warmth inside for the character whose perspective it was told from.

It was also really clever having His Majesty’s Government Minutes of the Joint Cyber-Espionage/Intelligence Committee Assessment Meetings at various points in the book. The minutes provided some really interesting and crucial background information and I loved reading the final set! There have been so many brilliant details in this futuristic world too. A personal favourite of mine was a fridge that can order its food online! I’d also love for there to be a world in which medical advances have been made like those mentioned in this book.

This is such a unique and thrilling read which I will be recommending to everyone. John Marrs for me is the ultimate King of thrillers!

John Marrs you never fail to impress me! A weird and wonderful futuristic book which mesmerised me! Fast paced with short chapters, believable characters and a story line with many twists and turns! Another one to recommend as with all of your others...

This was an excellent futuristic thriller that literally took my breath away. The characters were realistic and well depicted. Highly recommended!

The Minders is a thought provoking, fast paced, wild read that plays with your mind and makes you gasp out loud. Full of twist and turns you don't expect, it's an utterly satisfying read.

You know with a new John Marr's book you are in for a treat and this book was no diffferent,to me this book felt like a return to 'The One' style (THE book that got me writing reviews such was the impact it had on me,and soon to be a series on Netflix ) and also had some feel of 'The Passengers' in there as well,what more could a reader and a fan want?
Set in the future this book has an amazing tense start which literally had me hooked from the first paragraph, you are then thrust into the world of 5 unique characters who,for various reasons,have been chosen to keep the Countries top secrets and information stored on data inside their heads to combat cyber terrorism,they have been trusted with the thing that some people would stop at nothing to get.....and someone has found out.....and they are tracking the 5,1 by 1 to get this information........it is very difficult not to say too much but don't want to give anything away suffice to say as you would expect with this author it is packed with twists,turns and excitement,edge of your seat (or bed) stuff - this doesn't change all through the book and the ending is well,you will see!
John Marrs has excelled AGAIN at writing an original,up to date exciting and unputdownable book
10/10
5 Stars

Since reading The One a couple of years ago, I have been a huge fan of John Marrs and have never really kept it a secret

With this book, I felt it took me right back to my first experience of reading The One. It has a very similar feel with an essence of The Passengers weaved into it. I really felt like I was in my perfect reading zone whilst reading this.

What I really loved about this book is how it’s set in the future and that current situations going on in the world have been put in to make it feel as you are actually looking back in time. Brilliantly done, even referring to our Monarch as “him”, which of course in time, it will be.

Each character in this book has their own story going on within the main story, and as the story develops you really get a feel for what each Minder is dealing with in their own lives, and due to how brilliantly it has been written, I very quickly bonded with all the characters.

I have to say, there are so many “gasp” moments within the story and some pretty gruesome scenes that conjure up some very disturbing images in your mind. I actually screenshot two lines to a non-Reading friend who asked “Are you right in the head?” I absolutely loved it!

I have to be very careful here so not to give spoilers. The ending of this book takes a real turn, and, for me, really does end perfectly and had quite an effect on me. The revelations and outcome just finished it off brilliantly for me.

Yet again, Mr Marrs has written a corker of a book and has put himself entirely at risk of seeing me gushing and shouting about his work all over again.

Brilliant book and would highly recommend to others