In “Scorpion”, Christian Cantrell delivers a pulse-pounding thriller that defies convention. The novel introduces us to a world where twenty-two seemingly unrelated murders share a chilling commonality: each victim bears a branded number. The circumstances vary wildly, but the enigmatic assassin leaves behind this cryptic mark.

Quinn Mitchell, a CIA analyst grappling with personal tragedy, steps into the fray. Her tenacity and grit drive her investigation into this baffling pattern. Cantrell masterfully weaves together elements of science fiction, mystery, and near-future intrigue.

The heart of the story lies in the pursuit. The assassin, tech-empowered and ice-hearted, eludes capture at every turn. Quinn’s relentless determination propels her forward, even as she grapples with her own demons. The tension escalates as she unravels the threads connecting the victims, their numbers, and the shadowy puppeteer pulling the strings.

Cantrell’s prose is sharp, concise, and evocative. The pacing keeps readers on the edge, and the twists—oh, the twists—are unexpected and exhilarating. As Quinn races against time, we’re treated to glimpses of a world teetering on the brink of chaos.

“Scorpion” is more than a thriller; it’s a meditation on identity, power, and the lengths one will go to protect what matters most. The assassin’s motives remain tantalizingly elusive, and the stakes rise with each revelation. Cantrell’s vision of a tech-driven future feels eerily plausible, adding an extra layer of unease.

While the plot is the star, the characters are no mere pawns. Quinn’s vulnerability and resilience make her relatable, and the assassin’s enigma keeps us guessing. The supporting cast adds depth, from brilliant hackers to shadowy government figures.

In a genre saturated with formulaic plots, “Scorpion” stands out. Cantrell’s fresh take on the cat-and-mouse game is a breath of adrenaline-infused air. Whether you’re a seasoned thriller aficionado or a newcomer, this novel will keep you turning pages late into the night.

The sci-fi elements were too heavy for me so I didn't finish this book - I am providing this review and an average three star rating to clear it off my shelf - thank you for providing me with a copy, and I will not share any reviews.

A thriller with a bit of sci-fi thrown in proved to be an interesting read. There is a lot going on in this book and at times I did struggle to keep up with everything that was going on. The science went completely over my head and the ending did feel a little rushed, almost as if the author was trying to cram everything in. I wanted to learn more about our main characters and felt their back stories were cut short because there was so much going on.

Brilliant book, highly engrossing, enjoyable and shocking.
A great read from start to finish. Highly recommended for readers of every type.

In a near future, CIA analyst Quinn Mitchell has been preoccupied for the last few years with a project to prevent nuclear terrorism, following a horrific attack in Seoul. Now this project is coming to an end, hailed as a complete success by the intelligence services, Quinn finds her skills are required for quite a different sort of task.

A mysterious assassin has been killing targets all over the world, and branding them with four digit numbers. The targets seem to have been chosen at random, the methods used to execute them are wildly different, and the victims are getting younger each time. Quinn is not sure that this is really a job for her, given that she is not qualified as a field agent, but when a child is the latest victim of this unknown serial killer, the loss of her own daughter fortifies her need to track down whoever is responsible for these deaths and put a stop to their killing spree.

But Quinn doesn't know that there is something much wider going on here. Something that defies the laws of space and time, and is tied up with a hush-hush scheme of those at the very heart of the organisation she works for. The fate of millions lies in the balance and Quinn's life will never be the same again...

Scorpion is a beautifully conceived high-concept thriller that combines a serial killer mystery with elements of very clever science fiction themes around time travel, artificial intelligence and smart technology.

Cantrell draws you in with an enigmatic clue that appears in the most unlikely of places; seduces you with a compelling, but seemingly unrelated search for a serial killer; and then completely floors you with an about turn of the most entertaining kind, that blossoms into full-on sci-fi territory up there with the best writers of the genre... and I loved every fast-paced, bamboozling moment.

Quinn is an unusual protagonist, who is very relatable given her difficult background. I really enjoyed how she finds a way to channel her determination, and to employ her analytical skills to not only get the job done, but do it with style. I liked her from the word go, and thoroughly enjoyed how her character develops over the course of a story that throws everything at her in the way of mental, physical and emotional challenges.

Intriguingly, this is a book that is ideally suited as an introduction to the world of the sci-fi thriller for those who don't normally see themselves as readers of this genre, while impressively still containing everything that fans of a darned good science fiction yarn know and love, which is a very difficult thing to pull off. I take my hat off to Christian Cantrell for doing this so well. 

I cannot remember the last time I read a science fiction thriller of this kind that I found so delectably intricate, intelligent, full of adventure, and rammed with murderous machinations, while still maintaining pace as it twists and transforms its nature as the story unfolds. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole shebang, and cannot wait to read Cantrell's previous books.

Highly recommended for fans of the excellent scf-fi thrillers written by Michael Crichton and Blake Crouch.

What a novel! The writing is slick and clean and the plot moves along at a wicked pace. A huge, expansive story of time and travel and tinkering, yet, my strongest piece of advice would be to read Scorpion in as few sittings as possible. I didn't do this due to circumstance and I think my appreciation of it suffered as a result. Certainly, at times, my understanding did.

The tech talk and the mind-boggling physics are threaded throughout and demand concentration and commitment from the reader.

I enjoy being challenged and having to re-read a few sentences here and there to try to fully comprehend the futuristic (or not so futuristic - it depends if Mr Cantrell is writing from an existing dimension we know nothing about!) enhancements to society was not too troublesome; I'm just not sure I fully took them all in, even after that second read. I suspect we aren't as far away from these possibilities as I'd like to think; and the author being an IT expert in a past life, with an obvious flare for the written word, they may even be, most frighteningly, around the next corner.

There are some wonderfully insightful comments on human behaviour thrown in along the way too: 'Like so many of the obstacles we face throughout our lives, the result of oblivious yet insidious plots conceived by our former selves.'

So I will just thank you for the ride and for giving me much food for thought, and creating such a complex and intriguing novel.

Just watch out for those riddles in cyberspace....

thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A very different book, that kept me interested all the way through. Well-written, full of thrills and suspense. A great read. Recommended.

Murders are being committed around the world and the only clue left behind is a series of 4 digit numbers; seemingly with no connection to each other and each victim varying in age, race and sex. Quinn Mitchell is a CIA analyst pulled into the investigation to find any evidence in order to capture this seemingly uncatchable killer; what she finds is something else entirely.

This book had everything, murder, suspense and sci-fi elements. I was immediately drawn into the familiar world and went in thinking that this would be a straight forward murder story but the sci-fi elements really had me hooked and I read the novel in one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Wow!!!! I loved this book. The plot and characters are very well put together. I couldn't put it down. Lots of things that kept me guessing and an ending that was well put together.
Highly recommended.

I really struggled with this book, the author’s writing style wasn’t a problem, in fact it is a well crafted story. The characters were well developed and matured through the book, the story was interesting and I found engaging at times, however I just didn’t connect with the book, I found I would read a bit and then a new book would catch my eye before I came back to it, only to once again move on to something else. It was only my feelings of obligation to NetGalley that kept me coming back to finish the book that kept it on my phone. By the point when I put it down for the last time I was just not interested in the story. It is very rare for me to not finish a book but this has proven to be one that I just didn’t connect to. I can say honestly it was me and not the author’s writing. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to try a new author, sorry I couldn’t give a better explanation for my lack of engagement for this book.

Around the world, twenty-two people have been murdered. The victims fit no profile, the circumstances vary wildly, but one thing links them all: in every case the victim is branded with a number.

With police around the globe floundering and unable to identify any pattern, let alone find a killer, CIA Analyst Quinn Mitchell is called in to investigate.

Before long, Quinn is on the trail of an ice-hearted assassin with seemingly limitless resources – but she’s prepared for that.

What she isn’t prepared for is the person pulling the strings…

Time for a bit of global conspiracy thriller-type action. Scorpion by Christian Cantrell is released this week so I decided I would give it a go and see what the heck all the fuss was about.

Quinn Mitchell is great at her job. She excels at analysis and following clues. If you want someone to pick apart vast quantities of data to discover the virtual needle in the virtual haystack, then Quinn is the person for the job. What Quinn isn’t is a field agent. As the result of personal trauma, she has spent years hidden away from the world in the safety of an office. Circumstance however forces Quinn out into the world. She is tasked with tracking down an assassin. There are few clues and no immediate connection between the victims. Where is the pattern and can Quinn break the murderous chain of events before others die?

One of the things I liked about Scorpion is that there are chapters written from the perspective of Quinn’s antagonist. These insights help to shed a little light on what is happening but up until the final grand reveal, there is still much left to guess. I’ll be honest, I’d be pretty impressed if you manage to figure it all out prior to that point. About halfway through the novel, the narrative veers off on an unexpected tangent that turns everything on its head. Up until then, things were very much in the realms of traditional cat and mouse global chase territory. Suddenly the implications of every character’s actions are thrown into question. It’s always a good sign when an author can surprise a reader, even one as jaded as me.

The near-future science fiction elements are subtly done and feel grounded in reality. The ascendency of crypto-currency, holograms and whatnot certainly fall into the realms of plausibility. I always worry a bit that technobabble might distract me from the core of a story but in this instance, everything makes sense and fits comfortably within the confines of the narrative.

When we reach the novel’s end there are still some questions that remain unanswered. More than likely this is going to drive some readers to distraction. Personally, I like this approach. The plot successfully alludes to a much bigger game at play. I felt like I’d just experienced the prequel to a much larger story that I am keen to read. Will this story ever see the light of day? I hope so.

This is a great example of a summer beach read. Pacy, with lots of twists and turns, Scorpion entertains from page one. There is a cinematic quality to the writing that I really liked. Cantrell does a good job of flipping the perspective between Quinn and her quarry in alternating chapters. If you are looking for a novel to get lost in that will keep you entertained, Scorpion could be the book for you.

Scorpion is published by Michael Joseph and is available from 24th June.

My musical recommendation to accompany Scorpion is the soundtrack to The Capture by Dave Rowntree and Ian Arber. It has just that right sense of tension and drama about it that perfectly captures the novel’s tone.

I struggled at first with this book and didn’t want to give in. The story was good and I do enjoy a good thriller, but this just didn’t reach the spot for me.
Thank you NetGalley for the read

It starts with different murders, no profiles except all are branded with a number. With the police struggling CIA analyst Quinn Mitchell looks to solve the mystery. For me the start drew me in but i got lost and by the end really wasn't sure what was happening. My feeling is that this is an overly clever book which will work for some and not for others.

Scorpion is a fast-paced read full of the unexpected. It keeps you on your toes, guessing until the very end. If you love thrillers that keep you hooked then this is a must read.

A science fiction novel based on a future CIA agent hunting down a sadistic serial killer. The theoretical science was quite hard to follow in parts. However, it all came together and made sense when following the many clever and unexpected twists.
I haven't read very much science fiction in a number of years. The author, Christian Cantrell has thoroughly whetted my appetite to read a lot more of this genre. I like his imaginative writing style and the pace of the story.
As an aside, I really liked the concept of using smart baggage when traveling. The luggage recognises their owners and automatically follow them around.in airport terminals and hotels. #what a brilliant idea!.

Not for me, I’m afraid. I couldn’t get on with the style of writing nor did I like the main character. I realised I didn’t care what happens so there was no point in continuing. That’s me, however, I am sure it will be perfect for someone who likes slightly off beat crime, quite grisly crime.

An unusual thriller set in a future when nuclear terrorism is a reality.
The "heroine" is in pursuit of a person who seems to be an evil contract killer - but all is not what t seems. An exciting denouement but perhaps the possibility of more to follow. A gripping read.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read,and I really enjoyed this.
Centres around a CIA agent and her hunt for a serial killer. This was a great read and it had me hooked from the beginning.
Really good story and all characters were well written.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This sci-fi thriller is a veritable (and truly magnificent) puzzle box of plot stings and twists, and I cannot recommend this book enough. Ask me to name an underrated author? Christian Cantrell. If you love Black Crouch — you’re going to love Cantell. His newest thriller Scorpion hooks from page one, snapping tension into place and holding it taut until the very end. The suspense won’t give you a heart attack, but only just.

Scorpion is set in a near-future rife with technological advances. Readers quickly find their feet as much of the world looks and feels like our own, and the technology steers clear of anything outlandish. There’s more than one plot string unfolding at once, and I will give you the (spoiler-free) rundown here as succinctly as possible:

Quinn Mitchell is an analyst for the CIA. Not just any analyst, she’s the best CIA Deputy Director Townes has got — although she’s never recovered from the accidental death of her daughter or the splintering of her marriage from a CIA field agent. Henrietta Yi is a brilliant (one-in-a-billion) physicist. Driven by her father’s death in a nuclear attack, she is now working for the CIA (also under Deputy Director Townes) on a top (top!) secret project. What is she doing that could be more important than preventing the next nuclear attack? Attempting to decode messages that appear to have come from the future. Yes, the future. This is a SF thriller, bookies, and one of the best I’ve read. Right up there with Blake Crouch’s Recursion. Okay, final plot string: Ranveer is an assassin (aka the Elite Assassin) who enjoys the good life (swanky hotel suits, fancy cars, and private air travel) and marks his victims with (maddeningly random-seeming) four-digit numbers. CIA analyst Quinn Mitchell is tasked with finding a pattern in the Elite Assassin’s seeming madness. How Henrietta Yi is connected, we don’t yet know. Even Quinn Mitchell does not have the clearance. But it will all come together, and oh, how your MIND WILL BE BLOWN.

The characters here are complex. Quinn. Ranveer. Henrietta. They’ve all got their story arcs and come with layers of backstory. Neither of the three is on the page to serve the story’s forward motion as a mere plot device. Instead, they drive the action of the thriller with choices that feel at every point genuine and true to their natures. And, oh, how it elevates this suspense read to something truly spectacular.

Scorpion is going up there among my list of five-star reads and must-read books of 2021.

Bonus: heart-stopping plot twists; time travel (bookies, you know I’m a goner for anything time travel); technology that will make the hearts of physics nerds soar, yet is so flawlessly woven into the narrative that your high-school transcripts don’t need to boast AP physics to massively enjoy what’s happening on the page.

Quinn is an analyst working on back data from the Large Hadron Collider. Her life is in ruins - a daughter dead and marriage failed. She is recruited to the C.I.A to help find a serial killer who has killed 22 people who have nothing in common except he leaves the bodies carrying a number. Teasing out who is the killer and why he does it is complex. The plot of this story is ingenious and understanding it involves understanding some hypothetical physics which is at times difficult - but worth the effort.