A much-lauded book that 'everyone' seems to have read, so why did it take me so long to get to it? Who knows! However, having just closed the pages I'm curiously stirred by this and cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in the series later in the year.
The premise for this book is fascinating. An experiment to consider the role AI technology can help in developing a modern police force. In order for the experiment to be given the go-ahead, it is decided to focus on cold cases only. The thought process as the group decide which cases to prioritise was insightful - highlighting just how our own biases and prejudices may influence us, sometimes without us even being aware of just how we are manipulated by expectations and assumptions.
And so begins what looks to be a most unusual partnership...DCS Frank, still reeling from the death of her husband, and AIDE Lock look like they have the makings of a partnership akin to some of the greats. Neither is, initially, comfortable with the situation they are in - and the exchanges between them veer from the downright hysterical to curiously touching. As they work together it's hard not to question the extent to which AI can be useful and the ramifications for trusting machines to do work that previously would have been in the hands of humans.
As soon as we began getting sections of text that appeared to show people in some distress, isolated and suffering, it was clear that something very odd was going on. Before long, the insights being uncovered indicate that the cold cases might actually be part of a more active occurrence. And when things get close to DCS Frank it's hard to not get caught up in the situation.
From start to finish this was a book that held my total attention. I laughed, I cried, I railed at the injustices portrayed and I also thought...a lot. Engaging and wholly entertaining, I was surprised to see this was Callaghan's debut. Cue me frantically trying to pre-order book two!

Having picked up this book a few times and read the synopsis and then put it down the same amount of times, when a good friend recommended it to me, I finally bit the bullet and read it. I had been so put off by the Artificial Intelligence and was not sure if this was something I would enjoy. Thank you @hampshirebooklover for making me read it

However, upon picking it up and reading the first 5 chapters, I was immediately hooked and I was not put of at all by the existence of Lock and felt he really pulled the story together.

The book was original and the standard of writing was impeccable, making it hard to believe that this is a debut from the author.

DCS Frank was such a breath of fresh air. I love it when a main character, in such a high position, has their own flaws, proving to the world that we are not as successful as might make out.

The book was very thought-provoking and offered questions to the reader, as to which is truly the best, the AI way, where there is little room for error, but zero human gut instinct, or the human way, where we follow our instinct, but do sometimes make errors. I love the way that this panned out and how the story came together. All the theories that were brought to the cold cases.

The ending itself wasn’t what I was expecting, but I realise just how much sense it made to have this type of ending in this novel.

After finishing the novel, I can immediately see why this was picked for a Between the Covers book and why it is so talked about. The book was one of the best I have read this year and I highly recommend.

I really do hope that this is the start of a new series and I look forward to the journey of Kat and Locke.
Thank you to the publishers for sending me a proof and I apologise that I did not read this sooner!

This book features a DCS returning to work after a personal tragedy and she is asked to work on the Artificial Intelligence Detective Entity.
It can appear as a hologram but the police are wary of the whole idea and in turn the inventor is wary of them.
I loved the interaction between Kat and AIDE Lock, but she was a bit on the prickly side but Lock, I loved him at the end.

I was surprised to find I saw some of the twists coming.
Jo Callaghan has written a very interesting slant on the AI concept
It is well written and interesting in its scenarios, but it would have been nicer if I could have connected with the main character, and because if the theme, connecting with characters was difficult.]
I almost didnt read it because AI doesnt interest me but I am glad I did.
A good book with an interesting theme.
If you like something different then this book will appeal to you
Recommended

A really enjoyable read ! Even though it was a little unbelievable ,it was an entertaining read and kept you guessing right to the end. I liked the odd bits of humour thrown in as well and would be a great start to a series!

I loved In the Blink of an Eye so much, it felt like such a new and refreshing take on the crime fiction genre! This novel follows Kat, who is back at work as a detective following time off after the death of her husband. She then gets told she is being paired with an AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) called Lock. Kat is investigating two missing person cases and she starts to get a sense that they may be linked but she comes up against Lock who is very logical and doesn't have gut instincts in the way Kat does. I found it fascinating seeing how they both worked and how one way maybe wasn't necessarily better. They don't work well together initially as Kat is very suspicious of the point of Lock and the purpose of him being there but as a reader you can see how it might work. I loved this book and am hoping there will be more to come with these two characters. I recommend this one!

Really interesting concept that felt like a fresh new twist on the crime and thriller genre.
4 stars.

Why didn't I read it sooner.
Totally hooked on this book, couldn't put it down, what a great story, great read, and so well written.
Highly recommend thank you so much

A female middle aged detective comes back to work after the death of her husband and is asked to research into how AI can assist in police work and they choose a couple of cold cases in the first instance.

I enjoyed the relationships between the various characters as well as finding them individually interesting.

I would certainly keep a lookout for future books by this author

This is a book I truly wish I could read for the first time all over again. I’m in complete awe and fangirl mode at how utterly fantastic this book is.

In The Blink of An Eye by Jo Callaghan was an excellent police procedural book from start to finish especially as it was a great page turner with great storylines. I loved the interaction between the two main characters DCS Kat Frank and AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) Lock.

I highly recommend this book and I am looking forward reading more books by Jo Callaghan.

Big Thank you Simon & Schuster UK and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another book attracting a huge amount of positive praise is Jo Callaghan- In The Blink Of An Eye an interesting concept novel looking at how AI (an Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) can work in tandem with modern police detection to achieve greater results, and allocate precious time and resources back to the police force. DCS Kat Frank is seconded to work with Lock, the AI entity, which leads to an interesting dynamic, of how human and machine can comfortably work together, share resources, and more importantly exhibit differing, but by no means non-compatible, emotional and mental responses to evidence and potential suspects. I found this absolutely fascinating, as Frank and Lock navigate the complexities of a highly emotive case, and how one another learns to be a little more machine or a little more human. I thought the depiction of Frank’s grief as a recent widow was incredibly moving, and captured perfectly the sudden waves of grief and emotion that circle around and then invade the consciousness of the bereaved, be it weeks, months or years on. I was a little disappointed that the story took a really obvious turn as it progressed that I thought could have been avoided, but an impressive and refreshing debut overall.

Kat Frank has been on compassionate leave for a while. Widowed & a single mother she is ready to start work again. Breaking her in gently she is going to be part of a home office study using Artificial Intelligence as part of new team investigating cold cases of missing persons. Locke- the AI can be an activated hologram or like a Smart watch. He (It) will provide the logic to counteract the 'gut' reaction. Although highly sceptical Kat, along with her small team of a cocky DS & a shy but clever DC they begin to investigate two cases but when the cases cease to be cold it becomes imperative that they learn to work together.

This was a highly original police procedural. The characters were interesting & the concept worked very well. I am hoping that there will be more stories featuring this team as I can't wait to read more. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read this terrific book.

A huge thanks to Simon Schuster for my complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is crime fiction at it's thrilling best! Oh my word! The book follows DCS Kat Frank who has been through a lot who comes back to work to lead a pilot program that pairs her with an Artificially Intelligent Detective. What happens when logic goes against instinct? Can AI help solve crime. It was breathtakingly thrilling to read this thriller that was different. I highly recommend it . It's brilliantly written, characters are relatable and will have you on the edge of your seat.

In the blink of a eye by Jo Callaghan.
In the UK, someone is reported missing every 90 seconds.
Just gone. Vanished. In the blink of an eye.
DCS Kat Frank knows all about loss. A widowed single mother, Kat is a cop who trusts her instincts. Picked to lead a pilot programme that has her paired with AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) Lock, Kat's instincts come up against Lock's logic. But when the two missing person's cold cases they are reviewing suddenly become active, Lock is the only one who can help Kat when the case gets personal.
AI versus human experience.
Logic versus instinct.
With lives on the line can the pair work together before someone else becomes another statistic?
This was a good read. I did like Kat. 4*.

I never repeat the blurb. This was just great. A really original scenario giving an unique new approach to policing, although can AI ever replace the experience and instincts of humanity? Really hope that there will be more.

Thank you Simon & Schuster UK for a digital copy of this debut novel to read and review. I loved the synopsis and early reviewers thoughts suggested this was a book not to be missed. So would I agree.

I’m pleased to say that this was one of those books I didn’t want to put down as I got to know DCS Kat and her team. Kat has recently returned to work and finds herself heading a pilot investigation with Lock, the Artificial Intelligence entity. Would AI and logic really be better than understanding how humans think and react.

The author brings the police missing persons investigation to life and I regularly found myself forgetting about my initial worries about AI. The police officers all have personal issues to deal with whilst looking for the missing young people and you can see how personal issues could cloud judgment.

As a mum of two young people this was a frightening read in places and I think this was handled with sensitivity. This is is a non spoiler review so I’m not going to say too much about the conclusion other than I enjoyed the tension and the result.

Happy to recommend this excellent debut novel – a five star read for me. I’m also pleased to hear that book 3 in the series is in progress.

DCS Kat Frank has been on extended leave from the police force due to the death of her husband. Kat & her teenage son, Cam, are adjusting to their new 'normal' although it has understandably not been easy. Cam had depression & anxiety, but he is now going out a lot more with his friends, whilst Kat is just trying to keep everything together. She is called in to head a new pilot scheme trialling the use of an AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) which can perform calculations & trawl through data at superspeed.

Kat is not convinced a machine can finesse the finer details, but agrees to look into some cold cases with a small team consisting of a DS & a DI, alongside the AIDE's creator, Dr Okonedo who will be observing. Kat's AIDE is named Locke, & they clash almost straight away when choosing which cold case to focus on. They agree to trial two cases in the name of research & they are both missing persons cases. In both cases, a young man seemed to disappear from their life leaving no trace & nothing has been heard from them since. Both cases seem miles apart but they slowly reveal some surprising similarities.

This was an intriguing take on the usual crime fiction fare, using technology not too far off from what we have now which kept it believable. Locke was an amusing blend of naivety, misplaced confidence, & cold logic. The author does a good job of slowly humanising the AI character whilst having Kat continually point out that Locke isn't human. It brings up some intriguing questions: should AI just be used for the background work due to the absence of what can be termed 'gut feelings' or 'hunches'? Can AI, through experience & interaction, develop consciousness as we would define it (there were some glimmers of humour from Locke) or is just mimicry? What would this ultimately mean for their rights? (The reference to Skynet & Terminator made me smile).

The storyline I would rate as just above average, as although it was fairly complex to start with, it became easy to work out where it was going. Also I thought the side plot about the DS didn't really add anything to the story & just made her a bit irritating. I did like the 'odd couple' partnership that began to develop between Kat & Locke, & I would definitely be up for reading another book in the series. 3.5 stars (rounded up)

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Simon & Schuster UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

I’d been hearing lots of great things about In The Blink Of An Eye so when I was approved to read it on netgalley I was naturally very excited, though nervous as to whether it would live up to the hype but it completely does. In fact I’d say that it’s one of the most original, gripping and thought provoking thrillers I’ve ever read!

Firstly I really liked the characters in this book who were on the whole a very likeable bunch and not your average stereotypical detectives. I like that they all seemed to actually like each other and it was good to see each of them bringing something different to the investigation. Kat was an interesting main character that I sympathised a lot with not least because I’m dreading the day my children are teenagers. I admired her for her strength and passion for her job but she also frustrated me at times with her absolute conviction she was right.

The AI part of the story was really fascinating and helped give the story an original feel to it. I found it interesting to explore it’s strengths and weaknesses in an investigation which made me wonder if we will see something similar in a real case soon. Some of the dialogue between Kat and Locke (the AI) was hysterical, making me laugh out loud as Locke tries to understand the nuances of human behaviour.

I found this book incredibly gripping and I sailed through it in a couple of days as I couldn’t put it down. The story is very fast paced and there always seemed to be new developments happening to keep me glued to the page. I kept trying to guess what had happened to the missing people but there’s no way I could have guessed that brilliant ending and how twisted it was. I can’t wait to read more from this author and am looking forward to reading the second book in the series.

Huge thanks to Simon and Schuster for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

In The Blink of An Eye turns the standard police procedural on its head, and then some. As we all can imagine, the huge wealth of data that exists now in the world must make detectives' jobs increasingly difficult, with millions of resource hours needed to sift through and analyse for clues.

What if there was someone who could do all that in seconds, and present the vital evidence to crack the case?

Step forward DS Lock, an AI detective, who has superior processing power but lacks bedside major. DS Lock teams up with DCS Kat Hart, on her first case back after the untimely death of her husband. They are running a pilot scheme, looking at the impact (and potential pitfalls) of using AI in modern policing, starting with cold case missing persons cases.

Whilst it took a little time to get my head around the new addition to the team, once you're into the action, you really do forgot that DS Lock is not a real person. The interaction between him and DCS Hart is just like human colleagues. But it's not all plain sailing, with Lock not possessing the intuition and soft skills of his boss.

In The Blink of An Eye is an exceptional debut, it's not just an action packed crime drama; it makes you think and raises some very serious questions about how we navigate our (data driven) futures.

4.5.

Following eighteen months on leave for personal family reasons, DCS Kat Frank is given a new team, and assigned to work cold cases. But, there’s a catch – she’s also to be partnered with AIDE Locke – an Artificially Intelligent Detecting Entity a.k.a a robot, as part of the Home Secretary’s latest pet project to improve and advance policing, and minimise bias and prejudice.

Such a gripping, exciting, tugged-at-my-heartstrings read. The author’s note at the end of the book brought tears to my eyes. The crime was clever, different, harrowing, and heart-pounding, especially towards the end. And best of all, I didn’t guess it. I came up with one outlandish theory, but I was way off. Kat and her team were all great characters with interesting and affecting backstories, and I loved Kat’s relationship with her son, Cam. Also, side note, Kat could actually cook! So sick of the stereotypic detective who exists on junk food and takeaways.

I estimate In the Blink of an Eye is set in roughly five years time, give or take, so aside from the presence of Locke there’s little futuristic technical advancements to get your head around, and everything relating to AIDE was dumbed down to my level of almost zero knowledge. So, if you love police procedural/crime/suspense/mystery/thriller, but sci-fi is not too your liking, never fear, it’s 90% the former.

I was equally fascinated and unsettled by Locke as a character. Because it looked like a human – and not only that, a handsome one – and add in the fact that it mirrored human body language, mannerisms, and facial expressions, like Kat, I occasionally found myself imagining that it was human. And, then also like Kat I would be horrified that I could think such a thing. Thankfully, for the most part, Locke did act like a machine, although I have met some humans in my lifetime whose behaviour is eerily machine-like, so there’s that. Kudos to Jo Callaghan for not using Locke as a POV, since it’s not real. If AIDE is our future, and let’s face it, it more than likely is, because we’re well on the way there, then it’s a troubling thought. For decades we’ve had people who believe their favourite TV/movie/book/video game character is real, and fail to distinguish the actor from the character – how will these people react to AI when it looks and acts so lifelike? And to be honest, I think an AI friend/companion would be enough for some people – imagine a friend without all the drama and emotional baggage, and as my premise of the novel mentions, bias and prejudice? Sorry to go all philosophical on you guys, but good on the author for tackling such a controversial, moral, and ethical issue, and incorporating it into a police environment in the novel way that she did.

Is this going to be a series? Yes, please. Give me more. I’m even attached to Locke which is exactly my dilemma.

I’d like to thank Netgalley UK, Simon & Schuster UK, and Jo Callaghan for such a thought-provoking e-ARC.

Keep your eyes peeled for this unique take on a police procedural the first day of February, 2023.