I heard a reading from this book at Virtual Noir at the Bar, and was immediately hooked by the concept of regular detectives being paired with artificial intelligence. The book itself did not disappoint - it's fabulous, and the quickest police procedural I've read in a long time.

Five stars really aren't enough to do this book justice. The characterisation and the sprinkling of wit are perfect, the pace is just right and gets ramped up at all the right moments, and the author's acknowledgment at the end is truly heartfelt and inspirational.

Without dropping any spoilers, the police are taking part in a pilot to test out the extent to which artificial intelligence can remove hunches or personal bias, and revolves around a review of missing person cases. There is plenty of food for thought throughout this book, and I really can't recommend it enough.

I really hope to see further books in this series. If you read one crime fiction book, make it this one!

This is worth every minute you dedicate to reading. DCS Kat Frank is a widowed single mum to a nervous teen and a cop who has lived by her instincts, for good or for bad. But when she’s picked to lead a pilot team that pairs her with two physical detectives and Lock, an AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity), she’s not sure if things will work out. After all, she’s wary of AI and its slow but certain takeover of just about everything. But working together, the team investigate to missing person cases, cold cases that have a breath of life in both, shall we say. It’s only with Lock’s help – although reluctantly – that Kat and her team can put the pieces together and find who is responsible. And when things come too close to home, Kat will need anyone – and anything – to help. This is a different take on a crime series (please say it’ll be a series) but the depth of research, the capabilities of Lock and the plot are all brilliant. I’d love to read it again and pretend it was for the first time.

This is a real page-turner, a great police procedural novel with the added interest of an AI (Artifical Intelligence) detective on the team. I loved the interaction between Lock and Kat; the unintended humour of Lock's observations and Kat's insistence that human intuition beats AI at every turn. The stories of Hassan and Browne, the other members of the team, added further emotion to the mix giving the book a real depth. Plus the descriptions of parenting a teenager were spot on.

I hope this is the start of a series because I'm a definite fan!

An intriguing premise fir this speculative psychological thriller from Jo Callaghan - themes that instantly draw you in and compelling enough to keep you immersed throughout.

The mystery element is cleverly managed and the characters are hugely engaging. It has an unpredictable feel to it and overall this is an excellent read. Something a bit different which is always welcome. Feels like it could be the start of a series and I hope it is, I'd definitely be interested in more.

Recommended

This was one of those books I found impossible to put down. The plot was different. The characters (apart from the obvious) likeable. I kept turning the pages thinking just one more, but found I'd finished the book. I enjoyed the partnership of the two main characters and the way they interacted. I also have to admit to shedding a few tears by the end of the book, but that might have been due to lack of sleep. I recommend reading this book

In The Blink of An Eye is a very special thriller. It introduces DCS Kat Frank who has recently been widowed. Her return to work is not what she expects as she is chosen by her boss to lead a pilot study that will use Artificial Intelligence as part of crime solving. She now has to work with AI in the form of Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity Locke who not only has a voice but a 3D image too. The investigation focuses on two missing teenagers and pits the detective who works on gut instincts with AIDE Locke that can process information faster than any human but lacks any of the emotions. The pace is perfect and the ethical questions about modern medicine and the use of AI are cleverly posed. Jo Callaghan has written a sensitively clever procedural with well-developed characters, especially DCS Frank’s team members- Hassan and Browne and her inner turmoil trying to manage her teenage son, her own grief following her husband’s death and the urgency in trying to locate the missing boys. A very human detective story that will be the must read of 2023. Thought-provoking and original.

I loved this! Great combo of police procedural and tech-y what-ifs. It reminded me a lot of a fun, yet sadly little watched, tv show from a few years back with its combo of street smarts and IT. Kat Frank is a wonderfully flawed heroine and the rest of the team are well drawn, also. I can definitely imagine seeing this story on the screen, and want to read more of the FPU’s crime solving.

Really original book with well drawn characters (even the AI!) A tight plot that kept me guessing till the end. Really enjoyable!

CS Kat Frank is returning to work after the death of her husband. She's asked to lead a pilot program using artificial intelligence alongside ordinary police officers to review cold cases. Kat is vehemently opposed to using AI and hopes that she will be able to show it has no part to play in her role. The small team initially looks at the case of a student who has been missing for five months and quickly realises there is a possible link to another missing person case.

I have heard a lot about this book via Twitter so was keen to read it. Jo Callaghan has put a new twist on the genre of crime thrillers.

I love science fiction TV and films (less so books) and the author has done an excellent job of portraying the artificial intelligence, AIDE Lock, in the story. As Lock contributes to the team I could imagine the monotone delivery, similar to Commander Data in Star Trek. We are reminded that AI seeks no personal gain, has no bias and always speaks the truth. Speaking the truth does lead to some tactless comments, sometimes funny, other times incredibly sad.

As the cold cases are investigated we see that there is a battle between data driven investigation and intuition, that "gut feeling" or nagging doubt. Throughout the story we see that both AI and the police make assumptions that can lead to wrong avenues being investigated.

Kat Frank is supported by a small team of officers and a professor of AI. All of these characters are well fleshed out, each dealing with their own issues which has a bearing on how they see the investigation going. I really do hope that the team returns in a sequel.

I am so thrilled to be able to read this, having been 'friends' with Jo on Twitter for a long time. What a fascinating premise for a police procedural and a great way to shake up the genre. I really liked the idea of pairing a detective with an AI computer in this way - it had a Star Wars type feel to the usual procedure novel and I confess I did voice Lock in my head like K2S0 from Rogue One. But using the power of computers to do the grunt work seems to obvious that you hope the police really are doing this, and there was so much humour from the balance between human and cyborg.

I also liked the raw emotion of the book and the detective's background which I know is very personal to Jo and the circumstance in which she wrote the book. But it's rare to find a detective who has had a stable relationship and whose life is falling apart for different reasons than the usual stress/ alcohol/ anti-social reasons. I also loved that the main character is a professional experienced woman who has respect for her abilities and support for this from her superiors and her team, despite her having hit an emotional wall. We need more capable strong women in crime fiction.

This felt very modern, in comparison to a lot of police procedurals and I really enjoyed it.

This was a really enjoyable read that blended police procedural with sci fi and dystopian elements. I was really intrigued and so really wanted to read it and I am so glad that I did, I really enjoyed it.

My rating system: 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ticked a lot of boxes and was a reliable read SOLID EFFORT!!!

In the Blink of an Eye someone goes missing in the UK every 90 seconds. Meet DCS Kat Frank, she knows all about loss and is a determined cop who trusts her gut and believes in giving the families closure.

Kat is picked to be part of a pilot project that has her paired with AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) Lock. Kat is hesitant and mistrusting of AIDE Lock. Her instincts go head to head with Lock’s unrelenting logic. When the two missing persons cold cases they are reviewing suddenly go hot it seems that Kat and Lock will need to learn to work together to try to solve the case.

Suddenly the case becomes very personal for Kat and when no one else is left to help her, AIDE Lock becomes her greatest ally, is it a mistake for Kat to trust AI or will it be the only way to get a happy ending??

This is a debut novel for Jo Callaghan and I was pretty keen on the premise. I enjoyed Amen Maxine and could see elements of the AI that would make this an interesting new take on a police procedural. Personally I am not into the sci-fi novels but since AI like this actually probably exists and is probably already being used like this or not far off its really not so much sci-fi as it is new age - so I was willing to give it a go. 🤖

First of all this is a 3 star review but that isn’t a bad three stars, that is a solid 3 stars with a few things that either irked me or didn’t work for me but overall it was a solid read, don’t regret reading it and I would absolutely give book 2 a go. I am super keen to see how Kat, AIDE Lock and the team go in another instalment. 👍

The characters were well developed, I liked the interaction between AIDE Lock and Kat the most I found myself giggling at the humour and the real nature of their odd relationship. Kat was my favourite, she was sarcastic and intense but you get to know why, she has experienced a great loss that has left her feeling off balance and she has an attitude but being a strong woman in a mans world is tough so she fights the tough fight to stay on top. Overall I liked her, she was a bit of a d*ck sometimes but aren’t we all. 🤣

AIDE Lock was full of surprises he/it was full of personality (much to Kat’s chagrin) and he even managed by the end to crack a joke or two. I think the AI in this book added a fun element to an otherwise ordinary police procedural. The supporting characters were also developed well and I think they worked well together and in the coming books can definitely have their personalities brought to the fore. 🙌

Where it kind of fell apart for me was the story itself was quite repetitive, Kat had her team go and interview the friends multiple times. Wasting time and rehashing the same information over and over and we as the reader then had to read that information multiple times from the characters perspective. I think that this could have been tightened up a bit and therefore leads me to my next point that this could have been approx. 100 pages shorter. If the story was tighter and more succinct we could have had a shorter read with shorter paragraphs leading to the jam packed ending a bit quicker. ⏰

The ending which was jam packed full of fun and suspense I thought was the best part of the book. You could accuse it of being a bit over the top but in the end its fiction with an AI Detective so we were bound to get some creative juices flowing. I liked how it ended but like I said before I think we could have taken the less scenic route. 🫶

Overall it was a solid, enjoyable read. Nope it wasn’t an award winning masterpiece but it did the job it set out to do. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a new and fresh take on the police procedural when you want something reliable and a bit fun. 🤩

Thank you to Simon and Schuster UK, NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

It took me a while to get into this book and for me, personally, it didn't have the 'grab' factor. Overall I enjoyed the storyline and the characters were good.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me this ARC.

Thank you Simon & Schuster UK and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.

SYNOPSIS

DCS Kat Frank is teamed up with AIDE Lock, an AI-powered detective, for a pilot program designed to expedite investigations. Tasked with reviewing cold cases, Frank, Lock, and the rest of the gang realize something more sinister is afoot. Will AIDE Lock prove to be a valuable resource, or is he gunning for Frank's job?

MY OPINION

Okkkuurrrttttt!!!! S/O to my friend Karly for bringing this book to my attention. Even though we both are averse to sci-fi, we absolutely love police procedurals and agreed that the sci-fi element in this book seemed more "realistic" and like a literary device, not just something concocted for pure entertainment purposes with no bearing on reality. Given everything, I had legit zero expectations reading this book, but I found myself gobbling this up like a Thanksgiving dinner. This is the second time I've found myself unexpectedly vibing with a sci-fi book... do I actually like sci-fi? Ok ok let me get back on track...

So yes the sci-fi element is purely a literary device. Outside of Lock's incredible abilities, there is no futuristic tech in this book. All the hallmarks on traditional police procedurals are very much in play: trawling CCTV, social media, and devices, as well as good ole face-to-face interviews. Lock is used to demonstrate the shortfalls of humans in general such as the fact we often make judgements based on emotions and personal experiences rather than evidence. And on the flip side, we see how algorithms lack empathy, discretion, and nuance. Callaghan's approach is fair and balanced, there's clear pro and cons to each, leaving the reader to make their own decision whether AI-powered detectives are helpful.

In my not so humble opinion, I don't think we're far off. We already have Alexa/Siri/Miss Google, self-driving cars, the braziest cybersecurity solutions you could ever imagine etc... who knows maybe Mark Zuckerberg has a whole fleet of AI detectives scouring the internet for anti-metaverse individuals LOL. But you can't deny that the speed at which AI can learn and spit out info is a huge value to humans, especially law enforcement. Instead of wasting HOURS manually trawling through text messages, why not toss Lock the files and get the break down in 20 seconds? I work in cybersecurity and the industry is all about leveraging automation to replace tedious human tasks... this is naturally the next step.

ANYWAYZ I also felt the characters were well-written and distinct. Callaghan did a great job of creating backstories that shaped each character's perception and behaviours. I did find Kat a bit stubborn, but that's just part of the genre. And she certainly wasn't DD Warren's inexplicable level of stubborn, so all gucci there. The relationship between Kat and her son Cam was heartfelt and realistic (coming from a childless person though sooo?? LOL)

Although I solved the case very early, I still found myself engrossed in the story and blazing through it like Usain Bolt at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I really hope Callaghan is working on book #2 because I'm excited to see what Kat, Lock, and the rest of the gang get into next!!!

PROS AND CONS

Pros: A solid 5 stars for creativity, dimensional and diverse characters, insightfulness regarding AI replicating humans (or should humans be replicating AI??), and a well-executed plot with cheeky humour peppered throughout.

Cons: nada really, I was unbothered