Synopsis
LONDON 2027.
Terrorists deploy London Black, a highly sophisticated nerve gas, at Waterloo Station. For ten percent of the population – the ‘Vulnerables’ – exposure means near-certain death. Only a lucky few survive.
LONDON 2029.
Copy-cat strikes plague the city, its Vulnerable inhabitants kept safe by regular Boost injections. As the anniversary of the first attacks draws near, DI Lucy Stone, a guilt-ridden Vulnerable herself, is called to investigate the gruesome murder of a scientist. Her investigation soon unearths the possibility that he was working on an antidote – one that Lucy desperately needs, as her Boosts become less and less effective.
But is the antidote real? And can Lucy solve the case before her Boosts stop working?
My Thoughts
Firstly, I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Oh my. This book had me absolutely hooked! Firstly, the premise is of a deadly attack of nerve agents and the descriptions of its effects are horrifying. This is definitely not a book for the faint hearted! Everything about the situation that London finds itself in with the attacks felt so real, especially given what has happened globally over the last few years. The atmosphere that the author created was so tense and the story moved at such a great pace, you always found yourself thinking “just one more chapter”.
I really enjoyed the range of characters in the book, and I was particularly touched by Lucy’s backstory with her husband. I don’t want to spoil it, but it really pulled at my heartstrings in such a tragic way. The author leaves breadcrumbs throughout the book so you are left wondering what the devastating “thing that happened” was, and it blew me away with the reveal.
My only niggle is there were quite a few characters so I found it sometimes a little bit hard to keep track of exactly who was who. That being said, I’ve found that with a fair few books recently so that probably says more about me than the book!
If you enjoy crime, sci-fi or dystopia, I would highly recommend London in Black. I thought it was brilliant.
Mikaela Reads 