Exciting thriller with near future technology and AI

My rating:  5 out of 5

A woman goes missing, which is impossible given the technological advances in place.    Can she be found, and the technological glitches resolved?  Or is there something more sinister happening? 

A brilliant thriller where the nanny state is enhancing the freedom of citizens, or controlling them, depending on your point of view.  DI Lussac (who prefers the old freedoms) and his young DC  (who loves the new technology) are trying to track down the missing woman, and begin to discover some unsettling truths about the AI systems.  Meantime there is a lot of humour as DI Lussac rebels against the technologies that are there “for his own good”.

The ideas about the future of technology are great, and very plausible.    Meanwhile the suspense builds up as the likeable detectives try and resolve what is going on, and the plot races to an exciting end, enhanced by chapters narrated by the “Thief” who puts the other side of the story, and really adds to the many cliff hangers. 

5*s from me as the storyline is brilliant, though a little dark and chilling in places.  The book has got me thinking about (and talking about) the technological innovations Jem Tugwell introduces in the book.  Are they are good or bad thing?   How long will it be before we have systems such as these in place? 

Plenty of discussion topics here for book clubs!