Fast paced book with an interesting and very timely premise. It really makes one think twice about giving up autonomy and relying on artificial intelligence. Great topic for a book club.

It's near-future Britain, and self-driving cars with no human override have become the norm. They will soon be the only legal vehicles. There are a lot of benefits. Most importantly, because the cars communicate with each other, there is far less traffic congestion and far fewer accidents.

But what happens when something goes wrong? When there is a crash, and a Passenger or a pedestrian is killed? Who is at fault?

There's a jury system, and juries are composed mostly of experts and representatives of interest groups, with only one member of the general public.

This week, that member of the general public is Libby Dixon, a mental health nurse who deeply distrusts self-driving cars, indeed AI of all sorts, and does her best to minimize her use of it and exposure to it. Her first couple of days on the jury have not increased her trust, as they seem to rush through cases without sufficient evidence and always, always, the jury decides that a dead or injured pedestrian or someone whose property was destroyed by a car avoiding another car is the person ultimately to blame. And then all the techie goodness in their jury room is taken over by "the hacking collective."

With all the conflict in the jury room, they are now also dealing with a third party, eight hijacked cars each with one hapless Passenger, each of whom has a dark secret.

The self-driving cars have been hacked and set on a collision course. In two and half hours, they will collide and kill all of the Passengers--all except one.

And the jurors have to vote on who the one survivor will be--with one additional vote being cast by the public collectively on social media.

One car is blown up to prove the hijackers can. One car is blown up when a crowd tries to rescue the Passenger. One car is blown up when the hijackers demand that the jurors choose one Passenger to die, or all the cars will be blown up.

And then the jurors are required to each pick a Passenger to interview, to make their best case for why they should be the Passenger to be saved from the mass collision that will kill the rest.

In each case, we learn dark things about the Passenger, but without much detail or background. The married couple traveling to their separate work locations in separate cars? The husband has two wives and someone is blackmailing him over it--and the wife in the other car is the secret blackmailer, punishing him for the betrayal. The aging actress, long considered a national treasure, has been protecting her husband from being discovered and prosecuted as the pedophile he is. The woman who is seven months pregnant with a baby she and her husband have long wanted has her husband's dead body in the trunk of the car.

But each of these dark secrets is sprung by the hijackers at the end of the ten minutes each of the passengers gets to defend themselves, with no opportunity to explain or clarify their motives. Or, indeed, what is really going on.

And of course, in the process, we're also learning a great deal about the jurors, and what criteria the self-driving cars apply to decide who lives and who dies.

This is a dark and fascinating character study as well as a thriller.

Completely absorbing. I honestly couldn't put it down, and I really don't like dark books. This is extremely well done, and drew me in though I didn't want it to.

Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, and am reviewing it voluntarily.

This is a fast paced thriller with a post-apocalyptic serial killer feel to it.
It is thought provoking, given that the author dispenses only what he wants you to know about the characters at the time, your opinion may change as to who or what is right or wrong during the course of the book.

An explosive combination of future technology and social media make this a compelling read. Yes, there are eight autonomous cars. Yes, those cars are hijacked. Yet, there is so much more to this chilling new thriller than the action movie premise presented in the summary. At stake is the concept of the intrinsic value in our fellow human beings. This value comes from the Creator and cannot be calculated by algorithms. A much needed reminder that with advances in technology comes much responsibility. It also occurs to me that if you are reading Ruth Ware's new book (The Turn of the Key) and then this one, you may find yourself tossing your smartphone and pumping up your bicycle tires.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is one delightfully messed up book that kept me guessing throughout! And look- you will question your humanity as you fly through the pages, because okay, the entire premise is horrifying, and I promise, it fully delivers.

Here's the thing: you need to go into this as blind as possible. There are twists upon twists, and just when you think you know where things are going.. you're wrong because more twists. It's awesome like that. But again, this is why you need to know as little as possible! I was honestly amazed how the author was able to make such a huge cast of characters worth caring about. Yes, there is one main character, but we learn a lot about side characters, and they're equally important.

And then there's my favorite part: The Passengers is one of the most thought-provoking, terrifyingly plausible books I have ever read. There's commentary on social media, on mob mentality, racism, classism, sexism, and just about every other unhealthy function of society. And the moral gray areas are so prevalent they'll make you question everything you thought you knew- about society and your own choices. Because make no mistake, this book will ask you to make your own decisions along the way; you simply can't help but do so. And as you read this thrilling, unputdownable novel, you'll find yourself in the main character's shoes more than once.

Bottom Line: It's a must-read for anyone who can handle the gritty content. The excitement and surprises are on full blast, but it also is a stunning analysis on both these characters, and humanity as a whole.

The Passengers by John Marrs is a good Science Fiction book, that feels all too real and ask some pretty big questions. I love a good Science Fiction novel that look at the future and asks should we as a society be questioning this; and that is what John Marrs delivers with The Passengers, as he looks to the future and the dangers of self automated cars driven by A.I., it also looks at the growing power of social media and it's influence in the future. This book reminded me of the Roger Corman film Death Race 2000 meets Stephen King's The Long Walk all wrapped in an episode of Black Mirror. This could totally be an episode of Black Mirror for it's take on society and social media alone. If you have read John Marrs book The One ( The One is being adapted into a 10 episode Netflix mini-series) it matches DNA so find your soul mate, you'll get an added bonus, with that technology being is a small plot point in The Passengers which works really well on where technology is in the fictional near future. I really liked this book, but I was letdown by the ending, which veered off in a direction that didn't seem to go with the beginning of the novel, it changed my sure to be 5 star review into a 4 star. I would like to thank Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for giving me the advanced copy for the American release in exchange for honest opinion. The Passengers by John Marrs has already released in the UK and is getting released on August 27 2019 in America.

The Plot: In the near future in Britain all cars have been fully automated making regular cars illegal. The cars now come with a seat that can swivel and media can be played on the windows, the car is operated by voice commands. The car death toll has gone down but they still happen, and have a jury decide who's at fault for the deaths, Libby is a guest on that panel. Libby is a mental health doctor, that doesn't trust the cars fully after watching a terrible accident a few years ago wipe out a family. Libby is the only civilian juror, the other jurors are medical professionals, government agent and clergy. So far since starting the panel no death has been the cars fault, the car are anti-hack proof, or so they thought. Today 8 people from different walks of life have had their vehicles taken over by a person on a automated voice calling himself the Hacker. The 8 passengers are all told they will die in 2 and a half hours as they reach their destination. The jury will decide who lives or who dies, Libby's world is turned upside down when she knows one of the passengers, and the hacker knows about her as well. It's a taut thriller ride that will put you in the passengers seat for the ride.

What I Liked: This novel does an excellent job with backstory picking and choosing when to reveal more about the characters at the right time. The twist and turns are through out this novel, keeping you the reader on your toes and not knowing who to trust. The humor comes in burst like the hashtag on Libby's bad shoes as she's deciding on someone's fate, and others. Me being a Communication Major I loved the take of social media in the near future. I enjoyed the characters and their ups and downs. The technology of the cars was well thought out, and great twist involving that technology later. The hacker was a great puppet master type villain, until the ending , but until that point great character work. I do like that Brexit is now a thing marked in history as a milestone, that still affects Britain in the future.

What I Disliked: The ending is the only problem I had with this book, it's not horrible, but it just didn't fit at all, this novel is a smart tight thriller until the ending that is out of character and has a calculated character make a dumb mistakes and it took too long to get to the ending, once the rising action stops.

Recommendations: Despite me not enjoying the ending this is a worthwhile, often thought provoking novel, that looks at issues that could arise in our near future. I do recommend you check this one out. If you're a fan of Netflix's Black Mirror then you must check it out. If you like Science Fiction that challenges future technology, your sure to enjoy this one. I rated The Passengers by John Marrs 4 out of 5 stars.

*Received via NetGalley for review*

A fast-paced, tense psychological thriller dealing with issues of privacy, social perception, and people's fears of technology.

This is a book that is set in a not to distant possible future. Driverless cars are now in testing and Mr. Marrs take on the industry will get people to thinking. Hacker's seem to take great pleasure in testing security and exposing flaws in a system. I read this book fairly quickly but there were a few areas that I found myself skimming. I selected this book because the premise was appealing and different. I'd say the author did a good job of delivering a good story. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Passengers is a constant barrage of thrills, filled with deceptive characters, terrifying technology, and a mysterious force who holds everyone's lives in the balance. It's a simple premise — a few people get into their driverless cars and they get hijacked by an anonymous man informing them they'll die. What proceeds is anything but simple. There are so many shocking reveals and allegations that leave you constantly questioning whose side you're on. We're stuck as spectators on this horrifying ride.

The combination of genres made this an especially tense read. On the science fiction side, we have the iffy technology that the public currently doesn't trust. On the thriller side, we have the impending deaths of a few characters we've come to know. On the drama side, each of them has a secret, some minor in the greater scheme and some so massive, you'll do a double take. Nobody is who they seem, and that's what makes this such a great thriller. Honestly, most of them are surprisingly awful people and that makes it difficult to really side with anyone. That conundrum sucks you into the moral quandary of the book, brilliantly making you a part of the social experiment touted by the mysterious Hacker.

The book is reminiscent of And Then There Were None and Clue in terms of pacing and the shock-and-awe factor. I got swept up in the drama along with the rest of this fictional future world and each new tidbit made me flip through the pages a bit faster.

It's impossible to keep talking about The Passengers without giving away spoilers, and I don't want to do that. If you're into thrillers with a futuristic twist, or soap operas that never give up on their larger-than-life reveals, this is your book. The strong writing never lets up, providing shocks until the very end.

NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

A phenomenal thriller full of twist after twist. How can one book surprise me time and again? Just when I think I understand, another plot twist happens and I’m flabbergasted. I loved this story because you never know what is true and what is fake. Who is behind the hijacking? Who is really a terrible person and who is faking it? You don’t know and you don’t find out until the end. And even thought the book leads you on, it’s a nice smooth ride until, BAM! It hits you. Even the last few pages are filled with a plot twist. Five stars for The Passengers.

The Passengers has a unique plot and is a fast-paced read. The characters are interesting and presented in a way that made me curious to know more about them. There are themes related to Artificial Intelligence and how individuals are judged based on their value to society which are woven into the story. The weakest part for me was the ending which came across as a little contrived and rushed. Nevertheless, I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a suspenseful thriller that is off the beaten path.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the digital advance review copy.

I really enjoyed this book & the premise. It could have been 5 stars but at about 80%, it took a downward swing and I just wanted to get through it. I absolutely love John Marrs. I also like how the characters in his books are well developed and relatable. This is worth the read and will get you thinking about the future and driverless cars.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I finished this book a couple of days ago and it is still in my thoughts. Such a haunting premise and one that isn't really that far fetched. We have learned from many stories and movies over the year that with technological advances always comes the chance for big problems and this book is no different. What is different about this book is the depth of richness in all of the characters, and the truly surprising twists that I didn't see coming.
I finished this book well into the night because I couldn't put it down. When I thought that it was almost over yet another twist caught me that I didn't expect. Fantastic characters, themes, and plot lines all make this one of my favorite books of the year! Don't miss it!
Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy

Self Driving cars?! Yep that’s the future and you get those in this book. What do you get with self driving cars and a hacker?... a whole lot of trouble, you definitely do t want to be stuck in.
Apart from the eight people who have found themselves trapped in their car, unable to control the course, unable to communicate with anyone. They are unwilling victims of Hackers determined to prove that cars are not as safe as they're claimed to be. And the public will have to choose; which one will survive, and which ones will die? They're on a collision course, quite literally...
In a very loosely way this book reminded me of The Bone Collector, but with cars and a hacker and vengeance.

Intriguing premise, beautifully executed. What I loved most about this book--even more than the interesting overarching plot--was the really well fleshed out stories of almost all the characters. Each one could have been turned into a fascinating novel on its own. At first I was worried that it wouldn't be easy to keep track of all the characters, but the author did a masterful job of returning to each one to add another layer of detail and plot development and it turned out not to be a problem at all. I liked how each time I jumped to a conclusion, it turned out there was another side to that person's story. All in all, I thought the book was great! Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC.

A chilling examination of the effects of technology on the moral and ethical behavior of those in control of it and those who unwittingly use it. This is sort of a dramatic treatise of AI, autonomous cars, social media, class and race, and decision-making under stress. Even though this description might sound a little clinical, this fast-paced and heart-pounding thriller is one that you won't soon forget -- even as you pick up your cell phone, strap on your smart watch or power up your tablet.

Think for a moment about what is known about you from your internet search history, medical records, online purchases, level of education, GPS location services, average and projected earnings, relationships, size of your mortgage, criminal record and who you associate with on social media. "...it's like a constantly evolving biography...that can change daily." What if decisions about your life and death were made by people just viewing that information? Sound preposterous and way too "big brother"? That's the premise of this book.

Eight people get into their autonomous (completely out of the driver's control) cars one morning. Within minutes, the vehicle has been taken over by an entity identified as "the Hacker" who delivers this terrifying message: "The only thing you need to know at this point is that two hours and thirty minutes from now, it is highly likely that you will be dead."

In a secret room, meeting #3121 of the Vehicle Inquest Jury is about to begin. But today's usually forgone conclusions are going to be interrupted by "the Hacker" and the new role he has assigned them. These 5 people (4 government appointed individuals and a random member of the public) will be given the impossible task of choosing which ONE of those 8 people in the controlled vehicles gets to live.

In addition, the entire world will be watching -- and VOTING -- on social media using hashtags and providing visual feed as the events transpire. As everyone is glued to their devices, the jurors are given the chance to interview each of the "Passengers" in the locked autonomous cars to allow them to explain why they should be the one chosen to live. NO SPOILERS.

This was a great read that actually almost makes me want to disconnect from the online world and hole up in my house with the shades drawn. Although set a few years into the future, anyone can see that technology is driving innovation that will put way too much of our personal information in the hands of others to use as they see fit. Lack of privacy is already a concern for many and justly so. Who knows how your data could be used and for what purpose. The writing was excellent and I was racing through the pages, unable to put this book down from the moment I opened it, speeding to the explosive conclusion and left pondering all the ramifications. Scary? Very. Although there are quite a few characters, it was easy to identify with them, despise some and empathize with others. And I can't wait to hear what others think of it once they've read this. What a great movie or miniseries this would make!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Books for this e-book ARC to read and review. I'm going to be thinking about this one for a long time.

Wow!

I am so happy I've read this book thanks to Netgalley because I know I probably would have never read it otherwise. I enjoy a mystery/thriller once in a while and this one has a sci-fi twist that feels like it could become real life in a few years which made the topics so much more interesting. In this world, driverless cars are everywhere. People were told that it's impossible to hack them. However, "the Hacker" is going to prove them wrong by hacking and holding Passengers hostages telling them they will die in 2 and half hours.

I was on the edge of my seat during the entire book. It had so many twists and turns I never wanted to put it down. I really didn't expect some things and I feel like I'm still recovering from what happened.

I am definitely going to check out John Marrs's other works because if it's anything like this one, I'm going to love it.

(Thank you for letting me read and review this book via Netgalley)

I could not stop reading this book. I was surprised by the twists as the book went on. I liked how it made me think about my digital life and how much we over-rely on our technology.

Idgie Says:

This is a fast paced ride of a read! It starts out with a bang and continues it's twists and turns until the very last page. It keeps you on the edge of your seat as secrets continue to be revealed and as you realize just how much of your personal information is out there, waiting to be grabbed by others, via cameras, electronic messaging, records that are easily hacked, etc.


The novel has a huge moral conundrum surrounding it in regards to who is worthy of flourishing in the world and who might be considered "disposable". It shows a sad depiction of social media, which unfortunately is probably spot on.


I tore through the novel in two days, forgoing other needed things such as food and sleep....... and it was worth it.

Review live on my site on Sept. 10, 2019

A terrific premise that kept me turning pages to the very end, despite thin characters and uninspired writing.