The Minders – John Marrs Blog tour review

My thanks to Isabelle Ralphs for sending an e-copy of the book. This John Marrs novel – The Minders is a step into the future of how life could be – and given what’s happening right now, who knows what could happen in 30 years time.

In the 21st century, information is king. But computers can be hacked and files can be broken into – so a unique government initiative has been born. Five ordinary people have been selected to become Minders –the latest weapon in thwarting cyberterrorism. Transformed by a revolutionary medical procedure, the country’s most classified information has been taken offline and turned into genetic code implanted inside their heads.

Together, the five know every secret – the truth behind every government lie, conspiracy theory and coverup. In return, they’re given the chance to leave their problems behind and a blank slate to start their lives anew.

But not everyone should be trusted, especially when they each have secrets of their own they’ll do anything to protect…

THE MINDERS, is an addictive, clever, story about a group of ordinary citizens selected by the government to act as the government’s gatekeepers in the battle against cyberterrorism: the country’s most classified information has been taken offline…and turned into genetic code which is implanted in these five people’s brains.

However, these five individuals have agreed to literally hold the government’s darkest secrets in their bodies in exchange to leave each of their own troubled lives behind. One of their number is not to be trusted…

Our Author – John Marrs

John Marrs is a former journalist from Northamptonshire, England, who spent 25 years interviewing celebrities from the world of television, film and music for national newspapers and magazines.
He wrote for publications including The Guardian’s Guide and Guardian Online; OK! Magazine; Total Film;Empire; Q; GT; The Independent; Star; Reveal; Company; Daily Star and News of the World’s Sunday Magazine.He recently gave up his job to write novels full time.

My Review – The Minders

This is the first John Marrs for me, (hangs head in shame) but not the last, I need to go back to the start and read his other books. What a beginning though, The Minders are 5 people, enlisted to essentially guard the nation from cyber attack by having the details of historical and current government information stored within them.

They all carry the gift or perhaps burden of ‘Synaesthesia’ where they can process information unlike others. To undergo being part of this programme, they have to leave their current lives and create new ones, they have received training, both physical and mental to ensure they are capable of living in plain sight but carry this information within. But living with the implanted data and its side effects – no pain receptors, so they can withstand torture and no empathy so to save them selves, if they have to inflict pain on others, they simply don’t care.

The 5 participants Flick, Charlie, Sinead, Emila and Bruno – know there are others, but not who or where they are. They’ve signed their lives away for promises of unlimited funds for their new lives, but at what costs – their own lives? Elimination is a real threat and with Edward Karczewski’s Minders constantly watching what they say and looking for escape routes brings problems. forced to keep others at arms length. They struggle to keep quiet and not divulge the secrets they know. But one of them hs to give up the others to survive

The Minders is total delight, each chapter is told by one of ‘the 5’ characters and leads to Scotland, Manchester and other places none of them had dreamt of being. Virtual reality and hackers, mind games and the reality of living a lie get the better of them and they let little things slip before they realise it s too late. A hugely enthralling thriller, I really enjoyed this and as I say will read more John Marrs, as he’s one not to be missed from now on in my bookish world, which has no virtual reality at all.

Be sure to check out what everyone else thinks of The Minders and follow the rest of the blog tour.