The Passengers by John Marrs

The days of getting into your car and not knowing if you will make it to your destination in one piece are nearly a thing of the past.  With developments in technology we have moved rapidly from artificial intelligence assisting us with driving, to fully automated cars that do everything for you.  You don't have to worry about avoiding other cars, and your car will react to potential hazards so all you need to do is sit back and relax.  The new cars are safe, easy to use, and impossible to hack - or at least that is what everyone has been told.  People are no longer drivers, they are Passengers.  There is a dark little secret hidden within the industry though, one that has to involve a member of the public, but is so secret that they are essentially gagged to prevent them talking about - a jury that investigates crashes involving driverless cars and assigns blame.  

Libby Dixon is the latest civilian drafted into the five person Vehicle Inquest Jury, and things have not been going well.  Every time she voices an opinion she is ignored, talked over, or treated like an idiot.  Any hopes she had of making a difference are quickly evaporating - and then the unthinkable happens.  Eight driverless cars have been hacked and are under the control of a hacker who has exposed Libby and the rest of the jury to the world - and who has set them the task of choosing which of the Passengers should live, with the rest set to die in a fatal collision in a few hours time.  It's not just up to the jury though, public opinion matters too and various hashtags are trending on social media almost too quickly to follow.  At a glance the Passengers represent all aspects of society, and people are quick to make snap decisions about their value - but noone is truly what they appear on the surface.  When the first Passenger dies it becomes clear that the Hacker means business, and that they know more about the jury than they are supposed to.  Who will the jury and public choose to save - and what connection does Libby have to the Passengers and the work of the jury?

John Marrs was a surprise find for me with The one and I was a little tentative to pick up The passengers as I was worried it wouldn't be as good - I shouldn't have worried at all because it was just as good if not better.  The speculative fiction end of science fiction is challenging to write because it is so close to our current world/time that you really need to get people to shake off now quickly and commit to the story and John Marrs is very good at doing that.  Like many other authors Marrs also uses the switching character viewpoint, and he does it very very well indeed.  It is easy to connect to his characters because you spend time in their shoes, and it is a very effective way to drag you through the story in the passenger seat (so to speak) because you feel more involved with the action.  The way Marrs reveals his characters and their secrets is a masterclass in making you feel connected to the characters while also testing how observant you are (and often how empathetic and observant you are).  These are characters you care about, and care about quickly.

After thoroughly enjoying reading The one, I picked up The Passengers in the hopes of finding another great read and was not disappointed.  Writing speculative fiction is challenging and it can be just as challenging to read - but I had no problems getting into the storyline.  John Marrs has a knack for writing his story in short sharp bursts that somehow manages to hook you into the story, connects you with the characters, and rapidly builds the tension.  One of the taglines I have seen quite often is that he is writing five minutes in the future, and you get that sense - we are currently hearing all about self driving vehicles and how they are trialing them.  It's not hard to think about the next step, with AI driving the vehicles and drivers becoming a thing of the past - we already hear stories of Tesla 'drivers' asleep at the wheel (complete with video).  

As someone who drives a lot I already see people distracted by their phones and devices and can easily see how people would embrace the idea of a completely self driving car - even with the ethical dilemmas that might arise.  As you read The Passengers it quickly becomes clear that there is more to the story than just a self driving car - in much the same way as there is more to The one than just a love match app.  I have The minders on my to be read pile so I look forward to seeing if it manages to live up to its predecessors.  Very well written and thoroughly engaging books that suck you in completely.

If you like this book then try:

• The one by John Marrs
• Next by Michael Crichton
• The dolls by James Patterson and Kecia Bal
• The runner by Stephen Leather
• Crimson Lake by Candice Fox
• The Store by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo
• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz
• Spare me the truth by C.J. Carver
• Kill a stranger by Simon Kernick

Reviewed by Brilla