The Explorer by James Smythe #review

This book as with quite a few recently I blame my fascination on because of blogger Michael of Literary Explorer. Michael has a literary explorer challenge that I’ve joined and as they are genre I had planned to read anyway well I’ve cheated and joined what I like to think/hope will be an easy challenge. I say that but keep failing my reading challenges so we shall see.

Back to the book. Michael has quite interesting taste in his reads and I for one have dubbed him my guru because he has recommended so many wonderful reads to me. Burial Rites which I actually won on his blog was one of my fave reads of last year such brilliant work that when he said this one was great and after reading the blurb well I didn’t argue I checked my library and snatched up my own copy. I’ll be reading book two The Echo very soon.

A tense, claustrophobic and gripping science fiction thriller from the author of The Testimony.

When journalist Cormac Easton is selected to document the first manned mission into deep space, he dreams of securing his place in history as one of humanity’s great explorers.

But in space, nothing goes according to plan.

The crew wake from hypersleep to discover their captain dead in his allegedly fail-proof safety pod. They mourn, and Cormac sends a beautifully written eulogy back to Earth. The word from ground control is unequivocal: no matter what happens, the mission must continue.

But as the body count begins to rise, Cormac finds himself alone and spiralling towards his own inevitable death … unless he can do something to stop it.

I enjoyed this one immensely. It is a book about an exploration expedition into space. Go see what is out there. Ahhh how I love this subject. I’d hop on one myself if it wasn’t for the fact that I couldn’t pay off the Russians, NASA is not doing any missions okay and I’m not an astronaut. Pity.

We have our crew and our protagonist, Cormac. He is a journalist picked to document the journey and blog it, write it, record it and share it with the world. The story is told by Cormac from his experience on board to how the crew got to know each other during training. You really get to know the others as Cormac tells a good story. Then there is an event. Can’t say what it would give a major story line away suffice it to say holy crap! Then well I can’t really say its a book that is hard to review without giving away giant details that you don’t want to share as its what makes it a great read.

You empathise, sympathise, there is shock – awe – disbelief. It is a book that I enjoyed in the beginning then when the “thing” happened that I can’t share I sat there with the book mesmerised I had enjoyed it up till then and from then on I just turned the page faster and faster because the story became amazing. I have read some great reads recently but this book had me mesmerised and that hasn’t happened in quite some time. I just had to know I had to find out Cormac’s story.

If you enjoy literary thrillers, mystery some sci fi read this. Even if that isn’t your usual read I recommend this one because this is a book worth reading. A must for the TBR and in fact bump the others and read this. You will not be sorry.

The Explorer is the first in The Anomaly Quartet series and is available in print and ebook. Book two The Echo is also available

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