In The Blink of An Eye

Winner of the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year and the CWA New Blood Dagger

By: Jo Callaghan

Narrated by: Rose Akroyd, Mendez

THE SUNDAY TIMES bestseller, as seen on BBC 2's BETWEEN THE COVERS
A WATERSTONES THRILLER BOOK OF THE MONTH

*WINNER* OF THE THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2024
*WINNER* OF THE CRIME WRITERS' ASSOCIATION ILP JOHN CREASEY (NEW BLOOD) DAGGER 2024

AND NOMINATED FOR TWO OTHER MAJOR AWARDS
Capital Crime Book of the Year 2023
Crimefest Specsavers Best Debut Crime Novel

‘I devoured this in one sitting’ Rob Rinder, as featured on BBC 2’s Between the Covers
‘Terrifyingly timely and provocative' Val McDermid
'The most original crime novel you'll read this year' Clare Mackintosh

In the UK, someone is reported missing every 90 seconds.
Just gone. Vanished. In the blink of an eye.

DCS Kat Frank knows all about loss. A widowed single mother, Kat is a cop who trusts her instincts. Picked to lead a pilot programme that has her paired with AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) Lock, Kat's instincts come up against Lock's logic. But when the two missing person's cold cases they are reviewing suddenly become active, Lock is the only one who can help Kat when the case gets personal.

AI versus human experience.
Logic versus instinct.
With lives on the line can the pair work together before someone else becomes another statistic?

In the Blink of an Eye is a dazzling debut from an exciting new voice and asks us what we think it means to be human.

'Just brilliant!' Lisa Jewell

'Has to be a strong contender for crime debut of the year - sharp, perceptive writing and a brilliant new take on the detective duo' T. M. Logan

'Everything you could hope for in a thriller: heartbreaking, intelligent, deftly plotted and so original' Fiona Cummins

'Jo Callaghan makes her entry into the crowded police procedural genre with a fresh take on the buddy-buddy cop trope . . . Provocative and compelling' Vaseem Khan

'The kind of fresh and fearless debut I just adore. Wildly original, heartfelt, funny, and properly thrilling. Take a bow, Jo Callaghan' Chris Whitaker

Fresh, pacey

Executed with remarkable mastery - the AI, characters and plot in understated solidity. Delivers Welkom the conceit without falling in any of the usual traps