Dr. Gillian Ryan has had a rough few years. After her husband developed a new pervasive form of dementia called Losian's (which has no set age of onset) they got into a car accident that severely damaged her leg and led to her current addiction to painkillers. On top of that, her husband passed away shortly after their daughter was born (who now also has Losian's) and now she found out her funding for Losian's research is being cut. Basically everything sucks for Gillian. That is, until an old college friend reappears in her life and offers her a position with NASA that could change everything but would require she leave her daughter for at least six months. Gillian has to decide if the promise of funding for her research is worth the precious time spent away from her daughter who could pass away at any moment.

This one was all over the place (in a really good way). Working in Gerontology I fully went into this one expecting to hate a horror story written about dementia. But Joe Hart did such a fantastic job of not only taking the real emotions that come with dementia (loss, anger, fear, frustration, helplessness) and created a world where people actually care about it (more than just those that work in the field and those with family members that have it). I found myself fully invested in Gillian's story and needed to know what the hell was going to happen next to her. The entire time I was playing guessing games with myself to determine what could possibly go wrong next and was pleasantly surprised to be wrong every time! It's always a bummer when a story is predictable and this one wasn't at all.

I highly recommend this one for horror fans. It had just the right amount of WTF moments mixed with reality to make it truly terrifying at times. An excellent read.

This was brilliant.

I love a good psychological thriller, I love a good dose of science fiction, I love a good mystery and I love great divisive characters. So to find them all under one magnificently readable roof was a pure joy for me.

Someone (I can’t remember who or I would credit them) described this as “Shutter Island in Space” and I can’t disagree with that assessment – Obscura follows Dr Gillian Ryan, as in an effort to find a cure for her daughter, she agrees to help out on a secretive mission – however she has been entirely deceived as to what this entails – so begins a completely mad adventure in space which is at turns thrilling, creepy as heck, thought provoking and just downright addictive. Which is strangely apt…

The story is so so good – descriptively speaking you feel every moment of this one. The tension, the claustrophobia, the isolation Gillian feels even from herself, it is all perfectly paced and beautifully written to absorb you into her world and the speculative future she resides in. There are thrilling moments, plenty of them too, alongside more considered themes, the author delves into the depths of human nature and it is a dark dark tunnel. There are also a lot heart breaking moments – the disease that takes away your memory and who you are – we know it, we have it in our lives, the horror and the sheer sadness of it is brought to vivid emotionally resonant life as Gillian fights her addiction and her feelings at leaving her daughter behind.

Surreal, intelligent and just a tiny bit crazy, this is one roller coaster ride of a novel that hits the right mark dead centre with every shot that it takes – then hits you again with one hell of an ending, I am hoping that there will be more to come, if not Joe Hart and I will be having words. Hmm.

Really really excellent. Highly Recommended.

Dr. Gillian Ryan is the leading mind on Losian's, a rare form of dementia that is progressively spreading. Losian's nearly killed her and her unborn child when her husband succumbed to the disease. Years later, her daughter Carrie's condition is worsening and Gillian is desperate to find a cure. When Gillian's funding is suddenly cut, she accepts an offer to collaborate with NASA on a top secret mission in exchange for lifetime funding and a chance to cure her daughter. Gillian agrees to travel to space for six months to observe the crew of a space station who seem to be experiencing symptoms similar to Losian's. As a string of nightmarish events unravel, Gillian is left with nowhere to run and unsure of who to trust. Someone is murdering the crew and Gillian might just be next...

Obscura is an action packed sci-fi thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. I had read some of Joe Hart's work and I really enjoy his writing style, so I was very excited to get a copy of this novel to review. I really love that Gillian has genuine flaws that the author works into the story line perfectly without it distracting from the plot. The novel does transition through several durations of time an events but it was very easy to follow and added to the suspense. I could not wait to figure out how this one would end. This was such a fantastic read that I can't wait to add it to my library as well as other novels he has written.

Well written, but a slow start. I just couldn't get into the story.

I have previously read and enjoyed the Dominion Trilogy and Liam Dempsey series, both by this author but had yet to read one of his stand alone books. This is a psychological crime thriller/sci-fi mix and I have found that these two genres work really well together. It is also very character driven, another thing I do love in a book so I had high hopes and expectations going in.
The story revolves around Dr Gillian Ryan, an eminent scientist who is specialising in finding a cure for a new form of dementia. This new disease is quite aggressive and affects people of all ages; its cause as yet unknown. Gillian has personal reasons for wanting a cure as it is a disease that has not only already taken her husband but is also starting to show in their young daughter. But her research isn't going as well as it could and her funding is on the verge of being cut. Then, one day, a blast from her past approaches her with a proposition. Her expertise is needed for something they are developing in space. In return for her assistance, she will be given the means and money to carry on her own research into what ails her child. All she has to do is travel to the space station to perform the tests - a six month deployment all told. Reluctantly she agrees even though leaving her daughter tears her heart out. The rewards will justify the means and all that. Or so she thinks, as pretty soon she discovers that she has been majorly lied to and what she has actually signed up for was nothing like what was described. But it's too late to turn back. And so begins a very scary time for Gillian as she is plunged into a world full of secrets, lies and violence. But what is being covered up? What is really going on and can Gillian expose it, stop it and survive?
Boy this was one heck of a ride from start to finish. I started this book quite late in the day and was only intending to read a few chapters but it gripped me so hard that although I tried to put it down and go to sleep, I kept thinking about it and had to pick it up again and finish it before sleep was allowed to finally take me.
It was shocking, at times scary and so very cleverly plotted. The science elements were so credible that the whole thing came across to be very real; adding to the fear factor for me. Gillian was everything I wanted from a main character. She was a bit wounded but the nature of her sadness was what made her determined to carry on, Especially with regards to trying to save her daughter. She was not without her faults too, namely her addiction to pain killers which only added to her paranoia and helped make the book all the more claustrophobic and thrilling. Other characters were equally as well drawn which was a good thing as there were quite a few of them all told. It was quite exciting trying to work out which were good and which bad. A game made all the more complicated by the fact that, in this book, there wasn't just black and white but all the shades in between. There were also characters doing bad things for good reasons which adding another ingredient into the mix.
The action was at times exhausting; but not overwhelming. There were enough quieter moments to balance out the frenetic, action packed ones. This made the book on the whole very balanced. As you would expect, the action and pace ramps up towards the end when we have the final showdown. It was also, for me, a very visual book and I do not usually "see" what I read. Made for a very pleasant change.
All in all this was a cracking read that ticked every box for me and left me completely satisfied at the end. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Really enjoyed this book! Would recommend to friends. Kept me wanting more

I'm not a huge fan of Science fiction but I really liked this book.

The future. We have failed to take care of our planet. The pollution has caused a rare mental disorder in a segment of the population. Dr Gillian Ryan's husband died of this disease and now her daughter is afflicted. She will do whatever it takes to find a cure. After losing her funding for her lab, NASA wants to send her to the UN Space Station to analyze people who seem to have the same disease. A scientist has discovered how to do teleportation and it seems that doing this causes the same symptoms.

The story takes us through her journey, her research and her betrayal by NASA. Definitely a page-turner, stayed up too late finishing!

Thanks to #JoeHart ,#thomasandmercer , and #netgalley for an advanced ecopy of Obscura in exchange for my honest feedback.

I really recommend this book to all my thriller loving friends. I have seen so many people talking about being in a thriller rut, and this is just the book to bring you out of it. Obscura is a thriller set in the near future. The lead character is a female research scientist who is battling several personal demons when she is recruited by NASA to assist in figuring out what is going wrong with some of the crew on a space station far, far away.

The book definitely evokes some of the same feeling Andy Weir’s The Martian did for me a couple years ago. However, Obscura is definitely foremost a thriller with the science-fiction angle being secondary. The space setting of the majority of the book really gives it the super creepy atmosphere I love. Obscura reads like a movie almost, so vivid and action packed I felt almost like I was visualizing it as if onscreen.

If someone is looking for a unique, fun, creepy, atmospheric thriller, this should be at the top of your list.

Loved this fast-paced sci-fi thriller. The reviewer who comped it to Girl on the Train in Mars was spot on. Great cast of characters, fascinating premise and wonderful execution.

I thought this was terrific I thought it was really original, it was a mashup of Dystopian, and Sci Fi and hit two genres I really like.Terrific characters and descriptions and a good pace and story and some very unexpected moments, can't ask for more really.thanks to the publishers and netgalley for an ARC.

Loved this one. Very unusual premise, great characters and an immense feeling of tension really made this an absorbing and clever thriller.

Obscura

I don't think Joe Hart can write less than a 4 star book regardless of genre. This is scifi/mystery. I really enjoyed the topic since my son is a Nasa scientist working on the Mars project. Though I certainly wouldn't want his projects turning out like this one.

I thought it was very timely bringing up the opoid addiction of the main character. This book has a little bit of everything and is a quick read. I did think the other characters besides Gillian could have been fleshed out better. But still a great read. And since the ending is open ended, I'm hoping there will be a series.

I reallllly enjoyed this book. One of the perhaps lesser-known facts about me is that I love a good space movie. Apollo 13, Armageddon, Intersteller and Arrival are some of my favorite movies. Obscura fits right in that dystopian/space genre and the whole time I was reading this book I kept thinking what a great movie it would make (so someone get on that, please). It’s been a long time since I stayed up late to finish a book, but I had to! And once I finished, I wanted to start the book over right then, so I could read through it knowing what was happening, to figure out how little things actually had more meaning. The format of the book was a bit confusing at a few spots, but other than that, I don’t have any real complaints. I guessed who the main antagonist was going to be, but wasn’t really sure how everything would come together. I’m not 100% sold on the main climax of the book, but still really enjoyed it, and the ending was superb.

In Joe Hart's Obscura, researcher Dr. Gillian Ryan is on the verge of curing the disease that killed her husband and is threatening to destroy her 8-year-old daughter's life. The disease erases one's memories, much like Alzheimer's. When Dr. Ryan's research funding is axed, she makes a life-altering choice to work for a top-secret NASA program that promises to help her cure the disease.

As part of her assignment, Dr. Ryan must leave her daughter back on Earth for six months to investigate a mysterious case of memory loss involving several astronauts marooned at a space station. Her research on the astronauts promises a cure for her daughter, but when she arrives on the space station she learns that everything she thought about her mission was a farce. While in space, Dr. Ryan also begins to question reality as she struggles with hydrocodone withdrawals, an addiction that started after her husband passed away.

When Dr. Ryan and a team of scientists from NASA arrive at the space station, they discover that there is more than memory loss afflicting the astronauts: there's a murder, a suicide, and an attempted murder on Dr. Ryan. Is Dr. Ryan going mad, or is someone or something else is trying to take the lives of the space station's entire crew? In order to save her team, her research, and her daughter's life, Dr. Ryan and her colleagues will have to figure out what dark secrets the astronauts are hiding.

This was the second book I've read by Joe Hart, and it did not disappoint. I read it in less than 24 hours - it was so addicting. I loved that this book mixed so many genres, and if I had to choose a genre, I'd call it a psychological space thriller. I appreciate that the author included a female lead, as many sci-fi/technological thrillers are lacking in this regard. This book will be a favorite for readers who loved Blake Crouch's Dark Matter, Andy Weir's The Martian, or Annalee Newitz's Autonomous. Thank you to the author, Joe Hart, Thomas Mercer, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of Obscura.

Gripping science fiction mystery thriller that’s hard to put down. Unreliable protagonist ala girl on the train with an addiction problem, except it’s not a train but a spaceship hurtling to Mars.
Very much a page turner and ends on a cliff hanger so hopefully there will be more.

A really decent blend of sci fi and thriller. I had a few small problems with the book, but overall I enjoyed reading it and it kept me turning the pages. It kind of set it up to be a series and I'd definitely read more books about these characters!

Obscura is a story about a new form of dementia that does not discriminate age and the lengths people are willing to go to survive. Dr. Gillian Ryan is desperately searching for a cure for the illness that killed her husband and is threatening to take her daughter. She’s invited on a mission in space to work on that cure only to find out she’s been lied to about the mission and her purpose.

Obscura is a fantastic mix of science fiction and mystery. Hart is able to mix the two genres in organic ways that keeps the reader hooked. Not only is Obscura a thrilling science fiction mystery, it’s filtered through the lens of an addict desperately trying to fight through her urges. Gillian is an incredibly compelling main character; she’s driven by the loss of her husband, her love of her daughter, and the demands of her addiction. I was able to connect with her immediately as she’s thrown into space layered with politics and secrets.
Gillian is a layered main character thoroughly fleshed out, however the secondary and tertiary characters are not. Everyone she interacts with fulfill a purpose rather than being unique individuals.

The only issue I have with the novel, and the reason I rated it four stars instead of five, was the climax of the mystery was slightly convoluted and unclear. I’m not asking that Hart hold my hand and explain in excruciating detail what happened, however I am asking for more clarity. Despite the lack of clarity, I thoroughly enjoyed the conclusion of the story and the epilogue.

I would absolutely recommend this novel for fans of science fiction and mystery. It’s a quick read that will keep you glued to the pages and will also make you think. I will definitely be reading more of Hart’s work in the future.

Obscura by Joe Hart

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Expected publication date: May 8, 2018

Blast off! This book literally transported me to another world. Okay, well not literally, but you get the idea. Part science fiction and part murder mystery, Obscura follows the life of Dr. Gillian Ryan as she pursues a cure for Losian’s Disease, a crippling neurological disease that causes extensive memory loss. While her daughter is struggling with the disease, Gillian receives an offer she can’t turn down, continued funding for her research in exchange for assistance with a classified NASA mission. However, things are not as they seem! Joe Hart’s writing is fantastic, and I genuinely felt like I was walking in Gillian’s space shoes the entire time. Gillian is a likable character, and a true badass! I could feel her passion, helplessness, excitement, and every emotion in between as the story progressed.

I can’t even tell you how many times throughout Obscura I said, “I did not see that coming!” One of the best things about this book is the element of surprise. When you think you have things figured out, you don’t. I couldn’t put this one down (at the expense of my accounting class… oh well), and even chancing car sickness to read in the passenger seat during our long drive from Northern Indiana to Tennessee.

I will be highly recommending this one to family and friends. Even if you’re not a huge fan of science fiction. You don’t have to be, to be honest. The mystery is enough to get you hooked! Just make sure you don’t get lost in space!

-This advanced release copy was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Joe Hart for the opportunity to review-

What the hell did I just read?
This was just so very, very good. I’m not a plot rehasher (read the blurb), so I am just gonna sing this books praises for a minute!
Wow. Joe Hart has written a book about love and loss and addiction and space travel and betrayal and murder and what makes up the basic parts of people that make them human. Yes. All that. And it works. It works well.
And..bonus...it’s creepy af.
Gillian, as a character, is drawn pretty well. I found that I totally understood (even if I didn’t enjoy) the things she did because of her addiction. However, I work with addicts at a hospital all day, most days, and nothing an addict does in fiction will ever surpass what a real addict will do. I digress...
I don’t want to spoil the book. So I’m gonna wrap this up. I sincerely hope this is snapped up for a movie or even a limited series. It’s screenplay ready!!
I will be buying this for several people when it comes out and I cannot wait for them to read it so I can discuss it with them!
Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for a ARC in exchange for an honest review.
And thanks to Joe Hart for this great read!

Obscura is a story about a scientist, Dr. Gillian Ryan, who is pregnant with her first child. Her husband has started to forget things, stare vacantly at nothing and have violent outbursts. Before she is able to let him know she is pregnant he blanks out as they are driving and gets them into a horrific car accident. She survives and he is badly injured but his disease is rapidly deteriorating all the memories of her and their marriage. He eventually dies from the disease shortly after their daughter is born.
This incident drives Dr. Gillian Ryan to get her doctorate and began researching the disease for a possible cure when her daughter starts to show signs of the same disease. When her funding is cut off by the government she gets an unexpected offer from an old college flame who works for NASA. He wants her to travel to the International Space Station to study crew members who are starting to show signs of this mysterious disease in exchange for unlimited funding for her research. Even though it means leaving her daughter for 6 months the chance to cure her is to great and she agrees. Once she gets into outer space though nothing is quite what it seems.
I enjoyed that this book wasn't so technical that I lost interest and the ending was definitely unexpected. I'm hoping that this story continues but it is excellent as a stand alone novel!
If you liked The Martian by Andy Weir or The Deep by Nick Cutter, will enjoy this novel.
Riveting, fast paced, kept me on the edge of my seat. Loved it!