I've just read the first five chapters of this new book by Claire North - a pre-publication teaser - and now can barely wait to get hold of the full book. I haven't learned a great deal about the story beyond what's in the blurb, but I want more!

So far I've liked everything by this author that I've read, and 84K looks to be no exception. The author quickly establishes the setting as London; a London that is kind of familiar, but somewhat disturbing in certain aspects. It's a place where public services have been corporatised. Call an ambulance and the operator tries to upsell - and if, in the end, you don't have insurance, then bad luck. It's not so bad if you need the police. The Corporate Police have their shareholders to consider when charging for an investigation, but at least they are reliable. Not like the Civic Police for the uninsured...

This is an alternate reality where human rights have been abolished, and if you commit a crime your first concern will be whether you can afford the fine determined by the Criminal Audit Office, where Theo Miller works.

The author's style is familiar. Razor-sharp, fast-paced, and at times almost a stream-of-consciousness delivery, with sentences left unfinished, forcing my brain to keep up and fill in the gaps.

Looking forward to publication.

I'm very excited to read the whole novel, this fragment was AMAZING. Claire North is a superb writer with fresh ideas. She knows how to keep the reader inside the story. I mostly love her characters, so alive, so real.

Very interesting start. It seems that North has started another kind of novel, but with the same style. Can't wait to continue the story.