Member Reviews
I found this to be very unique with an intriguing plot, it took me a little while to get in to this but once I did it was enjoyable
When I think of mystery, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the thrills. This is a perfect book to snuggle up with on any day.
Interference is a unique science fiction thriller. It reads like an intense movie that keeps you guessing and on the edge of your seat.
Matt is a quantum physicist who has been experiencing seizures. With no sure reason or explanation for them as to why they are occurring he and his wife are started to worry. Before they get a chance to ask more questions, Matt disappears after another seizure. His wife makes it her mission to find out what is happening and who is responsible.
I loved the mystery behind the whole story as well as the science. It's so cool to learn about quantum physics and also feel like you are part of the whodunnit journey.
I give Interference 4 stars. It's a good mixture of science fiction and thriller. It will definitely keep readers on the edge of their seat
Matt Bronik, a Quantum Physicist, begins to have seizures without any medical cause. So, could it be something with his research that is causing them? When Matt disappears during a seizure-like episode we are left trying to find out why. As someone who works in a Physics-based profession, I was super excited to pick up a book with quantum physics themes. Brad Parks did his research and it made the subject understandable without being over the top. Parks sets up a great mystery with some well-developed characters and a few twists and turns that keep you guessing.
Thank you Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Brad Parks for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
A riveting read. I couldn't put it down. Literally. I even forgot to eat and only took a break to answer the bathroom call. The end even tripped me up!
“Because if life can go quantum, it literally changes existence as we know it.”
𝙩𝙬: violence, murder (Please contact me for clarifications.)
Quick Take
A sci-fi thriller that takes you on a non-stop ride through the quantum universe, greed, and a wife’s quest to stop at nothing to find her missing husband.
Review
Brad Parks is an established thriller writer that I hadn’t read until I requested an ARC of Interference. For this standalone novel, Brad Parks has gained a lifelong reader (me). For anyone not familiar with his work, he is the ONLY author to have won the Shamus, Nero, and Lefty Awards, three of American crime fiction’s most prestigious prizes (taken from author bio on last page). I can absolutely see why once I read Interference.
As a fan of both thrillers and sci-fi, this one breathed new life into some of my favorite genres.
Some sci-fi lovers may find this one a little flat for their taste as it does focus more heavily on the thriller aspect with the scientific quantum realm weaved into the core of the action. I’m not unfamiliar with quantum physics but I am not in any way qualified to discuss it at length and I’m pretty sure Brad Parks knew that when writing. He made it very easy to understand the more abstract nature of some of the concepts and it didn’t distract from the narrative.
The sense of wonder and awe at the vastness of the universe and all things seen and unseen, was enthralled by this story and allowed me to enjoy it from many perspectives: the (arm chair) crime solver, scientist-at-heart, speculation queen, and wife.
And I’m still over here wondering “Where does quantum physics end and the classical world begin?”
Final Verdict
★★★★☆
As a fan of both thrillers and sci-fi, this one breathed new life into some of my favorite genres.
I highly recommend Interference to any and all thriller AND sci-fi fans.
Favorite Quotes
We all have our illusions in this world, and we cling to them. We think we’re standing on a broad, sturdy cruise ship of an existence when really we’re floating in a life raft.
"There’s no certainty. Just probability. Einstein hated this. “Gott wuffelt nicht,” he fumed. Commonly translated as: God doesn’t play dice with the universe."
"But the smallest life form, a virus, is ten to the negative seven meters. And some bacteria aren’t much larger. We’ve already surpassed that sizewise. Could we actually interfere a living thing? Or is life, in fact, the dividing line between the quantum world and the classical one?"
Many thanks to Brad Parks, Thomas & Mercer, and Megan Beatie Communications for the galley copy in exchange for my honest review.
Is this quantum physics time travel, or a kidnapping?
This was such a good, quick read for me. It was one of those that keeps me thinking when I'm working and keeps me wanting to go back and keep reading more!
Professor Matt Bronik is immersed in quantum physics work in his lab, some of it is top secret. Matt disappears after having several "seizures" in his lab. What ensues is a thrilling, keep you guessing until the end ride to find him and figure out what is going on. Fans of thrillers, mysteries will love this. Great, solid fun read.
Reading about quantum physics feels smart. Sometimes something can be written so it is obviously over the reader’s head, or with the assumption that the reader is smart enough to get it. In this case, the descriptions about quantum physics were almost understandable.
What an unexpected book! While the whole "quantum physics" angle seemed to suggest a lot of sci-fi to the story line, there were several old-fashioned twists and turns from human interactions and motivations. Without spoiling any surprises, don’t think you need to enjoy scientific theories to enjoy this book.
The characters were multi-faceted and believable. A lot of interactions were influenced by the fact that the main character’s wife was hard of hearing. Imagine trying to find your way through crisis situations while relying on other people acknowledging your need for additional accommodations, or by reading their lips. Her stress was definitely understandable. The lead missing persons detective also seemed emotionally involved to a great degree, as his wife had recently died. His compassion for the situation of the main character and his wife came through vividly.
Overall, I’d give this book 4 out of 5 stars. The plot and its developments were intricate and unexpected. The characters had a depth and dimension that really compelled the reader to keep going and find out how it all would end.
I've thoroughly enjoyed Bard Parks' earlier books and this is another winner. A very clever plot that keeps you intrigued to the very end.
Matt Bronik is a physicist working in the ground breaking area of quantum mechanics. He starts having episodes / fits that have medical staff baffled. Are they tied to his research work? Then he is kidnapped. Is this the work of a foreign government wanting to get access to his research? Or is the danger closer to home?
One to keep you guessing.
WIth over 5000 ratings, I don't have anything new to add. I'll just recommend this to thriller fans. I enjoyed it overall.
Thanks very much for the review copy!!
If you haven't read a Brad Parks novel, you're missing out. He's a little bit James Patterson, a little bit of James Grisham, and now with "Interference" he's a little bit of Dan Brown.
Where his previous novel "Say Nothing" was about the legal system, Parks goes into science fiction realm as he follows Matt Bronik, a physicist who finds himself studying a new virus (I know) that, once he is exposed, makes him have seizures.
During one, he's taken by what seem like parademics - only there's no hospital record of him being admitted or even picked up. And a no-bounds billionaire wants access to what he was studying.
His wife beings a search for him as his assistant claims she was exposed to the virus - and can now "communicate" with Matt.
What you're getting is a quick read and we all know sometimes we need one of those. It's got a lot of science and it co-habits with domestic fiction about his marriage and work life.
This book is so different -- I normally would get lost with a book about quantum physics -- but as usual Brad can keep me not only interested but fascinated. I could not put this book down!!
I think that this was a decent crime thriller.
The chapters were short and always ended in an intriguing way, which made me want to rush to the next chapter. I devoured the book in a couple sittings.
I also found the twist/reveal to be good. I didn't see it coming which is rare. I think many people would like this book for that fact alone. It's difficult to pull off a truly surprising whodunnit and this books does it here.
But I do feel like the book was lacking in other respects. Mainly, in the character motivations. The book has multiple POV's and it never felt like the characters were given enough room to actually have some emotions. Even the wife, who is the main character. I never got a sense of who she was and it didn't like enough time was spent building out the love she has for her husband. I think that needed to be done for the reader to connect with her situation. There was also another character who had no reason to be there. Any time spent in his POV, I kept asking myself "Why is he here? Why does he care about this?". And there was never any real answer.
Not a bad book by any means and I don't regret reading.
Quantum physicist Matt Bronik is suffering from strange, violent seizures that medical science seems powerless to explain—much to the consternation of his wife, Brigid.
Matt doesn’t think these fits could be related to his research, which he has always described as benign and esoteric. That, it turns out, is not quite true: Matt has been prodding the mysteries of the quantum universe, with terrible repercussions for his health. And perhaps even for humanity as a whole.
This was a classic who done it read.
The setting was great. But it didn't live up to it. I guess I was expecting a little more.
The characters weren't bad.
The plot was good, I did feel at one time that I was starting to loose interest but as I kept getting to the end, it did pick up.
Overall..... Good book.
Thank You NetGalley. publisher & Author for this copy.
It actually started out pretty promising, the whole notion of quantum physics breakthrough that changes the world and is worth killing for. But as the story unfolds, if becomes a somewhat more traditional run-of-the-mill thriller. Enjoyable to read, but not really delivering on the promise it sets at the beginning.
I love a good thriller which also lets me learn more about subjects which might otherwise not come into my world. This is one of those books. I loved the characters and seeing how they dealt with pressure and making tough decisions. The writing style itself is strong - simple but evocative. A great book for those who want something a bit different from the thriller genre.
Interference by Brad Parks is a fast-paced, brilliantly written mystery that keeps you guessing.
What happened to Professor Matt Bronik, and why now is everyone interested in his research?
We have three points of view in this story, Brigid Bronik (Matt's wife), Detective Emmett Webster (of the New Hampshire State Police), and Sean Plottner (millionaire entrepreneur). We see how the disappearance of Professor Matt Bronik affects the lives of three people and how it also changes their lives.
This story delves a lot on quantum physics, and it's theories. I am not a scientist and couldn't dispute any of the ideas used in the book. However, it is written in a way that I understood what was going on. The quantum physics gave the story that element of newest and more intrigue, which I truly enjoyed.
Brigid Bronik
Brigid is a librarian, mother, and wife of Matt. She has also lost the majority of her hearing, wears hearing aids, and can read lips. Brigid's support system outside of her marriage is small. In fact, it consists of her sister Aimee. That doesn't seem like a lot, but their devotion and love for each other is phenomenal. Aimee steps in to take care of Brigid and Matt's son, Morgan, while Brigid assists in looking for Matt.
What I like about Brigid is her strength and deep love for those close to her. Brigid doesn't let her disability stop her from engaging with those searching for her husband. I think it makes her better suited to figuring things out.
Detective Emmett Webster
Emmett was supposed to be retired, but the sudden loss of his wife has him still working. However, the higher-ups have transferred him from homicide to missing persons, due to his age and that he didn't retire. Emmett is old school when it comes to his job. He is out there beating the pavement and writing everything down in a notebook as opposed to using an electronic tablet. This transfer works out well for the Broniks as Emmett really helps with saving Matt.
Emmett is a gentleman and a great investigator. What I liked most about him is his ability to listen and draw his own conclusion, but also his heart. He is still entirely devoted to his wife and family.
Sean Plottner
Sean is a street smart, intelligent man, with way too much time on his hands. He is also spoiled. It has been a long time since anyone has told him, "no." Sean is used to getting what he wants, one way or another. Unlike the other two points of view, Sean is a suspect in Matt's disappearance. Sean offered Matt a job with an insane salary and benefits, but Matt turned him down. No one turns down a million a year, and Sean is going to find a way to get Matt to work for him. Sean wants to be part of the physics world and share in Matt's research and notability.
Once Matt's disappearance is deemed with foul play, Sean insinuates himself into the investigation and pushes things in the direction that works best for Plottner's end game. I didn't think much of Sean, yet, I admire how he treated his employees with respect and pays them for value. He surprises me throughout the story.
Five Stars
Interference by Brad Parks is a fabulous mystery. I love the story and was sucked into it immediately. The characters are perfectly flawed, the setting is well developed, and the mystery is supremely plotted. My rating is five stars.
If you are into mysteries, then I recommend that you read Interference by Brad Parks.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Interference by Brad Parks.
This Guest Review is for Baroness' Book Trove.
Until the next time,
~Jen
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I am all for sci-fi thrillers that actually utilize science properly, and Brad Parks definitely delivers with Interference! This book was fast paced, gripping, and full of action. I loved the science themes that were sprinkled in and reminded me of both Michael Crichton and Blake Crouch.
Interference by Brad Parks is fantastic. This book is half Michael Crichton, half Michael Connelly and one hundred percent pure fun. Brad flawlessly jumps from character to character, amping up the tension as the story unfolds while drawing the narrative ever tighter until your caught in his lyrical hangman’s noose. Trust me when I say this--you're going to love this book!
Brad Parks delivered! The science was intriguing, the characters diverse, the action fast paced. Thanks for the what if....