Wow, Really really interesting book. Beyond the great story, it really made me think about life, as well as death. Let's start with the story. I thought it was masterfully setup, the character development was excellent, and I was hooked from the start. Cloning sounds like such a futuristic, unrealistic concept, but Matthew FitzSimmons really makes it realistic and almost like it is inevitable in the near future. What is so exciting, but also kind of scary, especially watching the journey of Constance. She is constantly questioned from the outside of who she is, and then internally, she also has her own questions and challenges. I think that would be a very difficult concept for someone to deal with, especially if you have a long "lag" in memories. Either way you look at it, it really makes you wonder what you, the reader, would do in the same situation. do you see yourself as who you are? How could you not? its your body, your mind, your memories. But is it you? that's the great question, and really made me think. Great story, great concept, great overall journey.

Thanks to Matthew FitzSimmons, NetGalley, and Thomas and Mercer for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

A Sci/Fi thriller with an intricate plot and high stakes that drive the story all the way never letting up until the very end!

Set in the near distant future, advances in science have brought about the ability to make human clones. It is something only the wealthy can afford and there is another group opposing cloning calling it an abomination. Contance “Con” D’Arcy isn’t wealthy but is gifted a clone by her aunt. Every month she must go for an upload of her consciousness that is kept stored in case something happens to her. One day Constance’s clone wakes up unsure of what has happened. She hasn’t had an upload in eighteen months and her original is dead. Secrets are buried deep, and it seems no one can be trusted. Con is now on a mission to find out what happened to cause her to be activated and what it all means for her and the rest of the world.

Constance is definitely for fans of science fiction; it is not for the faint of heart with all the action and thrills throughout. Constance started out strong but after it switched to her clone, she became an even stronger character. The line between science and what should and shouldn’t be done is very fine here and it isn’t glossed over. The “God” Complex is evident in a few of these characters and Fitzsimmons does a good job tackling this issue. The fact that this is only set twenty years in the future is a bit unnerving that things could go that direction in our lifetime. A few of the secondary characters and plot lines could have been left out and I still feel like the story would have flowed well. They might be important for the sequel though, which I feel certain is to come. There is a lot more story to be fleshed out with these characters and I would like to see the direction they take. I recommend this book to lovers of science fiction and dystopian books.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Set in 2040, Constance is a cerebral science-fiction thriller questioning what it means to be human. Matthew FitzSimmons crafted an intricate plot touching on the politics and the morality of human cloning, scientific advances, the quest for immortality, and treating the human brain as scientific data.

Constance D’Arcy was gifted a clone by her late aunt. After her monthly consciousness upload appointment, she wakes up in another clinic 18 months later. Her latest memories are missing, and her original is reportedly dead. To uncover the truth and the reason why she is being chased down, Constance needs to retrace what happened in the last year and a half.

Constance is an exciting and page-turning book, as it explores the personal, social, and legal implications of cloning technology. I found the ending a little overwhelming. There were multiple plot twists and loose ends in the last chapters, which made FitzSimmons’ story even more complex to follow. But I enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to sci-fi thriller enthusiasts!

Great science fiction thriller by author Matthew FitzSimmons takes readers just a few decades into the future for a believable ride into a world not that different from our own. But different enough that clones, and their rights, are the issue of the day. CONSTANCE is our protagonist and she has more ethics and core bravery than the humans running around trying to make her lifespan ever shorter. This book would have been nearly perfect except for the ending which was clearly just a set-up for the next book in the series. I’m sorry but I like my books to have actual endings that make sense for the story I’ve been reading, and this one was just great. It deserved a great ending, even if it was just a mid-point in a larger series. Give this book a chance, though, because it is riveting. A finer SF book hasn’t been written in a long time. I received my copy from the the publisher through NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy of Constance.
In the near future, advances in medicine and quantum computing make human cloning a reality. For the wealthy, cheating death is the ultimate luxury. To anticloning militants, it’s an abomination against nature. For young Constance “Con” D’Arcy, who was gifted her own clone by her late aunt, it’s terrifying.

After a routine monthly upload of her consciousness—stored for that inevitable transition—something goes wrong. When Con wakes up in the clinic, it’s eighteen months later. Her recent memories are missing. Her original, she’s told, is dead. If that’s true, what does that make her?

The secrets of Con’s disorienting new life are buried deep. So are those of how and why she died. To uncover the truth, Con is retracing the last days she can recall, crossing paths with a detective who’s just as curious. On the run, she needs someone she can trust. Because only one thing has become clear: Con is being marked for murder—all over again.

This was a fun book that balanced sci-fi, mystery, and philosophy. The pacing of the book was nice, with some nice twists which added some depth and intrigue to the bigger philosophical questions suggested by the author. I liked the main character, Constance, and her insatiable curiously and her intelligence. The ending was also satisfying; he major plot points were wrapped up but some lose ends were left, meaning that there would be plenty to explore in a sequel.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer, , NetGalley and Author for this advance ebook copy in return for an honest review!

This book sucked me in at page one and kept me turning the pages. this sci-fi, thriller was full of mystery, suspense, and twists and turns.
It was very thought-provoking and kept me intrigued because this is plausible and something that very well could happen.
Every chapter pushes you to keep reading as you have well developed characters AND a skillfully scripted plot. 
Really enjoyed this story and looking forward to book two!

Thanks again NetGalley, Publisher and Author for the chance to read and review this amazing book!
I'll post to my Social media platforms closer to pub date!

Constance has been given a clone of herself, after uploading her consciousness she wakes up 18 months later and is told her original self is dead....was it murder and if so now what!? What a mid bending trip this was. I liked this book and that says a lot from someone who isn't a big sci-fi fan. I think it was the fact that this was a mystery wrapped up in sci-fi clothing. This book also asks the question are we our body or are we our consciousness?

I liked that this wasn't too far out in the future, somewhere between fifteen and twenty years. The writing is intelligent and has me shaking my head trying to get my brain around it. It kept me guessing pretty much right to the end and it had me on the edge of my seat. I look forward to book #2.

CONSTANCE (Constance #1) by Matthew FitzSimmons is an exciting and thought provoking dystopian sci-fi mystery thriller that is the first of a two-book series. In the near future, if you have the millions to spare, human cloning is a reality.

Constance “Con” D’Arcy is a talented musician, who survives a horrible traffic accident which kills almost every member of the band she plays in. The accident moves her to accepting the gift of her own clone from her aunt who is the co-founder and brilliant mind behind the Palingenesis clinic.

After a routine monthly upload of her consciousness which should only take hours, Con wakes up months later in the body of her clone. She is told her original is dead, but the transition that should have happened with memories from her last upload has left her with no memory of the last 18 months.

Con is determined to find out what happened to her original and discover what has happened in the last 18 months. She cannot trust anyone who is offering to help because they all have ulterior motives and agendas. Caught between the wealthy and powerful Vernon Gaddis and Dr. Brooke Fenton fighting over what is hidden in Con’s brain and the Children of Adam who want the death of all clones, Con can trust in only herself.

This is an amazing story! I could not put it down. Constance “Con” is a protagonist that is memorable. She at times is a little too curious for her own good, but she is also fearless and resilient. She must face discrimination and bigotry as a clone at the same time she deals with the ethics of being a clone herself. Mr. FitzSimmons takes the reader through ethical and philosophical questions on cloning intertwined in the story and dialogue of his various characters. Also, and no small part of the story is an intricate crime mystery that has so many twists and surprises I could not stop turning the pages. Throw in some great rock band references and I was hooked. This book does not end with a cliffhanger, but there is an open question at the end of the story and the promise of a second book to come. I cannot wait!

I highly recommend this dystopian sci-fi mystery!

Constance is almost like a modern-day Rumpelstiltskin. She wakes up with an 18-month hole in her memory, and a body that’s familiar, but not the same one she’s used to. Is she still who she thinks she is?

The last thing Con remembers is going in on the day after Christmas in 2038 to have an upload of her consciousness (required periodically for the clone that was gifted to her by her aunt, the scientific genius behind the clones). Now she needs to try and catch her mind up to the rest of her, figure out most importantly who killed her (causing her clone to come to life)—oh, and stay away from those who don’t think clones should exist.

This is one of those books that’s hard to explain, but it was worth it. The speculation and presentation of the not-so-distant future was interesting and believable. The scientific developments of the future also made the plot even more challenging to predict.

Overall, I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. The science part of the science fiction wasn’t that hard to comprehend and imagine. The human nature in the story also played a major part, if less science is more to the reader’s taste.