"You must ask yourselves: why did we decide to stop trusting our own eyes, our own hearts, our own minds?"

Blind Spots is a crime novel based on a dystopian world where no one can see. Seven years earlier the world slowly started to lose its sight until eventually everyone was blind. With help from technology, everyone was able to see the world again. A device allowed approximate vision that downloaded what the user could see directly into their brain. What could go wrong? Hackers. Someone is able to alter what you see, or what you don't see. How can you ever believe what is real or not?

The story focuses on homicide detective Mark Owens. He had been on the force since before The Blinding and remembers what it was like before devices were needed to see. After a scientist is murdered, the only witness claims that the killer was only a black blur. He doesn't believe her, that is until it happens to him.

The story had a great synopsis and gave me Black Mirror vibes. However, for me it felt like it was really slow paced and I couldn't connect with the characters. I wish the author fleshed out the characters more and gave us a backstory. However, while the overall storyline was slow, I did really enjoy how everything came together at the end.

The audiobook was fantastic and narrator did an amazing job throughout the story. While the narrator did a great job bringing the characters to life, I still unfortunately couldn't' connect with them.

If you're a fan of Sci-Fi and Crime Stories, I definitely recommend this one to you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and GoodReads for an advanced physical copy as well as an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The narration took reading this book to the next level and had me hooked from from the start. The narrator did an incredible job portraying the emotions of a cop that is finding his way in this new unseeing world.

An unknown agent spread around the world causing everyone to completely lose their eyesight. Fast forward several years and they have discovered a way to make people see again by implanting a transistor in their brain.
Not everyone believes in this science and some have chosen to remain in the dark. The police had first dabs on the new sightseeing goggles and they had bad cops taking advantage of those without sight.
Now it appears that they have dark blobs killing people and nobody is able to see them to tell who they are. The MC must figure out who is behind this and stop them before they can take over the world.

This was a great dystopian with loads of mysterious twists and turns that I didn’t see coming.

I love when thrillers include a science fiction plotline. Throw in a dystopian vibe and I’m definitely going to read it!

I absolutely love the concept behind Blind Spots. I can’t imagine waking up one day and going blind, let alone that also happening to the entire world within a matter of months. Terrifying. The way that technology plays such a heavy role and the unique human reactions to this being a part of their lives felt very natural. This was exemplified with our main character, Mark Owens, who clearly has mixed emotions for his situation and how that connects to him as a detective.

The case that Mark is investigating was very intricately layered and left me a little confused at times. There are a lot of character names thrown at you. Perhaps it was because I was listening to the audio version, but I found it difficult to keep track of who was who. Despite this, I was definitely fully invested in the case, getting to know Mark, and finding out what was happening. If you’re looking for a unique thriller, this is one I recommend checking out!

A huge thank you to Minotaur Books for my gifted copy!

3 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This was a pretty good science fiction mystery/thriller set in the near future after a mysterious illness caused the entire population of the planet to go blind. A device was created that approximates vision, downloading visual data directly to people’s brains. Mark Owens, a homicide detective, investigates a murder in which the witness claims that the murderer was blacked out of her vision. He doesn't believe her until the same thing happens to him. Mark realizes that someone is manipulating the data everyone receives from their tech. This starts Mark down a dangerous path in which more lives are in jeopardy and Mark can't trust what he sees with his own eyes.

This book had an interesting plot and Mark was a tenacious detective, pushing through his own insecurities and anxieties to find the truth. His artist wife committed suicide several years before, and he's still haunted by her memory. Unfortunately, the many flashbacks to this time in Mark's life pulled me out of the story and I felt dragged it down. Not only did he feel guilt about her death, but it adversely affected his current relationship with a fellow police officer. These things were important to the plot, I just felt it could have been condensed a bit more and not been such a focal point in the story.

There is plenty of action and potential bad guys. There were a few twists, most of which were predictable, but it was still fun to read how the author brought it together. I listened to this book and I didn't care much for the narrator, so perhaps if I'd read the book instead, I would have liked it a bit more. I think a lot of people will like this thriller, so definitely check it out for yourself.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and MacMillan Audio. All opinions are my own.

A really interesting blend of sci fi/dystopian/crime fiction. It spotlights an emphasis on the ability to see the world with our eyes and what having that taken from humanity would do to us as a civilization. If you are a fan of any of those genres you should check this book out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan audio for sending me an audiobook arc of this title.

Imagine a new epidemic hit the earth and this one causes the individual to go completely blind. Starvation, crimes, and so much more ravage the earth, but then technology prevails and offers a way for individuals to regain their sight. This is where Thomas Mullen’s latest dystopian story, Blind Spots, picks up and then takes off.

What appealed to you the most in this story?

Y’all know I tend to avoid dystopian stories, but this one really worked for me. The story itself was more of a police procedural and mystery that kept me thoroughly engaged, while the dystopian part actually seemed really plausible given the situation. It revolved around the idea of a further imbalanced economy where the rich are even richer and the poor are beyond poor, the government is completely in control, and those who choose to accept their blindness are shunned and risk their lives in doing so. This was such an original and intriguing idea for a book and I enjoyed it!

How was the audio narration?

I loved listening to this on audio! Gary Tiedemann helped amp up the action scenes and bring more life to the interactions between the characters with his narration.

Listening speed: 1.5

Anything I should know going into this story?

A lot of information is given all at once in the beginning, so make sure you are focused. I can see where it could be a lot with a fast world build right in the beginning. However, after those first few chapters things slowed down and began to flow.

How was the pace?

The story holds a steady pace with it picking up even more towards the end.

Do you recommend this book?

Overall, this was an intriguing book that had a unique and cautionary tale to tell.

Thank you, MacMillan audio and Minotaur Books, for my gifted copies in exchange for my honest review.

BLIND SPOTS
Thomas Mullen

I’m here with another thriller for Thriller Thursday, this time it’s a futuristic sci-fi thriller with BLIND SPOTS by Thomas Mullen.

Imagine a world where a pandemic renders everyone blind. Called The Blinding, it’s trouble for everyone but especially for the police officers who were made to protect the community.

There were many things created to adapt to being blind and Vitters is one of them. Vitters are attached to everyone’s temples, created to help people see.

But now there is a killer on the loose using the technology of the vitters to make him or her invisible. An invisible killer is a nightmare for police officers and soon the killer starts to rack up victims. A murderer hiding in plain sight.

The first couple of chapters of BLIND SPOTS are disorienting and there is too much information given at one time. There is a world that the author has to build that is similar to our world but impacted by something that is hard to grasp and even harder to articulate. Somewhere amid that is a mystery to solve.

It might have been too much to bring to fruition.

I got hung up on a few details that are minor and don’t interrupt the story. After the first few chapters, everything slowed down and started to make more sense. The whole effect felt inconsistent, and I came away with a mixed reading experience.

I gave BLIND SPOTS three stars, and I would try a Thomas Mullen book in the future.

Blind Spots is available now where books are sold.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martins Press for the advanced copies!

BLIND SPOTS…⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was so impressed by Darktown, so was very interested in reading Thomas Mullen's new novel, Blind Spots. This was a fascinating story! The Blinding was a time when the people across the world progressively went blind over just a couple of months. In time, a technological device called a Vidder was created and when attached allowed the wearer to "see" by downloading information directly to their brain. What would happen though, if someone hacks into the device distorting what the person is actually seeing.
Reeling from their own personal impacts of the Blinding, the police force is trying to rebuild the trust of the public after some mishandling of the situation when the Blinding first started, and before they had the benefit of the Vidders. Detective Mark Owens is coming to the realization something might not be right with the devices and recognizes what a nightmare that would be for law officers.
I had to really focus in the beginning of the book to fully comprehend what was happening. But once I understood what the Blinding was and what Vidders were and how they worked, the story flowed. It's an action-packed novel with quite a few characters to keep track of and dual storylines.
While partially sci-fi, there is also mystery, crime, greed, loyalty and heartache. And while it had a futuristic feel, it didn't seem unrealistic in light of the pandemic that we all just lived through.
I alternated between the ebook and the audio which was narrated by Gary Tiedemann who did an amazing job. The narration started off slowly, laying the groundwork so it was easy to follow. And picked up as the pace of the story progressed.
Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and MacMillan Audio for the advanced copy of the ebook and audiobook, respectively.

The narrator did a good job bringing the characters to life, but I had a hard time with his volume fluctuations. He would drop lower, especially for female voices or internal thought and I struggled to understand those parts.

I had expected this to be more of a dystopian mystery, but it really was more of a detective mystery with a dystopian setting. I would have loved to see more of a focus on disease aspect, but for anyone who isn’t usually drawn to dystopian books I think you will be fine here and will enjoy the story. It is a creative plot and an interesting world. I thought the pacing was a bit off and would have liked a bit more character development, but it was an entertaining read that I would recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC.

I went into Blind Spots blind (cheesy I know) and was absolutely blown away by Thomas Mullens ability to transport me to a world with no sight. The idea of the blinding is a terrifying especially as we creep out of a pandemic, but as a listener it elevated the intensity of the story. I felt the plot was well flushed out and the characters engaging. I always had someone to root for and that is important to me for storytelling. As an audio listener I do like to check the speeds and this one topped out at 2.0x speed for me so good job to the narrator for being clear.

Thank you Minotaur Books & Macmillian Audio for this audio ARC!

Mark Owens lives in a futuristic world where the world’s population went blind in the span of 75 days, a nightmarish situation that is now the new norm. Science came up with a way to see through “vidders” a mechanical appendage that interacts with our brains to let humans “see” again, but that wasn’t before the world suffered so much turmoil.

Mark Owens has been a cop/detective before and after the event that nearly ended the world and he’s had to live with the memories of policing through the darkness and chaos before sight was “restored”. Now, there’s a new threat when a murder witness claims that her colleague was murdered by a dark spot, a void in the vision of the vidders. Mark and his partner have serious doubts over the validity of her story, but when Mark witnesses the phenomenon with his own “eyes” he starts a dangerous investigation. His teammates and partner doubt his sanity, but Mark knows what he saw.

On the personal side of things, Mark is still reeling from his wife’s suicide two years earlier while navigating a romantic entanglement with a newer officer, Amira. She feels his grief and regret, and wonders if they have a future. Amira also becomes embroiled in the investigation and isn’t quite sure who to believe.

Blind Spots was part science fiction/end-of-the-world-scenario, part mystery with just a little bit of romance. It was an original concept, one that was easy to picture and settle into even with all the futuristic elements. Having the whole world succumb to blindless within the span of 75 days was an unsettling prospect, but not one that felt totally out of the realm of possibility after the pandemic we’ve lived through. I was rooting for Mark as he searched for the truth as he battled the doubt and suspicion.

It was an engrossing mystery, one that kept me guessing. It all comes together in a satisfying conclusion, but it left me thinking of the real-life possibilities. The what ifs…

I alternately listened to and read an e-copy and can recommend either version. Gary Tiedemann is a new-to-me-narrator and I thought he did a wonderful job performing all characters, male and female. A definite recommend! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

I always appreciate when authors write about relevant, important topics, within fantastical worlds. In a current world of disinformation, this is a very relevant and interesting read. However, it immerses the reader in a very interesting, unlikely, world. I think fans of sci-fi and fantasy, who enjoy suspense and mystery will love this one.

In the book Blind Spots, author Thomas Mullen weaves a story of a world without sight. What would happen in a world where everyone went blind within a matter of months with no explanation? Technology was used to help people adjust to a new normal with a device that approximated sight. This device put information directly into people’s brains. But what would happen if someone found a way to manipulate the information people were seeing? What if you couldn’t trust your “eyes”? And what if you could murder someone without anyone “seeing” anything?
This was an intriguing story that had a very creative world built by the author. The audio-book narration was very good. I would recommend this book and the series. I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

(4.5 stars) Blind Spots is a terrific book, plain and simple. The premise is that the world has suffered from a rapidly-spreading virus which has blinded the whole world’s population, known as The Blinding. Some tech companies had been working on devices to help “ordinarily” blind people see again, so they were able to produce a device quickly that enabled people to “see” again. These devices were called “vidders” and the first ones to get them were, of course, government people, military, police, first responders, and so forth; eventually most people could get them if they could afford them - exacerbating an already have/have-not society. It is now seven years since The Blinding and society has evolved somewhat to deal with the challenges. Some people have retreated from the technology and refuse to get vidders. The book opens with a bang, with police being given permission to use their x-ray technology to take down an illicit arms dealer. In some ways this is a basic mystery/thriller, but with lots of twists due to the widespread blindness and vidder technology. Along with a great story, we have a fair amount of social commentary: how much should we rely on technology; privacy issues and government tracking; police corruption; and more.

Mark Owens is the main character, a police detective who has been on the force since before The Blinding and regrets some actions he took during the chaos that ensued. He also lost his artist wife to suicide and is guilt-stricken over what he feels was his role in her misery. He gets assigned to a case where a scientist is murdered and the only witness says she only saw a black blur. “My vidder malfunctioned” is a convenient excuse for people who don’t want to tell the police anything, so Owens doesn’t believe the witness. Until… well, I won’t spoil the book for you!

With all we’ve been through in the past few years, this story hit uncomfortably close to home. It wasn’t hard to imagine the chaos and misery with such a situation. And it’s not hard to imagine people or corporations being able to manipulate video data - they’re doing it now in some instances - it’s called a “deep fake.”

Blind Spots has a couple of meanings in this story - The Blinding event itself, of course, and also people having a “blind spot” about certain things or certain people. The author made me very aware of the many ways we use visually-related words in common speech, such as “Look, we got off to a rough start” or “I’m seeing someone” meaning you’re dating someone, and so forth.

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook was narrated by Gary Tiedemann, who did a great job with all the voices.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Ooooh! Loved this twisty, turny thriller by the author of Dark Town. Near future dystopian novel that has elements that are reminiscent of China Mielville’s Tge City and The City.

Blind Spots is not a genre of book I would normally gravitate to, but took a chance and am so glad! Starting out on audio, voiced very well be Gary Tiedemann, was a bit overwhelming, rather the blind leading the blind 🙃 Switching over to reading, left me quickly invested and kept me turning pages quickly. Thinking I wasn’t sure that I would like the storyline changed pretty quickly, this was a very good read!! Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this book.

A pandemic called The Blinding as left the world sightless. In order to adapt to the new normal, a device is created that gives humans the ability to visually access and manipulate the human brain.

Mark Owens, homicide detective, investigates the murder of a scientist that witnesses say was killed by a black shadow. But thats impossible, visions can't be blacked out with these new devices. Its only after Owens has a similar experience that he believes something is amiss with the technology.

Murder and mayhem crash into Owens peripheral vision in this dystopian mystery about a world where every individual can't see what is in front of them. This read was outside my preferred genres, but I enjoyed the premise of Bind Spots.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the complimentary copy.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was definitely an intriguing premise! It was less dystopian than I was expecting/hoping for but still good regardless. Didn't hold my attention 100% of the time but it kept drawing me back in. I liked the narrator.

3.5 Thomas Mullen is a new to me author. His latest book is Blind Spots.

I was really intrigued by the premise. In the very near future, everyone on the planet goes blind. I love dystopian fiction and I am always fascinated by an author’s world building. Blind Spots opens seven years after 'The Blinding.'

Think about the logistics of society continuing on. And who or what is going to pop up ready to take charge. You got it - it’s not big Pharma but it’s big Tech to the rescue. Most people have jumped on board and wear their "vidder" which interacts directly with the wearer’s brain and allows them to see. But what happens if somebody takes that technology and abuses it?

Someone does just that and it leave the police department divided. After all - can you really believe what you see?

Blind Spots was almost like two books melded together for me. On one hand, you’ve got the logistics of the tech, those that chose to use it and those who won't. This is the part that really had me thinking. What would life look like? (sorry couldn't help it) I thought the descriptions and scenes that depicted the blind were well done. On the other hand, we've got a murder case that's completely different and our lead is taking two steps forward and one step back in both his personal and professional lives. In this plotline, the amount of detail in identifying someone or something seemed like too much in my opinion.

Overall, Blind Spots was a truly different listen for me that combined sci-fi, dystopia - and murder.

I chose to listen to Blind Spots, which seemed apropos! The reader was award winning Gary Tiedemann. He's got a really interesting voice with a little something underneath. His speaking is crisp, clean and easy on the ears. He has interpreted Mullen's book well, hitting all the right places in terms of plot, action and dialogue. He has lots of movement is his narration.

Blind Spots was an interesting mix of sci-fi and thriller cop noir. I thought the premise of the story was interesting and it was a well written book. It's not my favorite genre, but I think that anyone that is interested in this style of book will really enjoy it. My biggest issue with the story was that I felt there was a giant plot hole as to how the vidders came to be. Especially since they were designed by a man that was born blind. It just wasn't super believable for me. Also I felt that the ending was super abrupt. The climax of the book happened and then the story pretty much ends directly after. Other than that I think this book would be great for anyone looking for that old school cop noir feel with a sci-fi element mixed in.