This was a quick read for me and also quite enjoyable. When Sarah Collier starts having blackouts and memory loss she thinks she is starting to get Alzheimer's like her father. She is a Nobel Prize winner and has been reluctant to attend a presentation by a biotech company to endorse its product. Her husband finally persuades her and they arrive in Geneva to hear about this new implant that could help people with Alzheimer's, dementia and other neurological disorders.

This book flowed very well, I soon found myself invested in the story and also reading more about Sarah and her husband Daniel. She is the well-known one in the marriage and while she shuns the limelight, he would rather be in it. It is a chance for them both to shine and if Sarah can endorse this new tech, it may help her and millions of others.

The story is one that I found to be relatively easy to get to grips with, it is a thriller and has been well done, but there were certain things that I did work out. While this did not spoil the reading, it gave it at times a predictable nature. That said though, I still found myself eagerly turning the pages.

There are several characters and for the main ones, you did get the story from their perspective, so reading different voices. This does add to the thriller style and keeps the fast pace going. There is a certain amount of deception at the heart of this story and there were some twists that I didn't expect and the ending was one that I didn't see coming.

Overall this is a good read, enjoyable and one for fans of thrillers. I would happily recommend this.

I chose this book as love Geneva
I wish I hadn’t
I love this kind of read, high stakes thriller and ‘world on the edge’ kind of thing but I have read many many that are better in writing style, diction and vocabulary and also in ‘believability’, I always accept there has to be fiction as its fiction 🤗 but this went beyond all those realms
There was one great unexpected to me shock near the end and that was played really well
Sadly though I did find myself drifting off elsewhere and then skim reading a lot to get to that part
Disappointing but looking at other reviews many have loved it so will be interesting to see what others think, but for me wasn’t good am afraid, hasn’t put me off Geneva though……

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Geneva - Richard Armitage

I had the enormous pleasure of reading an ARC of this debut novel thanks to NetGalley - and possibly it’s my contender for book of the year!

Pacy, tension, high drama, intrigue, cut-throat characters - in fact it would be quicker to list the things this book didn’t have!

The ride is quite something - and from about 50% of the way through, I didn’t stop once - desperate to know how the story would resolve.

Like one of those movies where you are rooting for the main character but the blows keep coming their way - from one bad situation directly into another.

Will definitely be adding Richard to my ‘must read’ author pile….cant wait for his next!

Sarah Collier is a Nobel Prize winning scientist, her husband, Daniel, is a neuroscientist and they have a daughter together.

Sarah’s Dad has Alzheimer’s and she’s losing more of him every day.

When Sarah starts to suffer similar symptoms, she undergoes tests and it’s confirmed she also has Alzheimer’s.

Sarah prefers a life out of the limelight but when Daniel begs her to go to Geneva as the special guest at a prestigious biotech conference, she reluctantly agrees to go. The conference is about a technology that could change medicine - and save her.

The story is told from the different characters perspectives, and no surprise that all is not what it seems.

It’s hard to say too much about this story as it would give so much away.

I felt Sarah’s character was rather naive and that Daniel was too good to be true.

There were many other characters, some more believable than others.

The story was a fast paced thriller and overall, I enjoyed it.

My thanks to NetGalley and Faber & Faber Ltd for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

A woman is being chased through a snow filled forest near Geneva. Who is she and who is chasing her? To find out, we have to flip to London a few months earlier. Sarah Collier, a Nobel Prize winning Biomedical Scientist, is suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s, possibly hereditary since her father is dying of the disease. For what could be her Swansong, her Neuroscientist husband, Daniel, has persuaded her to come with him to the Schiller Institute in Geneva to give her endorsement to a revolutionary new nanotech treatment for brain diseases. Although naturally reserved she agrees and meets, in addition to Maxim the eponymous Head of the Institute, the beautiful American PR chief, XXXXX and the Russian Head of Security, XXXX. Neither of these is quite what they seem. The new treatment is ostensibly only for medical purposes, but its role within the brain makes it a potentially useful tool for controlling people. That makes it enormously valuable to any rogue country or bad actor; valuable enough to kill for it.
At heart this is a classic chase thriller, witness the woman in my opening statement, but it has a number of variations from the theme. For a start, quite a lot of background has to be laid before anybody starts running. The main characters are all well drawn, although many of them verge on the stereotype. The story is told from three viewpoints, Sarah, Daniel, and omniscient observer of the others, which works well. There are a few twists, not always obvious but deducible. The writing is tight and the story unfolds at a reasonable pace once we have established the background stuff (the science component is minimal). Some of the dramatic scenes are a bit OTT and the stamina of some people at some points is unbelievable, but that’s a given for this sort of story. Overall it’s a good example of its kind.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

This is actor Richard Armitage's debut psychological crime thriller, which originally came out on audio, featuring him and Nicola Walker. Overall, I enjoyed this, although I should point out that you will have to suspend to your sense of disbelief on a number of occasions. Where it worked for me was that it really kept its sense of tension and suspense, I was turning the pages as fast as possible until I finished reading. Additionally, the wintry mountainous location of Geneva came across so well through the rich descriptions, the perfect dangerous conditions in which characters will find themselves in danger. Sarah Collier is a Nobel prize winning scientist, who with her Oxford team worked on prototype gene therapy to combat Ebola, but she shunned all publicity and the money making speech circuit. An intensely private woman, she prefers to focus on her daughter, Maddie, husband Daniel, and her dementia suffering father, and has chosen to retire early.

Daniel, a more pedestrian academic in comparison to Sarah, had hoped to reap the rewards of Sarah's international reputation and success. His frustrations have increased as it appears that she too is suffering from dementia, and he is far from happy about the caring requirements it will demand of him. Against her better instincts, Sarah makes the decision to please him, despite her declining health, attending an exclusive conference in Geneva at the Schiller Institute. Professor Mauntz Schiller, relying on his PR Helen Alder, desperately needs Sarah to endorse his ground breaking 'Neurocell' medical technology. It holds the promise of revolutionising treatment for conditions that previously had been thought impossible to address, but it is controversial with its possibilities of misuse, there is a blogger, Terri Landau, who is following developments closely.

As Sarah's symptoms worsen considerably, she begins to lose her grasp of reality, surrounded by increasing levels of danger, she slips into a nightmare where she has no idea of where she is, or who she can trust. For a debut work, Armitage makes a decent fist of writing an exciting thriller, he is particularly good at making the location and action come alive, but it is not without its flaws. If he is planning to continue, there is room for him to sharpen his skills and develop for his next thriller. On the basis of this, I will be interested to read and see where he goes next. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Sarah is a Nobel-prize-winning scientist, but her world becomes to come apart when her father develops Alzheimer’s and she herself begins to exhibit the same symptoms. When her husband, a neuroscientist, encourages her to accompany him to Geneva to a biotech conference in which she will endorse a new invention which could save her life, she is reluctant. There are ethical implications relating to the invention, an implant in the brain, and she has no advance knowledge of it, but as it seems like her only hope, she agrees. Once there, however, her symptoms worsen, and she faces humiliation in front of important peers. Is she becoming paranoid, or is something dark going on here, and is her life in danger? The plot is unusual- what could be more terrifying than a brilliant scientist losing her abilities, and in public? And who doesn’t love a peril on the mountains story? Unfortunately, the narrative does become rather far-fetched and cliched towards the end. The plot and the writing generally needs to be tighter. Armitage can write, but there were a few clunky phrases in there. Still, there is certainly potential here and it is a decent first effort.

It must be very difficult to learn you have amyloid plaque between the neurons in your brain. For sure it's a characteristic of having Alzheimer's and that's a position that Professor Sarah Collier finds herself in following an MRI scan. She hasn't been herself for quite a time and fears she might be going down the same path as her father and now it seems confirmed. Her husband Daniel is very supportive but seems torn between his desire to attend a biotech conference in Geneva where his wife is guest of honour and pandering to her lack of enthusiasm to attend. The diagnosis seems to be the push she needs as there could be something which will help her condition in that Swiss city. What follows is a very cleverly executed thriller with lots of twists and turns along the way.
At its heart is a story that dates from 1938 and has been retold in differing ways many times. Whilst Geneva by Richard Armitage has many bells and whistles added, I have to deduct just one star from a perfect five because of prior similarities.

I am sorry but I did not enjoy this book. I found the storyline a little hard to believe and there were quite a few holes and lack of consistency.

This is a book that developes much more excitingly than the early chapters suggest. It seems as if it is going to be a story about Alzheimer’s disease inflicted on an important personality. It is a great deal more intriguing than that. The background is the city of Geneva where an international foundation is about to launch a neurological discovery. Sarah, a renowned Nobel,prize winner is asked to go and give the leading talk. She is reluctant but her husband Daniel persuades her to accept the invitation. Unfortunately it coincides for her with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Not the best timing! Then it becomes evident that there is a lot of dirty dealing going on in the background and not all the main characters are what they seem. The story mounts in tension as deceit after deceit are revealed taking the reader to an unexpected ending. I recommend this book as an unusual and gripping story.

Geneva is an intriguing story that will grip you from the start. after starting to show the early signs of Alzheimer’s, Nobel Prize winning scientist Sarah Collier is reluctant to accept an invitation to be the guest of honour at a biotech conference until her neuroscientist husband Daniel persuades her. The technology being unveiled is revolutionary and could even save Sarah’s life. Sarah is in the lap of luxury but as Sarah’s symptoms get worse, events begin to spiral out of control and Sarah can’t be sure who to trust - including herself. A tense thriller of a book that I really enjoyed. Thank you to NetGalley, Faber and Faber Ltd and the author for the chance to review.

This book was an excursion from my normal mainstay of horror, and I’m glad I veered from my much trod literary path.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters had depth that had me buying in to them (and what happened to them).
It spoke to me on a level also with what is happening in our world – what may trigger some, I like to see covered in fiction. It has intelligence, politics, technology, thrills, spills, mystery and clever twists that transcend it being a debut novel. It even covers the often awkward subject of Alzheimer's disease – something so many of us have been.

Cleverly crafted, intelligently delivered. Seriously – bravo on this. It may be the book that convinces me to try more thrillers in the future - and I'll certainly be looking for more words from Richard Armitage.

RECOMMENDED

A fantastic, fast-paced thriller with twists and turns to keep you guessing till the end! I love a thriller but often find the plot to be too obvious or too fat-fetched - this was just the right amount of both. It reminded me a lot of Allie Reynold’s books - of which I am a huge fan. But also with hints to Before I Go To Sleep and The Sanatorium. I loved the characters, the setting (so immersive) and the writing - I had seen mixed reviews and this 100% outdid my expectations. I will definitely be recommending this one!

"Geneva" is a great, twisty thriller with complex characters and surprises round every corner. Add to that the stunning Swiss winter setting and a high-tech invention to give an absorbing modern novel. This is a new activity for the actor Richard Armitage, but one that is definitely worth pursuing on the basis of this debut novel.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

I was drawn to Geneva partially due to the plot which sounded intriguing and partially due to being a fan of Richard Armitage. However, the story falls flat.

Whilst the premise is interesting, the novel is filled with clichés, has poor character development and is disappointingly generic. Whilst I wanted the villains to get their comeuppance, I didn't care about any of the characters and found them all to be underdeveloped. The twists were ridiculous and easy to guess and the writing was average at best.

Unfortunately, I can't recommend.

Thanks to Faber and Faber and NetGalley for the ARC.

Enthralling and captivating!! A fantastic brilliant new thriller!! Loved it!! Gripping from first page to last, there is no let up!
Sarah a world renowned Nobel Prize winning scientist has retired from the public life to be a mum for Maddie and to help look after her dad who has suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s. When her husband persuades her to take a trip to Switzerland and to Geneva to witness a new scientific breakthrough, even with her own health issues, at the famous Schiller Institute, she goes.
Exciting twists and well written turns this is a great debut thriller!! Perfect holiday reading.
Espionage, mental health, and Alzheimer’s all dealt with artfully and sensitively.
Thank you NetGalley and Faber and Faber for the early read!! Loved it!!

I take my hat off to debut author Richard Armitage for the ingenious plot and the ice and snow bound thrills of this Swiss adventure.
It all starts very gently: Nobel prize winner Sarah Collier finally capitulates and agrees with her husband's pleas to endorse a controversial brain implant breakthrough, with a glitzy launch event in Geneva.
The scenery and luxury in Geneva is beautifully drawn.
The three main characters we meet at the Institute all seem a bit sinister, clearly with agendas of their own.
Sarah is a very strong and likable character, accomplished and professional, even as her health starts to deteriorate at the wrong time.
Armstrong rachets up the tension and excitement and the twists are fast and furious. What an ending. Be still my racing heart!

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Sarah and her husband Daniel travel to Geneva for Sarah to endorse a world breaking development in the world of neuroscience. But things take a turn that ensures everyone involved has to fight for survival.

I wasn’t quite sure where or how this story was going to go. But I was really impressed. The characters were all so well written, and you change your feelings about them time and time again as the story progresses. The story was excellent and really well written, cleverly plotted, very character driven, and had lots of twists and turns. Once I reached the half way point in this book I literally couldn’t put it down, and wanted to race to the end. A great debut read.

Fancy research facilities in the Swiss alps, revolutionary new treatment, industrial espionage and chases through the snow. I have read several books with similar themes and as this is a debut book I thought I might be disappointed but it was easy reading and I enjoyed it.
I had to abandon reading it in a Kindle app during chapter two due to typesetting problems and I was not sure if my first use of NetGalley app would work, so I proceeded to finish the book the same day which was not a difficulty.
World famous Nobel winning scientist Sarah tries to avoid the media but reluctantly is persuaded by her neurologist husband Daniel to travel to Switzerland for the launch of a new product . She has developed health problems and finds the effort of being expected to endorse this product she knows very little about draining. She struggles to separate fact from fiction and who to trust.
I found the medical aspects of the book quite believable but the ability of characters to bounce back from injury and traffic accident was a bit stretched. The ending drama was also a bit cliched.
There was a nice extra plot twist near the end and I also liked the variation in the practice of the opening chapter being a preview of what happens later. Slightly different from usual.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Sarah is a renowned scientist who has recently won the Nobel prize but she is starting to be confused and disoriented and suspects she may have early onset dementia, She is persuaded by her husband to go to Switzerland and endorse a new product but things don’t seem right. The story is told from the perspectives of her, her husband Daniel and a man called Pavel, I found Sarah’s confusion was very well described and Daniel’s gradual revelations illustrated his character clearly. I had guessed some of the end by the time it got to it but I was still keen to read the climax. This was an enjoyable thriller with a satisfying ending which you can read quickly. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.