Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of In the Blink of an Eye.

I love police procedurals and this one featured a female protagonist, which I'm always on the lookout for, and incorporated AI, a topical theme.

Kat Frank has returned to work after the loss of her husband. She's a good cop, smart and trusts her gut after years of experience. When she's chosen to lead a pilot program that has her paired with Lock, an AI device that the creator hopes will enhance police work, Kat is skeptical, to say the least.

But as Kat and her team investigate two separate cold cases that are linked, Kat, with the help of Lock, discovers there's a serial kidnapper on the loose.

When the next victim is near and dear to Kat, only Lock and his creator can help Kat crack the case. But will it be too late?

Kat is a take no prisoner's kind of woman, having achieved detective status in an sector dominated by men. She makes no apologies for her blunt manner.

I did enjoy Lock as Kat's de facto partner; her uneasiness and unwillingness to accept him (it) as part of her team. And their grudging respect for each other by the end of the narrative.

Their partnership is akin to a sci-fi buddy comedy, and I like how each of them learn from one another.

It's no secret there are pros and cons to AI; they can learn, they can sift through millions of data in the blink of an eye, and make statistical calculations in seconds.

But can they replace work that requires human intelligence, compassion, and gut instinct? Nope.

I love police procedurals and this one hit all the right marks; interviewing potential suspects and witnesses; pounding the pavement to speak to the bereaved and victims' families, sifting through data and discussing possible scenarios and hunches.

Lock's insights and number and data crunching was eye-opening and helped focus the investigation in ways it might not have without his assistance.

I liked Kat's team, capable people who are not afraid to show remorse and humility and admit when they're wrong and aim to do better.

The afterword at the end explains how the book came to be, derived from the author's personal and professional experience which is why the narrative read as empathetic and grounded in tone and style.

I hope this is the first book in the Kat Frank and Lock series.

This was actually pretty cool for a book about police and AI! Police procedurals and sci-fi both bore me horribly, but this was a really interesting and entertaining book! I loved AIDE Lock as a character, he was incredibly fun to read about. This whole story was a cool twist on the classic crime/police fiction. Nice work!

I cannot wait to read the next installment of this new AI police procedural novel. Well written, with engaging characters, a fast paced plot, and a unique premise. I read it almost straight through in one day. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced reader copy

An engaging, unique plot with diverse characters. The is the first mystery thriller I’ve read with artificial intelligence and found it to be excellent! This should be a fantastic series with Kat and Lock.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Kat Frank (love the name) is an ace detective in her mid-40s who recently lost her husband. The book picks up 6 months after the loss as she returns to work. She's put in charge of a pilot program, where she's paired with an AI bot named Lock.

I loved the concept of AI helping with investigations but hate that we were teased with Detective Pikachu, I mean, why couldn't Lock be Decective Pikachu for at least one chapter of the book??
Maybe book 2? Please?

Okay, I flew through this book in a single day, I couldn't put it down! The pacing of it was spot on. We were given different POVs, and every character had distinct different personalities. Kat herself was my fave for obvious reasons, and her banter with Lock was very entertaining.

This book made me laugh and cry and kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat until the very end. Before I was even finished, I was looking up the US release date of book 2 and checking the cost to buy it from Waterstones (it's that good).

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the eARC!

HOW UNIQUE!!!! Is this the way the world is headed? It certainly will make you think, the pros and cons of a computer assisting in these cases. There is no emotion in a robot, no sense of helping people. But the machine can save weeks of work by multiple officers.

A very well put together and entertaining police drama. I highly recommend it.