In the Blink of an Eye

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.

Two detectives: one human, one AI. And a case that will test them both! Great read! I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I admit I rolled my eyes at the AI references I’m like ugh not for me! But it was nothing like I thought it was going to be! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It had great suspense, intriguing, action, murder, mystery, a fantastic who done it great characters and I actually loved the AI character! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Police detective Kat Frank is keeping it all together after the death of her husband to cancer. She is still grieving him while she works full time and slowly lets go of her 18 year old son who is bound for university.

An opportunity is foisted upon her at work and she is paired with an Artificial Intelligence entity. She wants nothing to do with AI but is determined to make the best of it as she works some cold cases. Cold cases in this sense, however, are missing persons and not all that cold. When Kat and her team discover some threads of the cases that might take them to leads they are quick to move.

What happens next is a thrilling procedural, a glimpse of speculative fiction and a brilliant UK detective story that always includes plenty of personal interest in the police team. I sincerely home this is the first of many of Kat's adventures.
#randomhouse #randomhousetrade #intheblinkofaneye #jocallaghan

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

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!

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.

I loved this book! I'm so glad I took a chance on reading an advance copy of this debut novel of a new author. Not only was it an exciting mystery with a unique AI twist, but it also had great insights into the dynamics of police teamwork. It took me a bit to get into the story, but by the end, I couldn't put it down. The family issues made it much more complex than the typical book, and there were all sorts of ethical issues as well. I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to reading future installments.

Wow! Totally amazing debut! I can’t wait to follow up with Jo Callaghan and watch her hit it big. The characters were so well done. Most of them I loved (especially Kat and Lock) A few made me use lots of profanity and nearly toss my kindle across the room. The twists and turns were constant and oh my word the abundant reveals.
Really a magical book for me.
Thank you NetGalley, Jo Callaghan and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this cracker of a book.

Big fan of police procedurals? Move this book to the top of your list!

After the loss of her husband months earlier, Detective Kat Frank is ready to return to policing. Her son appears to be grieving in a healthy way, so no sense just sitting around the house any longer. Back to work she goes.

On her return, her boss discloses a bold plan. He wants Kat to head up a pilot program with “AIDE.” (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) to determine the potential role of AI in detective work. Can AI work more effectively and safely than humans? Let’s find out!

This particular AIDE is named Lock. It can be brought to life, (so to speak) in a holographic form or simply a voice from the monitor she wears.

I actually grew fond of Lock as the storyline progressed. Kat on the other hand, made it known she was no fan of AI, and Lock was more trouble than it was worth. But can a successful AI identity win her over?

I absolutely loved Kat’s character. Newly widowed, and struggling with the realization she will be alone once her son leaves for university. She has her hands full, keeping her personal life together while taking on this project.

Her team of detectives, (the two of them) were distinctively different personalities, adding so much more flavor to the story. I adored them both and can’t wait to see where the author takes this team. This appears to be book one of a new series and I'm already searching for the next!

Make sure to read the author’s beautifully written acknowledgment. Thank you for sharing such a personal piece of your heart with your readers.💜

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House

Jo Callaghan has written the most amazing novel, In the Blink of an Eye.
Where police need to test out a new AI named Lock that learns to be more human, while the police officers learn to trust AI Lock’s intelligence.
Bringing them together through the kidnapping of young adults and working through their different styles of gathering information.
Cleverly written, had me invested quickly, and kept me enthralled all the way through.
#IntheBlinkofanEye
#JoCallaghan
#NetGalley

In the Blink of an Eye is the debut crime novel by Jo Callaghan. DCS Kat Frank is tasked with testing out Lock, a new AI "personality" in a newly formed task force looking into cold case.

Kat knows all about loss. A widowed single mother, Kat is a cop who trusts her intuition, honed through years of on-the-beat police work. Picked to lead a pilot program that has her paired with Lock, an AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity)—a hologram that is activated by a device on Kat’s wrist—Kat’s gut reactions about people and motives come up against Lock’s statistical calculations and data analysis that can be devised in seconds.

But as the two missing person’s cold cases they are reviewing suddenly become active, Lock is the only one who can help when the case begins to target Kat personally.

The book includes suspense, mystery, murder, and good, relatable characters. I like Kat as a character. She's a good cop and mother. Kat and her team will make a good series.

In the Blink of an Eye is a good police procedural with sci-fi elements. I would recommend this book and this author. I look forward to reading more.

#IntheBlinkofanEye #NetGalley @randomhouse

In the Blink of An Eye is book 1 in the Kat and Lock series by Jo Callaghan.
A thrilling police procedural.
This book is so wonderfully written. This is the beginning of a great series and I can't wait to read more from Callaghan.

4.5 Stars raised to 5. When I read the premise, I delayed reading the book; I thought its basis was far-fetched and that I would need help understanding the technology associated with AI. Wow, was I ever wrong! The plot is original, thought-provoking, and original and told with suspense, humour, and realistic dialogue

DCS Kat Frank has returned to duty after months of absence since being grief-stricken from her husband's death. She is protective of her eighteen-year-old son, who is coping better and beginning to socialize with his friends again. She knows she will miss him when he leaves home to go to university.

Chief Constable MacLeish, Kat's boss, friend and mentor, welcomes her return, but with a controversial task. She will lead the examination of cold cases supported by team members DI Rayan Hassan and DS Debbie Brown, who will conduct the interviews. Her partner will be an AIDE (Articial, Intelligent, Detective Entity). Her work with the AIDE will be a pilot project to determine their value in police work. They can perform rapid data analysis and make almost instant connections. Their findings would save many hours of police work. Kat feels confident the project will fail.

The AIDE comes in the form of a monitor she wears on her wrist and comes with several human-like holographic forms that can be manifested and viewed. The most commonly used is that of an appealing, charming detective named Lock.

All members of the police team have well-developed, distinctive backgrounds and personalities. Kat is a highly successful detective who uses instinct, emotion and hunches. She works while stressed and high-strung, swears excessively, and hates for her decisions to be questioned or challenged. Hassan is confident and highly ambitious, but he irritates Kat when he suggests alternate approaches. D. Brown is much more agreeable and lacks confidence. She is experiencing personal problems. Locke is devoid of human emotion and bias. It acts on logic, facts, rapid access to data, and quick analysis for connections. He inadvertently makes mistakes when addressing victims' families, lacks a filter, and upsets people with its inappropriate, upsetting information. Kat has ordered it to keep silent. Its program allows it to learn from interacting with humans, but to what extent? The dynamics and dialogue between Kat and the AIDE are entertaining and humorous.

The cold cases selected involve two missing young men from different backgrounds who would probably never have met. Tyrone Walters was studious and had a promising future. Will Robinson had ambitions to be a stage actor and seemed close to reaching that goal. When all else failed, Lock was able to connect the two and decide they were abducted, but his analysis was not immediately accepted.
There may have been several other young people abducted earlier in the same manner, but their disappearance received little attention.

Missing people cases become a high priority; for Kat, it is personal and urgent. Can the two opposing forces work together? Lock was my favourite character, but regarding an AI as a character is undoubtedly wrong and unethical. Kat's seriousness and need for a rapid solution to the case are supported only by Lock.

The police procedural was complex and well-structured. I would have preferred a tighter narrative, and reducing unnecessary parts would have little impact on the Kat and Lock story. I was pleased to learn that this is the first of a Kat/ Lock series, and a second book will be available early in 2025. I immediately preordered it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the chance to read the ARC and for introducing me to the Kat/Lock team. I intend to read any upcoming book in this series.

I loved this book! It is a Mystery and could be considered a Procedural Thriller, but it is so much more than that. There are some elements of what could be classified as speculative fiction, but the story is very believable. DCS Kat Frank is returning to the police force after a leave of absence and is asked to lead up a pilot program. She is given a team of two officers, along with Lock, an AIDE - Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity. Lock is supposed to make policing more logic and data based and less susceptible to human bias. Past experiences have made Kat wary of AI and the professor who developed Lock is mistrustful of the police, so it's an interesting pairing.

Kat and her team are asked to look into cold missing persons cases and choose two that have favorable odds of being solved. I was interested in the book as Kat and her team investigate these two cases. The debate of instinct vs. logic comes up throughout the book. The book was good from the very beginning but once the case heats up, it is riveting. The investigation gets more personal for Kat and she has to figure out who she can really trust. The book becomes emotional, very intense, and impossible to put down. I really liked Kat who is smart and confident and whose skills complement those of Lock. I highly recommend this intriguing and thought-provoking book.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Random House, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This story begins with Kat returning to work after being on leave due to the death of her husband, John. When she arrives, she is given a position along with a team for a pilot program that incorporates AI. She is given the task of looking into "Close Cases" and finding out whether AI will help in solving them. She is hesitant at 1st but agrees in the end.

The next day she meets with the team and based on a review of the cases wind up selecting two to pursue. As they begin looking into the disappearance of two young men, she discovers that the initial investigation was lacking primarily due to the "low risk" classification assigned.
As the tem further pursued information, they eventually determined that there was a connection between the two. In the end, a determination was made to dredge the river of 2 locations searching for bodies. No bodies were found in this area. Things proceeded slowly until Kat's son, Cam, disappeared. This changed everything. Kat was taken off the case because of her son and any suggestions she mead to the new were disregarded. Luckily Lock, the AI , was assisting her and she developed a lead which she followed up on her own.

This lead eventually led to a party where she got another name. Soon after having discussions with this other party, she along with Lock and one other team member went to a specific location where she determined she might find the missing boys.

To learn what clue Lock identified that broke the case and how everything worked out in the end, then you need to read this book. You won't be disappointed.