Review: Not Alone

Not Alone by Craig A. Falconer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Got this for free from the daily email from Bookbub, linking to free or inexpensive books.
The blurb was good, and the cover reminded me of the recent X-Files-reboot (so far nothing like the cover occurs in the book, so that was probably the intention, although it reeks of a DMCA waiting to happen).
In the beginning a fast paced, suspenseful book, some parts with rather too much happening without slowing down. Very well written, might get a solid and well deserved 5 stars in the end. But then, around the 60% mark, after a certain event, it slows down for me and bore me until around 80% where it twists twice in a short time, one twist I guessed, the second not.
As it was written before the BREXIT decision, this is not in the book, otherwise the book is as up-to-date as possible (China!) and sneaky and twisty as can be. For conspiracy-nuts and alike they will get what they deserve.

Hope to finish it soon.
OK, took me a few books in between to finally finish it.

It might have been better served split into two books, ending the first book at 80% or earlier giving a sort of (false) closure and then the second book starting with the two twists which then occur.

Still, after reading it so far, I would gladly have paid a normal price for it (up to 10 Us$ or 9 Eur for the ebook) and I think it should be translated into German, so I can recommend it to my family and friends.
After the 80% mark and the two hard twists I had trouble finishing it, some of it was, "Oh NO, this book is going to end", some was "could have stopped there and done a 2nd book with more ending story and few more twists". But, ok, although not much happens after 80% and I still think for a single book it was too long after that, it was nicely done, with a well deserved ending.

Therefore a solid 4star with a recommendation for all people, SF, non-SF, Geeks, Nerds and non-Geeks, non-Nerds alike.
Except for BREXIT and Trump this is rather up-to-date, with great use of social-media, the tech we use today etc. President Slater looks to me like a Hillary Clinton clone, with all her mistakes, and that could have well been on the point, if not for the chosen US-Presidency "we need a change to believe in". We will see, how that turns out for all of us.

Will certainly look for other books from this author.

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