There may be too much exposition as we are introduced to Lock, but once things get going, the pace is irresistible and we are invested readers. IYCRMM These three novels are fine examples of bringing AI, the magic of words, and linguistic puzzles into the mystery/thriller conversation. In the Blink of An Eye by Jo Callaghan Winner of the John Creasy New Blood Dagger Award 2024, this first novel from Callaghan deftly explores the scenario of a human and AI detective working in tandem.
Set in the near future, we meet DCS Kat Frank, a woman in her 40s. She’s assigned to a pilot program that pairs her with AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) Lock. Together, they are in charge of a team put together to handle the cold cases of missing persons reports.
The statistic of how there’s a missing person report in the UK every 90 seconds is thrown in to highlight the frequency with which this happens. And when we do get introduced to Lock, he manifests as a hologram. Plus there are four versions—white man, black, woman, and Pokémon-type character—to better the reception the AIDE receives in the performance of its duties.
What Callaghan excels in is showcasing the life of the widow Kat Frank and her adolescent son, and the friction that exists in the relationship created between Frank and Lock. It’s instinct versus logic. Lock has no sense of context or humor.
Everything is literal in his world. There’s also no emotion, and you cringe as you read about how he inf.