Adapt by Edward Freeland including giveaway

I have received a free e-copy of the book Adapt by Edward Freeland to review, as part of Clink Street Publishing’s #Blogival.

Adapt by Edward Freeland

Here is the book blurb.

Daniel O’Neal is a bus driver on a city break in London, enjoying a change of scenery and a respite from work. When he notices unfamiliar numbers coming up his mobile phone screen, he initially dismisses it as a technological glitch. The stresses of Christmas are on the horizon and the last thing Daniel can be bothered with is the hassle of having to get a new phone. That is, until he notices similar code sequences appearing on his laptop. On his return to work, Daniel starts seeing peculiar differences in people, and becomes increasingly convinced that his colleagues are whispering and laughing about him behind his back. Soon Daniel’s suspicions monopolise his every waking thought, persuading him that he is under attack from an unknown evil and being turned into an unwitting pawn in someone else’s cyber game.

As Daniel’s mind continues to fracture from reality, he makes an appointment with a psychiatrist, Dr. Cribson. However, Daniel realises too late that he has walked into an even more dangerous trap, as the good doctor starts to manipulate Daniel, trapping his mind in a deadly virtual world. As the sinister plot plays out, Daniel’s family and loved ones become ensnared by his cyber nightmare, which has Dr. Cribson and the media at its heart. Teetering on the precipice of insanity, Daniel must prove the presence of his enemy – unless it really is all in his mind after all?

The story starts with Daniel spending a day in London. He visits Susana, an up-market prostitute, whom we understand he sees on a regular basis. But when he goes into work the next day, colleagues seem to know where he has been from social media. Then at home he gets freaked out by the camera light appearing when the webcam is not even on, so he sticks his tongue out at it. Soon after, he starts to see strangers sticking their tongue out at him. He begins to think someone from work is hacking him. And next time he goes to London, even there people seem to recognise him. And he really starts to lose it, when he thinks TV presenters are copying things he has said. He then makes an appointment to see Dr Cribson, where things go from bad to worse with a psychotic diagnosis.

I’ll stop now to avoid spoilers. Although I have to say I couldn’t work out why Daniel was targeted by cyber-bullying in the first place. And why was the doctor in on it too?

Adapt is Edward Freeland’s debut novel and is available on Amazon, currently priced at £6.99 in paperback and is also available in Kindle format. and is published by Clink Street Publishing. Although well written, I found as the story progressed, it just got too dark for me. However I did find it very thought provoking, as to how easy it could be for strangers to hack into our personal data.

I’m participating in the Clink Street Summer 2016 blogival, which is taking place all this month. Do take time to browse round some of the other posts, which cover a wide range of reading tastes.