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John Smith #1
Killfile
The author of The Eternal World seamlessly combines history, biotechnology, action and adventure in this high-concept thriller in the spirit of James Rollins, Brad Thor, and Douglas Preston.
John Smith has a special gift that seems more like a he can access other peoples thoughts. He hears the the songs stuck in their heads, their most private traumas and fears, the painful memories they can’t let go. The CIA honed his skills until he was one of their most powerful operatives, but Smith fled the Agency and now works as a private consultant, trying to keep the dark potentials of his gift in check—and himself out of trouble.
But now Smith is unexpectedly plunged into dangerous waters when his latest client, billionaire software genius Everett Sloan, hires him to investigate a former employee—a tech whiz kid named Eli Preston—and search his thoughts for some very valuable intellectual property he’s stolen. Before John can probe Preston’s mind, his identity is compromised and he’s on a run for his life with Sloan’s young associate, Kelsey.
Hunted by shadowy enemies with deep resources and unknown motives, John and Kelsey must go off the grid. John knows their only hope for survival is using his powers to their fullest—even if means putting his own sanity at risk.
John Smith has a special gift that seems more like a he can access other peoples thoughts. He hears the the songs stuck in their heads, their most private traumas and fears, the painful memories they can’t let go. The CIA honed his skills until he was one of their most powerful operatives, but Smith fled the Agency and now works as a private consultant, trying to keep the dark potentials of his gift in check—and himself out of trouble.
But now Smith is unexpectedly plunged into dangerous waters when his latest client, billionaire software genius Everett Sloan, hires him to investigate a former employee—a tech whiz kid named Eli Preston—and search his thoughts for some very valuable intellectual property he’s stolen. Before John can probe Preston’s mind, his identity is compromised and he’s on a run for his life with Sloan’s young associate, Kelsey.
Hunted by shadowy enemies with deep resources and unknown motives, John and Kelsey must go off the grid. John knows their only hope for survival is using his powers to their fullest—even if means putting his own sanity at risk.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 9, 2016
About the author
Christopher Farnsworth
24 books1,196 followersChristopher Farnsworth is the author of FLASHMOB (one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2017), KILLFILE, THE ETERNAL WORLD, and the PRESIDENT'S VAMPIRE series. A screenwriter and journalist, he lives in Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 307 reviews
January 25, 2018
Q: “So what do you listen to?” “I have enough to listen to. Believe me, it’s never quiet.” (c)
Another novel about a telepathic guy. A really thrilling one, at that.
John looked really cool, considering this is a thriller not a something more profound.
Telepathy was rather well thought-out, even though I did not quite get why it was so well fitting to the 'job interview' and not so much for the 'forest thing'.
Kelley felt unbelievable. Something was very off about her, mostly the absence of any dimention to her apart from the first one. And the instasex almost made me to dock a star from my rating. Then again, would we be happier about extra 300 pages to this thriller added just for the hell of watching their emotional development? I don't think so. Therefore this was not too important a deficiency.
Q:
I know what you’re thinking. Most of the time, it’s not impressive. Trust me. (c)
Q:
Plugged into their phones, eyes locked on their screens, half-listening to the person on the other end, sleepwalking as they head for their jobs or their first hits of caffeine. The stuff inside their heads can barely even be called thoughts: slogans and buzzwords; half-remembered songs; the latest domestic cage match with whoever they left at home; dramas and gossip involving people they’ll never meet in real life. And sex. Lots and lots of sex. (c)
Q:
I’ve never encountered a mind like his before. Even this close, I couldn’t tell you what he’s thinking. He’s running calculations and modeling outcomes way ahead of anything I can fathom, much faster than I’ve ever experienced. It’s like a wall of ice—cold, flawless, and perfectly smooth. Most of my attempts to read him just slide right off. (c)
Q:
“Psychosomatic implant, delivered through quantum entanglement of consciousness,” I say.
And then I restrain a laugh... (c)
Q:
His IQ scrapes the limits of the tests made to measure it. He’s constantly explaining things, stopping his own personal train of thought and waiting for everyone else to catch up. To him, the rest of us move in slow motion, taking forever to understand what is clear to him in an instant. For a moment, I sense how tiring it must be to be so much smarter than everyone else. To know the answers so long before everyone else does. To see clearly while they’re still blindly groping around in the dark. (c)
Q:
“Oh good. A bunch of tech geeks with weapons. Nothing could possibly go wrong there.” (c)
Q:
A moment ago, her world didn’t include people who can read minds. Now it does, and she smoothly integrates the new reality with only a slight pause. It’s like watching a drone lose track of a target and then reacquire it with a radar lock. Not many people can do that. Most people go tripping over new facts like potholes in the concrete, eyes fixed firmly ahead, pretending they don’t exist. It’s got very little to do with intellect; even people with high IQs can have agendas and issues that act like a blindfold. They spend so much time tending their interior damage that they ignore anything in the outside world that seems even vaguely threatening. (c)
Q:
“Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
Honestly, I’d rather skip this. I see what’s forming in her mind. And I know how I’ll respond, and then I’ll see her response before she can put it into words, and so on. It’s tedious.
But we’re stuck with each other for a while, and we could use the repair work. So I put down my book and try to act like a person who has conversations. (c)
Q:
... people are good at lying. They do it all the time, especially to themselves. If it sounds especially convincing, they write it down. (c)
Q:
High-ranking officers were told they could walk through walls if they concentrated properly. Special Forces soldiers were told to focus their inner chi until they could kill a goat by staring at it. Others sat in a run-down building on the grounds of Fort Meade, racking their brains for visions of Russian submarines. (c)
Q:
If you’ve decided to do something, even if it’s hard, you do it. Waiting around doesn’t make the choice any easier. (c)
Q:
Whitney put up with what she called my James Bond lifestyle, and I pretended not to notice the cyclonic rages that could sweep through her at a moment’s notice. (c)
Q:
The technical term is “inattentional blindness,” a kind of cognitive dead zone in your visual field. Your brain is constantly bombarded with more stimuli than it can possibly handle: about fourteen million bits of information a second, according to the guys who keep count of that sort of thing. It has to narrow all those millions of bits down to a manageable amount just so you aren’t paralyzed by all the incoming data. So it takes shortcuts. It cheats.
Your vision, for instance. Over a third of your brain is dedicated to processing the details streaming in from your eyes, and it’s still not enough. So your brain ignores most of what you see. The couch in the living room, the tree outside your office window, the people standing with you in line for the ATM—your brain skims right over them to save time and energy. It fills in the gaps with the same images over and over, like the scenery behind the characters in one of those old Hanna-Barbera cartoons. That’s the reason that you don’t see your missing car keys on the front table, even when you’ve looked there a dozen times. They faded into the background.
In other words, you really only see what you expect to see. And I can manage those expectations.(c)
Another novel about a telepathic guy. A really thrilling one, at that.
John looked really cool, considering this is a thriller not a something more profound.
Telepathy was rather well thought-out, even though I did not quite get why it was so well fitting to the 'job interview' and not so much for the 'forest thing'.
Kelley felt unbelievable. Something was very off about her, mostly the absence of any dimention to her apart from the first one. And the instasex almost made me to dock a star from my rating. Then again, would we be happier about extra 300 pages to this thriller added just for the hell of watching their emotional development? I don't think so. Therefore this was not too important a deficiency.
Q:
I know what you’re thinking. Most of the time, it’s not impressive. Trust me. (c)
Q:
Plugged into their phones, eyes locked on their screens, half-listening to the person on the other end, sleepwalking as they head for their jobs or their first hits of caffeine. The stuff inside their heads can barely even be called thoughts: slogans and buzzwords; half-remembered songs; the latest domestic cage match with whoever they left at home; dramas and gossip involving people they’ll never meet in real life. And sex. Lots and lots of sex. (c)
Q:
I’ve never encountered a mind like his before. Even this close, I couldn’t tell you what he’s thinking. He’s running calculations and modeling outcomes way ahead of anything I can fathom, much faster than I’ve ever experienced. It’s like a wall of ice—cold, flawless, and perfectly smooth. Most of my attempts to read him just slide right off. (c)
Q:
“Psychosomatic implant, delivered through quantum entanglement of consciousness,” I say.
And then I restrain a laugh... (c)
Q:
His IQ scrapes the limits of the tests made to measure it. He’s constantly explaining things, stopping his own personal train of thought and waiting for everyone else to catch up. To him, the rest of us move in slow motion, taking forever to understand what is clear to him in an instant. For a moment, I sense how tiring it must be to be so much smarter than everyone else. To know the answers so long before everyone else does. To see clearly while they’re still blindly groping around in the dark. (c)
Q:
“Oh good. A bunch of tech geeks with weapons. Nothing could possibly go wrong there.” (c)
Q:
A moment ago, her world didn’t include people who can read minds. Now it does, and she smoothly integrates the new reality with only a slight pause. It’s like watching a drone lose track of a target and then reacquire it with a radar lock. Not many people can do that. Most people go tripping over new facts like potholes in the concrete, eyes fixed firmly ahead, pretending they don’t exist. It’s got very little to do with intellect; even people with high IQs can have agendas and issues that act like a blindfold. They spend so much time tending their interior damage that they ignore anything in the outside world that seems even vaguely threatening. (c)
Q:
“Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
Honestly, I’d rather skip this. I see what’s forming in her mind. And I know how I’ll respond, and then I’ll see her response before she can put it into words, and so on. It’s tedious.
But we’re stuck with each other for a while, and we could use the repair work. So I put down my book and try to act like a person who has conversations. (c)
Q:
... people are good at lying. They do it all the time, especially to themselves. If it sounds especially convincing, they write it down. (c)
Q:
High-ranking officers were told they could walk through walls if they concentrated properly. Special Forces soldiers were told to focus their inner chi until they could kill a goat by staring at it. Others sat in a run-down building on the grounds of Fort Meade, racking their brains for visions of Russian submarines. (c)
Q:
If you’ve decided to do something, even if it’s hard, you do it. Waiting around doesn’t make the choice any easier. (c)
Q:
Whitney put up with what she called my James Bond lifestyle, and I pretended not to notice the cyclonic rages that could sweep through her at a moment’s notice. (c)
Q:
The technical term is “inattentional blindness,” a kind of cognitive dead zone in your visual field. Your brain is constantly bombarded with more stimuli than it can possibly handle: about fourteen million bits of information a second, according to the guys who keep count of that sort of thing. It has to narrow all those millions of bits down to a manageable amount just so you aren’t paralyzed by all the incoming data. So it takes shortcuts. It cheats.
Your vision, for instance. Over a third of your brain is dedicated to processing the details streaming in from your eyes, and it’s still not enough. So your brain ignores most of what you see. The couch in the living room, the tree outside your office window, the people standing with you in line for the ATM—your brain skims right over them to save time and energy. It fills in the gaps with the same images over and over, like the scenery behind the characters in one of those old Hanna-Barbera cartoons. That’s the reason that you don’t see your missing car keys on the front table, even when you’ve looked there a dozen times. They faded into the background.
In other words, you really only see what you expect to see. And I can manage those expectations.(c)
June 1, 2017
Have you ever wanted to read people’s minds? But what if you could even more than that? John Smith is not your ordinary telepath. Yes, he can read minds but he can also manipulate people’s thoughts. Sounds cool, right? Sounds like something from the X-Men comics and movies but for our protagonist, most of time it’s just annoying.
Recruited by the CIA at young age, Smith’s skills were honed until he became one of the top black ops operatives. But today, Smith works as a private consultant and this book begins with him being on the job he was hired to do and this gives us the opportunity to get a glimpse of his abilities.
This brings us to the main plot of the story; Everett Sloan, billionaire software genius hires him to investigate and probe the mind of Eli Preston, a tech-whiz and his former employee. Sloan suspects Preston stole his IP and used it to start his own company. This seemed like an every day job for Smith but everything went sour very fast and before he even realized what is going on, there was a target on his head and his past came back to haunt him.
From there on, this became a fast paced, action-packed ride, and with Smith behind the wheel, I was never able to predict what lies ahead and which turn it will take.
There are couple of flashback chapters in which we learn about Smith’s past; his youth, how he ended up working for the CIA, his former handler, and things he did which made him a person he is today, and those chapters did a good job of fleshing out his character and making him more than just a one dimensional mind controlling freak.
This was a highly entertaining thriller that hooks you right from the start and keeps you on the edge of your seat right through to the end and I’m looking forward reading the sequel.
Recruited by the CIA at young age, Smith’s skills were honed until he became one of the top black ops operatives. But today, Smith works as a private consultant and this book begins with him being on the job he was hired to do and this gives us the opportunity to get a glimpse of his abilities.
This brings us to the main plot of the story; Everett Sloan, billionaire software genius hires him to investigate and probe the mind of Eli Preston, a tech-whiz and his former employee. Sloan suspects Preston stole his IP and used it to start his own company. This seemed like an every day job for Smith but everything went sour very fast and before he even realized what is going on, there was a target on his head and his past came back to haunt him.
From there on, this became a fast paced, action-packed ride, and with Smith behind the wheel, I was never able to predict what lies ahead and which turn it will take.
There are couple of flashback chapters in which we learn about Smith’s past; his youth, how he ended up working for the CIA, his former handler, and things he did which made him a person he is today, and those chapters did a good job of fleshing out his character and making him more than just a one dimensional mind controlling freak.
This was a highly entertaining thriller that hooks you right from the start and keeps you on the edge of your seat right through to the end and I’m looking forward reading the sequel.
March 24, 2018
“Killfile” ended in my lap quite for spoiled and selfish reason. I was looking for a read to satisfy my need for smth Rollinsish (born of pure love to James Rollins), I skimmed the blurb and it promised that! Only after purchasing the book I thought that it’ll be great to read the blurb accurately to know what the hell did I buy 😂 I must confess, I wasn’t very charmed when I got to know that the main character was a psychic, because…well, I didn’t think that it’s cool to know what others think. I imagined it would be like….
Or
But “Killfile” proved me being wrong in my first impression. John Smith is not a usual psychic. I mean, usually the renegade-hitman-hero is with some physical strength/superpower or dark magic, so it may look like a common thing. But as I said before, John is not common, sometimes it seems that he hates his super power and all he wants is to run away from all. All super abilities have their dark side. “Killfile” is a masterful realistic tale of it. I wonder if the true reasons for John’s power will be explained. That's what I love about Rollins, he drops smth unbelievable in his books and then backs it up with real life facts. I loved it how the author used some true facts, too, like some historical facts about Russia or a person with similar like John’s abilities…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_Me...
What I already admire about “Killfile” is how it took me out of my comfort zone, I was entertained, intrigued, also worried for the main character, I didn’t know what to expect and just couldn't put this read down! The author did a great job, the story flows so easily, combining adventure, history, action, and biotechnology, even a bit of romance with a kick-ass heroine (sends love to K 💜💜💜💜💜💜)
I honestly loved this book, it was an amazing ride full of suspense. I felt really connected with the main character, was intrigued about his past. Can’t wait to see what else has John Smith in store for me
December 20, 2018
You know, I'd read the synopsis of this book and thought, "a book about a guy who reads minds. So he'll know what the antagonists are thinking before they act??? Yeah, sounds boring."
I'd decided against it. Then a friend recommended it (thanks Soo) and you know what??? This is a great read.
Yep the author manages to take what sounds like a predictable story and draws the reader into a fast, action packed story that holds you on the proverbial edge of your proverbial seat.
Like some other heroes our protagonist (creatively named John Smith) was discovered by the government to have certain abilities which the CIA trained him to use and made use of. Now however John is freelancing and making money with his gift...
Of course things do not run smoothly for our hero, if they did we wouldn't have a book.
Recommended, enjoy.
I'd decided against it. Then a friend recommended it (thanks Soo) and you know what??? This is a great read.
Yep the author manages to take what sounds like a predictable story and draws the reader into a fast, action packed story that holds you on the proverbial edge of your proverbial seat.
Like some other heroes our protagonist (creatively named John Smith) was discovered by the government to have certain abilities which the CIA trained him to use and made use of. Now however John is freelancing and making money with his gift...
Of course things do not run smoothly for our hero, if they did we wouldn't have a book.
Recommended, enjoy.
September 7, 2016
Kill File was most definitely a 5* read for me (if we have to rate these things) it is an absolute killer of a novel with a truly engaging main protagonist and a banging addictive story with a twist.
John Smith first of all has a great name right? Plus he can read people's minds. Which is a handy skill especially when some of those people secretly want to kill him. Government trained but now freelance he takes on a job that may well prove too challenging even for him. Alongside new (and not particularly welcome) sidekick Kelsey, it will take all his talents just to stay alive...
Now there are several elements to Kill File that work so very well - quite apart from the whole psychic hook thing you get some adrenalin fuelled action, some great supporting characters and for those nerds amongst us some brilliantly gripping hacker type shenanigans - put all that together and you have one heck of a book.
Ernest Cline said "I enjoyed the hell out of it"
I think that pretty much sums up my feelings too.
Highly Recommended
John Smith first of all has a great name right? Plus he can read people's minds. Which is a handy skill especially when some of those people secretly want to kill him. Government trained but now freelance he takes on a job that may well prove too challenging even for him. Alongside new (and not particularly welcome) sidekick Kelsey, it will take all his talents just to stay alive...
Now there are several elements to Kill File that work so very well - quite apart from the whole psychic hook thing you get some adrenalin fuelled action, some great supporting characters and for those nerds amongst us some brilliantly gripping hacker type shenanigans - put all that together and you have one heck of a book.
Ernest Cline said "I enjoyed the hell out of it"
I think that pretty much sums up my feelings too.
Highly Recommended
October 12, 2016
I wasn't really engaged by this book until the final 25%. The first person narration by the smug, obnoxious protagonist John Smith was a real turnoff. There was too much backstory for me about Smith's mind reading talent, his superiority over lesser humans and his general awesomeness. I'm also not crazy about having female characters added to books just to lend comfort to the male characters. I enjoyed the author's books about the President's vampire, but his standalone books have been a disappointment. This wasn't a terrible book, but it wasn't very distinctive either. The narration of the audiobook by Bronson Pinchot was fine.
July 17, 2016
Broke out of the pack in the first pages and raced to the jaw-dropping finish line in one reading.
John Smith, his real name, can read minds--it's taken him some practice to filter out the day to day rubbish most people think about: food sex work sex et cetera, and hone in on the useful thoughts of a particular target but his skill is paying the bills. His mundane name is well known among the elite and when he receives an assignment to get back some code he comes up against one of the bright lights of high tech. And when we say bright, we mean uber-genius.
Jam-packed with witty dialog and exciting action--Killfile is the best mind reading thriller I've read in years.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
John Smith, his real name, can read minds--it's taken him some practice to filter out the day to day rubbish most people think about: food sex work sex et cetera, and hone in on the useful thoughts of a particular target but his skill is paying the bills. His mundane name is well known among the elite and when he receives an assignment to get back some code he comes up against one of the bright lights of high tech. And when we say bright, we mean uber-genius.
Jam-packed with witty dialog and exciting action--Killfile is the best mind reading thriller I've read in years.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 13, 2019
An ideal, fast paced holiday read. John Smith is a marvellous creation.Think Jack Reacher who quite likes the idea of being James Bond ! Oh, and he just happens to be psychic.The female sidekick, Kelsey fell a little flat for me though : she was not much more than a Bond Girl type character. Despite this ,Kill File was still highly entertaining.
3.5 🌟🌟🌟.
3.5 🌟🌟🌟.
December 31, 2016
3.5 review to follow...
February 29, 2016
This is an unusual and highly polished technical thriller with a little twist. John Smith has a special gift in that he can access peoples thoughts. However not only is he able to enter the mind of an individual, but by doing so he can influence the decisions that they take and ultimately the outcome. His abilities are tested to the limited when he is employed by a billionaire software genius Everett Sloan to investigate a former employee Eli Preston and search his thoughts for some very valuable intellectual property he has stolen, the algorithm. "I want my ideas back. I want you to recover my intellectual property. And then I want you to scrub every trace of it from Eli Preston's head."
Under the pretence of attempting to acquire the services of Eli Preston.... "I was hoping we could talk about you doing some work for Mr Sloan again" Smith visits OmniVore Preston's headquarters and meets the delightful and beautiful Kelsey Foster. Unfortunately before he can probe Preston's mind his identity is compromised and he is on the run for his life with a bemused Kelsey.
This is a fast edge of the seat thriller with a relentless pace from the opening page. I enjoyed the way the author explored John Smith's unusual gift from his childhood and how he used this ability in the services of the CIA fighting in Afghanistan. By projecting himself into a person's mind Smith is able to understand not only what they are thinking but also inject thoughts and actions and thereby influence the decision and outcome.
Now hunted by enemies with deep resources and unknown motives John and Kelsey know that their only hope for survival is using his powers to the fullest even if that means putting not only his sanity but their very lives at risk. This was an enjoyable techno thriller which I highly recommend. I received a free copy for an honest review and this is what I have written.
Under the pretence of attempting to acquire the services of Eli Preston.... "I was hoping we could talk about you doing some work for Mr Sloan again" Smith visits OmniVore Preston's headquarters and meets the delightful and beautiful Kelsey Foster. Unfortunately before he can probe Preston's mind his identity is compromised and he is on the run for his life with a bemused Kelsey.
This is a fast edge of the seat thriller with a relentless pace from the opening page. I enjoyed the way the author explored John Smith's unusual gift from his childhood and how he used this ability in the services of the CIA fighting in Afghanistan. By projecting himself into a person's mind Smith is able to understand not only what they are thinking but also inject thoughts and actions and thereby influence the decision and outcome.
Now hunted by enemies with deep resources and unknown motives John and Kelsey know that their only hope for survival is using his powers to the fullest even if that means putting not only his sanity but their very lives at risk. This was an enjoyable techno thriller which I highly recommend. I received a free copy for an honest review and this is what I have written.
March 6, 2016
“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
Oh, what fun this book was to read. We've probably all thought at one time or another of being able to read minds. In this thriller by author Farnsworth, protagonist John Smith has inborn abilities and then his association with the CIA hones those talents so that not only can he read minds but he can influence people's actions.
He's in the private sector now, selling his services to the rich and powerful and he finds all kinds of action he hasn't seen in years. Along the way he meets Kelsey Foster and together they go after a high tech criminal - who also has his sights set on them.
I zoomed through this book, enjoying every minute of it. Jam packed with action - from South Dakota to a wilderness corporate retreat to L.A. to Dubai.
I'm not usually a fan of series books but I'd like to read more about John Smith in future adventures.
NOTE: I received this book from William Morrow Books in exchange for my honest review.
― Mahatma Gandhi
Oh, what fun this book was to read. We've probably all thought at one time or another of being able to read minds. In this thriller by author Farnsworth, protagonist John Smith has inborn abilities and then his association with the CIA hones those talents so that not only can he read minds but he can influence people's actions.
He's in the private sector now, selling his services to the rich and powerful and he finds all kinds of action he hasn't seen in years. Along the way he meets Kelsey Foster and together they go after a high tech criminal - who also has his sights set on them.
I zoomed through this book, enjoying every minute of it. Jam packed with action - from South Dakota to a wilderness corporate retreat to L.A. to Dubai.
I'm not usually a fan of series books but I'd like to read more about John Smith in future adventures.
NOTE: I received this book from William Morrow Books in exchange for my honest review.
September 25, 2016
I’ve been a fan of Christopher Farnsworth since I read his first book, “Blood Oath.” In this new book, “Killfile,” Mr. Farnsworth has created a cyber thriller that combines history, action, biotechnology, and that ‘special’ something that makes John Smith a character that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.
Former CIA, military trained, and recruited for a secret agency due to his unique ability, Smith can not only read people’s minds but control them as well. World-weary and disillusioned, Smith leaves the agency and now works as a private consultant with high-end clients, and focuses on staying under the radar. Hired by billionaire software genius Everett Sloan to investigate Eli Preston, a former employee believed to have stolen intellectual property, Smith and Kelsey Foster, a trusted associate of Sloan’s, are plunged into a fight for their lives.
Morality is one theme that runs throughout the book, and given the times we live in, the wars and civil unrest we participate in, both home and abroad, there’s one passage that especially stood out for me:
“…it was possible to do terrible things to other people, despite listening to them beg for mercy, because of the fail-safes that evolution and civilization have built into the human mind over the past ten thousand years or so. We take a series of steps to wall ourselves off from the consequences of our actions. The first, and most important, is dehumanization. We decide, consciously and unconsciously, that our enemy is not actually human, that they’ve chosen a path that reduces them to the level of animals or vermin or robots. ‘It’s their fault. They don’t feel pain the way we do. They’re not like us.’ And so on. Once we do that, it’s pretty easy to justify any other actions in the name of the greater good…I could never manage that trick. My talent wouldn’t allow it. Some of the people we dealt with were unquestionably evil, but I always had a hard time seeing them as inhuman.”
Fast-paced, action-packed, complete with complex characters dealing with the age-old premise of good vs, evil. One review compared “Killfile” to James Bond with a twist. I look forward to what’s next for Smith and Kelsey.
Former CIA, military trained, and recruited for a secret agency due to his unique ability, Smith can not only read people’s minds but control them as well. World-weary and disillusioned, Smith leaves the agency and now works as a private consultant with high-end clients, and focuses on staying under the radar. Hired by billionaire software genius Everett Sloan to investigate Eli Preston, a former employee believed to have stolen intellectual property, Smith and Kelsey Foster, a trusted associate of Sloan’s, are plunged into a fight for their lives.
Morality is one theme that runs throughout the book, and given the times we live in, the wars and civil unrest we participate in, both home and abroad, there’s one passage that especially stood out for me:
“…it was possible to do terrible things to other people, despite listening to them beg for mercy, because of the fail-safes that evolution and civilization have built into the human mind over the past ten thousand years or so. We take a series of steps to wall ourselves off from the consequences of our actions. The first, and most important, is dehumanization. We decide, consciously and unconsciously, that our enemy is not actually human, that they’ve chosen a path that reduces them to the level of animals or vermin or robots. ‘It’s their fault. They don’t feel pain the way we do. They’re not like us.’ And so on. Once we do that, it’s pretty easy to justify any other actions in the name of the greater good…I could never manage that trick. My talent wouldn’t allow it. Some of the people we dealt with were unquestionably evil, but I always had a hard time seeing them as inhuman.”
Fast-paced, action-packed, complete with complex characters dealing with the age-old premise of good vs, evil. One review compared “Killfile” to James Bond with a twist. I look forward to what’s next for Smith and Kelsey.
February 6, 2017
I did enjoy this book. It was fast paced and kind of techno-thriller. If this is a genre category. If not, then it should be.
John and his talent were impressive. He is not a poser but the real deal. The way that he can not only read thoughts but manipulative people's minds was amazing. It is no wonder that Everett wanted to hire John for his services. I do want to comment by saying that I am glad that there was not a strong romantic connection between John and Kelsey. It would have been too predictable and kind of down graded the book overall. This is the type of story that I feel like it works best if the author lets the characters stand on their own followed with a good storyline. Mr. Farnsworth did that with this book. I look forward to trying out more work by this author.
John and his talent were impressive. He is not a poser but the real deal. The way that he can not only read thoughts but manipulative people's minds was amazing. It is no wonder that Everett wanted to hire John for his services. I do want to comment by saying that I am glad that there was not a strong romantic connection between John and Kelsey. It would have been too predictable and kind of down graded the book overall. This is the type of story that I feel like it works best if the author lets the characters stand on their own followed with a good storyline. Mr. Farnsworth did that with this book. I look forward to trying out more work by this author.
December 4, 2016
Amazingly fast paced, witty dialogue, great action scenes. Alot of fun. Ripped through this in a solo sitting. Highly recommended!!!
February 12, 2017
Fast, action-packed thriller. John Smith has a special gift in that he can access and influence peoples' thoughts. Having quit the military, he is now an expensive private contractor. Billionaire software genius Everett Sloan hires Smith to recover an algorithm he allegedly stole and to "scrub every trace of it from Eli Preston's head." He is joined on his assignment by a beautiful and resourceful woman, Kelsey Foster. Mysteriously, Preston discovers Smith's identity, igniting trouble. My issues with this book are: (1) Smith's backstory is not well-integrated with the main story, and (2) Kelsey's character seems forced.
October 31, 2017
A very good speculative thriller.
Who isn't fascinated at the idea of mind reading? Farnsworth did a very good job of creating engaging characters. The story also has multiple layers to it to keep you thoroughly engaged.
A strong recommend from me. It's one of the better thrillers I've read this year.
Thank you to the publisher for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Who isn't fascinated at the idea of mind reading? Farnsworth did a very good job of creating engaging characters. The story also has multiple layers to it to keep you thoroughly engaged.
A strong recommend from me. It's one of the better thrillers I've read this year.
Thank you to the publisher for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 19, 2016
I have decided anything Farnsworth writes will be on my list.
August 2, 2016
Kill File is the latest novel by Christopher Farnsworth, to date best known for his ‘President’s Vampire’ series. Those books, which followed the vampire Nathaniel Cade, employed under unbreakable oath by the US president to protect America against supernatural threats, were fun but entirely disposable efforts. They rode the post-Twilight fashion for vampiric tales and offered more than teenage-angst romance, but in my experience they also lacked entirely coherent plots or characters you became genuinely involved with. Even now I can barely remember what happened in either of the two books I read, which is not a testimony to their longevity. All I do remember is that they were enjoyable at the time in a fast paced but veering into the ridiculous sort of way.
The same goes for the Kill File. Two weeks after finishing it I find I remember little about it beyond the basics of the plot. As with Farnsworth’s previous novels, this is very much about the immediate excitement the book engenders, and less about leaving a lasting impression.
This time the Vampires and other beasties of the President’s Vampire have been replaced by John Smith, former CIA agent and most importantly, natural-born psychic. When the book opens we find Smith, who acts as first person narrator throughout, working as an independent security consultant using his unique skills to clear up problems such as kidnappings on behalf of wealthy clients.
It’s in this role that Smith find himself sucked into the central plot of the books, which revolves around data mining algorithms and that somewhat overused post-Wikileaks and Edward Snowden plot device of covert government surveillance. Not that any of this are more than maguffins to be used to send Smith off on the run, with dark forces arrayed against him and only his psychic abilities, training as a secret agent and an innocent but fortunately beautiful woman to assist him.
It doesn’t take a psychic to see how the story will ultimately play out, and none of the events that occur along the way come as any great surprise. If it wasn’t for Smith’s psychic abilities, which to be fair Farnsworth portrays with both a sense of originality and some consistent internal logic, Kill File would be just another ‘innocent man framed for a crime and on the run’ story and nothing much more. It certainly has all the elements you would expect from such a tale. There’s the globe-trotting, taking in various parts of the US and Dubai. There are the billionaire bad-guys. There’s the initially cold and distant love interest who quickly warms to the hero’s charms (too quickly in this case, with their initial hook-up feeling less than earnt). There are unpleasant henchmen to be fought and beaten.
It’s all very straightforward. In fact the central story is so slight, if rather opaque, that Farnsworth can include numerous flashbacks to Smith’s past without the book feeling over long as a result. These flashbacks do deepen Smith’s character and give us a better understanding of his powers and how they can be both a blessing and a curse, and they don’t slow down the narrative.
However, they do serve to make you painfully aware that none of the characters apart from Smith are given anything more than the most cursory of development. The key bad guys remain archetypes (billionaire investor and tech-geek entrepreneur respectively, like evil clones of Warren Buffet and Mark Zuckerberg) and their henchmen nothing more than walking suits there to provide a physical threat to Smith. Most unforgivably the one female character in the novel, Kelsey Foster, remains little more than a walking cliché; an attractive young woman there to be rescued by Smith and be sexually available to him. If you're looking for a thriller with a strong female lead who displays her own agency Kill File is not it.
Now you could argue that thrillers like this, with their lightening pace and focus on action are never going offer deep characterisation. Especially a novel narrated in the first person by the protagonist. In those circumstances every other character is only going to be seen through the eyes of our hero, limiting what we find out about them. In the case of the Kill File however, Smith can actually read minds, allowing the reader a potential insight into the thoughts, personality and motivations of the people he meets. Whilst we get a bit of all that however, it remains entirely superficial and what is revealed is entirely plot driven. In the circumstances it feels like a missed opportunity.
Instead Farnsworth chooses to focus on his rather convoluted and less than compelling plot and the periodic bursts of admittedly quite well written action. It all makes for a frenetic, fast-paced tale, but one that lacks any depth or really stays fixed in the memory for very long. Rather like Dubai, where the story's denoument is set, on the surface Kill File offers excitement, glitz and glamour, but there is nothing beneath that surface sheen to sustain the book and make it anything more than passing, disposable entertainment.
Note: I received a free, pre-publication, e-book copy of Kill File from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The same goes for the Kill File. Two weeks after finishing it I find I remember little about it beyond the basics of the plot. As with Farnsworth’s previous novels, this is very much about the immediate excitement the book engenders, and less about leaving a lasting impression.
This time the Vampires and other beasties of the President’s Vampire have been replaced by John Smith, former CIA agent and most importantly, natural-born psychic. When the book opens we find Smith, who acts as first person narrator throughout, working as an independent security consultant using his unique skills to clear up problems such as kidnappings on behalf of wealthy clients.
It’s in this role that Smith find himself sucked into the central plot of the books, which revolves around data mining algorithms and that somewhat overused post-Wikileaks and Edward Snowden plot device of covert government surveillance. Not that any of this are more than maguffins to be used to send Smith off on the run, with dark forces arrayed against him and only his psychic abilities, training as a secret agent and an innocent but fortunately beautiful woman to assist him.
It doesn’t take a psychic to see how the story will ultimately play out, and none of the events that occur along the way come as any great surprise. If it wasn’t for Smith’s psychic abilities, which to be fair Farnsworth portrays with both a sense of originality and some consistent internal logic, Kill File would be just another ‘innocent man framed for a crime and on the run’ story and nothing much more. It certainly has all the elements you would expect from such a tale. There’s the globe-trotting, taking in various parts of the US and Dubai. There are the billionaire bad-guys. There’s the initially cold and distant love interest who quickly warms to the hero’s charms (too quickly in this case, with their initial hook-up feeling less than earnt). There are unpleasant henchmen to be fought and beaten.
It’s all very straightforward. In fact the central story is so slight, if rather opaque, that Farnsworth can include numerous flashbacks to Smith’s past without the book feeling over long as a result. These flashbacks do deepen Smith’s character and give us a better understanding of his powers and how they can be both a blessing and a curse, and they don’t slow down the narrative.
However, they do serve to make you painfully aware that none of the characters apart from Smith are given anything more than the most cursory of development. The key bad guys remain archetypes (billionaire investor and tech-geek entrepreneur respectively, like evil clones of Warren Buffet and Mark Zuckerberg) and their henchmen nothing more than walking suits there to provide a physical threat to Smith. Most unforgivably the one female character in the novel, Kelsey Foster, remains little more than a walking cliché; an attractive young woman there to be rescued by Smith and be sexually available to him. If you're looking for a thriller with a strong female lead who displays her own agency Kill File is not it.
Now you could argue that thrillers like this, with their lightening pace and focus on action are never going offer deep characterisation. Especially a novel narrated in the first person by the protagonist. In those circumstances every other character is only going to be seen through the eyes of our hero, limiting what we find out about them. In the case of the Kill File however, Smith can actually read minds, allowing the reader a potential insight into the thoughts, personality and motivations of the people he meets. Whilst we get a bit of all that however, it remains entirely superficial and what is revealed is entirely plot driven. In the circumstances it feels like a missed opportunity.
Instead Farnsworth chooses to focus on his rather convoluted and less than compelling plot and the periodic bursts of admittedly quite well written action. It all makes for a frenetic, fast-paced tale, but one that lacks any depth or really stays fixed in the memory for very long. Rather like Dubai, where the story's denoument is set, on the surface Kill File offers excitement, glitz and glamour, but there is nothing beneath that surface sheen to sustain the book and make it anything more than passing, disposable entertainment.
Note: I received a free, pre-publication, e-book copy of Kill File from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
November 24, 2018
Mini-Review:
4 Stars for Narration by Bronson Pinchot
3.5 Stars for Story
Normally, I would probably score this at 3 stars and leave it at that. I've had a run of less than mediocre books and this one was much more satisfying than those which I rated 3 stars. 4 stars it is!
What would happen if you could read minds? Would you be a happy go lucky person who used the ability to keep a positive outlook or drown in the swamp of day to day negativity & casual neglect?
John Smith is a telepath & the government honed his abilities to be a useful asset. He's left behind the government and become a troubleshooter for the rich. All he wants is enough money to buy himself some peace and quiet from the masses. The latest job will give him what he has dreamed of having. A house on a private island to call home.
It should have been an easy assignment but overconfidence morphed an easy job into run to save his life.
The story is rather bleak and rife with dark emotions and painful exchanges but it never made me dislike John. He is not a nice man, but he is not a rampaging monster out to destroy everything in his path. He has his principles and he lives by them. It makes me wonder what he'll be like in the next book. Will he be the same or evolved from the person he was here?
4 Stars for Narration by Bronson Pinchot
3.5 Stars for Story
Normally, I would probably score this at 3 stars and leave it at that. I've had a run of less than mediocre books and this one was much more satisfying than those which I rated 3 stars. 4 stars it is!
What would happen if you could read minds? Would you be a happy go lucky person who used the ability to keep a positive outlook or drown in the swamp of day to day negativity & casual neglect?
John Smith is a telepath & the government honed his abilities to be a useful asset. He's left behind the government and become a troubleshooter for the rich. All he wants is enough money to buy himself some peace and quiet from the masses. The latest job will give him what he has dreamed of having. A house on a private island to call home.
It should have been an easy assignment but overconfidence morphed an easy job into run to save his life.
The story is rather bleak and rife with dark emotions and painful exchanges but it never made me dislike John. He is not a nice man, but he is not a rampaging monster out to destroy everything in his path. He has his principles and he lives by them. It makes me wonder what he'll be like in the next book. Will he be the same or evolved from the person he was here?
February 11, 2022
This was my second time reading this book. The character is interesting and his power so compelling that it makes for the kind of book you can pick up every couple of years and enjoy it all over again. Written in the first person, it really captures the humor of the character too.
December 13, 2019
Vérengző énem roppantul élvezte, egyébként egynek elmegy. Nem tud nagy rajongást kiváltani, semmi emlékezetes vagy egyedi nincs benne, a gondolatolvasás ellenére sem. Kicsit olyan, mint egy hollywoodi mozi.
August 9, 2016
See this review and more at www.TheRealBookSpy.com
When the CIA first discovered John Smith, a psychic with an astonishing skill set, they set out to help him weaponize his unique abilities. That meant finding a way to tune out the useless, monotonous, everyday thoughts that people fill their heads with as they go about their daily routine. Once he found a way to block out those things, he was able to focus on the more important information and use it for good.
After honing his unusual talents, Smith left the CIA (and the government altogether) and now works in the private sector as a paid consultant, where people with deep pockets will pay a king’s ransom to secure his help.
Not only can Smith read people’s minds, but he can influence and manipulate their thoughts. What initially seems like it would be a pretty cool ability to have is soon shown to be hell on earth. The other side to Smith’s gift is that there’s no mute button for him to hit when he wants to shut out voices he hears. That, and the resulting constant headaches, force Smith to live in semi-isolation.
But after running easier, straightforward jobs that pay well, Smith is finally offered something more valuable to him than money.
Everett Sloan, a billionaire software developer, wants Smith to access the mind of his former protege who stole an important algorithm from him. That algorithm helped make Sloan the success that he is today.
If John can infiltrate the mind of tech genius Eli Preston, then scrub any trace of the computer code, Sloan has the means to grant him his one true wish–the ability to live in complete and total isolation on his own private island, free from everyone else’s thoughts and problems.
Taking the job, Smith sets out to meet with Preston. What he doesn’t know, though, is that Preston used Sloan’s algorithm to build a computer-based version of what John can do. Using math and enormous amounts of data, most of which is taken from people’s electronic existence (I’ll never trust the Cloud again!), Preston’s software can literally predict someone’s next move before they even decide to make it.
The other problem that Smith soon realizes is that Preston is more than just a mad scientist with brilliant computer skills. He’s vengeful, hot-headed, and crushes anyone and everyone who crosses him. Now that John Smith is in his crosshairs, Preston will stop at nothing to destroy him.
In the end, Christopher Farnsworth’s latest thriller comes down to a battle between machine vs. human, albeit a human with superhero-like powers. While that in itself isn’t a new concept, the author’s unique take on things is both compelling and fun. Plus, Farnsworth adds in a couple twists that most won’t see coming, keeping readers off balance until the very end.
John Smith is a hero for the digital age and Chris Farnsworth’s best character to date. Landing somewhere between X-Men and Joseph Finder’s Paranoia (2004), Killfile is a mind-bending, brainy thriller that forces readers to think outside the box and question everything.
MY THOUGHTS
John Smith is a fantastic new character, and Farnsworth created the perfect antagonist for him to go up against. Once the reader has a clear understanding of who Smith is, it’s a lot of fun to see him struggling to act outside of his normal behavior in an effort to beat Preston’s computer program by being unpredictable.
Also, plots like this usually tend to be hard to understand if you’re not up to date on the latest computer lingo and must-have apps. Thankfully, that isn’t the case here. Farnsworth lays everything out nicely, but without going overboard while explaining the tech side of things.
While entertaining, Killfile is also a thought-provoking thriller. Most have never stopped to think about just how much information about themselves is out there…You will now!
BOOK DETAILS
Author: Chris Farnsworth
Pages: 336 (Hardcover)
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: August 9, 2016
When the CIA first discovered John Smith, a psychic with an astonishing skill set, they set out to help him weaponize his unique abilities. That meant finding a way to tune out the useless, monotonous, everyday thoughts that people fill their heads with as they go about their daily routine. Once he found a way to block out those things, he was able to focus on the more important information and use it for good.
After honing his unusual talents, Smith left the CIA (and the government altogether) and now works in the private sector as a paid consultant, where people with deep pockets will pay a king’s ransom to secure his help.
Not only can Smith read people’s minds, but he can influence and manipulate their thoughts. What initially seems like it would be a pretty cool ability to have is soon shown to be hell on earth. The other side to Smith’s gift is that there’s no mute button for him to hit when he wants to shut out voices he hears. That, and the resulting constant headaches, force Smith to live in semi-isolation.
But after running easier, straightforward jobs that pay well, Smith is finally offered something more valuable to him than money.
Everett Sloan, a billionaire software developer, wants Smith to access the mind of his former protege who stole an important algorithm from him. That algorithm helped make Sloan the success that he is today.
If John can infiltrate the mind of tech genius Eli Preston, then scrub any trace of the computer code, Sloan has the means to grant him his one true wish–the ability to live in complete and total isolation on his own private island, free from everyone else’s thoughts and problems.
Taking the job, Smith sets out to meet with Preston. What he doesn’t know, though, is that Preston used Sloan’s algorithm to build a computer-based version of what John can do. Using math and enormous amounts of data, most of which is taken from people’s electronic existence (I’ll never trust the Cloud again!), Preston’s software can literally predict someone’s next move before they even decide to make it.
The other problem that Smith soon realizes is that Preston is more than just a mad scientist with brilliant computer skills. He’s vengeful, hot-headed, and crushes anyone and everyone who crosses him. Now that John Smith is in his crosshairs, Preston will stop at nothing to destroy him.
In the end, Christopher Farnsworth’s latest thriller comes down to a battle between machine vs. human, albeit a human with superhero-like powers. While that in itself isn’t a new concept, the author’s unique take on things is both compelling and fun. Plus, Farnsworth adds in a couple twists that most won’t see coming, keeping readers off balance until the very end.
John Smith is a hero for the digital age and Chris Farnsworth’s best character to date. Landing somewhere between X-Men and Joseph Finder’s Paranoia (2004), Killfile is a mind-bending, brainy thriller that forces readers to think outside the box and question everything.
MY THOUGHTS
John Smith is a fantastic new character, and Farnsworth created the perfect antagonist for him to go up against. Once the reader has a clear understanding of who Smith is, it’s a lot of fun to see him struggling to act outside of his normal behavior in an effort to beat Preston’s computer program by being unpredictable.
Also, plots like this usually tend to be hard to understand if you’re not up to date on the latest computer lingo and must-have apps. Thankfully, that isn’t the case here. Farnsworth lays everything out nicely, but without going overboard while explaining the tech side of things.
While entertaining, Killfile is also a thought-provoking thriller. Most have never stopped to think about just how much information about themselves is out there…You will now!
BOOK DETAILS
Author: Chris Farnsworth
Pages: 336 (Hardcover)
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: August 9, 2016
September 15, 2016
"I know what you're thinking. Most of the time, it's not impressive. Trust me."
Dozen of people move around me on the sidewalks in L.A.'s financial district, all of them on autopilot. Plugged into their phones, eyes locked on their screens, half-listening to the person on the other end, sleepwalking as they head for their jobs or their first hits of caffeine. The stuff inside their heads can barely even be called thoughts; slogans and buzzwords; half-remembered songs; the latest domestic cage match with whomever they left at home; dramas and gossip involving people they'll never meet in real life. And sex. Lots of sex."
That's what I live with constantly, all around me like audible smog. Most of the time, it's just annoying. But today, it makes it easy to find my targets. They're fully awake, jangling with adrenaline and anxiety. They stand out, hard and bright, a couple of rhinestones glittering in the usual muck."(pg 2).
John Smith can so more than simply read your thoughts. He can alter your actions and bring to mind anything he wants to you believe or imagine. It is why the CIA wanted him to work for him and also the reason why he left. Now as a private consultant, he decides whom he'll work for and also how much they can pay him. There isn't anything he doesn't know before they begin negotiations. When billionaire mogul Everett Sloan makes him an offer he has desired his entire life, silence to those ongoing, never-ending thoughts, it is simply too good of an offer to pass up. Sloan believes that a former employee of his, Eli Preston has stolen an algorithm that he has developed and now is employing to make himself untold amounts of wealth for his clients. Sloan wants his memory erased before he can become a serious threat to his company and John Smith is just the man to do it.
During a scheduled meeting with Preston, Smith's identify is compromised and now he becomes the hunted along with Preston's young associate Kelsey Foster and it will be a battle of intelligence, cyber terrorism and mind control that they have never faced before, and ultimately it may in fact cost John more than he ever imagined or thought possible.
I received Killfile by Christopher Farnsworth compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this novel in exchange for my fair and unbiased review. I absolutely LOVED this edge of your seat psychological thriller and it is truly non stop action. What I loved the most about this novel is that is vastly different from anything I have read and makes you wonder what would stand in the way of a man who could read your thoughts and could kill you without you even realizing what is happening. How would he be used by our own government and even worse his enemies if they found out what he could do? I only hope, that this novel is considered for the big screen because it is fresh, innovative and definitely worth the price of a movie ticket to see this played out in theaters. For me, this was a definitive 4 out of 5 stars and only wanes from the final star based on sexual content and language that some readers might find offensive according to my review standards. All in all, a definite addition to my must read by Christopher Farnsworth in the future.
Dozen of people move around me on the sidewalks in L.A.'s financial district, all of them on autopilot. Plugged into their phones, eyes locked on their screens, half-listening to the person on the other end, sleepwalking as they head for their jobs or their first hits of caffeine. The stuff inside their heads can barely even be called thoughts; slogans and buzzwords; half-remembered songs; the latest domestic cage match with whomever they left at home; dramas and gossip involving people they'll never meet in real life. And sex. Lots of sex."
That's what I live with constantly, all around me like audible smog. Most of the time, it's just annoying. But today, it makes it easy to find my targets. They're fully awake, jangling with adrenaline and anxiety. They stand out, hard and bright, a couple of rhinestones glittering in the usual muck."(pg 2).
John Smith can so more than simply read your thoughts. He can alter your actions and bring to mind anything he wants to you believe or imagine. It is why the CIA wanted him to work for him and also the reason why he left. Now as a private consultant, he decides whom he'll work for and also how much they can pay him. There isn't anything he doesn't know before they begin negotiations. When billionaire mogul Everett Sloan makes him an offer he has desired his entire life, silence to those ongoing, never-ending thoughts, it is simply too good of an offer to pass up. Sloan believes that a former employee of his, Eli Preston has stolen an algorithm that he has developed and now is employing to make himself untold amounts of wealth for his clients. Sloan wants his memory erased before he can become a serious threat to his company and John Smith is just the man to do it.
During a scheduled meeting with Preston, Smith's identify is compromised and now he becomes the hunted along with Preston's young associate Kelsey Foster and it will be a battle of intelligence, cyber terrorism and mind control that they have never faced before, and ultimately it may in fact cost John more than he ever imagined or thought possible.
I received Killfile by Christopher Farnsworth compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this novel in exchange for my fair and unbiased review. I absolutely LOVED this edge of your seat psychological thriller and it is truly non stop action. What I loved the most about this novel is that is vastly different from anything I have read and makes you wonder what would stand in the way of a man who could read your thoughts and could kill you without you even realizing what is happening. How would he be used by our own government and even worse his enemies if they found out what he could do? I only hope, that this novel is considered for the big screen because it is fresh, innovative and definitely worth the price of a movie ticket to see this played out in theaters. For me, this was a definitive 4 out of 5 stars and only wanes from the final star based on sexual content and language that some readers might find offensive according to my review standards. All in all, a definite addition to my must read by Christopher Farnsworth in the future.
June 26, 2017
So this has my 'paranormal' tag because the main character can read minds and project thoughts/images/emotions into minds...that's his 'special skill'
and of course he has a hard luck story - went into the military and then into the CIA because that's where all these types of characters go. Now he's out and on his own working things like retrieving kidnap victims and other well paying jobs. He gets hired by a very rich tech guy - the job is yada yada yada - is assigned a pretty assistant -job goes south they are on the run trying to figure out why.
So this is a thriller - and based on all the stars most find it to be really good. I have nothing against thrillers - I too read my share. But I hated this character and found that there was nothing new in this story at all and I know that by next week I will have forgotten what the book was about. Again, I read my share of thrillers - I read all the Reacher's and can't remember the plots of all of them but the difference is that I like the character - Reacher - and didn't like John Smith.
And I want to toss in a personal rant here - I am sick and tired of men writing stories of tough guys with special skills that think about bedding every woman they meet or that every woman they meet probably wants to bed them...and of course - all the women in the story are drop dead beautiful because tough guys don't go on the run with plain women...
there is a scene early in the story when they hitch a ride with someone as they are on the run and of course this driver can only think about having sex with the woman...so BORING.
and of course he has a hard luck story - went into the military and then into the CIA because that's where all these types of characters go. Now he's out and on his own working things like retrieving kidnap victims and other well paying jobs. He gets hired by a very rich tech guy - the job is yada yada yada - is assigned a pretty assistant -job goes south they are on the run trying to figure out why.
So this is a thriller - and based on all the stars most find it to be really good. I have nothing against thrillers - I too read my share. But I hated this character and found that there was nothing new in this story at all and I know that by next week I will have forgotten what the book was about. Again, I read my share of thrillers - I read all the Reacher's and can't remember the plots of all of them but the difference is that I like the character - Reacher - and didn't like John Smith.
And I want to toss in a personal rant here - I am sick and tired of men writing stories of tough guys with special skills that think about bedding every woman they meet or that every woman they meet probably wants to bed them...and of course - all the women in the story are drop dead beautiful because tough guys don't go on the run with plain women...
there is a scene early in the story when they hitch a ride with someone as they are on the run and of course this driver can only think about having sex with the woman...so BORING.
July 19, 2017
This is one of those books I hesitated to buy because I questioned whether I could suspend enough disbelief to get into it. Protagonist John Smith can not only read minds but send messages into other people's minds so, how could I take this book seriously? Start on page one! Former Green Beret/CIA agent John Smith is hired by Everett, a multi-billionaire genius to use his particular set of skills to recover intellectual property Eli, another multi-billionaire that he believes, stole from him. Everything goes sideways when Smith is suddenly exposed as a rare and very dangerous telepathic agent forcing him and his very lovely associate Kelsey to run for their lives. Smith and Kelsey quickly become electronic non- persons, stripped of all their earthly assets and possessions. The only path left for Smith is to admit defeat and rejoin the CIA or come up with a plan B to somehow reverse their computer structured electronic death sentences and seek revenge on Eli. This imaginative page turning thriller is so good you'll want to reread it and the good news is it's book #1 in a series.
March 9, 2016
Thanks to the publisher and author for providing this advanced reader novel for review.
For all of the science fiction thriller genre fans out there, this is the book for you. It comes out in July and it is amazing. The story follows John Smith as he tackles problems for the rich, and sometimes gets caught up in conspiracies that only his skill set can get him out of. This is a unusual twist on mind reading that will blow your mind. I don't do spoilers in my reviews, but you don't need to know all the plots, twists, and mysteries to know that this is a great read. I flew through this story, and look forward to a future novel following John Smith's adventures (Mr. Farnsworth, you really should make this a series).
Go out and buy this book. You will thank me.
For all of the science fiction thriller genre fans out there, this is the book for you. It comes out in July and it is amazing. The story follows John Smith as he tackles problems for the rich, and sometimes gets caught up in conspiracies that only his skill set can get him out of. This is a unusual twist on mind reading that will blow your mind. I don't do spoilers in my reviews, but you don't need to know all the plots, twists, and mysteries to know that this is a great read. I flew through this story, and look forward to a future novel following John Smith's adventures (Mr. Farnsworth, you really should make this a series).
Go out and buy this book. You will thank me.
October 4, 2016
So. I am now terrified of tech nerds and will be keeping all of my money under the mattress.
Regardless of that, this book is SO much fun.
This is like Burn Notice (if Michael was telepathic and Fiona was...far less interesting) mixed with X-Men mixed with a sanitized version of a Don Winslow book. (Note: As you might expect, it turns out you really, really don't want to F with a Michael Westen/Jean Grey hybrid).
It's hardly new territory, but who cares? This book is at once ridiculous and smart, and it's well-paced and satisfying...like an escapist read with a brain.
Regardless of that, this book is SO much fun.
This is like Burn Notice (if Michael was telepathic and Fiona was...far less interesting) mixed with X-Men mixed with a sanitized version of a Don Winslow book. (Note: As you might expect, it turns out you really, really don't want to F with a Michael Westen/Jean Grey hybrid).
It's hardly new territory, but who cares? This book is at once ridiculous and smart, and it's well-paced and satisfying...like an escapist read with a brain.
January 23, 2018
This was 4.5 stars but rounded up because i'm feeling generous and I have been disappointed by my last few books so needed a good read!
Good characters with a little bit of depth, and a fast paced, story kept me engaged throughout. Although it was a suspense / techno-thriller, there was quite a lot of humour, which worked for me.
I could suspend my belief just enough to make it work for me, though there were a few things, especially towards the end of the book that pushed that near the limit.
I enjoyed this enough that I will certainly read the sequel some time in the future.
Good characters with a little bit of depth, and a fast paced, story kept me engaged throughout. Although it was a suspense / techno-thriller, there was quite a lot of humour, which worked for me.
I could suspend my belief just enough to make it work for me, though there were a few things, especially towards the end of the book that pushed that near the limit.
I enjoyed this enough that I will certainly read the sequel some time in the future.
March 16, 2017
Farnsworth has been a guilty pleasure for me since The President's Vampire series, which I started off on a lark, and then found that I very much enjoyed. This book is better, maybe because the protagonist has an honest-to-Pete superpower and that alone appeals to me, but also because of the stripped down nature of the plot which allows the characterization to be huge and to drive the story forward. I love John Smith, the cranky, mind-reading bastard, and this book was a major enjoyment.
May 17, 2019
This is a fabulous Story. I was already a big fan of Christopher Farnsworth’s books after reading his Nathaniel Cade series, which is amazing. This new series is just as good. John Smith is a great character, and his special abilities is so different from anything I’ve read before. There is also plenty of things happening throughout the story, along with a clever plot.
John Smith has an incredible gift of being able to read peoples minds. It may have been a difficult thing to adjust to when he was younger, however after being picked out of the Military by the CIA, they worked on enhancing his ability. Now John has some amazing hidden talents that he’s found he a market to sell his services to some very rich clientele. Everett Sloan hires John to retrieve the technology that he is sure Eli Preston, one of his ex-employees stole from him. Eli had now started his own company Omnivore Technology, and he was set to make an incredible amount of money. Even with John’s abilities and Kelsey Foster to help him, Eli isn’t going down without a fight. I’ve just picked up book 2 In this series – ‘Hunt You Down’, and I can’t wait to start it. 5/5 Star Rating.
John Smith has an incredible gift of being able to read peoples minds. It may have been a difficult thing to adjust to when he was younger, however after being picked out of the Military by the CIA, they worked on enhancing his ability. Now John has some amazing hidden talents that he’s found he a market to sell his services to some very rich clientele. Everett Sloan hires John to retrieve the technology that he is sure Eli Preston, one of his ex-employees stole from him. Eli had now started his own company Omnivore Technology, and he was set to make an incredible amount of money. Even with John’s abilities and Kelsey Foster to help him, Eli isn’t going down without a fight. I’ve just picked up book 2 In this series – ‘Hunt You Down’, and I can’t wait to start it. 5/5 Star Rating.
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