Weak and drawn out psycho thriller concerning the future of Artificial Intelligence with pacing issues.
I was intrigued by the premise of 17 Church Row and having read The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney I was fascinated to discover in which direction James Carol would take the idea of a state of the art house. Although it takes over half of the book for its intent to become clear, the crux of the story relates to the next generation in AI (artificial intelligence), with the focal point not a standard virtual assistant (like Alexa) but a virtual assistant designed to anticipate a person’s needs before they even realise they have them. 17 Church Row has Alice, a virtual assistant who according to the architect behind the project “makes Alexa look like a Neanderthal” and uses algorithms to continually improve and enhance performance.
Nikki Rhodes, husband Ethan and seven-year-old Bella are desperate for a brighter future after a car accident outside their home three years earlier took the life of Bella’s twin, Grace. With Bella suffering from PTSD and regressing to selective mutism they desperately need a fresh start and having taken the monumental decision to move from their old home and the memories that it contained, famed radio presenter Ethan sets his sights on 17 Church Row. A revolutionary house designed by world-famous architect, Catriona Fisher, in conjunction with a software engineer who aims to create not just artificial intelligence but actual intelligence that is situated in a quiet Kensington cul-de-sac and behind gates. With all sorts of gizmo’s from doors that slide open when someone is outside and automating most functions without the resident lifting a finger, the clincher for anxious Nikki who is initially reluctant is the basement panic room for ultimate peace of mind. With well concealed cameras allowing the architect to tune into the daily events within the house and the software engineer ironing out the technical glitches as they are experienced by the Rhodes’ in order to enhancing the functionality the story initially felt somewhat aimless.
Firstly although strange things do happen (doors not opening, power outages and security breaches via hacking) the first half meanders and feels fairly directionless. Alongside these glitches which are relatively incidental, the bulk of the story seems to concentrate on worried mum, Nikki, and her hopes for getting Bella to ever speak again three years after she stopped. Contacting Dr Laura Santos, a psychiatrist with skills in treating children affected by trauma, together with the reassuring safety features, Nikki focuses on doing whatever she can to support and protect her remaining daughter.
Disappointingly, however, Bella’s mutism feels like a gimmick and James Carol misses an opportunity by neglecting to delve into the background or bereft Nikki’s emotions and coping mechanisms for her own panic attacks. In the main the narrative in presented from the perspective of Nikki and although I found her lacking in personality it is easy to empathise with her plight. The rest of the cast, including Ethan, lack any depth at all, significantly reducing my interest in not only the Rhodes’ but the fate of the house. But when danger looms can the ultimate virtual assistant of Alice and 17 Church Row keep Bella safe? And what happens when Alice ups the ante, gets a little more feisty and takes on a mind of her own?!
The thriller element of the story only takes off in the second half with an extensive and melodramatic finale and unlike The Girl Before it proved a little too far-fetched for me to take the storyline seriously. Together with a rambling first half that becomes frustrating a drawn out denouement was top-heavy on the artificial intelligence aspect I found it a difficult book to invest in. In contrast to The Girl Before, in which the futuristic technology aspects were accessible and had a believable background, 17 Church Row is an unconvincing attempt at putting a malevolent spin on artificial intelligence. Marketed as a suspense thriller and from reading the premise I had certainly expected the story to have far more of a crime genre feel, but as it stands it feels like a mash-up of a mother’s bond with a traumatised child and a YA science fiction thriller. Overall a hugely disappointing read with pacing issues that needed a tighter plot and could have easily been a hundred pages if only some of the repetition was removed.
Nikki Rhodes, husband Ethan and seven-year-old Bella are desperate for a brighter future after a car accident outside their home three years earlier took the life of Bella’s twin, Grace. With Bella suffering from PTSD and regressing to selective mutism they desperately need a fresh start and having taken the monumental decision to move from their old home and the memories that it contained, famed radio presenter Ethan sets his sights on 17 Church Row. A revolutionary house designed by world-famous architect, Catriona Fisher, in conjunction with a software engineer who aims to create not just artificial intelligence but actual intelligence that is situated in a quiet Kensington cul-de-sac and behind gates. With all sorts of gizmo’s from doors that slide open when someone is outside and automating most functions without the resident lifting a finger, the clincher for anxious Nikki who is initially reluctant is the basement panic room for ultimate peace of mind. With well concealed cameras allowing the architect to tune into the daily events within the house and the software engineer ironing out the technical glitches as they are experienced by the Rhodes’ in order to enhancing the functionality the story initially felt somewhat aimless.
Firstly although strange things do happen (doors not opening, power outages and security breaches via hacking) the first half meanders and feels fairly directionless. Alongside these glitches which are relatively incidental, the bulk of the story seems to concentrate on worried mum, Nikki, and her hopes for getting Bella to ever speak again three years after she stopped. Contacting Dr Laura Santos, a psychiatrist with skills in treating children affected by trauma, together with the reassuring safety features, Nikki focuses on doing whatever she can to support and protect her remaining daughter.
Disappointingly, however, Bella’s mutism feels like a gimmick and James Carol misses an opportunity by neglecting to delve into the background or bereft Nikki’s emotions and coping mechanisms for her own panic attacks. In the main the narrative in presented from the perspective of Nikki and although I found her lacking in personality it is easy to empathise with her plight. The rest of the cast, including Ethan, lack any depth at all, significantly reducing my interest in not only the Rhodes’ but the fate of the house. But when danger looms can the ultimate virtual assistant of Alice and 17 Church Row keep Bella safe? And what happens when Alice ups the ante, gets a little more feisty and takes on a mind of her own?!
The thriller element of the story only takes off in the second half with an extensive and melodramatic finale and unlike The Girl Before it proved a little too far-fetched for me to take the storyline seriously. Together with a rambling first half that becomes frustrating a drawn out denouement was top-heavy on the artificial intelligence aspect I found it a difficult book to invest in. In contrast to The Girl Before, in which the futuristic technology aspects were accessible and had a believable background, 17 Church Row is an unconvincing attempt at putting a malevolent spin on artificial intelligence. Marketed as a suspense thriller and from reading the premise I had certainly expected the story to have far more of a crime genre feel, but as it stands it feels like a mash-up of a mother’s bond with a traumatised child and a YA science fiction thriller. Overall a hugely disappointing read with pacing issues that needed a tighter plot and could have easily been a hundred pages if only some of the repetition was removed.