The concept of this book is both interesting and quite different .The characters are very well written ,the story is fast paced and very exciting.Very well researched and well written ,a post Covid story about another threat to the world .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

4*. Tick Tock will have you gripped and ironically you will lose all track of time! Kit is a single father to Rose and an English teacher in Marleybone. Lilly is a virologist and Kit’s partner. Rose is on the bus when she notices an audible clicking sound coming from her friend’s ear. Initially dismissed as tinnitus, the clicking takes hold in the school and then in pockets across the UK and US. In a post Covid world, the panic of a new pandemic quickly swell as the race is on to find what is causing the virus, what the implications are and if it can be stopped. If you came up short at a book about pandemics, don’t! Tick Tock is excellent. A little slow to get going, once you are in, you are in. As the story unfolds and the strands start to come together the intrigue heightens. The characters are thoroughly likeable, the plot is great and I raced to find out what would happen. Having enjoyed Simon Mayo’s Knife Edge, I thought Tick Tock was worthy (and probably better) follow up. Would thoroughly recommend. Thanks to Transworld, PRH and Netgalley for an ARC.

I read this in virtually 24 hours. The pace is unrelenting. Once you start, it's impossible to put down. The book begins with the discovery that people are experiencing unusual ticking sounds in their ears. After Covid, naturally, there are concerns about what this is and whether it's going to be an issue. And of course, it is; otherwise, it would be a pretty dull book. The ticking starts to gain momentum, and more and more people begin to experience it and fall ill. Although the story considers the bigger picture and we see glimpses of the impact of this new disease on the world, it focuses on three main characters. Kit is a teacher, widow and father to Rose, who becomes a key part of the story after starting a school protest. And Lilly, Kit's girlfriend, who also happens to be someone in the know about biology and viruses. Having gone through one pandemic, the world begins to readjust to the fact that a new one is occurring. There's a return to mask-wearing, social distancing etc., as well as general panic and fear that drives some of the action in the book, as well as a growing sense of unease. The story unravels via links to Lilly's past, and tension continues to build. With many thrillers, there is a ticking clock element. You know the sort of thing: the bomb will blow in 2 minutes, and we, the reader, are watching the clock count down. This feels like the case with this book, although it's also a physical ticking in the heads of those suffering from this new outbreak. We, as the reader, can literally hear it alongside the characters experiencing it. The ticking and the consequences of it ramp up as we head towards the finale. If you enjoy a fast-paced thrill ride, this is for you. Although perhaps be mindful that it does involve disease and references Covid. I'd definitely read more by Mr Mayo.

An excellent thriller, based on the impact of a virus spreading across the UK and the world. It was suspenseful, tense and moved at a cracking pace. I did workout a couple of the key points but that in no way impacted my enjoyment This is my second novel by Simon Mayo and I really enjoy his writing style 4* and recommended

A Head of English notices a strange phenomenon that is affecting his pupils and then spreads. This is a dramatic tale of a pandemic and I really wasn't sure I could bear reading about something so akin to what we've all experienced / continue to experience. However, this is a decent thriller with strong characters. The storyline moving back and forth and from the perspective of the various characters made this flow well and the premise of the clicking is excellently done. I did find it a tad longwinded, but, overall, this is a solid, interesting thriller of a read.