Tick Tock by Simon Mayo is a very well written thriller. It wasn't too predictable and I understood the characters. I highly recommend this book

Quite a chilling read given what we have gone through in the last couple of years, but well written and you have to keep going to find out what happens. The characters were believable and I did feel invested in them and had no real idea where the story would end. Tense and enjoyable although it did become just a bit too technical in some places for me.

I'm glad I waited to read this one, as a book about a future pandemic would have been hard to cope with during COVID. I certainly hope the story of this one sticks to being a fiction, but the author cleverly references real events which makes it feel scarily real. The short chapters and count down really builds the tension and I felt on edge the whole time I was reading it. It was like I could hear the clicking alongside the characters. There are quite a few threads, and I quite liked the little summaries at the end of chapters to say what other characters are doing at that point in time. I enjoyed this, though the ending was a little disappointing and rushed for my liking. I could see this really working on the screen though, and I could really picture it. A good read overall, though I need to calm down now...

⭐️ 4 ⭐️ Tick Tock intrigued me with its synopsis and then pulled me onboard from beginning to end. I really enjoyed Simon Mayo’s writing style, it’s easy to read, and the chapters flowed nicely from one to the next. The characters are well-developed and credible, although I can’t say I particularly connected to any of them. Tick Tock is quite a slow-burner and the tension built steadily as the story progressed. The book is well-plotted with plenty of twists and nail-biting moments. I enjoyed the storyline and could see a lot of similarities between the characters’ reactions to the fictional pandemic compared to our reactions to the real life COVID-19 pandemic. A well-written, thoroughly entertaining read.

An interesting idea and gripping opening chapter, but maybe I was less ready than I thought to read a pandemic book and I struggled in places. I also found the time line and changes quite confusing. Thank you to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book