Human Remains by Jo Callaghan

 

The discovery of human remains on a riverbank has the Future Policing team investigating possible links to the Aston Strangler, the case that made DCS Kat Frank's career, and is suddenly in the public eye because of a podcast series.

From the chilling opening through to the ominous close, Human Remains by Jo Callaghan will have you gripped. This is the third book in the Kat and Lock series, which features an experienced detective working alongside a holographic AI assistant. The first book in the series, the award-winning In The Blink Of An Eye (review here) introduced the characters and the premise for using Artificial Intelligence in solving crime. In the second book, Leave No Trace (review here) we find Kat getting used to her new partner and Lock adapting as he learns. Book three takes a darker tone.

Following the events at the end of Leave No Trace, the Future Policing team are back to working cold cases because of the public reaction to the use of AI. Frustrated by this Kat argues to be given the investigation into the skeletal remains found on the riverbank since they could be seventy years old. When it turns out that the remains are only a year old the press and public immediately jump to conclusions and assume it is the work of the Aston Strangler.

The Aston Strangler was Kat's first big case and has recently returned to the public eye because of a podcast raising doubts about the conviction. With the discovery of a body, the media begin to stir up fear that the real killer has never been caught.

Over a series of books character development is key. Kat is much more comfortable relying on Lock, however, there are times when she feels awkward in his presence even though he's just a hologram. There is also the issue of Lock following instructions to the letter, which can result in him disregarding vital information. Kat's reliance on Lock begins to cause animosity with other team members who feel they are being overlooked.

The biggest development is in Lock. We've seen Lock use data analysis and interactions with people to learn and adapt. This continues throughout the book, but the big question is what is the end goal? And is everyone in agreement concerning that goal? As I read, my big concern was how sentient Lock is. I cannot wait to see what the next book in the series brings.

Author Details

Jo Callaghan works full time as a senior strategist, carrying out research into the future impact of AI and genomics on the workforce. She was a student of the Writers' Academy Course (Penguin Random House) and was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Writing Competition and Bath Novel Competition. After losing her husband to cancer in 2019 when she was just forty-nine, she started writing In the Blink of an Eye, her debut crime novel, which explores learning to live with loss and what it means to be human. She lives with her two children in the Midlands, where she spends far too much time tweeting as @JoCallaghanKat and is currently working on further novels in the series.