#AmReading – Entanglement

Entanglement by Andrew J. Thomas (2019) – Something is happening. Bricks float. A secret MI5 base disappears. A young woman shifts between parallel realities then shifts back. Research subjects disappear. Finding the connections between these events will take five people through a series of explorations that will see several people die. The answer is a secret that might change the world.

An eyebrow was raised when I saw the book names the company of Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, and Neil Gaiman as the inspirations for its style. That is setting the bar high for a first-time novelist. The bar might have quivered a bit as he went over it, but over it he went indeed.

The story takes into a world where humanity has been messing around with powerful science, only to have it get a little away from them. The science Thomas bases the story on could easily swamp a non-scientist reader. Instead, he finds a way to make it clear even to a Liberal Arts graduate like your humble reviewer. Better still, the science is contained to those parts of the storytelling where it is required. Too often authors will try to show off off their research/knowledge by information dumping more background than the story requires.

As for the three inspirations, they are invoked through the slightly off-center story here, and the refusal to take themselves too seriously. Thomas has fun and lets his characters have some fun too. There are footnotes that include various bits of information that range from physics to baking. The baking is important because cakes have a significant role in one storyline. That last sentence, all by itself, tells you that the three magnificent amigos have left their impression here.

Like “The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” and “The Return of the Incredible Exploding Man” this book blurs the lines between genres. Part mystery story, part science fiction, it provides a wonderfully twisted story that always has another surprise waiting for the reader. All of it surrounding characters that feel and react like everyday folk. The first of a three book series, I look forward to seeing where the author takes us next.

This review is consistent with our Review Policy. It was based on an ARC from the publisher Cameron Publicity and Marketing Ltd.

Rating – **** Recommended