The epic and compulsive debut thriller for fans of The Institute, The Night Agent and I am Pilgrim. Trust no-one, believe your instincts and run…
When the phone rings, the killing begins…
DON’T
Seven children found drugged and unconscious on a highway. They are the Apostles, created by a sinister organisation with one terrifying endgame in mind.
ANSWER
Ed is one of those abandoned children, locked away for years and then set free on an unsuspecting world with no past and only small fragments of memory left. As his college days approach, an old adversary calls upon him, and suddenly the true meaning of his whole existence is revealed. He does the only thing he can. He runs.
THE
Special plans have been devised for Ed Constance, but he isn’t like the others found on that highway all those years ago. Ed knows what his pursuers want. But is running futile? Does he have the strength to deny them their ultimate goal?
PHONE…
It's my pleasure to be hosting the blog tour for Caller Unknown by Oliver Johnson. Many thanks to Point Blank for my advance copy of the book and to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part in the tour.
Caller Unknown is a decades-spanning conspiracy thriller, which seems at first glance to be built around an unlikely premise of brainwashing and religious grooming – until we are reminded that between 1953 and 1973, Project MKUltra was a covert human experimentation program undertaken by the CIA who conducted illegal behaviour control projects on subjects who were often unaware they were part of a test. With that in mind, and with the current political climate in the US, Oliver Johnson's dynamic debut immediately becomes something far more plausible...
Prologues tend to be rather divisive literary techniques, although I'm never really sure why. I always think of them as appetite whetters and though brief, the opening to Caller Unknown left me desperately hungry to learn more about the man known as both Ed Constance and Martin Cruz. The story then switches back to 1973 and introduces a skeletal thin 9-year-old Ed, who, alongside six other children of the same age, has been kept locked away from society for years. Without ever going into graphic detail, Oliver Johnson is still able to vividly convey the controlling fear instilled upon the captive youngsters. Their lives are about to change, however, and following a disturbing scene which reveals the extent of their brainwashing, the bodies of these child Apostles are discovered drugged and unconscious on a highway.
It's at this point the action follows Ed who is adopted and raised by a childless couple, Stu and Bettie Constance. The chapters which explore his adolescence are filled with an ominous sense of foreboding; it's clear that there is darkness within Ed, who remembers little of his time in captivity. Sometimes though, a fragment of a memory is triggered and he experiences disorientating, often violent blackouts. Ed is described as a morose child but it's impossible not to feel sympathetic towards this lost, scared boy. Oliver Johnson's empathetic characterisation means he is a likeable, engaging protagonist in spite of the sense of detachment that stays with him into adulthood.
Taciturn Vietnam veteran Jim Dove quickly became one of my favourite characters; in spite of the years that separate Ed and the former Marine, their respective ordeals draw them together. Other characters are necessarily shadier but there are fascinating scenes which explore the origins of the sinister organisation which still has its tentacles wrapped around Ed. As far-right Christians discuss their plans to take over the public utilities and radio stations before taking control of the Federal Reserve and installing a new government, there are chilling parallels to the present day. Meanwhile, with much of the action set in the 1970s, Oliver Johnson cleverly weaves real-life events such as the Charles Manson murders and Unabomber case into proceedings which adds a further layer of authenticity to this gripping thriller.
Ed's past finally catches up with him, of course, and he is forced to run in nailbiting scenes which prove to be just a prelude to the explosive action of the latter chapters. The sense of tension Oliver Johnson creates even at Ed's happiest moments means Caller Unknown is an unsettling read from start to finish, particularly as it becomes obvious the nefarious influence of his enemies has infiltrated government and law enforcement. Ed has very few people he can trust – and that includes himself. The high-octane conclusion is filled with twists and turns, including one particularly stunning revelation which has left me desperate for more!
With the sense of paranoia cultivated becoming almost unbearable, Caller Unknown is a complex and breathtakingly compulsive thriller. I highly recommend it.
Caller Unknown is published by Point Blank, purchasing links can be found here.
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