The Synapse Sequence

The new thrilling sci-fi novel from the author of New Pompeii and Empire of Time

In the near future, everyday life is dictated by algorithms, from who gets a bank loan or a job, to what supermarkets sell and which news stories you read. Even policing is run by AIs, who track patterns and predict where crimes are likely to occur.

Anna Glover joins a start-up company that hopes to revolutionise solving crimes by combining the memories of witnesses into a virtual reality simulator that can be explored by an investigator. Her first case is that of a fostered teenage boy put in a coma by a brutal assault, and she begins to explore his memories, the only witness to the crime. But when the boy's sister disappears and Anna's own actions are called into question, it becomes clear that there are other motives in play, and there are those who do not want her to succeed...

Daniel Godfrey has had several short stories published, including in My Weekly and Writers' Forum, and is a dedicated reader of SF and historical fiction. He studied geography at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and gained an MSc from Leeds in transport planning. He lives in Derbyshire.