Lie of the Land - Michael F. Russell

"For investigative journalist Carl Shewan, the Scottish coastal village of Inverlair is a picturesque cage. Imprisoned in this remote refuge by a technological catastrophe for which he feels partly responsible, Carl struggles to adapt to impending fatherhood and to a harsh new existence in an ancient landscape, until a childless gamekeeper offers him an alternative to guilt and alienation. Set in the near future, Lie of the Land examines the claustrophobia of small-town life and questions how far the state will go to preserve an orderly society, one in which ubiquitous surveillance has reduced human life to a virtual experience."

A terrifying story, set in the near future, I was completely unable to put down Lie of The Land. Although fairly slow to start, and it took me a while to get into the swing of the story, by a third of the way in I was hooked. Carl is not the most likeable character, and his treatment of other characters in the story leaves a little to be desired, however his attempts to engage with the community of Inverlair following the events that take place did redeem him a little in my eyes! 

A highly original story, with an ending that evokes plenty of emotion, I recommend Lie of The Land to any reader who is looking for something a little bit unusual, a little bit out of the ordinary, and who is prepared to recognise that this storyline could, one day, be possible (but fingers crossed it's not).

Lie of The Land is out on 16th June 2015 and you can get it here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lie-Land-Michael-F-Russell

For other reviews head over to here (LoveReading) :

http://www.lovereading.co.uk

**Many thanks to the publisher and the LoveReading.co.uk gang for my ARC**