Blog Tour: Coyote Fork by James Wilson

Coyote Fork
by James Wilson

Publication date: September 1st 2020
Publisher: Slant
Pages: 266

It’s my stop on the “Coyote Fork” blog tour! Slant and author James Wilson have provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and a big thank you must go to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the invite.

If you’d like to learn more about this book, check out the other blogs on the tour, see what people have to say on Goodreads and head over to the author’s website.

Summary:

British journalist Robert Lovelace travels to California to report on the social media giant Global Village. He’s horrified by what he finds: a company—guided by the ruthless vision of its founder, Evan Bone—that seems to be making journalism itself redundant. Appalled, he decides to abandon the project and return home.

But as he leaves he has a disconcerting encounter that sends him off in a totally different direction. Soon he finds himself embarked on an increasingly fraught and dangerous mission. The aim: to uncover the murky truth about Evan Bone’s past and his pathological disregard for the human cost of the behemoth he has created.

Robert’s quest takes him from San Francisco to a small college town in the Midwest, to the site of a former hippie commune in northern California, introducing us to a range of vivid characters, and confronting us with the price we pay—online trolling; the loss of privacy; professional ruin—for living in an “interconnected” world. Finally, he makes a startling discovery—and is thrown into a completely unforeseen existential dilemma.

A timely, stylishly written, and brilliantly conceived metaphysical thriller, Coyote Fork carries us on an unforgettable journey, before bringing us face to face with the darkness at the heart of Silicon Valley itself.

Source: Goodreads

Thoughts:

“Coyote Fork” is a vivid thriller following Robert Lovelace, a British journalist. Having been made redundant by the sale of the newspaper he used to work for, Robert has travelled to the US on a quest to find out more about the man and the company who acquired the paper. He thought that he’d be writing a piece about Evan Bone and his social media site, Global Village, but Robert soon finds himself on a much darker, deeper journey.

I have to be honest and say that I wasn’t blown away by the cover or the blurb of this book, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the story inside was a really great read that kept me gripped from start to finish. I really liked Robert as a character and found he had a lot of relatable traits. I also enjoyed the plot and found it really interesting to read about such a topical subject as social media is an increasing presence in our day to day lives. It’s so easy to think about how a fictional story like this could become reality and it’s certainly worrying to think about the possibly destructive nature of our online presence!

My main criticism is that the story was mostly told through conversation. I’d have really liked a little more action and discovery through events, a little more showing than telling. But that said, this was a really well written book and I enjoyed the blend of genres that author James Wilson exposed us too. This is a thriller, there’s some detective work involved, elements of crime, of course, plus there’s also a little comedy, a little romance and plenty of contemporary issues to keep your mind occupied.

I’d recommend this for fans of a detective thriller, crime fans and for those looking for something a little different that’ll make you think.

Overall rating: “Coyote Fork” is a contemporary thriller that’ll certainly make you think about your social media usage. I was kept engaged throughout and I enjoyed the many twists and turns along the way. A strong 4 stars from me!

Don’t forget to check out the reviews of other blogs on the tour and if you like what you’ve read about it, support the author by picking up a copy on Kindle or Hardback or Paperback through Amazon UK or your local bookshop.