Human Remains – Kat & Lock #3

Author: Jo Callaghan
Genre: Crime Thriller, Police Procedural
370 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2024

Synopsis
Fresh from successfully closing their first live case, the Future Policing Unit are called in to investigate when a headless, handless body is found on a Warwickshire farm. But as they work to identify the victim and their killer, the discovery of a second body begins to spark fears that The Aston Strangler is back. And as the stakes rise for the team, so do the tensions brewing within it.

When DCS Kat Frank is accused of putting the wrong man behind bars all those years ago, AIDE Lock – the world’s first AI Detective – pursues the truth about what happened with relentless logic. But Kat is determined to keep the past buried, and when she becomes the target of a shadowy figure looking for revenge, Lock is torn between his evidence-based algorithms and the judgement of his partner, with explosive results.  

When everything hangs in the balance, it will all come down to just how much an AI machine can learn, and what happens when they do . . .

My review
Human Remains by Jo Callaghan, is the third installment in the exceptional Kat & Lock series. This gripping crime procedural goes far beyond the typical whodunit, tackling themes of grief, loyalty, the double-edged sword of social media, and the exciting and unnerving potential of AI. Callaghan skillfully weaves these elements together, creating a story that feels both thrillingly futuristic and deeply human.

While this novel can stand on its own, I recommend starting with the first in the series, In The Blink Of An Eye. The relationship between DCS Kat Frank and her AI partner Lock (AIDE: Artificial Intelligence Detecting Entity) is the heart of this series, and watching it develop from the beginning is a fascinating journey. Their partnership is a testament to trust, growth, and the evolving definition of connection in our tech-driven world.

Human Remains kicks off with the chilling discovery of a headless, handless body buried on a local farm. Frank, Lock, and their team are thrown into the thick of a case that only grows darker as the investigation unfolds. A second body is found, suspicions mount, and a past case resurfaces to haunt Frank, shaking her confidence in justice and threatening to reveal a secret she’s held for years. Meanwhile, someone with a grudge is watching Frank, determined to destroy her.

The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the tension is palpable. Just when it seems the pieces are falling into place, a shocking twist linked to a true crime podcast upends everything. Callaghan brilliantly captures the ripple effects of unchecked misinformation and sensationalism in the digital age.

What sets this book apart is how Callaghan brings complex ideas, like AI’s role in modern policing, into the fold without losing sight of the story’s emotional core. Lock’s superhuman abilities to process data and predict outcomes are fascinating, but his growing understanding of humanity, with all its messiness and unpredictability, is what truly captivates. Frank and Lock’s evolving dynamic feels organic and meaningful, and a lot of the time Lock really does feel human.

There’s not a single weak spot in this book. The pacing is relentless, the characters unforgettable, and the themes hauntingly relevant. The emotional depth Callaghan brings to the story, especially in her portrayal of grief, is believable and emotional. She doesn’t shy away from showing how it lingers in unexpected moments, shaping lives in ways we don’t always recognize.

Human Remains is a thrilling novel on multiple levels, and I couldn’t put this book down. It’s rare to find a series that keeps raising the bar with each installment, but Kat & Lock does just that.

If you’re looking for a read that will challenge your mind, grip your heart, and keep you on the edge of your seat, Human Remains is it. The ending was very unnerving and raises very important questions regarding consciousness and what it means to truly be human. I can’t wait to see where she takes us next!

My recommendation: absolutely worth the read!