Off-Target: The captivating, disturbing new thriller from the author of The Waiting Rooms

When a one-night stand leads to a long-desired pregnancy, Susan will do anything to ensure her husband wont find out including the unthinkable. But when something horrendous is unleashed around the globe, her secret isnt the only thing that is no longer safe

The first half is a high-concept thriller; the second edges into science fiction as a generation of genetically optimised children respond to the social pressures they are under an astute, well-researched and convincing novel of ideas The Times

'If you could create a perfect baby through genetic engineering, would you? A disturbing and interesting thriller, perfect for book club discussions' Nina Pottell, Prima

A fantastic exploration of the ethics and allure of genetic engineering woven into a captivating, thought-provoking thriller. Provocative, pacy and scarily all-too-possible Philippa East



An unthinkable decision
A deadly mistake

In an all-too-possible near future, when genetic engineering has become the norm for humans, not just crops, parents are prepared to take incalculable risks to ensure that their babies are perfect  altering genes that may cause illness, and more

Susan has been trying for a baby for years, and when an impulsive one-night stand makes her dream come true, shell do anything to keep her daughter and ensure her husband doesnt find out including the unthinkable. She believes her secret is safe. For now.

But as governments embark on a perilous genetic arms race and children around the globe start experiencing a host of distressing symptoms even taking their own lives something truly horrendous is unleashed. Because those children have only one thing in common, and people are starting to ask questions

Bestselling author of The Waiting Rooms, Eve Smith returns with an authentic, startlingly thought-provoking, disturbing blockbuster of a thriller that provides a chilling glimpse of a future thats just one modification away

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An effective thriller that will keep you hooked to the very end more than that, its a nuanced, believable examination of how human genetic engineering might play out... SFX Magazine
 
A brilliantly chilling work of speculative fiction a disturbing but all-too-possible vision of the near future, where each of us gets to play God. Superb! Guy Morpuss


Sharp, intelligent, frightening and original NB Magazine
An eerily prophetic near-future viewed through a compassionately anchoring lens ... As tempting and tantalising a read as the vision of the future it presents SciFi Now

This is what speculative fiction should be plausible, pacy, and with a story that packs real emotional punch Louise Mumford


When a writers work is compared to Michael Crichtons, theres reason to sit up and pay attention a cautionary tale thats full of thrills LoveReading
 
With jaw-dropping twists, high stakes and so much heart, this is a book that everyone will be talking about Awais Khan

Fast-paced, emotional, disturbing. Lovers of cleverly plotted speculative fiction should jump on this Catherine McCarthy

Eve Smith has done it again! A brilliant read J.M. Hewitt

One of the most exciting writers around master of the high-concept thriller Chris McDonald

Eve Smith has crafted a world that feels not only lived-in, but utterly plausible Russel McLean

Captivating Professor Joanna Verran

Eve Smith is becoming the Jodi Picoult of speculative medical thrillers The Reading Closet

Praise for The Waiting Rooms

*****

Combines the excitement of a medical thriller à la Michael Crichton with sensitive characterisation and social insight in a timely debut novel all the more remarkable for being conceived and written before the current pandemic Guardian

STUNNING and terrifying  The Waiting Rooms wrenches your heart in every way possible Miranda Dickinson

Chillingly close to reality, this gripping thriller brims with authenticity a captivating, accomplished and timely debut from an author to watch Adam Hamdy

Engrossing and eye-opening, with heart-stopping plot twists a stunning medical thriller set in a terrifying possible future Foreword Reviews
 
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