The countryside, the near future.

Gabrielle Hunter, husband Leo and son Stefan drive to a remote luxury retreat for a spring break at the invitation of new client Art Fisher, who will be there with his wife, Polly, and daughter Fleur. As Gabrielle's family approach the retreat, their car hits a deer. Investigating, they discover it was dying already, from a bullet wound.

The two families settle in. Stefan falls into a relaxed companionship with Fleur, while Leo finds himself drawn to Polly. Gabrielle, meanwhile, has some unresolved issues around Art.

Off-grid and away from the Areas, Leo and Art jockey for position. Subtle shifts of power are magnified. Gabrielle and Polly have their own secrets. In the garden, the fruit and vegetables ripen too early, while an unidentified shooter continues to take down animals in the wood. Stefan and Fleur seek an escape route into a Virtual Reality darkened by the shadow of war.

The family holiday that already resembles a bad dream soon turns into a waking nightmare.

Early McEwan meets late Ballard in a waking nightmare of the near future.

About the Author
Michael Walters was born in Port Talbot, South Wales, in 1973. He studied astrophysics at the University of Kent, then spent a year training to be a journalist before becoming a computer programmer. In his spare time, he studied creative writing, first at the Open University, then completing an MA in Creative Writing with Manchester Metropolitan University. He is currently a software developer and lives with his wife and two children in North Yorkshire.

Reviews

An unsettling novel which taps into a range of human emotions, The Complex is a surprisingly thrilling book. Analysing the darker side of technology is a popular novel theme, however The Complex doesn't ever feel tired or repetitive; instead, it manages to hand over a great deal of trust to the reader, finishing with an ambiguous, faded ending that is cinematic in every sense. Walters has developed a unique and thoughtful idea, transforming it into an accomplished novel that will hook even sceptics of sci-fi fiction.

-- Mariah Feria * Storgy *

Michael Walters' debut novel tunes in to both these wavelengths, taking the reader from the back passenger seat of a family triangle, set in their geometry of routine irritations, out of their discomfort zone and into a holiday home pointedly beyond the electronic safety net of instant connectivity, before losing them in labyrinths both actual and virtual.

-- Desmond Bullen * Northern Soul *



Book Information
ISBN 9781784631628
Author Michael Walters
Format Paperback
Page Count 288
Imprint Salt Publishing
Publisher Salt Publishing
Weight(grams) 271g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 20mm