Gripping psychological thriller explores the darker side of cyber space and one man’s terrifying descent into a world of acute paranoia.
Daniel O’Neal is a bus driver on a city break in London, enjoying a change of scenery and a respite from work. When he notices unfamiliar numbers coming up his mobile phone screen, he initially dismisses it as a technological glitch. The stresses of Christmas are on the horizon and the last thing Daniel can be bothered with is the hassle of having to get a new phone.
That is, until he notices similar code sequences appearing on his laptop. On his return to work, Daniel starts seeing peculiar differences in people, and becomes increasingly convinced that his colleagues are whispering and laughing about him behind his back. Soon Daniel’s suspicions monopolise his every waking thought, persuading him that he is under attack from an unknown evil and being turned into an unwitting pawn in someone else’s cyber game.
As Daniel’s mind continues to fracture from reality, he makes an appointment with a psychiatrist, Dr. Cribson. However, Daniel realises too late that he has walked into an even more dangerous trap, as the good doctor starts to manipulate Daniel, trapping his mind in a deadly virtual world. As the sinister plot plays out, Daniel’s family and loved ones become ensnared by his cyber nightmare, which has Dr. Cribson and the media at its heart. Teetering on the precipice of insanity, Daniel must prove the presence of his enemy - unless it really is all in his mind after all?
Adapt is the engrossing debut novel from Edward Freeland which tackles the subject of the media’s overwhelming influence on the individual and on modern day society. Through his unnerving narrative, Freeland asserts the belief that one of mankind;’s primal instincts is collectivisation; in this case, that of a group coming together to target one, weaker, individual and essentially evolving into a mob mentality. Adapt explores the real horror of ‘anonymous’ bullying which has become so prevalent in our digital society, especially that through social media. Freeland highlights the fragility of our personal security online, revealing just how simple it is to hack into a strangers private information through any of their personal electronic devices.Chilling and thought-provoking, Adapt will entertain and enlighten, leaving readers guessing at the truth until the very last page.
