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The Mirror Man
Meet Jeremiah Adams. There are two of him.
The offer is too tempting: be part of a scientific breakthrough, step out of his life for a year, and be paid hugely for it. When ViGen Pharmaceuticals asks Jeremiah to be part of an illegal cloning experiment, he sees it as a break from an existence he feels disconnected from. No one will know he’s been replaced—not the son who ignores him, not his increasingly distant wife—since a revolutionary drug called Meld can transfer his consciousness and memories to his copy.
From a luxurious apartment, he watches the clone navigate his day-to-day life. But soon Jeremiah discovers that examining himself from an outsider’s perspective isn’t what he thought it would be, and he watches in horror as “his” life spirals out of control. ViGen needs the experiment to succeed—they won’t call it off, and are prepared to remove any obstacle. With his family in danger, Jeremiah needs to finally find the courage to face himself head-on.
The offer is too tempting: be part of a scientific breakthrough, step out of his life for a year, and be paid hugely for it. When ViGen Pharmaceuticals asks Jeremiah to be part of an illegal cloning experiment, he sees it as a break from an existence he feels disconnected from. No one will know he’s been replaced—not the son who ignores him, not his increasingly distant wife—since a revolutionary drug called Meld can transfer his consciousness and memories to his copy.
From a luxurious apartment, he watches the clone navigate his day-to-day life. But soon Jeremiah discovers that examining himself from an outsider’s perspective isn’t what he thought it would be, and he watches in horror as “his” life spirals out of control. ViGen needs the experiment to succeed—they won’t call it off, and are prepared to remove any obstacle. With his family in danger, Jeremiah needs to finally find the courage to face himself head-on.
344 pages, Hardcover
First published June 30, 2020
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April 13, 2020
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I won't be surprised to see this getting the hype of Blake Crouch's DARK MATTER when it comes out in June. THE MIRROR MAN isn't just a speculative exploration of the nearing horizons of advances in biotechnology, it's also a striking tale of what makes us human, and how we're defined by our actions.
Jeremiah is a marketing manager for ViGen pharmaceuticals. When he accepts $10 million in exchange for a year of his life to participate in an illegal cloning experiment, it feels like a more than fair trade. All he has to do is take Meld, an experimental drug that allows for mind transfer and mindsharing, go to regular therapy sessions, and monitor his clone on TV monitors.
But ViGen's intentions are far shadier than they initially let on, and as Jeremiah watches "his" life fall apart around the clone, he starts to get a very unflattering picture of what he's like as a person. Worse, he's powerless to change anything that happens. Pretty soon, Jeremiah begins to second guess his decision to participate: but reneging may have an even higher cost.
On the surface, THE MIRROR MAN is very similar to cheesy techno thrillers like Paycheck (2003) or Replicas (2017). The whole "playing god with science" for fun and profit is a theme that's been popularized in the science-fiction genre with the help of people like Michael Crichton. I think what sets THE MIRROR MAN apart is that it tries to be more sensitive to both sides of the issue. There really aren't any easy answers in this book, and our ethics as we make new advances and discoveries, evolve right alongside our scientific technologies. It's hard to say for certain what's right and wrong.
I really enjoyed THE MIRROR MAN. The claustrophobic atmosphere of the book was really relatable since I'm in quarantine myself right now, and I felt like the author did an incredible job making the book so fast-paced considering that huge swaths of it are just set in a single room. It could be cheesy at parts, but at others it was chilling, even devastating. I read it in a single day.
Anyone who enjoys techno thrillers will enjoy this. I did, immensely.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
3.5 stars
February 5, 2022
The Mirror Man is a fast-paced, Techno-Thriller that explores the ramifications of an illegal cloning experiment.
Set in the near future, our protagonist, Jeremiah Adams, works in the Marketing Department for ViGen Pharmaceuticals.
He’s surprised when he is offered the opportunity to take part in a top-secret scientific experiment, for which he will be generously compensated. We are talking ten million dollars.
What does he have to do, you ask?
It’s pretty simple actually. Jeremiah agrees to allow ViGen to create a clone of him that will then go out and live his regular life, while he is secluded in a luxury apartment for a full year.
Just to be clear, this means, the clone, who will have Jeremiah’s memories basically uploaded into its brain, will then go and live at Jeremiah’s house with his wife, Diana, his teenage son, Parker and their dog, Louie.
Jeremiah agrees. He’s been having a rough go of it lately, anyway, and could use a break.
As part of his agreement, Jeremiah will be required to watch the clone go about his life for a minimum of 4-hours a day, via carefully placed video cameras.
Another employee of ViGen, Brent, is to be his companion during these viewing sessions. They’re trying to determine if the clone veers at all from Jeremiah’s normal pattern of behavior.
He also must meet with a psychologist to discuss how the whole process is making him feel. Other than that, his only contact is with the two heads of the experiment, Doctors Scott and Pike.
I flew through this one really quickly. The narrative style is addicting and the concepts are easy to understand.
Additionally, the action kicked off quickly. There’s no pages of background filler on the lead up to the experiment to get through, which was nice.
The opening scenes are the clone getting its finishing touches before heading out into the world, and just like that, Jeremiah is enclosed in his room.
It’s mere moments before you can feel a sense of dread starting to seep in. Like when Jeremiah realizes the exterior door of his apartment doesn’t have a handle on the inside.
He is literally a prisoner at the mercy of the few ViGen employees who are actually privy to the experiment and know of his whereabouts. As you continue turning pages, the true sinister nature of the story begins to reveal itself.
The relationship between Jeremiah and Brent was great.
Brent brings a lot of much needed humor. Although some of the plot is predictable in a 1990s-Techno-Thriller way, it was still fun to read.
As we get towards the end however, it loses all of its danger. It’s like the baddies just give up.
It just didn’t make sense and ended up way to neatly for the protagonist. I didn’t get that choice. He should have had to fight harder, or something.
There were also a few plot holes that I thought could have been improved upon significantly. I’ll admit, I was let down by the way it ended.
Overall though, it is an interesting story that would translate well into film. Perhaps they could add a bit more suspense towards the end.
I think this would be a great read for someone just getting into Techno-Thrillers, or Sci-Fi in general, as the concepts are all easy to understand.
Thank you so much to the publisher, MIRA, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I appreciate it!
Set in the near future, our protagonist, Jeremiah Adams, works in the Marketing Department for ViGen Pharmaceuticals.
He’s surprised when he is offered the opportunity to take part in a top-secret scientific experiment, for which he will be generously compensated. We are talking ten million dollars.
What does he have to do, you ask?
It’s pretty simple actually. Jeremiah agrees to allow ViGen to create a clone of him that will then go out and live his regular life, while he is secluded in a luxury apartment for a full year.
Just to be clear, this means, the clone, who will have Jeremiah’s memories basically uploaded into its brain, will then go and live at Jeremiah’s house with his wife, Diana, his teenage son, Parker and their dog, Louie.
Jeremiah agrees. He’s been having a rough go of it lately, anyway, and could use a break.
As part of his agreement, Jeremiah will be required to watch the clone go about his life for a minimum of 4-hours a day, via carefully placed video cameras.
Another employee of ViGen, Brent, is to be his companion during these viewing sessions. They’re trying to determine if the clone veers at all from Jeremiah’s normal pattern of behavior.
He also must meet with a psychologist to discuss how the whole process is making him feel. Other than that, his only contact is with the two heads of the experiment, Doctors Scott and Pike.
I flew through this one really quickly. The narrative style is addicting and the concepts are easy to understand.
Additionally, the action kicked off quickly. There’s no pages of background filler on the lead up to the experiment to get through, which was nice.
The opening scenes are the clone getting its finishing touches before heading out into the world, and just like that, Jeremiah is enclosed in his room.
It’s mere moments before you can feel a sense of dread starting to seep in. Like when Jeremiah realizes the exterior door of his apartment doesn’t have a handle on the inside.
He is literally a prisoner at the mercy of the few ViGen employees who are actually privy to the experiment and know of his whereabouts. As you continue turning pages, the true sinister nature of the story begins to reveal itself.
The relationship between Jeremiah and Brent was great.
Brent brings a lot of much needed humor. Although some of the plot is predictable in a 1990s-Techno-Thriller way, it was still fun to read.
As we get towards the end however, it loses all of its danger. It’s like the baddies just give up.
It just didn’t make sense and ended up way to neatly for the protagonist. I didn’t get that choice. He should have had to fight harder, or something.
There were also a few plot holes that I thought could have been improved upon significantly. I’ll admit, I was let down by the way it ended.
Overall though, it is an interesting story that would translate well into film. Perhaps they could add a bit more suspense towards the end.
I think this would be a great read for someone just getting into Techno-Thrillers, or Sci-Fi in general, as the concepts are all easy to understand.
Thank you so much to the publisher, MIRA, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review. I appreciate it!
April 4, 2021
3.5 stars
This review was first posted on Mystery and Suspense. Check it out for features, interviews, and reviews. https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/th...
Jeremiah Adams is a marketing executive for ViMed Pharmaeceuticals, which has created a controversial drug called Meld.
Meld neurologically connects people's minds, so doctors and therapists can learn the thoughts of disturbed or comatose patients, and perhaps craft treatments. Unfortunately, Meld has also become a street drug, and has driven people to suicide. Still, Meld is very profitable, and Jeremiah's job is to advertise the safety of the drug when it's used properly.
Behind the scenes, ViMed is also researching another use for Meld, and has arranged to pay Jeremiah 10 million dollars to be a guinea pig. ViMed plans to make a clone of Jeremiah and use Meld to input Jeremiah's neural platform - his memories, motivations, and thoughts - into the duplicate, all of which is highly illegal.
The clone (who IS Jeremiah as far as it knows) will then take over Jeremiah's life for a year. The clone will live in Jeremiah's home with Jeremiah's wife Diana, 15-year-old son Walker, and dog Louie;
the clone will do Jeremiah's job at ViMed;
and the clone will interact with Jeremiah's friends, relatives, and acquaintances.
Meanwhile, the REAL Jeremiah will be secluded in a luxury suite at ViMed, periodically watching the clone by way of strategically placed video cameras. After 12 months Jeremiah will quietly slip back into his life, and the clone.....who knows?
The experiment is top secret, and no one is aware of the substitution save for Jeremiah and a small research team at ViMed. The study team includes Brent Higgins - a young researcher who will observe the clone with Jeremiah, and record Jeremiah's thoughts about the duplicate;
Dr. Natalie Young - a psychologist who will regularly use Meld to look into Jeremiah's mind, for therapeutic and scientific purposes;
and Dr. Phillip Pike and Dr. Charles Scott, who are overseeing the research.
When the experiment begins, Jeremiah is an equable participant. He has a refrigerator full of food and beer; books to read, TV to watch, and videogames to play; a treadmill to work out on; Brent to hang out with; and 10 million dollars to look forward to. On the downside, Jeremiah is locked in and not permitted to interact with the outside world.
Before long, as Jeremiah watches the clone behaving just as he would, he starts to question himself as a person. The clone is unappreciative of Jeremiah's co-workers; the clone pushes the use of Meld, though it's not really safe; the clone doesn't confront Jeremiah's wife Diana about a suspected affair; the clone doesn't realize Jeremiah's son Walker is using drugs (as spotted by Brent); and more. Jeremiah keeps hoping the clone will be a better person than himself, to no avail.
Over time, Jeremiah gets more and more dissatisfied as he becomes bored with being locked up; discovers healthy food has been substituted for his favorite fare; longs to see his son and dog; worries about being repeatedly treated with Meld; and so on.
About halfway through the experiment, Jeremiah's discontent turns to dread and alarm when he accidently discovers an underlying agenda for the clone experiment. The secret plan endangers people in Jeremiah's life, and has potential consequences for all of humanity.
At this point the book becomes a thriller, as Jeremiah schemes to escape and make things right.
In addition to being an exciting suspense story, the novel raises interesting questions about how we see ourselves, and the morality of making 'disposable people.' The book presents a fascinating look at human cloning, which may well become a reality one day.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
April 19, 2020
THE MIRROR MAN is about looking in the mirror and coming to terms with what you see. Jane Gilmartin’s cloning story is both profound and artfully contained. Locked in a closed space with our main character, we secretly watch him as he watches himself. The result is at times claustrophobic, always disturbingly intimate for both reader and character. Sharing this man’s most inward thoughts as he wrestles with who he is, we can’t help but do the same. Brilliant!
January 2, 2021
4.5 Stars
The Mirror Man is a techno thriller revolving around the exploration of biotechnology. Jeremiah, our protagonist, is working as a marketing manager for ViGen Pharmaceuticals. He was offered 10 Million dollars to participate in a revolutionary scientific experiment. All he needs to agree to is to allow his company to create a clone of him. I would agree to it in a heartbeat, i mean... 10 million dollars? SAY LESS He takes Meld, an experimental drug which is basically like a USB, transferring his "brain data" to his clone. He is to not have any outside contact for a whole year and he has to monitor his clone through TV monitors, reporting any abnormalities so that the company would find out the faults in their "cloning system". As expected, good things come with a price and Jeremiah would soon be watching "his life" fall apart right in front of his very own eyes.
Characters
I really like how the characters are developed and fleshed out and their intentions and motive behind their actions are logical. Jeremiah is an interesting character to read about and though I disagreed with many of his actions, I understood from his pov.
Thoughts
The premise of this story is intriguing but not original. Though it can be classified as a techno-thriller, I barely felt any thrill especially towards the end. I had hoped that the ending would be convoluted but nothing of the sort happened. I was let down by the ending as there could've been more action/thrill but it is a satisfying ending to say the least. It definitely focused more on the moral dilemma of cloning than plot twists but it still worked. It is a fast paced book that gets you up and going and it was difficult for me to put it down.
The Mirror Man is a techno thriller revolving around the exploration of biotechnology. Jeremiah, our protagonist, is working as a marketing manager for ViGen Pharmaceuticals. He was offered 10 Million dollars to participate in a revolutionary scientific experiment. All he needs to agree to is to allow his company to create a clone of him. I would agree to it in a heartbeat, i mean... 10 million dollars? SAY LESS He takes Meld, an experimental drug which is basically like a USB, transferring his "brain data" to his clone. He is to not have any outside contact for a whole year and he has to monitor his clone through TV monitors, reporting any abnormalities so that the company would find out the faults in their "cloning system". As expected, good things come with a price and Jeremiah would soon be watching "his life" fall apart right in front of his very own eyes.
Characters
I really like how the characters are developed and fleshed out and their intentions and motive behind their actions are logical. Jeremiah is an interesting character to read about and though I disagreed with many of his actions, I understood from his pov.
Thoughts
The premise of this story is intriguing but not original. Though it can be classified as a techno-thriller, I barely felt any thrill especially towards the end. I had hoped that the ending would be convoluted but nothing of the sort happened. I was let down by the ending as there could've been more action/thrill but it is a satisfying ending to say the least. It definitely focused more on the moral dilemma of cloning than plot twists but it still worked. It is a fast paced book that gets you up and going and it was difficult for me to put it down.
October 27, 2020
When I finished this book the first thing out of my mouth was “I really liked that,” I know it seems pretty generic, but it was my first instant reaction, usually the most important one, and even after thinking about it a while now, I still feel the same way.
This is considered a techno thriller. Usually not my thing, I steer away from sci-fi and stuff like that, but the synopsis really called to me because to me I saw more of a medical/genetic thriller, and you know I love anything medical. I am so glad I gave this one a chance.
Jeremiah agrees to let his company clone him and insert his clone as a stand in for Jeremiah’s life. They have found a way to not just clone the body but your mind as well, and they can manipulate what you remember or forget. For 10 million dollars he agrees. So for a year he is put up in this awesome apartment with all his needs met, while he works with the scientists to study the reactions of the clone and if Jeremiah would react the same way. As the year passes, Jeremiah starts to notice things about himself in the clone that he needs to change, but he also start catching on to more of the company’s cloning motives, and things he is being lied to about. When he decides he needs to intervene, his company does everything they can to stop him. But Jeremiah develops a plan, and hopefully it will save his life and his family.
Mirror Man will grab you instantly, I read it in one sitting, and could not put it down. There is something about Jane Gilmartin’s writing and this story line that keeps you turning the pages. I will be honest, I hit a small lull about 30% into the book, wondering where things were going to take us, but within pages the plot thickened even more and I swear it was a rush to the ending. This is a phenomenal premise, and is not weighed down by science or technology, if anything I felt it was more psychological and just based on cloning. I really did enjoy this book and its a brilliant debut. I will definitely read future Gilmartin books. Most importantly, this book really points out why it is so important to have a dog! Loved this read.
This is considered a techno thriller. Usually not my thing, I steer away from sci-fi and stuff like that, but the synopsis really called to me because to me I saw more of a medical/genetic thriller, and you know I love anything medical. I am so glad I gave this one a chance.
Jeremiah agrees to let his company clone him and insert his clone as a stand in for Jeremiah’s life. They have found a way to not just clone the body but your mind as well, and they can manipulate what you remember or forget. For 10 million dollars he agrees. So for a year he is put up in this awesome apartment with all his needs met, while he works with the scientists to study the reactions of the clone and if Jeremiah would react the same way. As the year passes, Jeremiah starts to notice things about himself in the clone that he needs to change, but he also start catching on to more of the company’s cloning motives, and things he is being lied to about. When he decides he needs to intervene, his company does everything they can to stop him. But Jeremiah develops a plan, and hopefully it will save his life and his family.
Mirror Man will grab you instantly, I read it in one sitting, and could not put it down. There is something about Jane Gilmartin’s writing and this story line that keeps you turning the pages. I will be honest, I hit a small lull about 30% into the book, wondering where things were going to take us, but within pages the plot thickened even more and I swear it was a rush to the ending. This is a phenomenal premise, and is not weighed down by science or technology, if anything I felt it was more psychological and just based on cloning. I really did enjoy this book and its a brilliant debut. I will definitely read future Gilmartin books. Most importantly, this book really points out why it is so important to have a dog! Loved this read.
July 29, 2020
I enjoyed this book for the most part. Would I compare it to Blake Crouch? Not exactly, but I can see where those vibes came from. I think the fact that I have read Blake Crouch books before this one made it very predictable and I was calling all the things that happened before they did. That is why is brought down the rating for me.
I believe that someone coming into this with no prior knowledge of Crouch's books would love it and find themselves completely captured in the story. It is also similar to a book called Foe by Iain Reid which is another great one.
The concept is really cool and it would be so intense if clones were a reality. I like the little touches thrown in there to prove that the clone can't always be "exactly" the same. I found that the characters could use a little bit more development because when big things happened, I didn't feel that attached. That being said, when his mother was discussed and grown as a character, I related and felt she was very similar to my grandmother which brought the attachment and had me reminiscing on times with her.
Overall, the book is a good one for any SciFi fan that wants to see a new story told with cloning and consequences!
I believe that someone coming into this with no prior knowledge of Crouch's books would love it and find themselves completely captured in the story. It is also similar to a book called Foe by Iain Reid which is another great one.
The concept is really cool and it would be so intense if clones were a reality. I like the little touches thrown in there to prove that the clone can't always be "exactly" the same. I found that the characters could use a little bit more development because when big things happened, I didn't feel that attached. That being said, when his mother was discussed and grown as a character, I related and felt she was very similar to my grandmother which brought the attachment and had me reminiscing on times with her.
Overall, the book is a good one for any SciFi fan that wants to see a new story told with cloning and consequences!
October 14, 2020
If you could have a clone replace you for a year, unbeknownst to anyone at all, and get paid $10M for it, would you? I mean, it's TEN MILLION DOLLARS! Phew! It's been a minute since I've read some addictive sci-fi and Gilmartin delivers.
We have all seen the advances in science throughout our decades on this planet. We've even seen cloning happening and talks of organ possibilities to extend the human life. We have also seen this type of storyline from other books and movies. However, what The Mirror Man does is give us a look at the other side. How someone who voluntarily accepts this role, is now sequestered from his family and can now see himself playing himself.... and when you're watching yourself from afar, you really get an introspective look. And sometimes it sure ain't pretty. So, how far would you go to get your life back because even if you didn't, no one would ever know any different....
Honestly, what a run and refreshing read. I really felt a lot for Jeremiah and loved seeing his full arc. And for those of you with pets out there, give them a little extra love. Louie. 💗 For a science fiction read, this was a story about so much humanity and the complexities that are a part of even the most mundane existences. An outstanding debut
We have all seen the advances in science throughout our decades on this planet. We've even seen cloning happening and talks of organ possibilities to extend the human life. We have also seen this type of storyline from other books and movies. However, what The Mirror Man does is give us a look at the other side. How someone who voluntarily accepts this role, is now sequestered from his family and can now see himself playing himself.... and when you're watching yourself from afar, you really get an introspective look. And sometimes it sure ain't pretty. So, how far would you go to get your life back because even if you didn't, no one would ever know any different....
Honestly, what a run and refreshing read. I really felt a lot for Jeremiah and loved seeing his full arc. And for those of you with pets out there, give them a little extra love. Louie. 💗 For a science fiction read, this was a story about so much humanity and the complexities that are a part of even the most mundane existences. An outstanding debut
November 2, 2020
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2020/11/02/...
How many times have you wished you could clone yourself? To have a double take over your life, just for a little while, so you can catch a quick breather? In Jane Gilmartin’s The Mirror Man, the ability to achieve this has become a reality, albeit the technology is highly illegal. The possibility of creating a perfect copy of a human being, complete with same personalities and memories, is not something the world is ready to accept, so the company behind the scientific breakthrough can only conduct their experiments under the utmost secrecy.
Now, the experts ViGen Pharmaceuticals believe they have found the perfect subject. Jeremiah Adams is a middle-aged husband and father living a disaffected life, who is also willing to be discreet. For ten million dollars, he agrees to be a part of their top-secret study, which involves being cloned. The catch? Jeremiah will need to be removed from his life for an entire year, while his clone takes over. After all, part of the experiment is “quality testing” to see if the copy is indeed indistinguishable from the original. If successful, no one should suspect Jeremiah has been replaced. Behind the scenes, a team of ViGen scientists will also be monitoring the clone’s every move to ensure adherence to expected personality and behavioral patterns.
At first, Jeremiah thought it would be easy. A year isn’t all that long, plus ten million dollars is a ridiculously large sum of money, enough to set him and his family up for life after the experiment was over. And if he’s being completely honest, he’s also been having a rough time lately, at home and at work. He figures a break will do him good, especially with ViGen setting him up in a luxury apartment where his every need will be met. He’ll finally be able to do what he wants, when he wants—though he would have to meet periodically with a company psychologist, as per his contract agreement. Through these sessions, however, Jeremiah soon realizes that watching him clone live his life from afar isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Though he’ll need the experiment to succeed in order to receive his money, he also can’t help but feel unsettled, not to mention hurt, to see someone else replace him so completely. Then, Jeremiah’s mother dies. Already angry and devastated from being forced to grieve at a distance, our protagonist receives another shock as stumbles upon the dark truth behind the real purpose of ViGen’s cloning technology.
As a fan of sci-fi stories that read like “what if” scenarios, I really enjoyed The Mirror Man and blew through it rather quickly. While it doesn’t place as much emphasis on the science aspect, the energetic pacing and thrills more than made up for it. As the reader, you’re thrown into the thick of things pretty much right away, as the author wastes no time in establishing the premise. As such, I didn’t mind the lack of background into ViGen’s cloning technology, once I realized that wasn’t the point of the novel anyway. Instead, its focus is almost entirely on Jeremiah and the internal conflict raging within him, as he watches his clone with a new perspective on himself, thinking he doesn’t really like what he sees.
Subtle as they were, there were some meaningful underlying philosophical themes at play, exploring the question of what makes us human. Observing his life from an outsider’s perspective forces Jeremiah to confront the truth of his malaise and re-examine his personal choices as he finally realizes what he’s been missing. I wish the narrative had carried this thread a little further, but the plot then swiftly adopts a thriller tone and style, taking off like a runaway train from there. Technology meets conspiracy in The Mirror Man, which I can see being a hit with readers who enjoy the intense pacing and high stakes of books like Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, The Fold by Peter Clines, or The Punch Escrow by Tal M. Klein.
Overall, I thought this was a great read, and in fact, my only criticism is that the conclusion could have been tweaked to pack a harder punch. In the end, the resolution might have come just a tad to easy for our protagonist, but I was nevertheless happy with how everything turned out. After all, it’s not every day I read a book about cloning! I had a blast with The Mirror Man and will most certainly be keeping an eye out for Jane Gilmartin’s future work!
How many times have you wished you could clone yourself? To have a double take over your life, just for a little while, so you can catch a quick breather? In Jane Gilmartin’s The Mirror Man, the ability to achieve this has become a reality, albeit the technology is highly illegal. The possibility of creating a perfect copy of a human being, complete with same personalities and memories, is not something the world is ready to accept, so the company behind the scientific breakthrough can only conduct their experiments under the utmost secrecy.
Now, the experts ViGen Pharmaceuticals believe they have found the perfect subject. Jeremiah Adams is a middle-aged husband and father living a disaffected life, who is also willing to be discreet. For ten million dollars, he agrees to be a part of their top-secret study, which involves being cloned. The catch? Jeremiah will need to be removed from his life for an entire year, while his clone takes over. After all, part of the experiment is “quality testing” to see if the copy is indeed indistinguishable from the original. If successful, no one should suspect Jeremiah has been replaced. Behind the scenes, a team of ViGen scientists will also be monitoring the clone’s every move to ensure adherence to expected personality and behavioral patterns.
At first, Jeremiah thought it would be easy. A year isn’t all that long, plus ten million dollars is a ridiculously large sum of money, enough to set him and his family up for life after the experiment was over. And if he’s being completely honest, he’s also been having a rough time lately, at home and at work. He figures a break will do him good, especially with ViGen setting him up in a luxury apartment where his every need will be met. He’ll finally be able to do what he wants, when he wants—though he would have to meet periodically with a company psychologist, as per his contract agreement. Through these sessions, however, Jeremiah soon realizes that watching him clone live his life from afar isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Though he’ll need the experiment to succeed in order to receive his money, he also can’t help but feel unsettled, not to mention hurt, to see someone else replace him so completely. Then, Jeremiah’s mother dies. Already angry and devastated from being forced to grieve at a distance, our protagonist receives another shock as stumbles upon the dark truth behind the real purpose of ViGen’s cloning technology.
As a fan of sci-fi stories that read like “what if” scenarios, I really enjoyed The Mirror Man and blew through it rather quickly. While it doesn’t place as much emphasis on the science aspect, the energetic pacing and thrills more than made up for it. As the reader, you’re thrown into the thick of things pretty much right away, as the author wastes no time in establishing the premise. As such, I didn’t mind the lack of background into ViGen’s cloning technology, once I realized that wasn’t the point of the novel anyway. Instead, its focus is almost entirely on Jeremiah and the internal conflict raging within him, as he watches his clone with a new perspective on himself, thinking he doesn’t really like what he sees.
Subtle as they were, there were some meaningful underlying philosophical themes at play, exploring the question of what makes us human. Observing his life from an outsider’s perspective forces Jeremiah to confront the truth of his malaise and re-examine his personal choices as he finally realizes what he’s been missing. I wish the narrative had carried this thread a little further, but the plot then swiftly adopts a thriller tone and style, taking off like a runaway train from there. Technology meets conspiracy in The Mirror Man, which I can see being a hit with readers who enjoy the intense pacing and high stakes of books like Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, The Fold by Peter Clines, or The Punch Escrow by Tal M. Klein.
Overall, I thought this was a great read, and in fact, my only criticism is that the conclusion could have been tweaked to pack a harder punch. In the end, the resolution might have come just a tad to easy for our protagonist, but I was nevertheless happy with how everything turned out. After all, it’s not every day I read a book about cloning! I had a blast with The Mirror Man and will most certainly be keeping an eye out for Jane Gilmartin’s future work!
April 27, 2020
So I'm going to start with my not-so-nitpicky-bit.
For the love of all that's holy, can authors please stop comparing a black or brown person's skin color to food? Like...what the heck is the color of bitter-sweet chocolate besides brown??? Just say brown. It was a minor, absolutely unimportant character, but still...
Okay to the rest of the book:
This was a very interesting story. There aren't a bunch of twists - much of what you focus on is really the ethical implication of what's happening here. It's not an action-filled book, though a little action eventually comes.
To be honest, it takes a while to like our main character. As a reader, you have a lot of questions about how and why he allows all this to happen. But as you get to know him, and he gets to know himself, he becomes a better person. Never perfect, but better.
I enjoyed the ideas of what could be done with cloning and the core idea of what really makes a person human.
Overall, I enjoyed the read. I was really curious throughout to see how it would end. And as for that ending? It wasn't the kind of devious ending I'd hoped for, but it was still pretty satisfying.
For the love of all that's holy, can authors please stop comparing a black or brown person's skin color to food? Like...what the heck is the color of bitter-sweet chocolate besides brown??? Just say brown. It was a minor, absolutely unimportant character, but still...
Okay to the rest of the book:
This was a very interesting story. There aren't a bunch of twists - much of what you focus on is really the ethical implication of what's happening here. It's not an action-filled book, though a little action eventually comes.
To be honest, it takes a while to like our main character. As a reader, you have a lot of questions about how and why he allows all this to happen. But as you get to know him, and he gets to know himself, he becomes a better person. Never perfect, but better.
I enjoyed the ideas of what could be done with cloning and the core idea of what really makes a person human.
Overall, I enjoyed the read. I was really curious throughout to see how it would end. And as for that ending? It wasn't the kind of devious ending I'd hoped for, but it was still pretty satisfying.
October 23, 2020
Mirror Man is being billed as a science fiction thriller. But I feel that Gilmartin spends more time addressing the moral dilemma of human cloning. Jeremiah has the benefit of being an outsider looking into his life. He sees a lot that he does like and grows to understand how his circumstances and his limitations are the result of his own decisions. As time passes he becomes more judgmental of himself while learning to be more empathetic towards his clone and his family. Unfortunately, this moment of reflection comes after he has experienced irreversible losses. Kudos to Gilmartin on a debut that not only has a dynamic plot but also probes humanity and ethics. I also would like to give a special nod to Louie and his infinite wisdom.
Check out my Blog Tour stop October 27th for a peek at the book!
Check out my Blog Tour stop October 27th for a peek at the book!
November 6, 2020
Have you seen this movie “The Island”? As part of medical procedure, they clone the original human counterparts and use the body parts of the respective clone incase the original human needs it.
The Mirror Man has a similar storyline on the clone part, except the former happens in a dystopian future, but this is a reality. The story is interesting and has good amount of suspense to it. I knew what was gonna happen at the end, but I kept reading just for the feel! Overall an entertaining novel.
Thank you Mira/Harlequin, Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Mirror Man has a similar storyline on the clone part, except the former happens in a dystopian future, but this is a reality. The story is interesting and has good amount of suspense to it. I knew what was gonna happen at the end, but I kept reading just for the feel! Overall an entertaining novel.
Thank you Mira/Harlequin, Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
November 11, 2020
Jeremiah is your average work-a-day Joe, having given up his dreams to be an acclaimed newspaper reporter years ago. He now finds himself, middle-aged, not-so-happily married, with a teen-aged son who barely acknowledges his existence. At least he has Louie, his faithful dog.
Jeremiah, head of marketing at ViMed Pharmaceuticals had done some great marking work for their newest product, Meld. Meld is an amazing drug that allows doctors and therapists entrance into their patients’ minds.
Although it is still illegal, Vi-Med has found a way to make clones; combine that technology with Meld and the possibilities are endless.
Suddenly Jeremiah finds himself being handed a golden opportunity: volunteer to be cloned, live in the lab and be monitored while watching your clone resume your life. The down-side: you can’t tell a single soul. The upside: 10 Million Dollars upon completion.
Jeremiah suddenly really begins to see himself and not just physically, he comes to see certain things about his nature and personality that he doesn’t love. Nobody seems to notice that this imposter is not him and he finds it distressful and distasteful. Surely there is more to a person that his combination of cells and memory. He also gets to see his interactions or lack-there-of with his family and co-workers.
Jeremiah becomes disillusioned and unhappy with his clone. Not able to see that he himself is changing with the insights offered by being a fly on the wall. Boredom and maybe a touch of paranoia begin to creep into Jeremiah the more he watches.
Things begin to really unfold as the clones life takes turns that Jeremiah cannot predict or prevent.
I had great hopes for Jeremiah and his family. While he began as a bland, distant and kid of unlikable character (purposefully), he began to evolve. Unfortunately the story ended before he could made a complete transformation.
There were a couple of good twists here. I would have liked to see some plot points explained or carried further but overall a good read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Jeremiah, head of marketing at ViMed Pharmaceuticals had done some great marking work for their newest product, Meld. Meld is an amazing drug that allows doctors and therapists entrance into their patients’ minds.
Although it is still illegal, Vi-Med has found a way to make clones; combine that technology with Meld and the possibilities are endless.
Suddenly Jeremiah finds himself being handed a golden opportunity: volunteer to be cloned, live in the lab and be monitored while watching your clone resume your life. The down-side: you can’t tell a single soul. The upside: 10 Million Dollars upon completion.
Jeremiah suddenly really begins to see himself and not just physically, he comes to see certain things about his nature and personality that he doesn’t love. Nobody seems to notice that this imposter is not him and he finds it distressful and distasteful. Surely there is more to a person that his combination of cells and memory. He also gets to see his interactions or lack-there-of with his family and co-workers.
Jeremiah becomes disillusioned and unhappy with his clone. Not able to see that he himself is changing with the insights offered by being a fly on the wall. Boredom and maybe a touch of paranoia begin to creep into Jeremiah the more he watches.
Things begin to really unfold as the clones life takes turns that Jeremiah cannot predict or prevent.
I had great hopes for Jeremiah and his family. While he began as a bland, distant and kid of unlikable character (purposefully), he began to evolve. Unfortunately the story ended before he could made a complete transformation.
There were a couple of good twists here. I would have liked to see some plot points explained or carried further but overall a good read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
June 22, 2020
"...No one, none of us, is ever really who we think we are. We tell ourselves lies to feel better, but they're just lies. The truth is a lot harder to look at... You either accept who you are, or you change it."
When I read science fiction, I want it to be thought-provoking. The Mirror Man definitely is.
What are the little things in life that you take for granted? What would you see if you were to view yourself from an outside perspective-- would you like yourself? If not, to what extent can you change who you really are?
Is a clone really human, especially if it doesn't have any individuality? Could you empathize with a being that looks and acts like a normal person but may or may not be?
All these questions come to mind when reading The Mirror Man.
Initially, I found this book difficult to read. Jeremiah begins as a character who isn't particularly likable. The book starts off slow: Jeremiah spends his days sitting in his apartment and observing his clone. There's not a lot of mystery, not a lot to discover, because Jeremiah has suspicions straight away.
But once I got further into the book, I was gripped. Jeremiah begins to understand more about himself and the world around him. The book becomes a thriller; it's intense and it leaves Jeremiah regretful, so he decides to try and atone for his past mistakes. I really enjoyed the second half of the book, and I love the questions that this novel poses.
An intriguing read. It can be slow at times, but it's a compelling debut.
I received an ARC through Goodreads. This is my honest review.
May 3, 2020
3.5 stars
On the surface it might look like Jeremiah Adams has a life to envy. Below the surface? That's another story. Finding himself in a bit of a mid-life crisis, when he is offered a once in a lifetime job opportunity, Jeremiah jumps at the chance to temporarily walk away from his life without anyone knowing. All he has to do is agree to participate in a ground breaking science experiment: he will allow himself to be cloned, and the clone will spend one year living as Jeremiah while scientists observe the clone's "performance" and the reactions of the unsuspecting people he interacts with.
While readers immediately know that this is an absolutely terrible idea, the action movie style plotting will have them happily agreeing to come along for the rather entertaining ride.
This ARC was provided by MIRA/Harlequin/HarperCollins, in exchange for an honest review.
On the surface it might look like Jeremiah Adams has a life to envy. Below the surface? That's another story. Finding himself in a bit of a mid-life crisis, when he is offered a once in a lifetime job opportunity, Jeremiah jumps at the chance to temporarily walk away from his life without anyone knowing. All he has to do is agree to participate in a ground breaking science experiment: he will allow himself to be cloned, and the clone will spend one year living as Jeremiah while scientists observe the clone's "performance" and the reactions of the unsuspecting people he interacts with.
While readers immediately know that this is an absolutely terrible idea, the action movie style plotting will have them happily agreeing to come along for the rather entertaining ride.
This ARC was provided by MIRA/Harlequin/HarperCollins, in exchange for an honest review.
August 26, 2021
The Mirror Man is not only a sharp and well-crafted tech thriller, it is also an intimate philosophical story about the very nature of humanity itself; how we think, feel, love, hate and operate. The story revolves around Jeremiah Adams, a man on the very edge of the status quo. That last part however is no way to describe this story which snaps between serene and scary but remains utterly unique in its flow and tone. And nom when I first started this book about clones I didn't think I'd be calling it unique as that would be too ironic a phrase but yet here we are. I sincerely recommend that everybody check this book out as it contains a story that is guaranteed to stay with you for years after you've closed the cover.
December 25, 2020
Maybe I’m being too hard... the thing is, I started out thinking I wouldn’t like the story, then, I kinda got into it. But it could have been much more complex than it turned out. In my mind, I was creating Recursion-like plots. I was soooo sure that the main character was the clone, that his escape was foreseen by Scott, that he would kill his true self, thus proving that the military’s “invention” was so effective, it would murder its own self.
Aside from the rather basic plot, many things just didn’t fit with me. Some things the main character did and thought, the way Brent bonded so quickly to him (I was *sure* Brent was secretly double-agenting for Scott), and how so many holes existed in their security there (anyone that’s ever worked for high end tech/research corps or gov would not be able to get through this book; it was quite aggravating at times). Let alone the trouble I had with the FDA approval despite the deaths it caused, what seemed to me to be gross negligence with its medical usage, and the testing itself... Whatever happened to Coma Boy?? So they know he’s coherent, so what?? Were they actually able to help him because of the drug??? And don’t we already have ways to determine if coma patients are coherent now??? I didn’t think that part was a novel concept at all.
I ???think??? self-disgust is a core theme here????? But the author could have touched up a lot more on this premise—I feel many people could relate. It wasn’t horrible. It just could have been pretty amazing.
Aside from the rather basic plot, many things just didn’t fit with me. Some things the main character did and thought, the way Brent bonded so quickly to him (I was *sure* Brent was secretly double-agenting for Scott), and how so many holes existed in their security there (anyone that’s ever worked for high end tech/research corps or gov would not be able to get through this book; it was quite aggravating at times). Let alone the trouble I had with the FDA approval despite the deaths it caused, what seemed to me to be gross negligence with its medical usage, and the testing itself... Whatever happened to Coma Boy?? So they know he’s coherent, so what?? Were they actually able to help him because of the drug??? And don’t we already have ways to determine if coma patients are coherent now??? I didn’t think that part was a novel concept at all.
I ???think??? self-disgust is a core theme here????? But the author could have touched up a lot more on this premise—I feel many people could relate. It wasn’t horrible. It just could have been pretty amazing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2020
Jeremiah accepts $10 million dollars to have himself cloned and step out of his life for one year as the clone replaces him.
This was a fast-paced read that I needed right now. Jeremiah seems 'real' - he definitely has his flaws, and watching him watch himself and pick up on these was fun. The science aspect of this is really minimal (pretty much absent - there's a clone {hand wave hand wave}) so don't go into it looking for that. It's a thriller that's hard to put down for the last hundred pages or so. I do think that the whole thing resolved itself too easily - a large corporation pouring millions of dollars into something would not be that easy to get one over on -but I was happy to race along with it anyway.
This was a fast-paced read that I needed right now. Jeremiah seems 'real' - he definitely has his flaws, and watching him watch himself and pick up on these was fun. The science aspect of this is really minimal (pretty much absent - there's a clone {hand wave hand wave}) so don't go into it looking for that. It's a thriller that's hard to put down for the last hundred pages or so. I do think that the whole thing resolved itself too easily - a large corporation pouring millions of dollars into something would not be that easy to get one over on -but I was happy to race along with it anyway.
October 19, 2020
Would you trade your life for a year for ten million dollars? That is the decision that Jeremiah Adams had to make and that is exactly what he did. He agreed to be cloned for a year. His clone would live his life. Go to his place of employment. Live and interact with his wife and teenage son. However, this was a cloning experiment, one not even legal. What is more is that Jeremiah would have to watch the clone for several hours each day as the experiment would continue. The duration was a year. Would Jeremiah be able to live silently away from his life and family for the entire time?
However, the experience is not only secret, it is nefarious. Would Jeremiah and anyone else connected one way or another be able to see the danger in time? How separated would Jeremiah be from his clone and from how long? It may take a while but Jeremiah starts to see cracks forming in the plan. The challenges now facing him might cost him everything.
I thought The Mirror Man was a well-written, intriguing story. Cloning is something that is pretty much far-fetched, but who knows where the scientific world will lead. However, this is fiction, and I thought it was quite good. What made this even more thrilling than the science fiction aspect of the story was the mystery that threaded between the pages, especially when danger was an all-time high.
Then, the conclusion! I couldn't tap my Kindle fast enough as things were happening at a breakneck pace. I didn't worry about the morality of cloning, especially where danger was concerned. What I wanted and got was a good story that kept me riveted to my device from beginning to end.
Many thanks to MIRA and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
However, the experience is not only secret, it is nefarious. Would Jeremiah and anyone else connected one way or another be able to see the danger in time? How separated would Jeremiah be from his clone and from how long? It may take a while but Jeremiah starts to see cracks forming in the plan. The challenges now facing him might cost him everything.
I thought The Mirror Man was a well-written, intriguing story. Cloning is something that is pretty much far-fetched, but who knows where the scientific world will lead. However, this is fiction, and I thought it was quite good. What made this even more thrilling than the science fiction aspect of the story was the mystery that threaded between the pages, especially when danger was an all-time high.
Then, the conclusion! I couldn't tap my Kindle fast enough as things were happening at a breakneck pace. I didn't worry about the morality of cloning, especially where danger was concerned. What I wanted and got was a good story that kept me riveted to my device from beginning to end.
Many thanks to MIRA and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
October 17, 2020
My thoughts
Rating :4
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 352
Pub date:October 20,2020
Publisher: MIRA
Would I recommend it? Yes, But only to the ones I know who loves Science Fiction .
Would I read anything else by this author ? Maybe
First off like i do each and every time i want ti thank MIRA- HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for the invite to read and review it as well as the invite to join their blog tour as well as a thanks to NetGalley .
Now on to my thoughts about the book: As soon as it I know it was something that I might read and enjoy which I did , one of the things I liked about it was the darker aspects of the story about wither or not cloning was a good idea or not, it brought to life that we was already experiment with cloning and wither we should be or not. Twists and turns that will keep the reader's interest though out the story, page after page. and all the time your reading it you get the feeling that maybe this type of science is best left alone because once you cross that doorway and open it you might never be able to close it.
Rating :4
Genre: Science Fiction
Pages: 352
Pub date:October 20,2020
Publisher: MIRA
Would I recommend it? Yes, But only to the ones I know who loves Science Fiction .
Would I read anything else by this author ? Maybe
First off like i do each and every time i want ti thank MIRA- HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for the invite to read and review it as well as the invite to join their blog tour as well as a thanks to NetGalley .
Now on to my thoughts about the book: As soon as it I know it was something that I might read and enjoy which I did , one of the things I liked about it was the darker aspects of the story about wither or not cloning was a good idea or not, it brought to life that we was already experiment with cloning and wither we should be or not. Twists and turns that will keep the reader's interest though out the story, page after page. and all the time your reading it you get the feeling that maybe this type of science is best left alone because once you cross that doorway and open it you might never be able to close it.
November 25, 2020
A huge thank you to Emer Flounders for allowing me access to The Mirror Man in exchange for a honest review!
This book kept me on my toes from beginning to end; you really get to see Jeremiah grow as a character throughout the story as he sees just how much impact his choice in participating in this cloning experiment has on his life and the people he cares about while he simply watches the events play out.
You see Jeremiah grapple with the mistakes he’s made and the lengths he’s willing to go to try and prevent such mistakes from happening again. I enjoyed seeing his friendship with Brent develop and how he is willing to count on him when it mattered the most.
I would absolutely recommend this book and am so thankful that I was able to read it.
This book kept me on my toes from beginning to end; you really get to see Jeremiah grow as a character throughout the story as he sees just how much impact his choice in participating in this cloning experiment has on his life and the people he cares about while he simply watches the events play out.
You see Jeremiah grapple with the mistakes he’s made and the lengths he’s willing to go to try and prevent such mistakes from happening again. I enjoyed seeing his friendship with Brent develop and how he is willing to count on him when it mattered the most.
I would absolutely recommend this book and am so thankful that I was able to read it.
October 13, 2020
Fascinating premise but bland delivery. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed this book – thus the 4 star rating, and I do recommend it for the interesting premise alone . . .
However . . .
Page after page, I found myself wanting. I wanted more of a creepy vibe. I wanted more tension. I wanted more plot and character development. And in the end, I wanted more from the main character. If the ending had been stronger, I would’ve given this 5 stars, because I could’ve overlooked the other issues, but as is, the ending made me overthink the earlier page-by-page issues, and I found myself feeling disappointed.
Spoiler:
I didn’t want him to just save himself, I wanted him to take down the bad guys one by one and save the world from being replaced by clones. Instead, he basically negotiated a deal only to save himself, his son, and his dog.
[I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.]
However . . .
Page after page, I found myself wanting. I wanted more of a creepy vibe. I wanted more tension. I wanted more plot and character development. And in the end, I wanted more from the main character. If the ending had been stronger, I would’ve given this 5 stars, because I could’ve overlooked the other issues, but as is, the ending made me overthink the earlier page-by-page issues, and I found myself feeling disappointed.
Spoiler:
I didn’t want him to just save himself, I wanted him to take down the bad guys one by one and save the world from being replaced by clones. Instead, he basically negotiated a deal only to save himself, his son, and his dog.
[I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.]
April 12, 2020
Thank you again Edelweiss for the early review copy. I read what this book was about and got super excited. (Havent read a decent clone story in a long time).
What I liked the most was the self reflecting done while our "original copy" viewed himself. Went a bit Ebenezer Scrooge there. Made him a much better person.
I don't know if it's because it's a proof copy or not but we never figure out a big part of the story after someone (don't want to spoil it) gets killed off. Like seriously?! Were they actually doing it or not?!
I also didn't buy how easy the end was but I thoroughly enjoyed this whole book and will be recommending it and coercing people to read it as much as possible.
What I liked the most was the self reflecting done while our "original copy" viewed himself. Went a bit Ebenezer Scrooge there. Made him a much better person.
I don't know if it's because it's a proof copy or not but we never figure out a big part of the story after someone (don't want to spoil it) gets killed off. Like seriously?! Were they actually doing it or not?!
I also didn't buy how easy the end was but I thoroughly enjoyed this whole book and will be recommending it and coercing people to read it as much as possible.
December 31, 2019
Really enjoyed this one.
October 25, 2020
THE MIRROR MAN will hold a special place in my heart going forward. It reminded me, thematically if not stylistically, of a number of the science fiction novels published in the early to mid-1960s. At one point, I made a note to myself that it puts one in the mind of a collaboration between Philip K. Dick and Michael Crichton, who wrote pseudonymous titles prior to his breakout hit, THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN, in 1969. Is THE MIRROR MAN that good? You bet! It is inventive, poignant and occasionally terrifying.
Jane Gilmartin’s surefooted debut novel is narrated by Jeremiah Adams, who is employed by ViMed Pharmaceutical as a publicist. He is very good at his job, particularly with respect to issuing press releases defending Meld, the company’s pride and joy. Meld is a pharmaceutical that permits memory access and transferal. ViMed has touted it as a breakthrough in the treatment of comatose and brain-damaged patients, but its journey to the marketplace has not been without problems. Jeremiah is nonetheless surprised when he is quietly approached by Dr. Charles Scott, ViMed’s chief of engineering.
Dr. Scott has an offer for Jeremiah. He will pay him 10 million dollars for the privilege of cloning him (which is illegal) and transferring his memories, right down to his essence, into the clone. The clone would essentially replace and become Jeremiah, while Jeremiah himself would be housed for one year in an onsite apartment, the existence of which is known to only a few people at ViMed. No one else, including his wife and 15-year-old son, would know. If all goes well, they will never be able to tell the difference.
Jeremiah agrees to participate. His marriage has grown cold, and his son seems to resent him. He figures that the money more than makes up for what basically is a one-year imprisonment in very comfortable surroundings, where he has to let himself be subjected to regular injections of Meld and watch his clone, via surveillance cameras, step into his life.
The chapters tick off the days of Jeremiah’s enforced withdrawal from his life. He goes from enjoying the free time to boredom to resentment, observing his clone interact with his family. What is interesting is that the clone reacts exactly as Jeremiah might if he was in the same position, but he doesn’t always like what he sees, even though what he sees is himself. He also begins to wonder what the purpose and endgame are behind this experiment.
Things soon begin to go off track, and the results are disastrous. Jeremiah wants out, but he is essentially in lockdown…and, of course, there is that ironclad agreement into which he has entered. He goes looking for a way out, but even if he is successful, he may be too late.
THE MIRROR MAN is a cautionary tale and an oddly redemptive one as well. Gilmartin tosses occasional twists into the mix throughout, saving a big one that is revealed just when you think the all-clear siren has sounded. There is also a surprise hero who manifests himself throughout the book and ultimately turns out to be the smartest person in the room. The result is an impressive work by any standard.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Jane Gilmartin’s surefooted debut novel is narrated by Jeremiah Adams, who is employed by ViMed Pharmaceutical as a publicist. He is very good at his job, particularly with respect to issuing press releases defending Meld, the company’s pride and joy. Meld is a pharmaceutical that permits memory access and transferal. ViMed has touted it as a breakthrough in the treatment of comatose and brain-damaged patients, but its journey to the marketplace has not been without problems. Jeremiah is nonetheless surprised when he is quietly approached by Dr. Charles Scott, ViMed’s chief of engineering.
Dr. Scott has an offer for Jeremiah. He will pay him 10 million dollars for the privilege of cloning him (which is illegal) and transferring his memories, right down to his essence, into the clone. The clone would essentially replace and become Jeremiah, while Jeremiah himself would be housed for one year in an onsite apartment, the existence of which is known to only a few people at ViMed. No one else, including his wife and 15-year-old son, would know. If all goes well, they will never be able to tell the difference.
Jeremiah agrees to participate. His marriage has grown cold, and his son seems to resent him. He figures that the money more than makes up for what basically is a one-year imprisonment in very comfortable surroundings, where he has to let himself be subjected to regular injections of Meld and watch his clone, via surveillance cameras, step into his life.
The chapters tick off the days of Jeremiah’s enforced withdrawal from his life. He goes from enjoying the free time to boredom to resentment, observing his clone interact with his family. What is interesting is that the clone reacts exactly as Jeremiah might if he was in the same position, but he doesn’t always like what he sees, even though what he sees is himself. He also begins to wonder what the purpose and endgame are behind this experiment.
Things soon begin to go off track, and the results are disastrous. Jeremiah wants out, but he is essentially in lockdown…and, of course, there is that ironclad agreement into which he has entered. He goes looking for a way out, but even if he is successful, he may be too late.
THE MIRROR MAN is a cautionary tale and an oddly redemptive one as well. Gilmartin tosses occasional twists into the mix throughout, saving a big one that is revealed just when you think the all-clear siren has sounded. There is also a surprise hero who manifests himself throughout the book and ultimately turns out to be the smartest person in the room. The result is an impressive work by any standard.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
October 12, 2020
Review can be found on my blog here: https://booksonthebookshelf.wordpress...
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Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this title via NetGalley.
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If you could have a clone of yourself, would you agree to be cloned? That is the question that Jeremiah is faced with. He agrees to be cloned, and sits back and watches from afar his clone living out his life - with his wife, his job, his son, etc. And he will be paid quite well for agreeing to be part of this cloning experiment. If you were cloned and watched yourself from a distance, would you like what you see?
I loved how this novel began with Day 1 - Jeremiah watching himself as his clone lives his life. All he had to do was agree to the experiment - be cloned, live in an apartment that is all paid for, and watch for a few hours each day as his clone carried on, none-the-wiser, and lived Jeremiah's life. Jeremiah had to agree to these terms for just one year, and would receive $10 million as part of the agreement.
I enjoyed this novel and the scientific aspect behind it all. A clone of a human being, who believed he himself to be a human, and had no idea what exactly was going on. He didn't know he was being watched, day in and day out, and being analyzed with his every move. I enjoyed reading about Jeremiah's thoughts as he watched his clone living his daily life, and what he thought about the whole process. It must not be an easy decision to sit back and watch your clone living out your life, and watching yourself from the eyes of an "outsider". You might not like everything that you see, and can do nothing to change it as you are secluded from the outside world.
There were many twists and turns, shocking revelations as you read through the chapters, and a great ending that I enjoyed! Be sure to add this novel to your TBR list. You will love it!
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Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this title via NetGalley.
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If you could have a clone of yourself, would you agree to be cloned? That is the question that Jeremiah is faced with. He agrees to be cloned, and sits back and watches from afar his clone living out his life - with his wife, his job, his son, etc. And he will be paid quite well for agreeing to be part of this cloning experiment. If you were cloned and watched yourself from a distance, would you like what you see?
I loved how this novel began with Day 1 - Jeremiah watching himself as his clone lives his life. All he had to do was agree to the experiment - be cloned, live in an apartment that is all paid for, and watch for a few hours each day as his clone carried on, none-the-wiser, and lived Jeremiah's life. Jeremiah had to agree to these terms for just one year, and would receive $10 million as part of the agreement.
I enjoyed this novel and the scientific aspect behind it all. A clone of a human being, who believed he himself to be a human, and had no idea what exactly was going on. He didn't know he was being watched, day in and day out, and being analyzed with his every move. I enjoyed reading about Jeremiah's thoughts as he watched his clone living his daily life, and what he thought about the whole process. It must not be an easy decision to sit back and watch your clone living out your life, and watching yourself from the eyes of an "outsider". You might not like everything that you see, and can do nothing to change it as you are secluded from the outside world.
There were many twists and turns, shocking revelations as you read through the chapters, and a great ending that I enjoyed! Be sure to add this novel to your TBR list. You will love it!
September 26, 2020
Book: The Mirror Man
Author: Jane Gilmartin
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars
I would like to thank the publisher, Mira Books, for sending me an ARC.
I did actually find this title very difficult to rate. On the one hand, I really did enjoy it, but on the other, I thought it was really lacking something. There were certain parts of the book that I was actually very interested in, while others I thought were lacking. I did find myself skimming parts and unable to put it down in other parts. I don’t know what it was about this book that made me do that.
I think the big thing was probably the character development. There are a lot of things that happen in this book that should have made me feeling something for the characters, but, yet, I ended up just not caring or not even aware that something big and awful had happened to them. I think that this has to do with the fact that it really felt like the author had not given us enough time to actually grow to care for them. I think that had we gotten to see what happened before the clone then it would have given us time to actually develop some kind of a bond with those characters. I guess what I’m getting at is that I wasn’t really all that attached to them.
The idea of the clone was actually a pretty cool concept. I also liked that the author gave us plenty of little differences between the real person and the clone. It just showed us that even a clone cannot replace a real person. I wish that the book had exploded some of the ethical decisions that go along with cloning. It did a little bit, but I just wish that it had done it a little bit more. I think you could have had a much stronger and more engaging book had it went there.
The writing was okay. Like I said earlier, there were some parts that I found really engaging while others were just lacking something for me. I think had the author handled certain things a little bit differently then this book would have gotten a much higher rating from me.
This book comes out on October 20, 2020.
Author: Jane Gilmartin
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars
I would like to thank the publisher, Mira Books, for sending me an ARC.
I did actually find this title very difficult to rate. On the one hand, I really did enjoy it, but on the other, I thought it was really lacking something. There were certain parts of the book that I was actually very interested in, while others I thought were lacking. I did find myself skimming parts and unable to put it down in other parts. I don’t know what it was about this book that made me do that.
I think the big thing was probably the character development. There are a lot of things that happen in this book that should have made me feeling something for the characters, but, yet, I ended up just not caring or not even aware that something big and awful had happened to them. I think that this has to do with the fact that it really felt like the author had not given us enough time to actually grow to care for them. I think that had we gotten to see what happened before the clone then it would have given us time to actually develop some kind of a bond with those characters. I guess what I’m getting at is that I wasn’t really all that attached to them.
The idea of the clone was actually a pretty cool concept. I also liked that the author gave us plenty of little differences between the real person and the clone. It just showed us that even a clone cannot replace a real person. I wish that the book had exploded some of the ethical decisions that go along with cloning. It did a little bit, but I just wish that it had done it a little bit more. I think you could have had a much stronger and more engaging book had it went there.
The writing was okay. Like I said earlier, there were some parts that I found really engaging while others were just lacking something for me. I think had the author handled certain things a little bit differently then this book would have gotten a much higher rating from me.
This book comes out on October 20, 2020.
August 12, 2022
This book has very quickly become much more than a novel.
I picked this book up a couple months ago as it looked interesting. I love a good thriller, and a story about a man who essentially sells his soul for $10 million sounded great. Jeremiah, our main character, participates in a cloning experiment for ViMed-the company he works for. He has to agree to switch places with the clone, and let the clone live his life while the "real" Jeremiah sits back and watches (..his life slowly go to sh*t).
This book has taught me so much and made me think about my OWN life. It opened my eyes, and taught me to let go of my ego and look at my life, my decisions, and the people I surround myself with from a different point of view. Jeremiah was disappointed in himself. He was disappointed in his clone's actions, which were technically his own. Him observing his own life gave him the chance to improve and think about his priorities and what he could be doing differently. At the end of the book, he was a much different person from his clone - which was IDENTICAL in the beginning (and I mean I D E N T I C A L , the same body but also the same mindset). Him being able to observe himself in such ways, has taught him to be a different human, it taught him self-awareness.
I am very glad I read this book, not only was it a phenomenal story, it also served as a self-improvement book and it has taught me so much whether that was the purpose or not.
Thank you for this brilliant novel Jane
I picked this book up a couple months ago as it looked interesting. I love a good thriller, and a story about a man who essentially sells his soul for $10 million sounded great. Jeremiah, our main character, participates in a cloning experiment for ViMed-the company he works for. He has to agree to switch places with the clone, and let the clone live his life while the "real" Jeremiah sits back and watches (..his life slowly go to sh*t).
This book has taught me so much and made me think about my OWN life. It opened my eyes, and taught me to let go of my ego and look at my life, my decisions, and the people I surround myself with from a different point of view. Jeremiah was disappointed in himself. He was disappointed in his clone's actions, which were technically his own. Him observing his own life gave him the chance to improve and think about his priorities and what he could be doing differently. At the end of the book, he was a much different person from his clone - which was IDENTICAL in the beginning (and I mean I D E N T I C A L , the same body but also the same mindset). Him being able to observe himself in such ways, has taught him to be a different human, it taught him self-awareness.
I am very glad I read this book, not only was it a phenomenal story, it also served as a self-improvement book and it has taught me so much whether that was the purpose or not.
Thank you for this brilliant novel Jane
November 9, 2020
I will say that it took me a bit to get into this story, but I’m glad that I stuck with it because not only was it good sci fi, it also produced an interesting commentary on humanity and how we all see each other. Jeremiah works for a company that has produced a drug called Meld that essentially allows for entrance into people’s minds. This same company has “perfected” cloning. In short, Jeremiah is chosen (volunteers?) to be the subject of a new experiment. Right away I got a feeling of foreboding because the premise addresses a basic fear that many people carry: how do people really see me? Do they recognize me as me? Do they know me well enough to realize if they’re talking to someone other than me? Do we ever really know each other? There are some subplots about military interest in the project and the fate of people who may or may not recognize that Jeremiah has “changed” but honestly, they didn’t play a huge part for me. I thought the author really did a good job of using cloning as a mechanism for a human to take stock of what matters in life while ultimately realizing the importance of recognizing – and truly seeing – the humanity in each of us. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Mira for a digital copy of the book.
September 27, 2020
I received this ARC through Goodreads giveaway. This was a very good book for a debut. It is a very thought provoking thriller. It really makes one think and wonder what would you do if you could watch a perfect clone of you living your daily life. What are the moral, ethical, and spiritual implications and consequences? Especially if you throw in a drug like Meld from the book. What would it mean if a drug could transfer and share thoughts with others? Where does science and humanity draw the line as to what is too much? Is that clone now a real person? Also what would be your price to have such a thing done. Where would you draw the line if the clone started messing up your life.
Coming from a philosophical and psychological stand point what would this world be and do if this one day can become a reality to the extent of this book. This is a very interesting and gripping read and I truly enjoyed it.
Coming from a philosophical and psychological stand point what would this world be and do if this one day can become a reality to the extent of this book. This is a very interesting and gripping read and I truly enjoyed it.
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