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John Barrowman's ongoing quest to be a sort of Saturday night renaissance man continues. As well as his acting, presenting and singing careers, he can now add “novelist” to his CV. Exodus Code , co-written with sister Carole, is his second book this year (the first, Hollow Earth , being a standalone Young Adult novel).
It's a Jack-centric tale, set in the aftermath of the Torchwood gang's recent American adventure. While the rest of the world is recovering from Miracle Day, Gwen is down in the dumps. Confined to the house with baby Anwen, she flips out and attacks Rhys. She's not the only one feeling a bit off; hundreds of women around the world are having violent breakdowns. The answer may lie in an event from Jack's past... Yes, again.
This is clearly intended to be Torchwood 's first “event” book, and it largely succeeds. With a globe-trotting storyline that encompasses all the surviving regulars, it's easy to imagine this as the show's fifth season. The writing is competent and crammed with references sure to please hardened 'woodies.
It takes an age to get going, mind. The first part, where Jack crashes a biplane then lolls around tripping his tits off for 90 pages is a bit of a chore, and the whole book is in need of a good trim. It's frequently daft and cheesy, and there are some inevitable Garth Marenghi-isms, with numerous characters gazing lustfully at Jack, but hey, that's Torchwood .
Will Salmon
Read our Isn't It About Time You Gave Miracle Day Another Chance? feature.
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