The confessions - Paul Bradley Carr

*A Guardian crime and thriller book of the year for 2025*
*A New Scientist best new science fiction book of November 2025*

LLIAM, what do I want for dinner?
LLIAM, how can I get a better job?
LLIAM, should I kill my husband?

'Superb.' Guardian
'An absolute belter.' Sarah Pinborough
'Clever, fast-paced, and deeply unsettling.' Guy Morpuss, author of Five Minds

AI bot LLIAM powers society - but today, he went offline. Shops shut, planes were grounded, and Kaitlan Goss, CEO of LLIAM's parent company, has to fix it.

Then letters from LLIAM arrive: identical white envelopes, confessing people's darkest secrets to their loved ones.

Kaitlan races to find Maud Brooks, the only person who can bring LLIAM back online and stem the tide of societal breakdown. But Maud received a letter, too - about Kaitlan.

LLIAM, how do I save the world?

'A top-notch technothriller.' LA Times
'Brilliant and timely . . . Should be required reading.' Roger McNamee, author of Zucked and former mentor to Mark Zuckerberg
'There is no keener observer of Silicon Valley sociopaths than Paul Bradley Carr.' Yasha Levine author of Surveillance Valley

PRAISE FOR PAUL BRADLEY CARR
'For a cautionary tale, everyone cites Paul Bradley Carr.' Sunday Times
'Uproarious and brilliant.' Wired
'One of the feistiest writers on the beat.' Guardian