A sci-fi novel that is as moving as it is magical and mysterious. Doug Johnstone has hit it out of the park again' Mark Billingham

Like many great sci-fi novels (well, Day of the Triffids)the novel opens with a meteor shower. Nobody goes blind but it does cause an unprecedented number of catastrophic strokes. Three of the people affected, however, suffer no ill effects. Though completely different, all with their own troubles, the three find themselves drawn together, after leaving hospital. Drawn together and to an Edinburgh beach where a mysterious octopus has washed up. Lennox is a teenager, approaching his majority, a long-term ward of the care system. Ava is 8 months pregnant and trapped in a coercive relationship. Heather has terminal cancer. Together they are drawn towards Sandy, the creature washed up on the beach. As they approach, each of them can commune with Sandy, each in a subtly different way. They all discover a deep and gentle hive mind. A clever and unusual read ... I was on a journey with these characters, and completely transfixed' Susi Holliday But they aren't the only ones with an interest in the alien ... close behind are Ava's husband, the police and a government unit who wants to capture the creature, at all costs. And Sandy's arrival may have implications beyond anything anyone could imagine...There’s lots of great stuff going on in this book. Firstly, it’s effortless reading; I inhaled the book over a couple of days. The story of each character in the book is extremely compelling. Every chapter is filled with hooks that keep you reading, long after you should have put the book down and gone to sleep, done some work, or fed the kids. Doug Johnstone (born 22 July 1970) is a Scottish crime writer based in Edinburgh. His ninth novel Fault Lines was published by Orenda Books in May 2018. [1] His 2015 book The Jump (published by Faber & Faber) was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Novel. [2] All the drive, curiosity and wonder of his crime and mystery novels … science fiction gains a new author’ Derek B Miller Alien showdown in Ullapool As pregnant Ava comments near the start of Doug Johnstone’s heart-pounding sci-fi thriller The Space Between Us – “You can learn to live with anything.” It aims to demonstrate that despite our differences, most of us are decent and honest, and will always attempt to support what is right and ethical. Modern media, and news reports, make it easy to be cynical and think the worst of the 7 billion inhabitants of this planet. Yes, there are bad people who do horrible things, but they are in the minority. Most of us are just bumbling on, trying to get the day done. Books like The Space Between Us are a reminder that when put under pressure, most of us will step up and try to do the right thing.

But they aren’ t the only ones with an interest in the alien … close behind are Ava’ s husband, the police and a government unit who wants to capture the creature, at all costs. And Sandy’ s arrival may have implications beyond anything anyone could imagine… The three main human characters all have their issues to cope with. Lennox is a teenager who is being bullied at school. Bounced around from foster to foster, he doesn’t feel he has a place to belong. Ava is heavily pregnant and trying to break free from an abusive marriage. Heather is an older woman contemplating suicide after a terminal health diagnosis. So readable and accessible … I was really rooting for the characters’ Alan Davies on Between the CoversWhen news reaches them of an octopus-like creature washed up on the shore near where the meteor came to earth, Lennox senses that some extra-terrestrial force is at play. With the help of Ava, Heather and a journalist, Ewan, he rescues the creature they call ‘Sandy’ and goes on the run. Lennox is a troubled teenager with no family. Ava is eight months pregnant and fleeing her abusive husband. Heather is a grieving mother and cancer sufferer. They don’t know each other, but when a meteor streaks over Edinburgh, all three suffer instant, catastrophic strokes … All the drive, curiosity and wonder of his crime and mystery novels ... science fiction gains a new author' Derek B Miller

What Doug does well is characters. Whether it’s a teenager coerced into a life of crime, a woman in fear of her abusive husband or a drum playing grandmother in her 70s, he creates people that are real and relatable. He certainly did it again in this book and he’s so good that he even had me empathising with an alien octopus in this book – some talent!

The story behind The Dead Beat - Online by Doug Johnstone". upcoming4.me. Archived from the original on 9 May 2014. But that barely has time to register, as an out-of-this-world yet old-school Highland adventure unfolds, testing each of the rescuers to have faith, just this once. The world and they themselves could be so much more and the writer has embraced the challenge of presenting this, a new species and a final showdown ... in Ullapool. A moving as it is magical and mysterious. Doug Johnstone has hit it out of the park again’ Mark Billingham