The Family Experiment

John Marrs is not to be missed.” Freida McFadden, bestselling author of The Housemaid

‘The books of John Marrs have become a quiet phenomenon . . . Thoughtful, well written . . . and alarming’ – Daily Mail

Some families are virtually perfect . . .

The world’s population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities and an economic crisis. And in the UK, breaking point has arrived. A growing number of people can no longer afford to start families let, alone raise them.

But for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an alternative. For a monthly subscription fee, clients can create a virtual child from scratch who they can access via the metaverse and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company behind Virtual Children has created a reality TV show. It will follow ten couples as they raise a Virtual Child from birth to the age of eighteen, but in a condensed nine-month time period. The prize: the right to keep their Virtual Child, or risk it all for the chance of a real baby . . .

Set in the same universe as John Marrs’s bestselling novel The One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and twisted thriller about the ultimate ‘tamagotchi’ – a virtual baby.

‘His best yet. Frighteningly plausible, gripping, dark, and so clever.’ – Claire Douglas, author of The Woman Who Lied

‘An unsettling and immersive roller coaster which hurtles towards a chilling denouement – a truly thought-provoking, single-sitting thriller. Loved it. ‘ – Ellery Lloyd, author of The Club

‘Chilling, inventive, horribly plausible and brilliantly addictive.’ – C. J. Tudor, author of The Gathering