The discovery of an injection that wards off ageing is hijacked by ruthless men who hunger for immortality, with catastrophic consequences. Two women race against time to stop them, before it's too late … a chilling, prescient, high-stakes speculative thriller by the bestselling author of One.

‘Like most speculative fiction, Eve Smith’s novel is a commentary on the contemporary … a thought-provoking thriller with much to say about our obsession with looking youthful’ The Times

‘Another triumph of speculative fiction by Eve Smith … a brilliant concept, skilfully executed and disturbingly believable’ Guy Morpuss

‘Yet another piece of insightfully thrilling writing from the master of ethical science dystopia’ SciFi Now

‘Had me hooked from the opening chapter, right through to the brilliantly shocking ending … We should all be reading Eve’s cautionary tales’ Philippa East

‘With compulsive plotting, crackling dialogue and a third-act twist that took my breath away, it cements Smith's position as the queen of the speculative crime thriller’ David Goodman

***New Scientist and SFX Book of the Month***

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Living forever can be lethal…

Ruth is a law-abiding elder, working out her national service, but she has secrets.

Her tireless research into the disease that killed her young daughter had an unexpected outcome: the discovery of a vaccine against old age. Just one jab a year reverses your biological clock, guaranteeing a long, healthy life.

But Ruth's cure was hijacked by her colleague, Erik Grundleger, who hungers for immortality, and the SuperJuve – a premium upgrade – was created, driving human lifespan to a new high. The wealthy elite who take it are dubbed Supers, and the population begins to skyrocket.

Then, a perilous side-effect of the SuperJuve emerges, with catastrophic consequences, and as the planet is threatened, the population rebels, and laws are passed to restore order: life ends at 120. Supers are tracked down by Omnicide investigators like Mara, and executed…

Mara has her own reasons for hunting Supers, and she forms an unlikely alliance with Ruth to find Grundleger.

But Grundleger has been working on something even more radical and is one step ahead, with a deadly surprise in store for them both…

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‘The plot is thoroughly gripping. The high, deadly stakes make our protagonists’ hunt a game of cat and mouse. She has an uncanny knack for addressing current issues with a scrutinising, almost prophetic mirror’ BSFA Review

‘Eve Smith has done it again! Thrilling, provocative and downright scary, The Cure is a powerfully clever novel, and Smith an author at the top of her game’ Russ Thomas

‘Gripping and utterly believable, a terrifying glimpse into the near future that seems all too real and a call to arms in the present, as we watch safeguards against abuse of power being removed on a daily basis’ Trevor Wood

‘A chilling glimpse into the near future – an original, gripping, masterful blend of crime and suspense. The most original story I’ve read in a long while’ Leye Adenle

‘A magnificent achievement  – as powerful as the finest documentaries, as exciting as the most inventive thrillers’ Greg Mosse

‘Perfectly conceived … a moving exploration of what it is to be human, an exciting thriller in which everyone has a secret, and a shockingly plausible vision of what our near future could be like’ Paul Waters

‘Utterly compulsive and electrifying’ Awais Khan

‘An incredibly exciting ride through a believable future. It had me gripped!’ Gaia Vince