5 Star Rating: Alex Lockwood’s debut novel timeslips between the 1986 catastrophe at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and its horrific aftermath, and 21st Century Scotland, where Anthony, a Chernobyl survivor and former academic physicist, works as a radiation monitor at the Clyde Naval Base, home of Britain’s nuclear submarines. When a radiation leak leads to disastrous human and animal contamination, Anthony, already overwrought, anxious, and uncertain in his adopted homeland, becomes more jittery than ever, particularly as his marriage appears to be faltering. As he talks to protesters, friends, an environmental journalist, and his work colleagues, trying to determine the best way forward, the narrative makes way for incidental letters from Anthony’s younger sister, Sveta, who was not able to come to England, who did not survive Chernobyl as he did..........We see the families and communities torn apart, and nature damaged by human carelessness in a single catastrophic moment. But Lockwood also throws into sharp relief the rigid class divisions that continue to tear apart Great Britain, as well as the grinding poverty, physical and societal, that entrenches itself in communities subsumed in governmental and institutional lies..............Lockwood carves out room for hope as well, a reminder that there are alternatives, but that we must act on them. The Chernobyl Privileges is an unabashed and – particularly in these agitating times – highly appropriate rage against the destructive machine of power and its arrogance-based abuse. ~ Daneet Steffens, GoodReads

5 Star Rating: .....................Lockwood’s book offers a carefully researched examination of a number of key themes - principally, the use of nuclear power and the morality of this undertaking. Anthony describes himself as a validation of “...everything [these men] worked for: a child survivor who’d come back to love nuclear power.” This is presented against an atmosphere of increasing unrest in response to the Trident scheme; and our growing understanding, through flashbacks to Anthony’s childhood, of the direct impact of the nuclear fallout on the first responders, workers, and survivors. The Chernobyl Privileges also depicts a historic and ongoing mismanagement and poor understanding of nuclear energy – both the denial and attempted concealment of the Chernobyl disaster by the authorities in the eighties; and the Navy’s response to the incident on Tartarus in the present day, and their apparent poor comprehension of the implications. The Chernobyl Privileges has clearly been heavily researched, and is sensitive to the horrors of the accident, its aftermath, and the ongoing impact on survivors and their families. It balances an unfolding story in 1980s Ukraine against a backdrop of the present-day global nuclear debate. A highly recommended read. ~ Stephanie Know, Amazon

5 Star Rating: This is a novel written with a rare sensitivity backed by research that is communicated with skill and a lightness of touch. Set against a backdrop of environmental disaster, it is the story of a man learning how to survive the consequences of a traumatic past. It's one of those books that stays with you long after you have read the last page. A thought-provoking and compelling read. ~ Elizabeth E, Amazon

5 Star Rating: I highly recommend The Chernobyl Privileges. There are three things I love in what I read, great historical research, insightful commentary on current moral challenges and deep character exploration. They all are done well in this book but it is the intriguing manner in which the author combines them that makes it such a gripping read......This book brings the reality of the disaster to life, through the first hand experience of Antony, the protagonist, giving great detail to the immediate and subsequent impacts on those who lived around Chernobyl. Evacuated from Ukraine, Antony is drawn to nuclear research and ends up working in the UK’s nuclear deterrent, Trident. Looking at Trident through Antony’s lens allows the author to detail its environmental and moral obscenity. The best part of the novel is found in the conflicts and pain of Antony, as he seeks to come to terms with his past and its implications on his present, and how he can shape his own future. (less) ~ Simon Gill, GoodReads

5 Star Rating: The nuclear power plant catastrophe that befell Chernobyl lives on, not only in the physical world but in the psyche of its survivors. This amazingly researched novel explores the implications of these effects, and of how, some people never escape the guilt of survival, nor the insidious effects of those radiated particles silently infesting their genes. I was completely absorbed by the details about what actually occurred at Chernobyl, the immediate, and then the longer term biological and social devastation of the people. The writing is seamless, and obviously is a passionate concern to Alex Lockwood. Its a great book club read as the 370 pages race by, flowing in time and sequence to form a cohesive story that reaches out to the future. Plenty of themes to discuss.. the fall of Soviet Russia, international and national secrecy, the morality and wisdom of nuclear power and nuclear deterrent. On a personal level... sibling rivalry, loyalty to family and nation, betrayal of accepted values, guilt of survival... and always, the very deep seated human craving for a meaningful place in the world where we can love and be loved. The big and little pictures of moral and emotional dilemmas that we all face, and must somehow resolve. ~ Valerie Lawson, Goodreads

This atmospheric novel introduces a powerful new voice in British fiction. I was gripped by Lockwood's tale which brings together the personal and political, the spectre of Chernobyl and the continuing controversy of Britain's nuclear deterrent. A haunting message for our uncertain times. ~ Andrew Crumey, Booker-longlisted author of Mr Mee

The Chernobyl Privileges is a compelling, well-wrought and sharply intelligent book. In haunting and thought-provoking ways, it draws the reader into a complex understanding of what connects the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 to the UK today and the future of Europe. ~ Nicholas Royle, author of novel An English Guide to Birdwatching

A tight thriller for the modern age that entertains as easily as it provokes. ~ Thomas Hocknell, author of The Life Assistance Agency

This is a well-researched and thoughtful book on a contemporary theme - the use of nuclear power. The central character, Anthony, is a scientist working at the submarine base in Gare Loch, Scotland when a nuclear incident occurs. He is caught up in the dilemma of how to deal with a possible cover up. However, there's a terrible extra dimension to Anthony's predicament which is gradually revealed through flashbacks. The author skilfully racks up the tension of this nightmare scenario before bringing it to a resolution. ~ Liz MacRae Shaw, author of No Safe Anchorage

A great read. And a fabulous idea to combine old and new, Chernobyl and Trident. What an interesting and gripping story. ~ Adam Strange, Sphere Publishing

An exceptional piece of writing ... What extraordinary detail and characterisation; I was gripped by so much of it. ~ Jemima Hunt, The Writers' Practice