Sanjida O'Connell

Part love story, part thriller, Theory of Mind is the compelling and disturbing story of a young woman s attempt to discover what goes on inside the minds of chimpanzees, mankind s nearest living relatives. Her involvement with the animals starts to affect her own relationships, in particular that with her new boyfriend Corin. His energy stimulates her, his passion excites her and his work as a TV producer fascinates her. But does he have real feelings for her, or does he just want to control her? Feelings increasingly preoccupy Sandra as she carries out her research into the emotions of chimps. Do they 'care' about other chimps? Do they, in fact, have 'theory of mind'? During her daily visits to the zoo, Sandra meets a strange and isolated child, Paul, son of one of the keepers. Why does he disappear for hours on end? She also worries about her exotic, brilliant friend Kim, a scientist who has built the killing instinct into her predator robots. Something, or someone, in Kim's past is making her unpredictable and aggressive. As Theory of Mind races to its shocking and terrifying conclusion, much more than Sandra's emotions are at risk.Richly observed, powerfully written, this extraordinary and thought-provoking first novel introduces a compelling new talent."