Review: Another Life 

Doctor Who's darker cousin arrives in prose form for the first time with Peter Anghelides's splendid novel, Another Life.

While incessant rain threatens Cardiff with devastating floods, the Torchwood team have problems of their own, because a killer is murdering residents, mutilating the backs of their necks, and leaving their bodies in the street. It's not long before the killer is caught, and the case seems closed - but the killings continue.

From the very beginning, Anghelides's tale is engaging and exciting. Opening with a disorienting and intriguing first chapter that literally thrusts you right into the adventure, his writing replicates the mood and tone of the series perfectly, and the characters are brilliantly true-to-form. What's particularly enjoyable is the humour: the story sparkles with a wit that seemed slightly lacking from Torchwood's first season, and a few moments are laugh-out-loud funny.

The storyline itself is strong, original, and good fun. The capture and death of the victims' killer within the first 30 pages is an unpredictable move, and the adventure it leads on to has its fair share of twists and turns. Perhaps even more interesting is the Owen subplot, in which he bumps into an old flame in a virtual online role-playing world, allowing for moments of passion, tension, and wonderfully raw emotion.

There are also hints at unseen Torchwood adventures, and references to the TV series - Ianto sneaking off to the basement for "filing" lays the groundwork for Cyberwoman, and the inclusion of the Blaidd Drwg nuclear project references Doctor Who - which manage to unobtrusively patch Another Life into the greater tapestry of the show in a satisfying way.

Anghelides has written a brilliant book that takes standard sci-fi story elements like possessed humans and grisly murders, and weaves them into a refreshingly original-feeling and enjoyable read. Strong plotting and skilful writing combine to present a  book that definitely lives up to, and perhaps even improves upon, the Torchwood TV series.