The Carrier cover art

The Carrier

How much is your suffering worth? The addictive new sci-fi thriller, the perfect dystopian read for fans of Severance

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

The Carrier

By: Ruth Newton
Narrated by: Varada Sethu, Georgina Fairbanks, Full Cast
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £12.06

Buy Now for £12.06

LIMITED TIME OFFER

£0.99/mo for 3 months - terms apply. Offer ends 31 August 2026.

HOW MUCH IS YOUR SUFFERING WORTH?

An unmissable, thought-provoking new thriller - this book will blow your mind. Perfect for fans of VOX, The Power and The School for Good Mothers.

Why should you suffer when she can do it for you?

A revolutionary company can free you from your unwanted emotions.

Jealousy, grief, despair. If you can afford to, you need never feel them again.

In your place is a Carrier – a woman who is paid to process your pain.

In a world full of suffering, there is no shortage of demand.

But this company has secrets. The true cost of your freedom is a Carrier’s life.

Would you let her pay the price?

'Timely, innovative and fantastically compelling.' PANDORA SYKES

© Ruth Newton 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

 Crime Thrillers Dystopian Psychological Science Fiction Technothrillers Thriller & Suspense
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

Critic reviews

As an allegory for our commercialised lives, and particularly the expectations of women’s emotional labour, it’s right on the nose. This cleverly plotted thriller shines a light on the way fortunes are made by inventing new addictions, and how easily unfair treatment may be hidden, or simply accepted. A thought-provoking read.
A little Severance-like and ideal summer reading for those of us who enjoy a good high-concept thriller.
Gripping.
Ruth Newton’s high-concept thriller is easily one of the most thought-provoking debuts we’ve read this year, operating in that same chilling, systemic sci-fi territory as Severance. It's an incredibly sharp, uncomfortable metaphor for emotional labor and class exploitation. Newton handles the unfolding mystery with a razor-sharp clinical precision that will leave you thinking about the real cost of emotional freedom long after the final chapter.
Great new page-turner...Unsettling.
All stars
Most relevant
Very good addition to the genre. I thought the narrator was excellent!
The ending was a little too smooth and convenient but overall, I really enjoyed this.

Thought provoking and well narrated

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.