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Doctor Who: The Blood Cell (12th Doctor novel)
Doctor Who: The Blood Cell (12th Doctor novel)
Nov 16, 2025 7:27 AM

Author:James Goss

Doctor Who: The Blood Cell (12th Doctor novel)

“Release the Doctor – or the killing will start.”

An asteroid in the furthest reaches of space – the most secure prison for the most dangerous of criminals. The Governor is responsible for the cruellest murderers so he’s not impressed by the arrival of the man they’re calling the most dangerous criminal in the quadrant. Or, as he prefers to be known, the Doctor.

But when the new prisoner immediately sets about trying to escape, and keeps trying, the Governor sets out to find out why.

Who is the Doctor and what’s he really doing here? And who is the young woman who comes every day to visit him, only to be turned away by the guards?

When the killing finally starts, the Governor begins to get his answers…

Reviews

All three of the Rosie novels made me laugh out loud. Ultimately the story is about getting inside the mind and heart of someone a lot of people see as odd, and discovering that he isn't really that different from anybody else

—— Bill Gates, 2020 Summer Books

Wholly absorbing. Leaves you pining to be reunited with its characters every time you put it down - if you're able to

—— Independent

Don Tillman is the protagonist who keeps on giving. He is a gem, an empirical laser trained on human shortcomings, especially male ones, and even more especially his own. He is also utterly charming in his lack of guile and his belief in improvability . . . blissfully comic

—— Evening Standard

Simsion is very smart at negotiating the line between a satire of the whole modern baby-rearing neurosis and drawing intriguing characters . . . this book is an intelligent piece of fun

—— The Times

Offers plenty more laugh-out-loud moments

—— Guardian

Touching and entertaining

—— Mail on Sunday

Quirky and sweetly funny, you will want to join the Don Tillman fan club all over again

—— Sun on Sunday

Genuinely heartwarming, truly endearing, plenty of LOLs. You may end up a blubbing wreck

—— Heat

There is much to love in this comedy of errors

—— Sunday Express

If you loved The Rosie Project, I don't see how you could fail to love this funny, poignant sparkler of a novel too

—— Woman & Home

Equally heart-warming and hilarious

—— Good Housekeeping

The hilarious follow-up to The Rosie Project, one of the best novels I've read in ages. There's no sophomore slump here . . . It's a funny novel that also made me think about relationships. A sweet, entertaining, and thought-provoking book

—— Bill Gates

Prime deck-chair material

—— The Times 'Our Favourite Comic Novels' on The Rosie Project

Some of the most convincing, witty and assured writing I've been lucky enough to read in ages… Lauren Owen is a ridiculously strong talent and I for one can't wait to see what she does next.

—— Domestic Sluttery

Bury your head in atmospheric literary Victoriana.

—— Sunday Times

Full of suspense.

—— Sun

The book’s energy, its wide reach and rich detail make it a confident example of the “unputdownable” novel.

—— The Economist

Atmospheric… Sinister.

—— Elle

What a debut!

—— Woman & Home

Huge, weird, wonderful and quite scary, too.

—— Heat

A bold debut.

—— Shortlist

Brilliantly nauseating.

—— Lady

A sumptuous, supernatural feast... Leaves you wanting more and more as every page turns.

—— Darren Heath , UK Press Syndication

A new world of adventure, romance and delicious horror.

—— No. 1

A calm, elegantly observed love story … followed by something altogether more gothic and full-blooded.

—— Jonathan Barnes , Literary Review

Camp, quirky and fun.

—— Living North

An intriguing blend of historical and supernatural fiction.

—— yattar yattar

Owen has smoothly crafted an excellent Gothic tale out of some supposedly exhausted sources of inspiration… The plot is superbly managed, as are the suspenseful changes of perspective

—— Michael Caines , Times Literary Supplement

A ripping yarn written with depth and verve

—— Telegraph and Argus

Clever and stylish… Sophisticated

—— Lesley McDowell , Glasgow Sunday Herald

A staggering achievement of a debut… A fantastically atmospheric, engaging, immersive experience

—— Basildon Echo

Energetically mixing history and gothic fantasy, this is a macabre, readable and atmospheric novel

—— Nick Rennison , Sunday Times

It’s all deliciously creepy, and the richly textured depiction of Victorian London is impressively done. The conclusion has you thirsting for more

—— David Evans, 4 stars , Independent On Sunday

Brooding and densely plotted, it is ambitious in its scope, but certainly delivers a sleek, well-crafted thriller, ideal for fans of the genre

—— Good Book Guide

Rich in detail, rich in style (and quite scary)

—— Woman’s Way

Intelligent, and also enormous fun

—— Jennifer Lipman , Running in Heels

She manages the rare task of creating a work whose plot, character and tone are all fully developed and work in service of each other… This is a truly great novel. While it has received glowing reviews it is a great shame that it is not more widely known by the general public. I urge you all to pick it up.

—— Maciej Matuszewski , Paltinate

Gobsmacking – and terrifying – debut… The story crackles along and its creepy, menacing characters are ideal for haunting your imagination… Don’t pick it up if you like talking to your family during the holidays, as you’ll ignore them until you’ve finished this.

—— Debrief
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