One of the stronger entries in the first few Eighth Doctor Adventures, Option Lock is a fun, breezy read. A mix of political thriller, secret society and ancient alien spaceship, I found myself finishing this one quicker than some of the previous entries and the plot and twists unfolding nicely, with satisfying explanations for everything. The Eighth Doctor is characterised well and Sam is fine. The other characters are fun and written well enough. I was initially slightly bored by some of the shift into the political thriller elements but I enjoyed it by the end, the action scenes are well written and it's a nice change of pace for a Who novel. Richards has some lovely prose and I enjoy some of the techniques he uses in this novel, making an engaging read and a solid Who adventure.