Auxiliary

by Jon Richter

[kimbacaffeinate]

Detective Carl Dremmler and T Petrovic (ve/ver) are assigned the murder case of Letitia Karlikowska. They have the suspect, so it should be a wrap. But the perp is claiming his robotic arm was hijacked. Yikes! The case quickly morphs into more The two work under the radar as their captain tries keeping this case of the books. Think of the panic it could cause.

The world Richter created was realistic and immersive. It raised questions regarding scientific advancements and artificial intelligence while entertaining us with an action-packed case.

Dremmler was pulled from the pages of a Noir crime fiction novel. He is gritty, occasionally crude, and has a past that causes him anguish. He drinks too much, lives a solitary life, enjoys casual hookups and has a problem with authority. The author did a superb job of sharing his pain and past. I enjoyed how he threaded those details into the current case.

Secondary characters were detailed and unique. They helped create suspects, cast doubt and flesh out both our protagonist Carl and the world. All of this created a suspenseful and tight flow as the world-building unfolded seamlessly.

His partner is non-binary and referred to using ve/ver. The whole v thing threw me for a moment, but I quickly figured it out. We saw a cast of diverse characters that accepted at face value in this world. (at least they got something right)

This dark fiction is a blend of sci-fi, cyberpunk, and noir crime. I devoured Auxiliary: 2039 and look forward to more from this author. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer