Finn's Golem

by Gregg Taylor

"I looked away from the wound and down to the face in the mirror. It was a good face. Tired, I guess. Fortyish, but firm. Some grey around the temples, but nothing that you noticed right away. Good jaw line. Could use a shave, but wasn't likely to get one. A man, taken for all in all. I had only one objection to the face in the mirror. I couldn't remember ever seeing it before in my life."

When private detective Drake Finn wakes up in the remains of his office with an impact wound on his head and a gaping hole where his memory used to be, it's pretty clear that he's up to his neck in his own special brand of trouble. A beautiful client that he's never met, a shady confederate he seem to have already sold her out to, and the forces that govern law, order and all that officially exists hovering in the wings, ready to erase him at a wrong move. And if that weren't enough, the smoking plasma cannon in his hand suggests he's probably carrying a murder weapon. Good times.

Equal parts noir detective story and speculative fiction thriller, Finn's Golem is a fast-paced one-two punch from the author of Black Jack Justice and the Tales of the Red Panda adventure series.

Genres: Science Fiction, Mystery

ebook

First published December 30, 2012

Reviews

[Nathan Fayard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love classic hard-boiled detective stories, but they have become so cliched that it is difficult to write something new and not have it either be terribly predictable or instantly identified as derivative. Gregg Taylor, despite these challenges, has managed to do what he always does. He has taken a genre he loves and with which he is infinitely familiar, and he has created a tale that is at once wonderfully evocative of its best representatives, while at the same time providing enough twists, turns, and interestingly drawn characters to satisfy even the most hardened veteran of the pulps and the noire-ish detective yarns.

This book reminds one of the likes of The Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep, while remaining fresh and interesting. There are some great curve balls along the way, and even I wasn't quite ready for what Mr. Taylor pulled out of his hat at the last, despite having listened to the audio play this story is based on. If you like classic detective stories, if you like science fiction, or if you just enjoy good writing, give this book a read.

You're sure to like the protagonist, the indefatigable Drake Finn, and the world Taylor creates is interesting enough that I'd welcome another visit!

[John Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

a fun future noir tale

Gregg Taylor has two main storylines I follow and a couple smaller tales I recommend as well. This book shows his skill at writing a hard boiled detective. This time in a near tomorrow, compared to the 1930’s of his Red Panda or the modern of Black Jack Justice.
You can tell he is used to having his words read out loud as the narration becomes a large chunk of the character. I enjoyed this modern take on noir and say that if you are on the fence listen to his podcast and it’s level of writing is on display here.

[Missy Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really creative storyline. It took a while for me to understand the different types of fantasy characters but I really enjoyed the fusion of a sort of sci-fi fantasy meets detective genre.

[Vikinggeek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noir in the future

Great noir detective novel set in the future. Lots of twists and turns in the story. Great fun to read

[Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was short, but a lot of fun. The world-building was quite clear, enough that I'd like to see more of the place (i.e. sequels!).

True to (noir) form, the book certainly set up the potential for a lot more adventures for Drake Finn.

I liked the POV character, Drake Finn, quite a lot - tough and no-nonsense, but not hard or cold.


The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because there were a few distracting typos here and there (though, to be fair, far fewer than one might expect from a self-published book). I'm looking forward to the day when Taylor is picked up by a publishing house and has access to a real copy-editor and doesn't have to worry about all that proofreading nonsense. : )

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've watched the "Clean Slate" videos. I've listened to the "ID0" audio drama. Now, I've just finished the book, "Finn's Golem." Being someone who almost always prefers the book to the movie, I do believe this is the superior version of the story. Gregg is definitely at his most hard-boiled here, and it's an exciting, fun read that manages to surprise even if you're already familiar with the basic plot. Great book (but not for the young'uns). Should Gregg decide to revisit this world at some point in the future, I'd go along for the ride.

[Cheryl Lindstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most exciting books I have read in a while. Sufficent twists and turns to keep you guessing.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast-paced, sci-fi detective story with humor, sex, violence, and a few surprising twists. If you like Taylor's Black Jack Justice, you'll enjoy this.

[Bcoghill Coghill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got three quarter of the way along in this book & realized that I did not care any longer so I set it aside. Too bad because I have enjoyed Taylor's other books.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun noir slash scifi, Chandler does Bladerunner, pretty unstressful read.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it. A delightful homage to noir detective fiction with a slight sci-fi twist. A world I would love to hear more from. Gregg Taylor never​ disappoints whether he's writing audio dramas or books. For me an added bonus was being able to hear the story in my head voiced by the cast of Decoder Ring Theatre. If you like this story definitely check out Gregg's other fiction as well as the audio dramas of Decoder Ring Theatre.