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Body Count: A Gritty Cyberpunk Detective Thriller
Neo Glendale is drowning.
The rain is toxic, the water’s worse, and justice is a commodity sold to the highest bidder. When a disgraced Internal Affairs officer turns up dead, his body burned and dumped like garbage. Detective Michael Reign is handed the case no one wants solved.
The deeper Reign digs, the dirtier it corporate experiments on civilians, silenced whistleblowers, and a killer leaving behind bodies and a chilling message, CLEANSE. Someone is targeting corrupt officials and they know Reign is watching.
With time running out and pressure mounting from every direction, police brass, corporate security, and his own conflicted partner, Reign must walk the line between law and vengeance. Because in a city where the rain never stops falling, the truth is the only thing that burns.
The rain is toxic, the water’s worse, and justice is a commodity sold to the highest bidder. When a disgraced Internal Affairs officer turns up dead, his body burned and dumped like garbage. Detective Michael Reign is handed the case no one wants solved.
The deeper Reign digs, the dirtier it corporate experiments on civilians, silenced whistleblowers, and a killer leaving behind bodies and a chilling message, CLEANSE. Someone is targeting corrupt officials and they know Reign is watching.
With time running out and pressure mounting from every direction, police brass, corporate security, and his own conflicted partner, Reign must walk the line between law and vengeance. Because in a city where the rain never stops falling, the truth is the only thing that burns.
302 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 28, 2025
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About the author
Steve Kelly
87 books4 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 21, 2025
Dark, stylish, and uncomfortably real
Body Count throws you into the rain-slick streets of Neo Glendale and doesn’t let go. It’s part cyberpunk, part detective noir, with enough moral greys to leave your hands dirty just reading it.
What I loved:
• Detective Reign is a fantastic lead, flawed, human, stubborn in the best way.
• The world-building is rich without being overwhelming. You can feel the neon buzzing and the rain soaking through every layer.
• The plot unfolds like a proper noir mystery, layered, methodical, and with just enough bite.
• The social commentary on corporate control and neural manipulation isn’t subtle, but it works. It feels eerily plausible.
What held it back a little:
• Some of the pacing dips in the middle, especially during long investigative sequences.
• Dialogue formatting was occasionally distracting in the version I read, hopefully polished now.
• A few characters deserved more development, especially Reign’s partner and the IA team.
But by the end? I was hooked. The payoff is strong, the tone is consistent, and it leaves just enough open to want more. If you’re into dark detective fiction with a sci-fi twist and a conscience, this belongs on your shelf.
Recommended for fans of: Blade Runner, Michael Connelly, Altered Carbon, The Rookie (but darker)
Body Count throws you into the rain-slick streets of Neo Glendale and doesn’t let go. It’s part cyberpunk, part detective noir, with enough moral greys to leave your hands dirty just reading it.
What I loved:
• Detective Reign is a fantastic lead, flawed, human, stubborn in the best way.
• The world-building is rich without being overwhelming. You can feel the neon buzzing and the rain soaking through every layer.
• The plot unfolds like a proper noir mystery, layered, methodical, and with just enough bite.
• The social commentary on corporate control and neural manipulation isn’t subtle, but it works. It feels eerily plausible.
What held it back a little:
• Some of the pacing dips in the middle, especially during long investigative sequences.
• Dialogue formatting was occasionally distracting in the version I read, hopefully polished now.
• A few characters deserved more development, especially Reign’s partner and the IA team.
But by the end? I was hooked. The payoff is strong, the tone is consistent, and it leaves just enough open to want more. If you’re into dark detective fiction with a sci-fi twist and a conscience, this belongs on your shelf.
Recommended for fans of: Blade Runner, Michael Connelly, Altered Carbon, The Rookie (but darker)
September 7, 2025
The thing about Body Count is that it doesn’t give you an easy ride. The pacing is relentless, the atmosphere oppressive, and the morality murky at best. But that’s exactly why I liked it. The mystery pulls you in right away, a burnt body, an unwanted case, a detective already on thin ice. As the plot unravels, it’s never just about the murders; it’s about the system that allows them. Kelly does a great job layering the mystery so every time you think you’ve figured out who’s behind the killings, another clue drags you deeper. I did find myself wishing for a bit more breathing room between big revelations, but the nonstop intensity also made it impossible to put down. If you like your thrillers raw and uncompromising, this is it.
August 23, 2025
Body Count is a gripping cyberpunk detective thriller that hooks you from the start. Dark, fast-paced, and full of suspense, Steve Kelly blends noir grit with a futuristic edge perfectly. A must-read for fans of crime and cyberpunk!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews