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Juno Mozambe Mystery #2
Ex-KOP
In this hardboiled science fiction thriller, Juno, having been booted off the police force, is barely getting by as a low-level bagman and photographer for the scandal rags. But it gets his wife is in critical condition at the hospital and Juno doesn€™t have the money to pay her bills. Desperate for cash, Juno agrees to help his ex-partner, Maggie Orzo, solve a difficult case. A young girl sits on death row, accused of brutally murdering her own parents. She€™s confessed to the murders, but Maggie isn€™t buying it, so she sends Juno out to get some answers. Working with Maggie, Juno comes into contact with her new partner, Ian. As dirty as they come, Ian is eager to rise in the police force no matter what the cost. Somehow Ian, a vicious serial killer, and the girl on death row are all connected. It is up to Juno and Maggie to find out how before more people die.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2008
11 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
Warren Hammond
25 books102 followersWarren grew up in the Hudson River Valley of New York State. Upon obtaining his teaching degree from the University at Albany, he moved to Colorado, married his wife Kathy, and settled in the Platt Park neighborhood of Denver where he can usually be found typing away at the local coffee shop or browsing the selection at the Tattered Cover.
His first novel, KOP, was published by Tor Books in 2007. Its sequel, Ex-KOP, is due to hit shelves in October of 2008. Currently, he is writing KOP Killer, the third book in the KOP series.
Splitting his time between devouring science fiction and classic crime noir, he lists among his important influences Arthur C. Clarke, Orson Scott Card, Jim Thompson and James Ellroy. Warren is a serious music listener, specializing in blues, reggae and surf.
Always eager to see new places, Warren and Kathy have traveled extensively. Whether it’s wildlife viewing in exotic locales like Botswana and the Galapagos Islands, or trekking in the Himalayas, they’re always up for a new adventure.
Series:
* Juno Mozambe Mystery
His first novel, KOP, was published by Tor Books in 2007. Its sequel, Ex-KOP, is due to hit shelves in October of 2008. Currently, he is writing KOP Killer, the third book in the KOP series.
Splitting his time between devouring science fiction and classic crime noir, he lists among his important influences Arthur C. Clarke, Orson Scott Card, Jim Thompson and James Ellroy. Warren is a serious music listener, specializing in blues, reggae and surf.
Always eager to see new places, Warren and Kathy have traveled extensively. Whether it’s wildlife viewing in exotic locales like Botswana and the Galapagos Islands, or trekking in the Himalayas, they’re always up for a new adventure.
Series:
* Juno Mozambe Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
June 13, 2012
you know how when you read the first book in a series, and it's really great? so you can't wait for the second book to come out, and then when it does, it's a major disappointment? well, that is definitely not the case with this book. if anything, i'd say it was a bit better than the first one KOP, although that one was excellent as well.
juno, the main character in both of the books, is definitely not a very nice guy. in the first book, when he was a cop, he was just about the dirtiest cop ever, he took bribes, protection money, beat people up, even killed some. and in this book, when he is a civilian, it's generally more of the same. but somehow, through all this, the author makes you really pull for the guy. somehow there is a spark of goodness that makes you like him in spite of who he is.
one of the blurbs describes this book as sf noir. and that's exactly right. if raymond chandler had written a novel set on another planet in the year 2788, it would have been just like this book.
and now there is a third book out!!
very highly recommended...but read the first one first! otherwise the second book won't make as much sense.
juno, the main character in both of the books, is definitely not a very nice guy. in the first book, when he was a cop, he was just about the dirtiest cop ever, he took bribes, protection money, beat people up, even killed some. and in this book, when he is a civilian, it's generally more of the same. but somehow, through all this, the author makes you really pull for the guy. somehow there is a spark of goodness that makes you like him in spite of who he is.
one of the blurbs describes this book as sf noir. and that's exactly right. if raymond chandler had written a novel set on another planet in the year 2788, it would have been just like this book.
and now there is a third book out!!
very highly recommended...but read the first one first! otherwise the second book won't make as much sense.
November 23, 2014
I liked “Kop,” but “Ex-Kop” is tougher, rougher, meaner, cleaner. It’s gritty, terribly human, and not for the squeamish.
Like its predecessor, this is a fully realized mash-up. Imaginative but grounded sci-fi sprints full-throttle into moody, brooding old-fashioned detective noir.
Juno Mozambe has more issues than there are lizards on the distant planet of Lagarto, where the economy is worse than sticky weather. He’s got a bum hand, for starters, and all sorts of problems with the past. Brandy, in abundant supply, is a temporary salve. Justice would be better. He was a corrupt cop but now that the ex-chief of police is dead, Juno has been kicked to the curb, no longer part of the police agency known as KOP. “I found good work hiding in closets, peering through windows, exposing scandals when I could and creating scandals when there were none to expose,” says Juno. “It wasn’t glamourous, but the scandal rags paid well. It was a long way down from running KOP but it kept me in the game. Barely.”
Needing money, Juno listens when ex-partner Maggie comes around asking for help. He listens because, well, Maggie isn’t afraid of a little coercion. Juno strikes a bargain and starts charting his own path back to relatively stability and security. Maybe. Payments for his wife’s artificial spine aren’t cheap. It’s a pay-for-service care situation. His wife is on a respirator in the off-world Orbital, where the medical care is better. She’s arguing to end it all, but Juno won’t hear it.
Juno is asked to help with two cases. One involves clearing a girl accused of murdering her parents. The other involves the possible production of snuff films to entertain “off-worlders.” The plot is rich but easy to track.
The writing makes the whole Lagarto world terribly tangible. “I walked through a doorway into a
courtyard covered by a series of tarps that were so pregnant with puddled water that they stretched in all the wrong directions, creating gaping holes in the coverage through which glistening rain came misting down. Souvenir stands ran around the circumference, their spaces overflowing with etched gourds and mini Lagartan-style skiffs made from seedpods. There was a staircase on the far end that led up to a second tier where I could see a window with painted-on jungle vines and tour prices. Standing alongside the door was a stuffed tiger, reared up on its haunches, one of its paws raised like it was about to claw somebody’s heart out.”
That’s is a pastoral, nearly Disneyland description in comparison with the smashmouth action in much of “Ex-Kop.” There’s a torture scene that will leave you praying for release. The knuckle-hard violence works because the story stays sweat-level close to Juno’s worldview. Of course Juno is not going to earn a badge from the Boy Scouts in morals and ethics anytime soon. Juno sees worse—far worse—including truly evil men with a wicked scheme for those already death row. Like the best anti-heroes, Juno has his own code and his own reasons for every move he makes. More than few times, I thought of Andrew Vachss and his books featuring Burke and his lone-soldier crusade against those who prey on children. In both storylines, the ends justify the tactics. Juno is one pissed-off snake in a nasty nest of vicious vipers.
There’s ample recap material in this sequel, but to get the full effect start with “Kop” so you fully understand Juno’s world. And his issues.
Like its predecessor, this is a fully realized mash-up. Imaginative but grounded sci-fi sprints full-throttle into moody, brooding old-fashioned detective noir.
Juno Mozambe has more issues than there are lizards on the distant planet of Lagarto, where the economy is worse than sticky weather. He’s got a bum hand, for starters, and all sorts of problems with the past. Brandy, in abundant supply, is a temporary salve. Justice would be better. He was a corrupt cop but now that the ex-chief of police is dead, Juno has been kicked to the curb, no longer part of the police agency known as KOP. “I found good work hiding in closets, peering through windows, exposing scandals when I could and creating scandals when there were none to expose,” says Juno. “It wasn’t glamourous, but the scandal rags paid well. It was a long way down from running KOP but it kept me in the game. Barely.”
Needing money, Juno listens when ex-partner Maggie comes around asking for help. He listens because, well, Maggie isn’t afraid of a little coercion. Juno strikes a bargain and starts charting his own path back to relatively stability and security. Maybe. Payments for his wife’s artificial spine aren’t cheap. It’s a pay-for-service care situation. His wife is on a respirator in the off-world Orbital, where the medical care is better. She’s arguing to end it all, but Juno won’t hear it.
Juno is asked to help with two cases. One involves clearing a girl accused of murdering her parents. The other involves the possible production of snuff films to entertain “off-worlders.” The plot is rich but easy to track.
The writing makes the whole Lagarto world terribly tangible. “I walked through a doorway into a
courtyard covered by a series of tarps that were so pregnant with puddled water that they stretched in all the wrong directions, creating gaping holes in the coverage through which glistening rain came misting down. Souvenir stands ran around the circumference, their spaces overflowing with etched gourds and mini Lagartan-style skiffs made from seedpods. There was a staircase on the far end that led up to a second tier where I could see a window with painted-on jungle vines and tour prices. Standing alongside the door was a stuffed tiger, reared up on its haunches, one of its paws raised like it was about to claw somebody’s heart out.”
That’s is a pastoral, nearly Disneyland description in comparison with the smashmouth action in much of “Ex-Kop.” There’s a torture scene that will leave you praying for release. The knuckle-hard violence works because the story stays sweat-level close to Juno’s worldview. Of course Juno is not going to earn a badge from the Boy Scouts in morals and ethics anytime soon. Juno sees worse—far worse—including truly evil men with a wicked scheme for those already death row. Like the best anti-heroes, Juno has his own code and his own reasons for every move he makes. More than few times, I thought of Andrew Vachss and his books featuring Burke and his lone-soldier crusade against those who prey on children. In both storylines, the ends justify the tactics. Juno is one pissed-off snake in a nasty nest of vicious vipers.
There’s ample recap material in this sequel, but to get the full effect start with “Kop” so you fully understand Juno’s world. And his issues.
January 19, 2009
You have a choice, you can book a flight now on AeroPeru, and from the Lima airport take a taxi to one of the ramshackle 'night clubs' that boarder the road on the way to town, get pissed-drunk and hang out for the weekend. Alternatively, if you are a real sleazeball, you can sign up for one of the Bangkok or other Asia sex tours.
A third option is to read KOP and Ex-KOP.
Hammond flips the world on its head by merging a 'US society' with his experiences of the third world.
For what it is, let's call it 'shock-lit', it's well written and enjoyable escapest reading. I'm looking forward to the third novel.
A third option is to read KOP and Ex-KOP.
Hammond flips the world on its head by merging a 'US society' with his experiences of the third world.
For what it is, let's call it 'shock-lit', it's well written and enjoyable escapest reading. I'm looking forward to the third novel.
August 27, 2010
Ex-Kop is the second novel in the Kop series by Warren Hammond and I dove into it immediately after reading the first book Kop. I don't typically read SF, so this is a big deal. *grin*
We're once again on the planet Lagarto, in the city of Koba, following the ex-enforcer and dirty cop Juno. His time in the force has come to an end, but he can't seem to shake the habit of being a cop. It doesn't help that his wife is in the hospital after a serious "accident." So when the rookie partner he worked with on his previous case, Maggie, asks for his help in an investigation, he takes her up on the offer as a distraction and because he can use the money to help heal his wife.
Again, the case involves murder, but this time it's what appears to be a serial killer who tortures his victims and then destroys all of the evidence by using gene eaters. So they don't know who the victims are and there's no genetic evidence to help identify the killer. In addition, in another homicide, a young girl has confessed to committing the crime but Maggie doesn't believe her. She'd like Juno to find out who really killed the girl's parents, and why she'd confess to the crime if she didn't do it.
I didn't enjoy this book as much as the previous one, but I still liked it. A lot. Again we have the dark, gritty, jungle setting, a main character that is sympathetic even though he's not the nicest guy around, and a couple of cases that are interesting and convoluted. I think the main reason this one wasn't as interesting for me is because it didn't have the strong political implications as the first one. It's basically a murder mystery with a minor connection to the political climate as left at the end of the first book. In others words, the stakes didn't feel as high or as important in this book as the first one. The danger to Juno, his wife, and Maggie is real, but the threat didn't reach much beyond that.
I still enjoyed the mystery intertwined in this one, and it still had the feel of Bladerunner in a jungle. The personal emotional stress that Juno is under in this one is significantly higher, and that subplot was almost more interesting to me than the main plot. I really liked the ending and how it sets up some rather interesting possibilities for future books. I would have moved on immediately to those future books if any of them were out, but instead I'm going to have to wait. I believe the next book is supposed to called Kop Killer, but I haven't been able to find a release date for it yet.
In any case, a good read, and definitely a series I'd recommend for those who love dark, gritty, edgy SF noir a la Bladerunner.
We're once again on the planet Lagarto, in the city of Koba, following the ex-enforcer and dirty cop Juno. His time in the force has come to an end, but he can't seem to shake the habit of being a cop. It doesn't help that his wife is in the hospital after a serious "accident." So when the rookie partner he worked with on his previous case, Maggie, asks for his help in an investigation, he takes her up on the offer as a distraction and because he can use the money to help heal his wife.
Again, the case involves murder, but this time it's what appears to be a serial killer who tortures his victims and then destroys all of the evidence by using gene eaters. So they don't know who the victims are and there's no genetic evidence to help identify the killer. In addition, in another homicide, a young girl has confessed to committing the crime but Maggie doesn't believe her. She'd like Juno to find out who really killed the girl's parents, and why she'd confess to the crime if she didn't do it.
I didn't enjoy this book as much as the previous one, but I still liked it. A lot. Again we have the dark, gritty, jungle setting, a main character that is sympathetic even though he's not the nicest guy around, and a couple of cases that are interesting and convoluted. I think the main reason this one wasn't as interesting for me is because it didn't have the strong political implications as the first one. It's basically a murder mystery with a minor connection to the political climate as left at the end of the first book. In others words, the stakes didn't feel as high or as important in this book as the first one. The danger to Juno, his wife, and Maggie is real, but the threat didn't reach much beyond that.
I still enjoyed the mystery intertwined in this one, and it still had the feel of Bladerunner in a jungle. The personal emotional stress that Juno is under in this one is significantly higher, and that subplot was almost more interesting to me than the main plot. I really liked the ending and how it sets up some rather interesting possibilities for future books. I would have moved on immediately to those future books if any of them were out, but instead I'm going to have to wait. I believe the next book is supposed to called Kop Killer, but I haven't been able to find a release date for it yet.
In any case, a good read, and definitely a series I'd recommend for those who love dark, gritty, edgy SF noir a la Bladerunner.
July 1, 2012
Ex-Kop by Warren Hammond
This book brings new meaning to gritty. Set on Legarto, a planet with few resources and a failed economy, you can feel the despair. An ex-cop finds his wife and life threatened by former friends and struggles with his own identity.
Hammond truly creates an environment that makes your skin crawl. I found myself looking for one of his ubiquitous towels to dry my head. Periodically I found myself scratching or shooing away a gecko. The scene is set with detail to the despair of the inhabitants.
Juno is a protagonist in a major anti-hero pattern. He is not a very nice person but Mr. Hammond leads you to believe that he is who he is for the sake of survival. Juno as a protagonist is counter pointed by Maggie who is a breath of fresh air in a cesspool.
This book is in the vein of the old Mickey Spillane type of hard nose detective except that Juno would eat Mickey Spillane’s lunch. This is not a book for the faint of heart. The language and depictions of deprivation are graphic and detailed. They do fit the story line and thus in my opinion are not just gratuitous displays of violence. I will be reading the next in the series, it does captivate. I want to know what will happen next, although this stands alone quite well.
I must commend Hammond for his inclusion of a back story. Too often a 2nd or successive book leaves you wondering how things got to where they are. He makes it clear how Juno got to where the story begins.
I recommend it.
This book brings new meaning to gritty. Set on Legarto, a planet with few resources and a failed economy, you can feel the despair. An ex-cop finds his wife and life threatened by former friends and struggles with his own identity.
Hammond truly creates an environment that makes your skin crawl. I found myself looking for one of his ubiquitous towels to dry my head. Periodically I found myself scratching or shooing away a gecko. The scene is set with detail to the despair of the inhabitants.
Juno is a protagonist in a major anti-hero pattern. He is not a very nice person but Mr. Hammond leads you to believe that he is who he is for the sake of survival. Juno as a protagonist is counter pointed by Maggie who is a breath of fresh air in a cesspool.
This book is in the vein of the old Mickey Spillane type of hard nose detective except that Juno would eat Mickey Spillane’s lunch. This is not a book for the faint of heart. The language and depictions of deprivation are graphic and detailed. They do fit the story line and thus in my opinion are not just gratuitous displays of violence. I will be reading the next in the series, it does captivate. I want to know what will happen next, although this stands alone quite well.
I must commend Hammond for his inclusion of a back story. Too often a 2nd or successive book leaves you wondering how things got to where they are. He makes it clear how Juno got to where the story begins.
I recommend it.
February 1, 2010
This hardboiled science fiction detective novel taes place on the crime ridden planet of Lagarto. Juno Mozambe, who used to be the enforcer for the old police chief head of the Koba Office of Police, has lost his job when he visits the scene of a murder where his ex partner Maggie is investigating -- its the gruesome death of a uniform officer who is bloated from microscopic gene eaters. The cop stumbled onto the latest killing by an apparent serial killer, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. As the novel goes forward, we learn that Maggie's current partner Ian is as dirty as it comes and is cruel and a monster. Maggie and Juno investigate on of Ian's cases, which involves a young girl named Adela on death row for the murder of her parents who confessed to Ian, and also investigate Ian and his girlfriend Liz, and their offworld friend Horst. The action is intense and this descent into the corrupt sewer at the heart of Lagarto is not for the faint of heart, but Juno, is a good detective, who uses his experience and knowledge to figure out the score. Raw, nasty and violent this book is a tough hard look at corruption, murder and depravity.
July 4, 2009
Sci-fi noir three shades darker than black. This was a fantastic followup to Hammond's KOP. Drugs, human trafficking, snuff films, a down and out disgraced ex-cop Juno Mozambe is still quite the scumbag and his disillusionment with his life and what he has done with it make him a compelling character. Maggie Orzo will be an interesting character to watch. Will she become as corrupt as Juno? Great stuff.
April 18, 2014
This book was a good sequel to a good first book. It's a hard boiled detective story set in the future on the planet of Legarto. Juno Mozambe, an ex-cop who was a dirty enforcer while he was on the force and who was the protagonist of the last novel, is back, now as a type of private eye. His young ex-partner, Maggie Orzo, is a detective trying to get a promotion. Her new partner, Ian, is a first rate asshole, and I mean mega-asshole. The weird thing about Ian is that just a couple of years ago, he was a puny, perpetually frightened boy working in the prison. Now he's big and ripped and has an attitude. He's taken over as alpha male in the department and he has a crew of cops willing to do anything he says. And he's much dirtier than Juno ever was.
The book starts out with a murder. Apparently there's a serial murderer on Legarto, but it's not being publicized in the media. Only the cops know about it. And Juno. This first one (which is actually the 13th murder) takes place on a boat with flesh eating bacteria doing the job. Ian basically kicks Juno off the boat and things start. Another murder has also been committed. A couple were killed by a laser whip and their hot, young daughter has confessed and is scheduled to be executed in just a few days. The problem is, Maggie thinks she's innocent. So she hires Juno to help her prove it.
Meanwhile, Juno has troubles at home. His wife tried to commit suicide and is locked up in a hospital bed, waiting for a new spine (she threw herself from a bridge) to be grown offworld and waiting for Juno to find the funds to pay for it. The problem is, she still wants to die.
As Juno starts poking around, he starts discovering inconsistencies. He goes to the prison to interview the girl and when he leaves, Ian and his crew show up and rough him up, breaking his fingers on one of his hands while telling him to mind his own business.
Ian has a hot girlfriend, Liz. Ian summons Juno to a bar where he waits to strike a deal with Juno to spy on Maggie in order to eliminate her promotion and get it himself. Juno agrees, but tells Maggie and doubles back on Ian, feeding him information that makes Ian think Juno's doing a good job, but when in reality he and Maggie are working against Ian.
An offworlder named Horst is also involved. He runs a travel agency on Legarto, seemingly for tiger hunts, but in reality, for sex. Oh, and snuff films. And getting to participate in making the snuff films by executing prisoners on death row privately. It's pretty sick and the author does a good job at getting it across to the reader. Indeed, there's lots of sick stuff in this book -- the kinky sex, prostitution, snuff films, incest, and more. It's easy to get grossed out. You have to have a hard stomach in order to read this book. It's gritty and it seems realistic -- the author is very good.
As Juno and Maggie race against time to get Ian and save the girl, things are happening frantically and you have to really keep pace. It's a real page turner and, as a result, a quick read. My only complaint -- and it's a big one for which I thought about eliminating one of the five stars I'm' giving it -- is that big, bad Juno-the-enforcer from the first book becomes a weak, pathetic pussy in this book, easily pushed around by Ian and his crew. It's kind of hard to believe. Juno toughens up as the book progresses, but I found it hard to swallow. Still, I enjoyed the book. Apparently there's a third one in the series and I'll have to get it to read. If it's like the first two, I'll definitely enjoy it. Recommended, but not for the faint of heart.
The book starts out with a murder. Apparently there's a serial murderer on Legarto, but it's not being publicized in the media. Only the cops know about it. And Juno. This first one (which is actually the 13th murder) takes place on a boat with flesh eating bacteria doing the job. Ian basically kicks Juno off the boat and things start. Another murder has also been committed. A couple were killed by a laser whip and their hot, young daughter has confessed and is scheduled to be executed in just a few days. The problem is, Maggie thinks she's innocent. So she hires Juno to help her prove it.
Meanwhile, Juno has troubles at home. His wife tried to commit suicide and is locked up in a hospital bed, waiting for a new spine (she threw herself from a bridge) to be grown offworld and waiting for Juno to find the funds to pay for it. The problem is, she still wants to die.
As Juno starts poking around, he starts discovering inconsistencies. He goes to the prison to interview the girl and when he leaves, Ian and his crew show up and rough him up, breaking his fingers on one of his hands while telling him to mind his own business.
Ian has a hot girlfriend, Liz. Ian summons Juno to a bar where he waits to strike a deal with Juno to spy on Maggie in order to eliminate her promotion and get it himself. Juno agrees, but tells Maggie and doubles back on Ian, feeding him information that makes Ian think Juno's doing a good job, but when in reality he and Maggie are working against Ian.
An offworlder named Horst is also involved. He runs a travel agency on Legarto, seemingly for tiger hunts, but in reality, for sex. Oh, and snuff films. And getting to participate in making the snuff films by executing prisoners on death row privately. It's pretty sick and the author does a good job at getting it across to the reader. Indeed, there's lots of sick stuff in this book -- the kinky sex, prostitution, snuff films, incest, and more. It's easy to get grossed out. You have to have a hard stomach in order to read this book. It's gritty and it seems realistic -- the author is very good.
As Juno and Maggie race against time to get Ian and save the girl, things are happening frantically and you have to really keep pace. It's a real page turner and, as a result, a quick read. My only complaint -- and it's a big one for which I thought about eliminating one of the five stars I'm' giving it -- is that big, bad Juno-the-enforcer from the first book becomes a weak, pathetic pussy in this book, easily pushed around by Ian and his crew. It's kind of hard to believe. Juno toughens up as the book progresses, but I found it hard to swallow. Still, I enjoyed the book. Apparently there's a third one in the series and I'll have to get it to read. If it's like the first two, I'll definitely enjoy it. Recommended, but not for the faint of heart.
March 3, 2015
Ex-KOP wasn't as good as the first book. Things feel a bit more meandering, and it took me a while to get into the story. Still, the characters of Juno and Maggie are well developed, and the world of Lagarto, with its love-hate relationship with the high-tech off-world society becomes more and more fascinating. KOP was a neo-noir story of a corrupt cop falling apart; the sequel is what happens years after everything has collapsed. It's not a pretty story, but it is compelling.
I felt that there was one kind of "gotcha" plot device used later on in the book to wrap up a mystery/conspiracy , and that brought things down a little bit. I've also been reading the Mindspace Investigations novels by Alex Hughes (I finished Sharp right around the time I started this), so my ideas for what kind of addicted cops I'm interested in reading right now are a bit different than when I read KOP. Still, I'm interested in seeing how things wrap up in the final book of the series.
I felt that there was one kind of "gotcha" plot device used later on in the book to wrap up a mystery/conspiracy , and that brought things down a little bit. I've also been reading the Mindspace Investigations novels by Alex Hughes (I finished Sharp right around the time I started this), so my ideas for what kind of addicted cops I'm interested in reading right now are a bit different than when I read KOP. Still, I'm interested in seeing how things wrap up in the final book of the series.
December 4, 2016
I almost ticked the "horror" box for this, so be warned.
If you thought #1 in this series was dark and gory and violent and nasty, just put the book down now and back away, no one has to get hurt.
If this is not a horror story, it is at least horrible. We're on a planet where the best of them is not at all a nice person, where a person's best choice is what we'd call a worst choice. There are a few sheltered rich people, and the slightly-implausible offworlders, but we spend most of our time in the gutters and sewers, which are almost the same thing here anyway.
Juno is out of the KOP now. His drinking problem as we start is described rather clumsily, but we get past that and the plot moves on. Juno and Maggie learn stuff a bit at a time, quite plausibly. Each new thing is another "Ick!" for the reader, but important to the plot.
In the end, Juno has to make a tough decision that seems to make some other decisions easier.
Finally we see that even Maggie is learning that to make omelets you have to break eggs. Times a thousand on this planet.
Good plot, well paced - but again if you don't like tough people doing really tough things, stay away.
If you thought #1 in this series was dark and gory and violent and nasty, just put the book down now and back away, no one has to get hurt.
If this is not a horror story, it is at least horrible. We're on a planet where the best of them is not at all a nice person, where a person's best choice is what we'd call a worst choice. There are a few sheltered rich people, and the slightly-implausible offworlders, but we spend most of our time in the gutters and sewers, which are almost the same thing here anyway.
Juno is out of the KOP now. His drinking problem as we start is described rather clumsily, but we get past that and the plot moves on. Juno and Maggie learn stuff a bit at a time, quite plausibly. Each new thing is another "Ick!" for the reader, but important to the plot.
In the end, Juno has to make a tough decision that seems to make some other decisions easier.
Finally we see that even Maggie is learning that to make omelets you have to break eggs. Times a thousand on this planet.
Good plot, well paced - but again if you don't like tough people doing really tough things, stay away.
August 8, 2009
An interesting follow-on to the debut book.
It is fairly heavily tied in to the first book, "KOP", so if you happen to read them out-of-sequence I think you would be annoyed. It definitely builds on the story and although written with enough "flashbacks" so you could read it and never read the first, I think that the poignancy of the protagonist's struggles would be lessened.
Clearly the author is working to a third (and maybe fourth) book in this series. Does that make "Ex-KOP" a mere water carrier between the other books? No, it has a central plot line of its own, it develops the main characters in directions that do not merely follow on the suggestions of the first book, and it wraps up the "local" story very well.
Definitely looking forward to the next installment.
It is fairly heavily tied in to the first book, "KOP", so if you happen to read them out-of-sequence I think you would be annoyed. It definitely builds on the story and although written with enough "flashbacks" so you could read it and never read the first, I think that the poignancy of the protagonist's struggles would be lessened.
Clearly the author is working to a third (and maybe fourth) book in this series. Does that make "Ex-KOP" a mere water carrier between the other books? No, it has a central plot line of its own, it develops the main characters in directions that do not merely follow on the suggestions of the first book, and it wraps up the "local" story very well.
Definitely looking forward to the next installment.
August 22, 2018
3 1/2 stars, shading up because I did like this second entry into the KOP series, despite its overall grim and gritty tone. Juno, now an ex-KOP, is still involved with former colleagues to varying degrees. This book deals with a twisty, perverse, and very ugly series of killings that leads Juno to digging up the dirt on some of the KOP officers in his former outfit. Many characters from KOP appear in this volume as well. Pieces of Juno's life are exposed and some are dealt with. It's a good take on a PI book with some procedural thrown in, but the sci-fi elements are relatively minor, other than some beefed up weaponry and the (continuing) impressive setting descriptions of the planet and its climate and wildlife.
January 2, 2009
Posted to my Livejournal in August 2008:
Ex-Kop is the sequel to Kop, and it's even better then the first one. Hammond writes gritty, science fiction/noir detective novels, and his colony world, Lagarto, is vivid and detailed and comprehensive -- like it's a real place. One I wouldn't want to visit. (c: His characters are morally gray and damaged and heart-breaking and sympathetic, especially his aging detective Juno, who is one of the best anti-heros I've read in a long time. Hammond's plots are always thrilling and intricate, too. I really enjoy this series.
Ex-Kop is the sequel to Kop, and it's even better then the first one. Hammond writes gritty, science fiction/noir detective novels, and his colony world, Lagarto, is vivid and detailed and comprehensive -- like it's a real place. One I wouldn't want to visit. (c: His characters are morally gray and damaged and heart-breaking and sympathetic, especially his aging detective Juno, who is one of the best anti-heros I've read in a long time. Hammond's plots are always thrilling and intricate, too. I really enjoy this series.
March 12, 2012
More of the same from Warren Hammond, another great novel. A twisted plot with intricate connections which is slowly revealed through detective work. I said to a co-worker that it was a bit like my work, looking at connections and trying to figure things out, except without the beatings and deaths.
I was wondering how Hammond would top the over-all crime of the first novel, and he really managed to do it with this one. I'm looking forward to the next lizard-infested, moss-draped novel. Hopefully it won't take too long.
I was wondering how Hammond would top the over-all crime of the first novel, and he really managed to do it with this one. I'm looking forward to the next lizard-infested, moss-draped novel. Hopefully it won't take too long.
April 13, 2012
The further adventures of Juno Mozambe and his partner Maggie in the crime ridden, corrupt world of Lagarto. As Juno slides deeper in corruption after he is booted off the department, he is once again paired with Maggie on the trail of a deeper corruption case.
Hammond really has created a series that can easily attract non science fiction readers to his series. If you like crime thrillers from Patterson et al, then I heartily advise picking this series up.
For the record, I have already pre-ordered "Kop Killer" for my Nook. Keep them coming Hammond.
Hammond really has created a series that can easily attract non science fiction readers to his series. If you like crime thrillers from Patterson et al, then I heartily advise picking this series up.
For the record, I have already pre-ordered "Kop Killer" for my Nook. Keep them coming Hammond.
February 10, 2017
This was a good second book in the series. Much better action in this book, but it is also much grittier with incest (consensual), S&M, some very dark murders and execution as an entertainment sold to the highest bidder. Some readers might have issues with the passing of Juno's wife Nikki, but I thought it fit well with the characters and makes Juno that more of a tragic character. Good character development without becoming boring. I like that Juno is returning to what he does best while letting Maggie keep her hands clean. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2010
If I could give Ex-KOP more than 5 stars I would. is a forties noir thriller for the twenty-first century. It's a terrific yarn, reminiscent of L.A. Confidential with Humphrey Bogart playing the lead. If you love crime novels and science fiction you'll find that this book is a winner on both counts.
Full review here: http://ezinearticles.com/?Ex-Kop---A-...
Full review here: http://ezinearticles.com/?Ex-Kop---A-...
May 31, 2012
"Ex-Kop"was a great science fiction mystery and an excellent example of how noir and science fiction can be a thrilling combination. The exciting and surprising plot was greatly enhanced by the story's compelling and deeply flawed narrator Juno (also the memorable and well-developed protagonist), with all the different elements working together to create a suspenseful and completely engaging futuristic thriller.
June 3, 2013
Hammond has found his feet with this sequel to KOP. This science fiction detective procedural has at last become more than a cop story with SF trappings. The science fiction elements of the story have finally come to the fore, and the jungle world of Lagarto is better fleshed out.
If you liked KOP, you will definitely enjoy Ex-KOP. My only real complaint was the lack of actual science fictional elements beyond set dressing. Hammond has addressed this, giving us a very good SF cop mystery.
If you liked KOP, you will definitely enjoy Ex-KOP. My only real complaint was the lack of actual science fictional elements beyond set dressing. Hammond has addressed this, giving us a very good SF cop mystery.
February 20, 2015
A reasonable follow-up to the first novel. More of a continuation of the story than evolution of the characters, but, hey, what do you want for and SF detective novel? Hammond's story-telling remains tight, if not quite as immersive as in the first book. I also had a couple continuity questions with this story, unlike with the first, but not enough to detract from what was overall an enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to the third book in the series.
June 22, 2011
Oh, my, but I do love me a a good noir mystery in a corrupt, rain-soaked jungle city. Juno's in even worse straights than before, and the villains are much creeper. I really hope Hammond writes at least one more Juno Mozombe story.
January 22, 2013
This second book in the "kop" trilogy is not quite as exciting as the first book. The plot has a few twists, and the language and sex are still quite explicit, but I found the ending to be a bit anticlimactic and less interesting.
February 19, 2023
I really liked the first of this trilogy - KOP combines my favorite genres, cyberpunk and hardboiled fiction. This was just about as good as the first, nothing significantly better, and certainly no worse. Again we see an aging has-been detective (not sure why he's so young and handsome in the cover...) who wants to be better, and still has a few tricks up his sleeve. It does not take place immediately after the first, and I kind of like how that ending left just the right amount up to the imagination. This is a whole new little mystery to solve, involving a secret ring of corrupt cops. Juno's final move at the end was too much like the first but I'll let that slide this time.
June 19, 2021
Recent Reads: Ex-KOP. Warren Norwood’s SF noir series continues, with corrupt policeman Juno Mozambe struggling to make a living as a PI. But crime comes calling, a girl on death row and an off-world serial killer. Are the cases linked, and can he find a small redemption? Dark.
July 19, 2017
After finishing the first two installments of this futuristic series I'd have to say the jury is still out debating the merits of this charactewr and his universe.
May 18, 2018
Promised blade runner but delivered 8 mm. The hero cares for no one and we only hear about other people using cool tech.
March 23, 2021
Even better than the first - KOP. I give it 4 umbrellas.
August 30, 2021
Despite it having a lot of things that trigger me (corrupt leadership, torture, sexual violence), I couldn't help but enjoy the pacing and detailed world of the detective story.
August 10, 2022
Good noir mystery
September 2, 2022
Don Winslow level brutal cop/detective noir.
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