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The Water City Trilogy #1
Midnight, Water City
Hawai‘i author Chris McKinney’s first entry in a brilliant new sci-fi noir trilogy explores the sordid past of a murdered scientist, deified in death, through the eyes of a man who once committed unspeakable crimes for her.
Year 2142: Earth is forty years past a near-collision with the asteroid Sessho-seki. Akira Kimura, the scientist responsible for eliminating the threat, has reached heights of celebrity approaching deification. But now, Akira feels her safety is under threat, so after years without contact, she reaches out to her former head of security, who has since become a police detective.
When he arrives at her deep-sea home and finds Akira methodically dismembered, this detective will risk everything—his career, his family, even his own life—and delve back into his shared past with Akira to find her killer. With a rich, cinematic voice and burning cynicism, Midnight, Water City is both a thrilling neo-noir procedural and a stunning exploration of research, class, climate change, the cult of personality, and the dark sacrifices we are willing to make in the name of progress.
Year 2142: Earth is forty years past a near-collision with the asteroid Sessho-seki. Akira Kimura, the scientist responsible for eliminating the threat, has reached heights of celebrity approaching deification. But now, Akira feels her safety is under threat, so after years without contact, she reaches out to her former head of security, who has since become a police detective.
When he arrives at her deep-sea home and finds Akira methodically dismembered, this detective will risk everything—his career, his family, even his own life—and delve back into his shared past with Akira to find her killer. With a rich, cinematic voice and burning cynicism, Midnight, Water City is both a thrilling neo-noir procedural and a stunning exploration of research, class, climate change, the cult of personality, and the dark sacrifices we are willing to make in the name of progress.
305 pages, Hardcover
First published July 13, 2021
160 people are currently reading
8527 people want to read
About the author
Chris McKinney
11 books100 followersChris McKinney is a Korean, Japanese, Scottish American writer born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is the author of the Water City trilogy. Book one was named a Best Mystery of 2021 by Publisher's Weekly and a Best Speculative Mystery of 2021 by CrimeReads. All three books received starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly, and Booklist called book three a "satisfying conclusion to a magnificent trilogy (that) offers a real treat for sf fans." In 2024, Honolulu Magazine named McKinney "Author of the Year" for his Water City trilogy.
Chris has written six other novels: The Tattoo, The Queen of Tears, Bolohead Row, Mililani Mauka, Boi No Good, and Yakudoshi: Age of Calamity.
In 2011, Chris was appointed Visiting Distinguished Writer at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Over the years, he has won one Elliot Cades Award and seven Kapalapala Pookela Awards.
He currently resides in Honolulu with his wife and two daughters.
Chris has written six other novels: The Tattoo, The Queen of Tears, Bolohead Row, Mililani Mauka, Boi No Good, and Yakudoshi: Age of Calamity.
In 2011, Chris was appointed Visiting Distinguished Writer at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Over the years, he has won one Elliot Cades Award and seven Kapalapala Pookela Awards.
He currently resides in Honolulu with his wife and two daughters.
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July 30, 2021This was an impulse buy at a bookstore because the cover looked intriguing. I was happily surprised. Set a hundred or so years in the future, it's a neo-noir crime novel that's got a surprisingly optimistic view of our future. Ended up really liking this and can't wait to see what book 2 brings.
September 15, 2021
Midnight Water City' by Chris McKinney is a dark noir mystery narrated by a hard-boiled ex-cop turned assassin for a very wealthy and respected scientist. The year is 2142. Technology is amazing! If one can afford it. Life is spectacular with Art, Beauty and household appliances as well as sweet and easy for The Money! Not so much for everyone else though.
This is a future where the wealthy live underwater in skyscrapers which stretch up from the ocean floor. The view is spectacular. So is the water pressure. But it is a cleaner more comfortable environment than living on land. The surface of Earth is too hot and chemically poisoned by millennia of industrial practices. The poor and less wealthy still live on land. The middle-class live on islands.
The Nameless Narrator (NN) loved his boss, Akira Kimura. NN was officially head of security and he was as good at that job as he is in killing people who criticize Akira. He also kills people who are a genuine murderous threat to her. She needed him more as an assassin than as a bodyguard because she is very likely the smartest scientist in the world, and thus she has many jealous and disapproving enemies. Her improvements on the top-of-line technology available to everyone as well as her own secret inventions for herself helped her be enormously rich.
But it is Akira's role in saving Earth from a moon-sized asteroid, called Sessho-seki, that has made her the most idolized celebrity on the planet. No one believed in the asteroid three years before it was due to strike the Earth. She was the only astronomer who saw it. She began to develop an invention she hoped would stop it. Other astronomers could not see the asteroid, so no one helped her. In fact, she was ridiculed and threatened. But by the time astronomers and politicians believed in the asteroid, she had almost finished her preparations. But of course, the world went insane when they were told the asteroid was real, and seemingly tried to destroy themselves first before the asteroid was to hit Earth. They did criminal things in panic and many people committed suicide. However, Akira saved the Earth. No one knows how the rocket or its cosmic ray payload worked exactly. But the proof is permanently shining over all of their heads. A long streak of light called Ascalon's Scar is now everpresent in the night sky.
NN has not worked for Akira for years after the momentous deed of saving the Earth was done. He is semi-retired, married for the fourth time, and he has a daughter they named Ascalon. NN is eighty years old. Enhancements and science has kept him fit, but he still is becoming old, and he feels it. He has a mysterious ability to 'see' murderous intentions, but he doesn't know why. Whenever people are going to be murderous or be murdered, he sees red or green color plumes of some sort waft about the person. No one else sees the mists, and it is his secret weapon. He sees red mists when he hears music. It's called synesthesia. What's even more strange is he is color blind. But most of all, he sees most things in a harsh cold light of suspicion and anger.
When Akira asks for him to come see her in her luxurious seafloor penthouse, he does so immediately - only to discover her body horrendously sliced into pieces. Someone has killed her, but the police don't know if that is true or if she committed suicide for awhile. Still, he was the one there with the body and he had lost his mind after finding her. He contaminated the scene with his DNA despite his police detective training.
NN is the number one suspect! He could lose everything. But primarily he is enraged over Akira's death. He had idolized her just like everyone else in the world! Well. Clearly not everyone had idolized her....
I highly recommend this interesting mystery! The novel is masquerading as a science fiction a little bit, with speculative predictions of what Earth might be like in the near future. The technology the author invents is as cool as is the society of class and wealth divisions is not. But the novel is an interesting one to take to the beach. If we ever do things like that again.
This is a future where the wealthy live underwater in skyscrapers which stretch up from the ocean floor. The view is spectacular. So is the water pressure. But it is a cleaner more comfortable environment than living on land. The surface of Earth is too hot and chemically poisoned by millennia of industrial practices. The poor and less wealthy still live on land. The middle-class live on islands.
The Nameless Narrator (NN) loved his boss, Akira Kimura. NN was officially head of security and he was as good at that job as he is in killing people who criticize Akira. He also kills people who are a genuine murderous threat to her. She needed him more as an assassin than as a bodyguard because she is very likely the smartest scientist in the world, and thus she has many jealous and disapproving enemies. Her improvements on the top-of-line technology available to everyone as well as her own secret inventions for herself helped her be enormously rich.
But it is Akira's role in saving Earth from a moon-sized asteroid, called Sessho-seki, that has made her the most idolized celebrity on the planet. No one believed in the asteroid three years before it was due to strike the Earth. She was the only astronomer who saw it. She began to develop an invention she hoped would stop it. Other astronomers could not see the asteroid, so no one helped her. In fact, she was ridiculed and threatened. But by the time astronomers and politicians believed in the asteroid, she had almost finished her preparations. But of course, the world went insane when they were told the asteroid was real, and seemingly tried to destroy themselves first before the asteroid was to hit Earth. They did criminal things in panic and many people committed suicide. However, Akira saved the Earth. No one knows how the rocket or its cosmic ray payload worked exactly. But the proof is permanently shining over all of their heads. A long streak of light called Ascalon's Scar is now everpresent in the night sky.
NN has not worked for Akira for years after the momentous deed of saving the Earth was done. He is semi-retired, married for the fourth time, and he has a daughter they named Ascalon. NN is eighty years old. Enhancements and science has kept him fit, but he still is becoming old, and he feels it. He has a mysterious ability to 'see' murderous intentions, but he doesn't know why. Whenever people are going to be murderous or be murdered, he sees red or green color plumes of some sort waft about the person. No one else sees the mists, and it is his secret weapon. He sees red mists when he hears music. It's called synesthesia. What's even more strange is he is color blind. But most of all, he sees most things in a harsh cold light of suspicion and anger.
When Akira asks for him to come see her in her luxurious seafloor penthouse, he does so immediately - only to discover her body horrendously sliced into pieces. Someone has killed her, but the police don't know if that is true or if she committed suicide for awhile. Still, he was the one there with the body and he had lost his mind after finding her. He contaminated the scene with his DNA despite his police detective training.
NN is the number one suspect! He could lose everything. But primarily he is enraged over Akira's death. He had idolized her just like everyone else in the world! Well. Clearly not everyone had idolized her....
I highly recommend this interesting mystery! The novel is masquerading as a science fiction a little bit, with speculative predictions of what Earth might be like in the near future. The technology the author invents is as cool as is the society of class and wealth divisions is not. But the novel is an interesting one to take to the beach. If we ever do things like that again.
May 2, 2023
this book turned out to be way different than I expected it to be, and while there were a few interesting parts for most of it I was bored to tears.
thank you to libro.fm, the author, and the publisher for an alc of this book
thank you to libro.fm, the author, and the publisher for an alc of this book
September 5, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up, because I usually don't like the noir crime genre with the typical midlife crisis protagonist (all the typical tropes are here) and yet I still found myself interested in the story and listened to it in one go. This earns a round up.
The audiobook narrator, Richard Ferrone, has the perfect timbre for those lone noir detectives, I guess his performance also helped to keep me interested.
The story is told in first person through a sometimes rather unreliable narrator, parts read like the mc is on a drug trip. This enhances the estranged feeling the reader gets while following his attempts in solving murders where it is never all clear if he hasn't perhaps committed them himself.
What I was missing was a better worldbuilding of this Earth of the future where the living environment was moved towards water habitats. Most of the time the reader forgets this fact, because it reads just like in any city above ground.
This quite atmospheric novel is certainly a good pick for lovers of the noir crime genre.
The audiobook narrator, Richard Ferrone, has the perfect timbre for those lone noir detectives, I guess his performance also helped to keep me interested.
The story is told in first person through a sometimes rather unreliable narrator, parts read like the mc is on a drug trip. This enhances the estranged feeling the reader gets while following his attempts in solving murders where it is never all clear if he hasn't perhaps committed them himself.
What I was missing was a better worldbuilding of this Earth of the future where the living environment was moved towards water habitats. Most of the time the reader forgets this fact, because it reads just like in any city above ground.
This quite atmospheric novel is certainly a good pick for lovers of the noir crime genre.
April 8, 2022
Stars: 2.5 out of 5
Honestly, my reaction after finishing this book is "meh."
I went into this book excited about the premise. An underwater city? Humanity averting the end of the world for once? This sounded so exciting! Unfortunately, we spend little to no time at all in the actual underwater city. And the worldbuilding isn't really fleshed out at all. So the mankind mostly lives underwater to stay safe from solar flares? Okay, I get get onboard with that if you explain to me how that works. How did we manage to combat the enormous pressure in the ocean depths? How do we deal with the endless night, the decompression, etc.? Our protagonist seems to zip in and out of the deepest ocean reaches to the highest mountain in a matter of minutes with no visible side effects.
Also, how are those seascrapers built? That hints at significant advances in engineering and construction materials, especially considering that today we can barely explore the depths in what amounts to an extremely reinforced safe with small windows. Yet 100 years from now, after some major wars and natural catastrophes, mind you, humanity can build penthouses at the bottom of the ocean that are about 80% reinforced glass. I know this is sci-fi. I am ready to suspend my disbelief, but the author needs to throw me a bone - some kind of explanation is in order.
That's a trend for every scientific advancement in this book. Things happen because they need to happen for the story, and no thought is given to how feasible they are. This approach really undermines the credibility of the story and the worldbuilding starts to wobble and break around the edges.
But the biggest problem with this book for me is that I couldn't care less for any of the characters. Quite frankly, they are all horrible human beings.
The protagonist used to be a killer for hire. Yes, he killed for the greater good, or at least that's how he justifies it, but he is still a cold-blooded murderer. Add to that that he is on his fourth marriage and and his fourth kid. He's lost all contact with his previous wives after the divorce (apart from the one that was killed), and doesn't even know what happened to his children. He even mentions in the story that he is in the same country as his first ex-wife at one point, but has no desire to check on them. He basically ignores his current wife and avoids his daughter, because "children never interested him." What a wonderful human being! /end sarcasm.
And the woman he works for is even worse, especially if the story about her lying about the Killing Rock is true. Akira Kimura is a sociopath and a megalomaniac who has zero concern for anyone but herself. Her daughter is even worse. So the protagonist's constant devotion to Akira feels more and more twisted and sick, the further the story progresses and the more we learn about that individual. And his unwillingness to kill Ascalon also makes no sense at all.
In fact, the whole ending is a perfect example of a protagonist robbed of his agency. He didn't make the decision in the end, circumstances did it for him, which makes the payoff extremely unsatisfying in my eyes.
All in all, this wasn't a book I will remember. And this certainly wasn't on of the best books I read in 2022. It was okay. It kept me interested enough to finish it, but that's about it. I'm certainly not interested enough to pick up the next book in the series.
PS: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, my reaction after finishing this book is "meh."
I went into this book excited about the premise. An underwater city? Humanity averting the end of the world for once? This sounded so exciting! Unfortunately, we spend little to no time at all in the actual underwater city. And the worldbuilding isn't really fleshed out at all. So the mankind mostly lives underwater to stay safe from solar flares? Okay, I get get onboard with that if you explain to me how that works. How did we manage to combat the enormous pressure in the ocean depths? How do we deal with the endless night, the decompression, etc.? Our protagonist seems to zip in and out of the deepest ocean reaches to the highest mountain in a matter of minutes with no visible side effects.
Also, how are those seascrapers built? That hints at significant advances in engineering and construction materials, especially considering that today we can barely explore the depths in what amounts to an extremely reinforced safe with small windows. Yet 100 years from now, after some major wars and natural catastrophes, mind you, humanity can build penthouses at the bottom of the ocean that are about 80% reinforced glass. I know this is sci-fi. I am ready to suspend my disbelief, but the author needs to throw me a bone - some kind of explanation is in order.
That's a trend for every scientific advancement in this book. Things happen because they need to happen for the story, and no thought is given to how feasible they are. This approach really undermines the credibility of the story and the worldbuilding starts to wobble and break around the edges.
But the biggest problem with this book for me is that I couldn't care less for any of the characters. Quite frankly, they are all horrible human beings.
The protagonist used to be a killer for hire. Yes, he killed for the greater good, or at least that's how he justifies it, but he is still a cold-blooded murderer. Add to that that he is on his fourth marriage and and his fourth kid. He's lost all contact with his previous wives after the divorce (apart from the one that was killed), and doesn't even know what happened to his children. He even mentions in the story that he is in the same country as his first ex-wife at one point, but has no desire to check on them. He basically ignores his current wife and avoids his daughter, because "children never interested him." What a wonderful human being! /end sarcasm.
And the woman he works for is even worse, especially if the story about her lying about the Killing Rock is true. Akira Kimura is a sociopath and a megalomaniac who has zero concern for anyone but herself. Her daughter is even worse. So the protagonist's constant devotion to Akira feels more and more twisted and sick, the further the story progresses and the more we learn about that individual. And his unwillingness to kill Ascalon also makes no sense at all.
In fact, the whole ending is a perfect example of a protagonist robbed of his agency. He didn't make the decision in the end, circumstances did it for him, which makes the payoff extremely unsatisfying in my eyes.
All in all, this wasn't a book I will remember. And this certainly wasn't on of the best books I read in 2022. It was okay. It kept me interested enough to finish it, but that's about it. I'm certainly not interested enough to pick up the next book in the series.
PS: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 17, 2021
Midnight, Water City
July 14, 2021
Book Review
Midnight, Water City
Chris McKinney
reviewed by Lou Jacobs
readersremains.com | Goodreads
A noir-type of police procedural in the setting of a cinematic backdrop of future Hawaii, 2142, rivaling that of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. Society has drastically changed with the advent of progressive technology, but some things never change—there remain vast disparities in wealth.
The rich live in luxury under the ocean in seascrapers or on top skyscrapers, while the Less Thans dwell in habitats in the packed cities or possibly escape to the “floatburbs.” Holographic ads invade everyone’s space. Age has been expanded by the usage of AMP hibernation chambers. Cell phones have been made obsolete by iE’s, that everyone seems to carry and record their entire life, as well as provide communication. There are pharmaceutical advancements with “pills” for everything, even the changing skin color. Flying cars are present for the privileged.
Amongst the trappings of this future society there exists an antihero detective, and much like Sergio Leone’s “Man With No Name,” our intrepid eighty year old police detective remains unnamed. And, in a similar fashion he is a man of few words, gruff, eccentric, but with an unorthodox sense of justice that frequently involves killing or at least violence. He remains flawed and morally compromised.
The action and intrigue initiate immediately as he is summoned by his oldest and dearest friend and previous employer, Akira Kimura, a renowned scientist, who has reached near deification, after she saved the world forty years ago. Would he offer his services again, and moonlight as security for her, which he has done in the past? She trusts only him. She feels her life is in danger. In the past he was head of her security, which he at times provided with lethal force. She was the first to identify on her giant telescope the presence of an approaching asteroid on course to collide and annihilate the world, which she named Sessho-seki (the “Killing Rock” in Japanese). Even though she attained three PhD’s—in astronomy, astrophysics and mechanical engineering—there were those who remained skeptical of her claim. While she was feverishly working on a weapon—a type of cosmic ray that would unleash an energy force that would either destroy or knock the asteroid off its course. During this period of development her life was threatened on numerous occasions, but he kept Akira safe “by any means necessary.” When employed this weapon expended such an energy force that it left a permanent “slash” across the sky, which was called the “Ascalon Scar.”
Upon arrival to Akira’s luxurious abode at Volcano Vista, located 177 atmospheres below sea level in the world’s largest seascraper. He knows immediately something is wrong, when he is not greeted. He quickly gains entrance and discovers Akira has been locked in her AMP chamber, which has been padlocked. She has been frozen in the chamber with the introduction of nitrogen. as well as being neatly sliced into multiple pieces from head to toe. His senses foretold what he found. Although he is colorblind, he is also endowed with synesthesia, and perceives other senses that most would consider hallucinations. He can almost smell murder (the smell of ambergris) , which also floats in strands of green , while death always is accompanied by clouds of red ( both red and green are perceived differently in those that are colorblind). These afflictions have served him well, in both war and solving murders as a detective. He immediately appreciated a red cloud circling the AMP chamber and its seal oozed green.
McKinney weaves a complex and twisted path with multiple unexpected reveals as the Detective with No Name plunges into a non-sanctioned investigation of Akira’s murder. He will stop at nothing, endangering his career, marriage (on his fourth) and life. An immersive world building flows effortlessly through the pages. In his mind, he replays their history and possible motivations. Blended into this hardboiled detective fiction are a multiplicity of relevant themes: climate change, class distinctions, and humanities price to be paid for technological progress. Ultimately a disturbing cautionary tale evolves. Although this is the first volume in a trilogy, the end result is a satisfying denouement. Much like Sergio Leone’s spaghetti western trilogy, equally satisfying stories of the Detective with No Name are sure to follow.
Thanks to NetGallery and Soho Crime for supplying an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. Anticipated publication date: July 13, 2021. Published at Mystery and Suspense Magazine
July 14, 2021
Book Review
Midnight, Water City
Chris McKinney
reviewed by Lou Jacobs
readersremains.com | Goodreads
A noir-type of police procedural in the setting of a cinematic backdrop of future Hawaii, 2142, rivaling that of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. Society has drastically changed with the advent of progressive technology, but some things never change—there remain vast disparities in wealth.
The rich live in luxury under the ocean in seascrapers or on top skyscrapers, while the Less Thans dwell in habitats in the packed cities or possibly escape to the “floatburbs.” Holographic ads invade everyone’s space. Age has been expanded by the usage of AMP hibernation chambers. Cell phones have been made obsolete by iE’s, that everyone seems to carry and record their entire life, as well as provide communication. There are pharmaceutical advancements with “pills” for everything, even the changing skin color. Flying cars are present for the privileged.
Amongst the trappings of this future society there exists an antihero detective, and much like Sergio Leone’s “Man With No Name,” our intrepid eighty year old police detective remains unnamed. And, in a similar fashion he is a man of few words, gruff, eccentric, but with an unorthodox sense of justice that frequently involves killing or at least violence. He remains flawed and morally compromised.
The action and intrigue initiate immediately as he is summoned by his oldest and dearest friend and previous employer, Akira Kimura, a renowned scientist, who has reached near deification, after she saved the world forty years ago. Would he offer his services again, and moonlight as security for her, which he has done in the past? She trusts only him. She feels her life is in danger. In the past he was head of her security, which he at times provided with lethal force. She was the first to identify on her giant telescope the presence of an approaching asteroid on course to collide and annihilate the world, which she named Sessho-seki (the “Killing Rock” in Japanese). Even though she attained three PhD’s—in astronomy, astrophysics and mechanical engineering—there were those who remained skeptical of her claim. While she was feverishly working on a weapon—a type of cosmic ray that would unleash an energy force that would either destroy or knock the asteroid off its course. During this period of development her life was threatened on numerous occasions, but he kept Akira safe “by any means necessary.” When employed this weapon expended such an energy force that it left a permanent “slash” across the sky, which was called the “Ascalon Scar.”
Upon arrival to Akira’s luxurious abode at Volcano Vista, located 177 atmospheres below sea level in the world’s largest seascraper. He knows immediately something is wrong, when he is not greeted. He quickly gains entrance and discovers Akira has been locked in her AMP chamber, which has been padlocked. She has been frozen in the chamber with the introduction of nitrogen. as well as being neatly sliced into multiple pieces from head to toe. His senses foretold what he found. Although he is colorblind, he is also endowed with synesthesia, and perceives other senses that most would consider hallucinations. He can almost smell murder (the smell of ambergris) , which also floats in strands of green , while death always is accompanied by clouds of red ( both red and green are perceived differently in those that are colorblind). These afflictions have served him well, in both war and solving murders as a detective. He immediately appreciated a red cloud circling the AMP chamber and its seal oozed green.
McKinney weaves a complex and twisted path with multiple unexpected reveals as the Detective with No Name plunges into a non-sanctioned investigation of Akira’s murder. He will stop at nothing, endangering his career, marriage (on his fourth) and life. An immersive world building flows effortlessly through the pages. In his mind, he replays their history and possible motivations. Blended into this hardboiled detective fiction are a multiplicity of relevant themes: climate change, class distinctions, and humanities price to be paid for technological progress. Ultimately a disturbing cautionary tale evolves. Although this is the first volume in a trilogy, the end result is a satisfying denouement. Much like Sergio Leone’s spaghetti western trilogy, equally satisfying stories of the Detective with No Name are sure to follow.
Thanks to NetGallery and Soho Crime for supplying an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. Anticipated publication date: July 13, 2021. Published at Mystery and Suspense Magazine
July 25, 2021
MIDNIGHT, WATER CITY is speculative fiction, a genre that I don’t typically read. But the central character is a flawed, beaten-down police detective who failed to keep his best (estranged) friend --- who happens to be the most revered woman on the planet --- alive. Toss in the facts that author Chris McKinney is a writer of detective fiction who has never received the credit he deserves and that Soho Crime put its imprint on this, and I couldn’t resist, even though it’s the first entry in a trilogy. Did I mention that I’m trying to stay away from trilogies too? Still, I gave this one a shot, and I’m so glad I did. MIDNIGHT, WATER CITY is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.
The novel is set in 2142. Forty years earlier, a scientist named Akira Kimura announced that she had identified an incoming asteroid that was on a devastating and deadly collision course with Earth. She devised a powerful cosmic ray, set up the payload to deliver it, and averted the catastrophe. For the last four decades, she has been celebrated as the savior of the human race. Parents name children after her. She has what we currently call A-List recognition status. There is a scar across the sky created by the cosmic ray that is silent testimony to what she did, along with societal changes --- some good, some bad.
An unnamed police detective who used to be part of Akira’s security detail responds to her request for protection. But upon his arrival, he discovers that she has been brutally killed. Naturally he is on the shortlist of suspects. As an entire world mourns Akira’s passing, her one-time friend and hapless protector risks everything that he holds dear, including his life, to solve her murder and bring her some justice. He learns far more than he wishes, not only about her but also about himself and matters far above his pay grade.
McKinney gives us a cultural and scientific tour of the 22nd century that is more from the perspective of Robert A. Heinlein than Ben Bova. He describes, if you will, the spear with emphasis on the point as opposed to the delivery system. Thus he avoids getting too bogged down in details that would lead the reader away from the story instead of through it. McKinney is also a heck of a writer. I would have finished the book in half the time had I not spent a good deal of effort underlining his short observations and turns of phrase.
And if that wasn’t enough to make you want to hunt down and read MIDNIGHT, WATER CITY at your earliest convenience, I must note that while it is the opening installment of a trilogy, it is complete in itself. In other words, McKinney won’t leave you riding on a talking choo-choo train and have you wait five years to see what happens, like some people we know. Be prepared to read and underline long into the night.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
The novel is set in 2142. Forty years earlier, a scientist named Akira Kimura announced that she had identified an incoming asteroid that was on a devastating and deadly collision course with Earth. She devised a powerful cosmic ray, set up the payload to deliver it, and averted the catastrophe. For the last four decades, she has been celebrated as the savior of the human race. Parents name children after her. She has what we currently call A-List recognition status. There is a scar across the sky created by the cosmic ray that is silent testimony to what she did, along with societal changes --- some good, some bad.
An unnamed police detective who used to be part of Akira’s security detail responds to her request for protection. But upon his arrival, he discovers that she has been brutally killed. Naturally he is on the shortlist of suspects. As an entire world mourns Akira’s passing, her one-time friend and hapless protector risks everything that he holds dear, including his life, to solve her murder and bring her some justice. He learns far more than he wishes, not only about her but also about himself and matters far above his pay grade.
McKinney gives us a cultural and scientific tour of the 22nd century that is more from the perspective of Robert A. Heinlein than Ben Bova. He describes, if you will, the spear with emphasis on the point as opposed to the delivery system. Thus he avoids getting too bogged down in details that would lead the reader away from the story instead of through it. McKinney is also a heck of a writer. I would have finished the book in half the time had I not spent a good deal of effort underlining his short observations and turns of phrase.
And if that wasn’t enough to make you want to hunt down and read MIDNIGHT, WATER CITY at your earliest convenience, I must note that while it is the opening installment of a trilogy, it is complete in itself. In other words, McKinney won’t leave you riding on a talking choo-choo train and have you wait five years to see what happens, like some people we know. Be prepared to read and underline long into the night.
Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Read
June 19, 2023Soft DNF at 59%. Couldn't get invested in the characters or their shenanigans and I think it's in great part because the narrator just didn't do it for me, I'll probably try again in another format at some point.
March 31, 2022
I picked this up for the bioshock vibes and just got a lot of straight older man lamenting about his life and the state of the world. It wasn't horrible, there were interesting points, and the beginning of the novel I didn't mind the lamenting, but 80% of the way in complaining about the same points over and over again really started to drag the novel down.
Pros: the setting is really cool and well explained. Everything from the wealthy being lower and lower underwater with the working class on "floatburbs" or houses bobing up and down on the surface of the ocean. The actual mystery and progression through it was interesting.
Cons: god. the protagonist is so unlikable. Realistically I am probably just know the target demographic for this book, but god he was just so boring. Is this what straight people read because no wonder they don't read a lot. Our gruff MC is like 80 something married to a much younger and athletic woman, really seemed a bit patronizing, especially because despite all their problems, she forgives him instantly (...ok). Authors like this who portray women as just kinda there for plot convenience or deities (Ascelon) just don't know how to write a convincing woman, not that I would say he wrote a convincing male character either.
I am so mixed about this book. Its probably more of a 2.5. Can someone explain why this is a series? If it was a standalone, which it wraps the story, I would probably have more favorable thoughts, but a series? Why? For who? who wants more of these characters? I don't. I won't be coming back.
Pros: the setting is really cool and well explained. Everything from the wealthy being lower and lower underwater with the working class on "floatburbs" or houses bobing up and down on the surface of the ocean. The actual mystery and progression through it was interesting.
Cons: god. the protagonist is so unlikable. Realistically I am probably just know the target demographic for this book, but god he was just so boring. Is this what straight people read because no wonder they don't read a lot. Our gruff MC is like 80 something married to a much younger and athletic woman, really seemed a bit patronizing, especially because despite all their problems, she forgives him instantly (...ok). Authors like this who portray women as just kinda there for plot convenience or deities (Ascelon) just don't know how to write a convincing woman, not that I would say he wrote a convincing male character either.
I am so mixed about this book. Its probably more of a 2.5. Can someone explain why this is a series? If it was a standalone, which it wraps the story, I would probably have more favorable thoughts, but a series? Why? For who? who wants more of these characters? I don't. I won't be coming back.
January 7, 2025
Un interessantissimo neo-noir ambientato in una città sottomarina.. la terra strapiena di persone, ha ormai colonizzato i mari e anche i cieli..
A differenza di molti libri del genere, oltre all'originalità dell'ambientazione, si differenzia per una positività generale del futuro.. non è il classico noir cupo e oscuro, ma è molto solare e colorato.. nonostante questo non manca l azione e il mistero nell'indagine..
La cosa che ho amato di questo libro oltre a tanta originalità, è che in ogni pagina c'era una qualche idea geniale, trovate tecnologiche, sociali, ideologiche.. mi ha fatto divertire molto..
La capacità del protagonista di vedere e odorare la morte e gli omicidi (niente poteri, c'è una fantasiosa spiegazione scientifica) rende il tutto ancora più originale..
Unico difetto, nella parte centrale, a causa di molti racconti del passato, la storia rallenta un po' troppo.. per fortuna non diventa mai troppo noiosa, e nel terzo centinaio di pagine il tutto diventa di nuovo interessante, merito anche della profonda prosa dell'autore...
Un indagine atipica, e non frenetica come al solito, ma molto intelligente e complessa, con risvolti inaspettati e anche un po' filosofeggianti che finiscono per indagare molto della natura umana e dei rapporti familiari..
A differenza di molti libri del genere, oltre all'originalità dell'ambientazione, si differenzia per una positività generale del futuro.. non è il classico noir cupo e oscuro, ma è molto solare e colorato.. nonostante questo non manca l azione e il mistero nell'indagine..
La cosa che ho amato di questo libro oltre a tanta originalità, è che in ogni pagina c'era una qualche idea geniale, trovate tecnologiche, sociali, ideologiche.. mi ha fatto divertire molto..
La capacità del protagonista di vedere e odorare la morte e gli omicidi (niente poteri, c'è una fantasiosa spiegazione scientifica) rende il tutto ancora più originale..
Unico difetto, nella parte centrale, a causa di molti racconti del passato, la storia rallenta un po' troppo.. per fortuna non diventa mai troppo noiosa, e nel terzo centinaio di pagine il tutto diventa di nuovo interessante, merito anche della profonda prosa dell'autore...
Un indagine atipica, e non frenetica come al solito, ma molto intelligente e complessa, con risvolti inaspettati e anche un po' filosofeggianti che finiscono per indagare molto della natura umana e dei rapporti familiari..
May 21, 2021
A Future-Punk, Neo-Noir, Hard-Boiled, Enviro-Thriller that offers an astute commentary on society, science and the environment - both natural and man made.
That may seem like a lot to pack into just over 300 pages, and it is, but author Chris McKinney does so with a warm, almost conversational style which makes it seem effortless.
There is a lot to think about in this book. Does our reliance on technology and our interconnectedness actually cause us to be more guarded, distant, and lonely? What are we doing to the planet and how will we survive in the future? Will we even want to live in the future we create? Is our planet worth saving? Are we?
I picked up Midnight, Water City because I like futurism and detective stories. I couldn’t put it down because it was so much more than that.
4/5
That may seem like a lot to pack into just over 300 pages, and it is, but author Chris McKinney does so with a warm, almost conversational style which makes it seem effortless.
There is a lot to think about in this book. Does our reliance on technology and our interconnectedness actually cause us to be more guarded, distant, and lonely? What are we doing to the planet and how will we survive in the future? Will we even want to live in the future we create? Is our planet worth saving? Are we?
I picked up Midnight, Water City because I like futurism and detective stories. I couldn’t put it down because it was so much more than that.
4/5
December 21, 2021
4.5/5
Was Chris McKinney heavy handed in his noir detective cliches? Yes. Was that what I was looking for in this book? Also yes.
McKinney does the "Neo-Noir" genre proud in the same vein as Electric Sheep and Altered Carbon and we're left with a story of betrayal that you'll take personally as you grow attached to these characters.
I couldn't stop turning the page and I can't wait for the next two in this trilogy.
Was Chris McKinney heavy handed in his noir detective cliches? Yes. Was that what I was looking for in this book? Also yes.
McKinney does the "Neo-Noir" genre proud in the same vein as Electric Sheep and Altered Carbon and we're left with a story of betrayal that you'll take personally as you grow attached to these characters.
I couldn't stop turning the page and I can't wait for the next two in this trilogy.
August 20, 2021
Interesting premise. I liked the far future feel to this and the authors exploration of how we would need to grow and change to survive. The odd mystery/cop/noir feeling was odd but not unpleasant.
At times I found the narrative parts a little too belabored, taking away from the movement of the story.
In all, I thought it was well written if not my exact cup of tea.
‼️Quite a bit of language in this.
——
Thanks to Librio.Fm for this gifted ALC. All opinions are my own.
At times I found the narrative parts a little too belabored, taking away from the movement of the story.
In all, I thought it was well written if not my exact cup of tea.
‼️Quite a bit of language in this.
——
Thanks to Librio.Fm for this gifted ALC. All opinions are my own.
dnf
July 6, 2021DNF at 30%
This is one of those niche books that is for a very specific target audience, and I am NOT that audience.
While I find the murder mystery intriguing, everything else? Not so much. The worldbuilding isn’t really flushed out, and our MC is lackluster.
This is one of those niche books that is for a very specific target audience, and I am NOT that audience.
While I find the murder mystery intriguing, everything else? Not so much. The worldbuilding isn’t really flushed out, and our MC is lackluster.
January 31, 2024
It was a good enough book. I won’t be buying any more of the books. It was just fine
January 9, 2023
maybe a 3.5 if you wanted to be specific
i thought this book was fun! i’m happy that i was able to read something before classes start because who knows how much reading i’ll have to do for those.
i thought this book was fun! i’m happy that i was able to read something before classes start because who knows how much reading i’ll have to do for those.
Read
April 6, 2023I wanted to like this but the characters were so unlikeable and their motivations made no sense, and the wordbuilding seemed like it should be cool but I could never quite grasp it.
May 2, 2022
Picture this: a massive asteroid is careening toward Earth and only one person has the technical know-how to save the planet. Then, fast-forward sixty some odd years, to where the world has been saved! Mission accomplished! But now the scientist that saved the world feels threatened, so, naturally, she reaches out to the person who ran her security while she was saving the world. Only problem is, she’s dead when he arrives. Thankfully, in the years following saving the world, our MC (who is unnamed the entire story…) became a detective, so he should be able to handle this, right? Well, sort of. For a book featuring a trained detective, he acts more like a private investigator. A really grumpy, gloomy, cynical middle-aged PI who often wallows in self-pity, but, you know, still a PI. This book sounded so interesting! But I don’t think it delivered on what the synopsis promised, which was a letdown.
This story started out with that noir feel I was looking for, but quickly lost it once we left the Water City and didn’t come back to it until much later in the book. Noir has a seedy, dark feel where you’re going through dangerous alley’s and crashing clandestine meetings in clubs etc. Most of this story happens in a tropical paradise, not even in crowded cities, so the vibe I wanted quickly went away. I also was expecting more procedure considering the main character is a cop, but that quickly went out the window, too, and our main character relied on his special abilities more than anything else. He then follows that up with leaps in logic to figure out what’s happening, and when he isn’t doing that, he’s being actively hunted by the person he’s looking for anyway.
The action, and the plot of the story gets interrupted constantly with long, meandering discussions of how the world has changed from the main character’s youth. Focusing heavily on how much the world has altered, for better and worse, and how we got here as the human race. It was really interesting world building, honestly! But there was more of that then actual crime solving, murder, and conspiracy plot-lines, which made the overall story drag a bit. The book focused more on how we, as a society, are heading toward the future the author depicts in his book, which is, again, really interesting! But that’s not what I went into this story looking for, either, so I was a bit disappointed.
I think I was just expecting something different from this book based on the synopsis. I LOVE crime and mystery sci-fi with those cyberpunk and noir vibes. That’s what I thought this would mostly be. But instead, I was getting fed up with listening to the MC wallowing in self-pity and not really doing anything a detective should, even if the case was personal to him. The numerous side track world building explanations were cool, but there were too many in comparison to what the plot was trying to focus on, so things ended up feeling rather disjointed between what the MC was doing, and then the leap he’d make in figuring stuff out—it was very stream of consciousness honestly. Also, I wish this character actually had a name! All in all, this book sounded like utter perfection, but turned out not being what I expected, and was ultimately just not for me. Which is why I’m giving it 2.5 stars but rounding up because I did like the writing overall, just not the execution on the story elements.
This story started out with that noir feel I was looking for, but quickly lost it once we left the Water City and didn’t come back to it until much later in the book. Noir has a seedy, dark feel where you’re going through dangerous alley’s and crashing clandestine meetings in clubs etc. Most of this story happens in a tropical paradise, not even in crowded cities, so the vibe I wanted quickly went away. I also was expecting more procedure considering the main character is a cop, but that quickly went out the window, too, and our main character relied on his special abilities more than anything else. He then follows that up with leaps in logic to figure out what’s happening, and when he isn’t doing that, he’s being actively hunted by the person he’s looking for anyway.
The action, and the plot of the story gets interrupted constantly with long, meandering discussions of how the world has changed from the main character’s youth. Focusing heavily on how much the world has altered, for better and worse, and how we got here as the human race. It was really interesting world building, honestly! But there was more of that then actual crime solving, murder, and conspiracy plot-lines, which made the overall story drag a bit. The book focused more on how we, as a society, are heading toward the future the author depicts in his book, which is, again, really interesting! But that’s not what I went into this story looking for, either, so I was a bit disappointed.
I think I was just expecting something different from this book based on the synopsis. I LOVE crime and mystery sci-fi with those cyberpunk and noir vibes. That’s what I thought this would mostly be. But instead, I was getting fed up with listening to the MC wallowing in self-pity and not really doing anything a detective should, even if the case was personal to him. The numerous side track world building explanations were cool, but there were too many in comparison to what the plot was trying to focus on, so things ended up feeling rather disjointed between what the MC was doing, and then the leap he’d make in figuring stuff out—it was very stream of consciousness honestly. Also, I wish this character actually had a name! All in all, this book sounded like utter perfection, but turned out not being what I expected, and was ultimately just not for me. Which is why I’m giving it 2.5 stars but rounding up because I did like the writing overall, just not the execution on the story elements.
July 11, 2021
I read this as a murder mystery set in a science fiction novel. It's the 22nd century, there's been all sorts of environmental changes, and Akira, who managed to invent the technology that saved the world, has asked for help from an unnamed investigator who has synesthesia. He finds her dead and now he's out to find out what happened. To find out who killed her and why he's got to go down old paths- not always easy and get a better understanding of her life. His voice is a familiar one- the weary older detective- but its enlivened by the synesthesia. The world building underseas is interesting. This appears to be the first in a series so I expect to see that expand. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. The writing is good, the technology accessible, and the murder mystery nicely twisty. A good cross genre read.
July 13, 2021
I saw this book and its blurb, and I was intrigued by a mystery/crime thriller with the action taking place underwater. After finishing, I am not sure what I got. While this was definitely a mystery, the focus to me was more on the main character’s re-examining of his life and his choices after the death of his friend. Not that that is a bad thing, just not what I was expecting with this novel. That aside, this was a well-written noir mystery novel with an intriguing plot, and there was plenty of surprises to keep you guessing. Add in the wonders and pitfalls of science, and you have an interesting book to keep you entertained for a few hours. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
January 28, 2025
This novel is not very good, but I liked reading it all the same? It’s clear that McKinney wants to tell an engaging mystery, but the writing is functional at best, the worldbuilding is lackluster, and the characterization is minimal.
All that said, I ripped through this book on the flight back to California. The cover and the concept are very cool, and this was still eminently readable despite not being great.
All that said, I ripped through this book on the flight back to California. The cover and the concept are very cool, and this was still eminently readable despite not being great.
November 4, 2021
A really great blend of scifi and noir mystery. A little heavy-handed with the "This is the way history has happened" exposition/world-building, but overall a nice hardboiled detective story with a futuristic twist.
January 22, 2023
Great book. Old style detective noir in a futuristic setting with excellent writing.
July 10, 2021
Midnight, Water City is crime fiction set in near future where humanity has managed to recuperate from an ecological disaster. Science has found a way to build to the bottom of the oceans—for superrich—and on it for the average wealthy—and those who live above their means, like the protagonist. Age is just a number, as everyone can rejuvenate themselves. And everyone is happy with the way things are, because forty years earlier, the humanity avoided mass extinction by splitting an asteroid that was heading to earth.
The scientist responsible for the feat, Akira Kimura, is revered as near god. And then she’s found dead by her former security guy, who promptly becomes a suspect. Since he’s the only one who truly knew her, he sets out to investigate the crime.
Eighty years old but passing as forty, thanks to science, he’s disillusioned and about to blow his fourth marriage. The investigation is all he has left. It soon turns inwards and back in time, as he starts to question his relationship with Akira. And every new thing he learns makes him realise he didn’t know her at all, which means he doesn’t really know who he is anymore.
The mystery was interesting enough to keep me reading to the end. The reasons behind the crime were over the top, but in the context of sci-fi, they sort of worked. The ending was satisfying, and managed to utilise the more innovative aspects of the worldbuilding.
Still, this wasn’t a book for me. I’ve lost appetite for overly descriptive sentences that take forever to reach the point, and forced cynicism. And I’ve never had taste for middle-aged men wallowing in self-pity. Unfortunately, the entire plot relies on that—even if the middle-aged man in question is over eighty. I’m glad he found some clarity about his life in the end, but I can’t say I cared for him much. I can’t even recall his name—if it was even revealed in the book. If it wasn’t, I didn’t notice until it was time to write this review.
I seldom comment on the cover and title of the book, but they’re completely wrong for the book and set up expectations that the book simply doesn’t meet. This wasn’t neo noir set in seedy side alleys. And while midnight probably refers to the bottom of the ocean, most of the book took place in sunshine and in seaside paradise resorts of ultra-rich. My overall impression was bright warmth, which made the protagonist’s whining even more annoying.
If you have stomach for middle-aged men wallowing in self-pity, this is a book for you. If you are a middle-aged man wallowing in self-pity, read it. You might find a sympathetic soul in there.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The scientist responsible for the feat, Akira Kimura, is revered as near god. And then she’s found dead by her former security guy, who promptly becomes a suspect. Since he’s the only one who truly knew her, he sets out to investigate the crime.
Eighty years old but passing as forty, thanks to science, he’s disillusioned and about to blow his fourth marriage. The investigation is all he has left. It soon turns inwards and back in time, as he starts to question his relationship with Akira. And every new thing he learns makes him realise he didn’t know her at all, which means he doesn’t really know who he is anymore.
The mystery was interesting enough to keep me reading to the end. The reasons behind the crime were over the top, but in the context of sci-fi, they sort of worked. The ending was satisfying, and managed to utilise the more innovative aspects of the worldbuilding.
Still, this wasn’t a book for me. I’ve lost appetite for overly descriptive sentences that take forever to reach the point, and forced cynicism. And I’ve never had taste for middle-aged men wallowing in self-pity. Unfortunately, the entire plot relies on that—even if the middle-aged man in question is over eighty. I’m glad he found some clarity about his life in the end, but I can’t say I cared for him much. I can’t even recall his name—if it was even revealed in the book. If it wasn’t, I didn’t notice until it was time to write this review.
I seldom comment on the cover and title of the book, but they’re completely wrong for the book and set up expectations that the book simply doesn’t meet. This wasn’t neo noir set in seedy side alleys. And while midnight probably refers to the bottom of the ocean, most of the book took place in sunshine and in seaside paradise resorts of ultra-rich. My overall impression was bright warmth, which made the protagonist’s whining even more annoying.
If you have stomach for middle-aged men wallowing in self-pity, this is a book for you. If you are a middle-aged man wallowing in self-pity, read it. You might find a sympathetic soul in there.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2023
I was surprised to to find this more enjoyable than expected, considering the rather low average on Goodreads. But not enough to try and raise it.
Futuristic noir being on a seemingly never-ending trend, it only makes sense that, sooner or later, someone would decide we'd seen enough of cities becoming digital wastelands and take things literally down under. Like a Bioshock tale of murder and mad geniuses, the unnamed protagonist's quest to redeem himself quickly spirals into the search for a truth that could tear his world apart by throwing everything it believes into question - and everyone.
McKinney knows how to throw a lot of fancy tech and terminology out without overwhelming and manages some genuinely good turns of phrase here and there, as well as a few trenchant observations on the human condition. His characters are, in appropriate noir fashion, morally compromised and not all that likable but still compelling, trying to find their place in a world deluding itself into thinking it can do better with the second chance it got.
The problem, unfortunately, lies in the plot itself - namely, that it takes forever to get going and somehow loses steam when it does. So much important backstory has to be laid out in flashback scenes that the rhythm is erratic much of the time; worse, the actual mystery is so reliant on the story's internal logic - the use of seemingly impossible technology and a protagonist who sees things no one else does because of his sensory disabilities - that it rarely feels like any real detective work is being done. Which is sort of the point, but it meant I felt kept at arms length. Once the antagonist reveals themselves, the story becomes a series of violent encounters that grow repetitive, culminating in a rushed, unsatisfying climax. One lingering point of ambiguity is fairly inspired, but also a clear setup for a sequel I'm not sure I'm interested in tracking down.
It's a shame I can't recommend this more strongly, because McKinney is really onto something here - he just wasn't quite able to hook me.
Content Warnings: child murder, god complexes, casual misogyny, state-sanctioned murder, self-mutilation
Futuristic noir being on a seemingly never-ending trend, it only makes sense that, sooner or later, someone would decide we'd seen enough of cities becoming digital wastelands and take things literally down under. Like a Bioshock tale of murder and mad geniuses, the unnamed protagonist's quest to redeem himself quickly spirals into the search for a truth that could tear his world apart by throwing everything it believes into question - and everyone.
McKinney knows how to throw a lot of fancy tech and terminology out without overwhelming and manages some genuinely good turns of phrase here and there, as well as a few trenchant observations on the human condition. His characters are, in appropriate noir fashion, morally compromised and not all that likable but still compelling, trying to find their place in a world deluding itself into thinking it can do better with the second chance it got.
The problem, unfortunately, lies in the plot itself - namely, that it takes forever to get going and somehow loses steam when it does. So much important backstory has to be laid out in flashback scenes that the rhythm is erratic much of the time; worse, the actual mystery is so reliant on the story's internal logic - the use of seemingly impossible technology and a protagonist who sees things no one else does because of his sensory disabilities - that it rarely feels like any real detective work is being done. Which is sort of the point, but it meant I felt kept at arms length. Once the antagonist reveals themselves, the story becomes a series of violent encounters that grow repetitive, culminating in a rushed, unsatisfying climax. One lingering point of ambiguity is fairly inspired, but also a clear setup for a sequel I'm not sure I'm interested in tracking down.
It's a shame I can't recommend this more strongly, because McKinney is really onto something here - he just wasn't quite able to hook me.
Content Warnings: child murder, god complexes, casual misogyny, state-sanctioned murder, self-mutilation
August 8, 2024
And, FINALLY! something that truly piqued my interest!
This is a very good noir mystery set in a future where wealthy people live in skyscrapers built on the ocean floor, as the surface has become too hot and chemically contaminated. Of course, this means that only the poor live there. Some things never change... Technology also provides ways to prolong your life, pills for everything (even changing the colour of your skin), and everybody walks around with an iE's recording their whole lives.
Our narrator is a hardener ex-cop, now semi-retired, who once worked as a bodyguard (and unofficial assassin) for a brilliant scientist, Akira Kimura. Akira (oh, the irony of the name!) saved the world from a collision with an asteroid, giving her a god-like status. When Ascalon's Scar shines on the sky as proof of her victory, over both, the asteroid and her detractors, our nameless narrator's job is done.
But now, years later, Akira calls him in fear for her life and of course, he goes... and on arrival, he finds her dead, and her body desecrated. And here, the story begins.
We follow this less-than-perfect, biased and violent detective while he tries desperately to find the killer of his revered Akira; most probably to carry out his revenge rather than to bring them to justice.
The thing is, he has a particularity that makes him perfect for this task and has helped him during the war and as a cop: he can see and smell murder. It smells of ambergris and looks like a red and green mist. Death is only red but when green shows up, it's murder. Green is present in Akira's place of death so, even when the police are toying with the idea of suicide, he knows that it is murder.
And so, there he goes, in a non-sanctioned investigation, risking his career, his (fourth) marriage, his relationship with his daughter and his life in search of the truth. And boy! does he get more than he bargained for!
I truly enjoyed this story and I'm about to get straight into the second one.
This is a very good noir mystery set in a future where wealthy people live in skyscrapers built on the ocean floor, as the surface has become too hot and chemically contaminated. Of course, this means that only the poor live there. Some things never change... Technology also provides ways to prolong your life, pills for everything (even changing the colour of your skin), and everybody walks around with an iE's recording their whole lives.
Our narrator is a hardener ex-cop, now semi-retired, who once worked as a bodyguard (and unofficial assassin) for a brilliant scientist, Akira Kimura. Akira (oh, the irony of the name!) saved the world from a collision with an asteroid, giving her a god-like status. When Ascalon's Scar shines on the sky as proof of her victory, over both, the asteroid and her detractors, our nameless narrator's job is done.
But now, years later, Akira calls him in fear for her life and of course, he goes... and on arrival, he finds her dead, and her body desecrated. And here, the story begins.
We follow this less-than-perfect, biased and violent detective while he tries desperately to find the killer of his revered Akira; most probably to carry out his revenge rather than to bring them to justice.
The thing is, he has a particularity that makes him perfect for this task and has helped him during the war and as a cop: he can see and smell murder. It smells of ambergris and looks like a red and green mist. Death is only red but when green shows up, it's murder. Green is present in Akira's place of death so, even when the police are toying with the idea of suicide, he knows that it is murder.
And so, there he goes, in a non-sanctioned investigation, risking his career, his (fourth) marriage, his relationship with his daughter and his life in search of the truth. And boy! does he get more than he bargained for!
I truly enjoyed this story and I'm about to get straight into the second one.
August 30, 2024
Loved the set up and world building and honestly made me really see how no matter how far we could evolve as creatures or technology that we are still human and thus still do very human things. I HAD to get the second after reading the first. The hype didn't die for me.
March 10, 2022
An interesting concept set within a world of vast opportunity. Unfortunately, Chris McKinney fails to retain that interest as a result of failure to expand on these interesting concepts.
July 12, 2022
NOTE-DNF: 10%
When I bought this book I was enamored by the genre and the title. I love sci-fi and I've always been a sucker for noir books. Put together, I assume that nothing can go wrong! But *I* am wrong. The concept is intriguing, but I don't think that the writing style is my favorite: the narrative is written in first person, and, while I expect first person to be the most descriptive of the points of view, Chris McKinney doesn't seem to put a lot of effort into descriptions. There is little to no sentence variation (so far; remember, my DNF is quite low) and the protagonist, while equipped with a "special" set of skills, doesn't seem to interpret the world all too differently. Furthermore, this lack of description does further injustice to this book: the city's setting is vague and hard to follow.
In terms of the protagonist himself, I don't like him. Plain and simple. I could barely handle his monologues, no matter how short they were. I don't know if the protagonist is meant to seem a bit misogynist or if the author himself has some sort of patronizing outlook on women, but it's quite obvious. Furthermore, I don't know if (SPOLER: this is from the first pages of the book) race is truly a non-issue if the protagonist thinks that it's in poor taste for a Japanese woman to name something in her own language.
All in all, I think that I could overlook the one-sided, subtly racist, and misogynist protagonist (BARELY OVERLOOK THIS PROTAGONIST) if the writing were simply better. Maybe I just don't like Chris McKinney's writing style, though.
When I bought this book I was enamored by the genre and the title. I love sci-fi and I've always been a sucker for noir books. Put together, I assume that nothing can go wrong! But *I* am wrong. The concept is intriguing, but I don't think that the writing style is my favorite: the narrative is written in first person, and, while I expect first person to be the most descriptive of the points of view, Chris McKinney doesn't seem to put a lot of effort into descriptions. There is little to no sentence variation (so far; remember, my DNF is quite low) and the protagonist, while equipped with a "special" set of skills, doesn't seem to interpret the world all too differently. Furthermore, this lack of description does further injustice to this book: the city's setting is vague and hard to follow.
In terms of the protagonist himself, I don't like him. Plain and simple. I could barely handle his monologues, no matter how short they were. I don't know if the protagonist is meant to seem a bit misogynist or if the author himself has some sort of patronizing outlook on women, but it's quite obvious. Furthermore, I don't know if (SPOLER: this is from the first pages of the book) race is truly a non-issue if the protagonist thinks that it's in poor taste for a Japanese woman to name something in her own language.
All in all, I think that I could overlook the one-sided, subtly racist, and misogynist protagonist (BARELY OVERLOOK THIS PROTAGONIST) if the writing were simply better. Maybe I just don't like Chris McKinney's writing style, though.
August 23, 2022
(3.5/5) Such an interesting sci-fi, thriller mix that had a great premise to be an amazing, suspenseful story. But the jaded, “I’ve seen more life than you, kid” narrator ruined it for me.
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