An audio book.
A detective tale, set in the future with holograms, people on tech diets, and an AI/chatbot police computer called Riverton. Sometimes there's a "clear, droneless sky".
Salvi Brentt (her PoV, 3rd person), and Mitch Grenville are investigating the murder of Sharon, a young woman in an anti-tech religious community called Children of Christ. Not far away is the Solme complex. In a long infodump we're told how the complex accepts murderers, rapists, etc and perform therapy, insert brain implants, etc until the patients become "subjugates" then finally "serenes". It's controversial, with brain-washing tactics similar to the cult's. The complex makes money by producing biolume - a natural alternative to light bulbs.
Salvi and Mitch are still learning about each other. Mitch's wife had been murdered 4 years before, and might be a heavy drinker. She's a loner - anti-religious? A dead sister?
A young cult man, Tobias, admits to having sex with Sharon - a sin. Maybe the cult's enforcers over-reacted? Or maybe one of the subjugates (allowed out, escorted) had a relapse which Solme wants to hush up. The town attracts other strange characters - the complex's caretaker for example. And there's a slingshot (fast transit) station, so someone could have come from the big city.
Mitch gets drunk. He's cybersnooping Salvi. He's agressive towards her. Is he a suspect? Salvi learns that he was a suspect in his wife's unsolved case.
Solme will make money if neuro-tech becomes acceptable again. He owns the church in town which has drones shaped like birds that ask for donations. Role-play games are on offer where sinners can be crucified. Kevin, Tobias's room-mate, was there.
Sharon and Tobias are suspected of having had VR sex. In haptic suits Mitch and Salvi visit a site and find, among the themed rooms, a church. Later, Tobias and Kevin admit visiting the place, saying they're missionaries seeking sinners.
There's another murder - this time a woman of about 30. She's the prostitute Salvi saw Mitch with the night before. Salvi gets drunk and he takes her home. She tells him that her strictly religious parents contributed to her sister's suicide. He tells her about his guilt about not being around when his wife was killed. They sleep together.
Later she finds that their sexual activity has been recorded. She goes to the Solme complex to interview the caretaker. He attacks her, traps her. A subjugate helps her. In self-defence she kills the guilty caretaker with a crucifix. Mitch comes to the rescue having cybersnooped her again. At her hospital bed he tells her what had happened.
I wasn't keen on
- "blond-haired" (why not just "blond"?)
- "dark brown in color"
- "they looked alien in appearance"
- "he nodded to himself"
No comments:
Post a Comment