Review – Murder in Retrograde by Greg Hickey
Synopsis
A steadfast private detective. A case that would cover all his debts. When the first body drops, can he catch a killer before he’s cashed out?
In a litigious future America, detective Marcus Carver sticks to civil cases. When a space tech CEO wants him to investigate a business rival for illegal hydrocarbon combustion, Carver reluctantly agrees. But the case takes an explosive turn when the police find the target’s head of security murdered.
Determined to get to the bottom of things, Carver finds himself sucked into a morass of cyberpunk gangsters, cultish environmentalists and crooked cops. And when another body turns up, it’s clear this ruthless killer doesn’t intend to stop.
Can Carver crack the case before it blows up in his face?
Murder in Retrograde is a thrilling science fiction crime novel. If you like stories about dystopian systems and hard-boiled detectives battling corrupt institutions, then you’ll love Greg Hickey’s propulsive futuristic whodunit.
Read Murder in Retrograde today to enjoy a page-turning near-future mystery.
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Review
Set in the future, this sci-fi/mystery blend demonstrates that even the future cannot alter the nature of people or the fact that California is on fire.
I’m not sure how far into the future this book is set, but some aspects are appealing, such as crossing the country faster than a plane, or at least not having to go through security! Self-driving cars, although we are almost there now, and devices that people wear, called Holo-heads, which allow you to change how you appear to those who see you. This is an interesting concept, but it’s not one that could be beneficial. I imagine the crime rate would skyrocket because people could get away with more.
Marcus Carver is a former cop turned private investigator. He has been hired to look into a woman suspected of using combustible items in her home. However, this turns into something more, including uncovering who killed King and who is after Battle. I can barely fathom how he juggles all these cases, considering he is only being paid for one of them. However, not everything is as it appears, and it is up to Marcus to uncover the truth and set things right. There are some twists I didn’t expect, especially near the end.
While the story takes place over approximately a week (at the most), it is fast-paced as Marcus works to solve the mysteries and earn his fee. Life is expensive in the future.
We give this book 4 paws up.
About the Author
Greg Hickey is a former international professional baseball player and forensic scientist, and current endurance athlete and Amazon-bestselling author. His previous works include the novels Parabellum, The Friar’s Lantern and Our Dried Voices, the latter of which was a finalist for Foreword Reviews’ INDIES Science Fiction Book of the Year Award. He lives in Chicago with his wife and daughter.
