TITANIUM NOIR by Nick Harkaway

5 stars

This intriguing, highly original, grabbing sci-fi murder mystery plunges you into a future Earth where a pharma company has come up with the ultimate fountain-of-youth genetic therapy shot, which naturally only can be afforded by billionaires or close relatives of the CEO founder. These souped-up, bulked-up, towering humans can live for centuries, and even longer with additional shots. They’re keeping the number of so-called Titans low, to ensure maximum power, maximum wealth accumulation, and elitism, and have come to look at the rest of humanity as mere mortals of little worth or consequence.

Bridging the world of the uber-Titans and the rest of humanity comes Cal Sounder, a private investigator working with the police on criminal incidents that involve Titans. Cal has managed to work in both worlds due to his long standing girlfriend Athena, a daughter of the Tonfamecasca family who founded the T7 therapy and who got turned into a Titan herself to keep her from dying.

The novel opens with a dead Titan lying in his apartment in a pool of blood, and Cal assigned to figure out just what the heck could possibly have happened that resulted in a Titan murder. Cal has to summon up all his connections across the city along with all his wits to start making connections. He also unexpectantly finds himself in mortal danger due to his investigation. With humor, amazing characterizations, and unexpected plot twists, this book is fantastic.

So hoping that Harkaway comes up with new challenges for Cal to tackle in future sequences!

Thanks to Knopf and Netgalley for an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.