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City Blues #1
Dome City Blues
For fans of William Gibson, Phillip K. Dick, and Jak Koke…
Los Angeles: 2063
David Stalin was one of the best detectives in the business, running head-to-head with data-jackers, organ thieves, and the tech-enhanced gangs who ruled the shadowy streets of Los Angeles. He could do no wrong, until what seemed like an easy case got out of control, and left his wife dead among the abandoned ruins of old LA.
After four years of self-imposed retirement, David suddenly finds himself back on the job, struggling to unravel a crime far worse than murder. This time, he’s not the hunter. As he’s about to discover, the past isn’t finished with him yet.
Los Angeles: 2063
David Stalin was one of the best detectives in the business, running head-to-head with data-jackers, organ thieves, and the tech-enhanced gangs who ruled the shadowy streets of Los Angeles. He could do no wrong, until what seemed like an easy case got out of control, and left his wife dead among the abandoned ruins of old LA.
After four years of self-imposed retirement, David suddenly finds himself back on the job, struggling to unravel a crime far worse than murder. This time, he’s not the hunter. As he’s about to discover, the past isn’t finished with him yet.
316 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2011
89 people are currently reading
516 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Edwards
57 books131 followersJeff Edwards is a retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer, and an Anti-Submarine Warfare Specialist. His naval career spanned more than two decades and half the globe - from chasing Soviet nuclear attack submarines during the Cold War, to launching cruise missiles in the Persian Gulf. Collectively, his novels have won the Admiral Nimitz Award for Outstanding Naval Fiction, the Reader’s Choice Award, the Clive Cussler Grandmaster Award for Adventure Writing, and the American Author Medal. He lives in California, where he consults for the Department of Defense.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
June 16, 2016
This is a mashup of a modern noir story with an inept stab at cyberpunk. I note this book was copyrighted in 1995 and again in 2015. I reads like it spent 20-years on the shelf.
The core of this book has a very old fashioned, straightforward noir plot. It has the: Private Dick, the Good Bad Girl, the Pervert, etc. and it of course it takes place in The City.
Writing is workmanlike. Action scenes are well done. Descriptive text, outside of the dystopian future world, is likewise well-done. Although, it is by no means as good as, “It was a blonde. A blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained-glass window.” (Chandler). Dialog is a mixed bag. There is an unlikely overuse of multisyllabic words by several characters. You've got thugs and Johnny Lunchbuckets speaking like English PhDs. It makes them unconvincing in their parts. Tech-talk is mostly credible, if you don't know a lot about technology.
In general, the story had an overall good noir 'look and feel'.
Then, the cyberpunk was unsuccessfully grafted onto the story. The author only had a slim grasp of cyberpunk and the digital future.
Cyberpunk is applied as a thin, coat of 80's Goth/90's Techno, megacorps and embedded tech over the base noir story like cheap paint. I felt the author doesn't understand that genre or just suffered from a lack of imagination.
Cyberpunk's grim reality of a society being massively disrupted by tech is absent or unconvincing from this story. The story's future world reads like its slapped together from snippets of the cyberpunk stories of: William Gibson, Bruce Sterling , James Patrick Kelly and (early) Greg Bear. The cyberpunk is pure titillation. Its a real shame, because, the author does well with the noir genre parts of the story inspired by: Dashiell Hammett, James Cain and Raymond Chandler.
The author's digital future is too much the digital past. (Maybe even the analog past.) The following is an example of how far the author's vision of the future went astray:
I thanked them both for their help and left then my name and phone number on on a scrap of paper. I was doing it a lot lately; I really needed to get some business cards printed up. (Page 90.)
The author's vision of the future is too grounded in the '90's. The year is 2063. Where is the promise of the 'paperless society' and truly ubiquitous communications? Frankly, I'm surprised Stalin (the main character) wasn't using a land line, pay phone on a street corner to make calls, like proper noir private dicks.
This book had potential as a modern noir story of the 00's. However, the author misapplies the worst of the (now) worn-out Cyberpunk sub-genre to his core story. It made what could have been a good noir story into a poor noir/cyberpunk cross-over.
Finally, this book reminded me a lot of Carlucci 3-in-1 by Richard Paul Russo. However, Russo did a much better job at the noir/cyberpunk cross-over.
The core of this book has a very old fashioned, straightforward noir plot. It has the: Private Dick, the Good Bad Girl, the Pervert, etc. and it of course it takes place in The City.
Writing is workmanlike. Action scenes are well done. Descriptive text, outside of the dystopian future world, is likewise well-done. Although, it is by no means as good as, “It was a blonde. A blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained-glass window.” (Chandler). Dialog is a mixed bag. There is an unlikely overuse of multisyllabic words by several characters. You've got thugs and Johnny Lunchbuckets speaking like English PhDs. It makes them unconvincing in their parts. Tech-talk is mostly credible, if you don't know a lot about technology.
In general, the story had an overall good noir 'look and feel'.
Then, the cyberpunk was unsuccessfully grafted onto the story. The author only had a slim grasp of cyberpunk and the digital future.
Cyberpunk is applied as a thin, coat of 80's Goth/90's Techno, megacorps and embedded tech over the base noir story like cheap paint. I felt the author doesn't understand that genre or just suffered from a lack of imagination.
Cyberpunk's grim reality of a society being massively disrupted by tech is absent or unconvincing from this story. The story's future world reads like its slapped together from snippets of the cyberpunk stories of: William Gibson, Bruce Sterling , James Patrick Kelly and (early) Greg Bear. The cyberpunk is pure titillation. Its a real shame, because, the author does well with the noir genre parts of the story inspired by: Dashiell Hammett, James Cain and Raymond Chandler.
The author's digital future is too much the digital past. (Maybe even the analog past.) The following is an example of how far the author's vision of the future went astray:
I thanked them both for their help and left then my name and phone number on on a scrap of paper. I was doing it a lot lately; I really needed to get some business cards printed up. (Page 90.)
The author's vision of the future is too grounded in the '90's. The year is 2063. Where is the promise of the 'paperless society' and truly ubiquitous communications? Frankly, I'm surprised Stalin (the main character) wasn't using a land line, pay phone on a street corner to make calls, like proper noir private dicks.
This book had potential as a modern noir story of the 00's. However, the author misapplies the worst of the (now) worn-out Cyberpunk sub-genre to his core story. It made what could have been a good noir story into a poor noir/cyberpunk cross-over.
Finally, this book reminded me a lot of Carlucci 3-in-1 by Richard Paul Russo. However, Russo did a much better job at the noir/cyberpunk cross-over.
September 28, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyable
This book is set in the future, where things we don't even think of are everyday occurances. But things don't always go as planned. Jeff Edwards must have one hell of a brain to write such an engrossing story. Loved it!!
This book is set in the future, where things we don't even think of are everyday occurances. But things don't always go as planned. Jeff Edwards must have one hell of a brain to write such an engrossing story. Loved it!!
June 2, 2016
This book has some major believability issues in it for me. One of the important story assumptions is that people can now be digitized and ran as a program (they're called Turing scions in the book). All right, good enough. Unfortunately, if you leave them on for a week at a time, they go nuts, because time passes very fast for them (since they run fast like a real computer program should) and they go insane because a 1000 years has passed already. This sounds silly. For one thing the book says these things are consumer-level. I don't believe for a second that anyone would sell stuff like that to consumers, they'd be sued out of existance. The other reason why this is stupid is that contrary to author's belief programs do not run with the speed of light or whatever. They run as fast as the CPU can do it. Run it on a slower CPU and problem solved. Not to mention that inputting a few strategic delays here and there would slow the scion down as needed. I wouldn't care too much about that if it didn't play in a major way later in the novel.
The next issue is that apparently the world has gone to shit as usual, there are large domes over cities now and all around the domes is a toxic wasteland (I don't remember clearly whether it's everywhere like that or just LA or it's never explained). Well, my guess is that such huge changes in the people's way of life would have a huge impact on the social structure. Not according to the author. His Dome City LA is not much different from any other near future American city. Right at the start of the book he puts the action in the Zone - a dangerous place that cops don't go at night to, the taxis don't drive to, etc. And the only time this plays in the book is in a scene that does not concern the protagonist at all, he's just passing by. You can't really distinguish between the Zone and the rest of the city.
The protagonist is supposedly "the best" private detective, he's just retired because of tragic past events. Cops come to his house.
"Hey, we're cops. We're here about the murder."
"I thought the investigation was closed."
"What investigation?"
"That serial killer investigation."
"What? We're not here about that!"
And then that line of the discussion is just dropped. Cops don't behave that way, private detectives don't behave that way. Idiots do.
The last major issue is that his best friend (and important character) is a disabled war vet. With a succesful neurosurgery R&D firm. Riiiight. Now that's a comfortably well-off cyberpunk if I've ever seen one. All in all, the book leaves that feeling that the future is not as distopian as it properly should be - more like cybercomfy and cyberplush with all the Starbucks when you need 'em.
The next issue is that apparently the world has gone to shit as usual, there are large domes over cities now and all around the domes is a toxic wasteland (I don't remember clearly whether it's everywhere like that or just LA or it's never explained). Well, my guess is that such huge changes in the people's way of life would have a huge impact on the social structure. Not according to the author. His Dome City LA is not much different from any other near future American city. Right at the start of the book he puts the action in the Zone - a dangerous place that cops don't go at night to, the taxis don't drive to, etc. And the only time this plays in the book is in a scene that does not concern the protagonist at all, he's just passing by. You can't really distinguish between the Zone and the rest of the city.
The protagonist is supposedly "the best" private detective, he's just retired because of tragic past events. Cops come to his house.
"Hey, we're cops. We're here about the murder."
"I thought the investigation was closed."
"What investigation?"
"That serial killer investigation."
"What? We're not here about that!"
And then that line of the discussion is just dropped. Cops don't behave that way, private detectives don't behave that way. Idiots do.
The last major issue is that his best friend (and important character) is a disabled war vet. With a succesful neurosurgery R&D firm. Riiiight. Now that's a comfortably well-off cyberpunk if I've ever seen one. All in all, the book leaves that feeling that the future is not as distopian as it properly should be - more like cybercomfy and cyberplush with all the Starbucks when you need 'em.
February 27, 2016
"Cinched tight around her waist was a broad black belt with leaves of ivy embroidered in metallic green thread. Her shoes were those impossibly high stiletto pumps that street kids call 'fuck-me shoes'.
She was beautiful; as beautiful as surgical boutiques & DNA-modifying viral cultures could make her.
Beautiful. Perfect. Artificial."
Like yer Cyberpunk with a generous dollop of Noir? If you enjoyed 'Blade-runner' (the movie), chances are you'll like this.
Wavering between 3 1/2 & 4 stars for this book written in 1992, but only released in 2011.
She was beautiful; as beautiful as surgical boutiques & DNA-modifying viral cultures could make her.
Beautiful. Perfect. Artificial."
Like yer Cyberpunk with a generous dollop of Noir? If you enjoyed 'Blade-runner' (the movie), chances are you'll like this.
Wavering between 3 1/2 & 4 stars for this book written in 1992, but only released in 2011.
November 3, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. The noir detective story with its dystopian setting and sci-fi elements was a treat due to its originality. The characters were great and drew you right into the story.
June 1, 2016
This book didn't grab me at all. At least a few portions were interesting.
July 7, 2018
I had come across the author some time back due to his submarine / naval fiction. I was surprised to see him in the sci-fi section with detective novels. This book wasn't published for nearly 20 years. The author said it was some of his first work.
Right at the beginning you need to realize this is a 1990 view of 2063. So no Internet, smart phones and things that are common place today. But here you find AI's, jackers in the Net, hovercars and a hard boiled detective. This book drips noire. As a towel would after landing on a wet street under a heavy sky. For the most part the descriptions and general flow work.
I want House. The main character has a very cool house AI named, House. I'll take it and its robotic helpers over a smart phone everyday. The interactions of our hard boiled detective with House while drinking scotch and listening to the Blues are just cool.
This is a fun book. It isn't trying to be anything more than a future noire novel with AI hanging out on the net. Look beyond the need for the main character to head home to check his messages. Just luxuriate in the words and feelings of David Stalin.
Right at the beginning you need to realize this is a 1990 view of 2063. So no Internet, smart phones and things that are common place today. But here you find AI's, jackers in the Net, hovercars and a hard boiled detective. This book drips noire. As a towel would after landing on a wet street under a heavy sky. For the most part the descriptions and general flow work.
I want House. The main character has a very cool house AI named, House. I'll take it and its robotic helpers over a smart phone everyday. The interactions of our hard boiled detective with House while drinking scotch and listening to the Blues are just cool.
This is a fun book. It isn't trying to be anything more than a future noire novel with AI hanging out on the net. Look beyond the need for the main character to head home to check his messages. Just luxuriate in the words and feelings of David Stalin.
September 22, 2021
Full review over at Cozy with Books
A mix of noir, mystery, and PI and cyberpunk, the book takes place in the ruinous future of LA where the only decent life, away from the pollution, radiation, and acid rain, can be found underneath the protection of Domes. David Stalin is an ex-PI turned sculptor who takes on a case, only to take a look and no promises to the client. However, the more he investigates, the deeper in he's dragged until he catches way too much attention and eventually can no longer back out.
I thought it was a pretty good read and loved the world, but the characters and plot themselves didn't particularly catch my attention. It was still a decent page turner and it was interesting to read how things turned out in the end. I'm intrigued enough to look into book two and can't wait to get to it.
A mix of noir, mystery, and PI and cyberpunk, the book takes place in the ruinous future of LA where the only decent life, away from the pollution, radiation, and acid rain, can be found underneath the protection of Domes. David Stalin is an ex-PI turned sculptor who takes on a case, only to take a look and no promises to the client. However, the more he investigates, the deeper in he's dragged until he catches way too much attention and eventually can no longer back out.
I thought it was a pretty good read and loved the world, but the characters and plot themselves didn't particularly catch my attention. It was still a decent page turner and it was interesting to read how things turned out in the end. I'm intrigued enough to look into book two and can't wait to get to it.
November 4, 2017
I really liked this book a lot. It is a great mystery and detective story, set in a future that seemed quite believable. The Dome City is Los Angeles - in a world where people, the fortunate ones, live under domes because of the ecological mess we've made of the world. And yet, humans continue to be humans. A man tapes his own suicide after confessing to a string of heinous murders. The man's sister wants an ex-detective to get back in the saddle and prove her brother's innocence. Wonderful characters, and a plot that is full of twists, turns and surprises. Well written and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. Sex and language may make this better for older readers.
December 27, 2017
This is a great book for anyone who loves science fiction detective noir with big doses of cyberpunk/technology thrown in. I can't describe the main character as 'down on his luck' as his place is more tricked out than mine. Of course, he fits the formula of having lost his partner (there's a twist in there) and being drawn into a case by a beautiful dame. From there, it is really creative and the pieces fit really well. This is a wild adventure that takes the reader set in the future domed city of Los Angeles and even outside the dome in some of the sleaziest dives ever. This is the best blend ever of science fiction/detective/noir/technology with the blues thrown in.
February 23, 2018
Definitely a much different story than the naval thrillers I am used to, from Edwards!
After reading the 'Authors Note' and gaining a sense of understanding from it, I am more inclined to like the book, than I was beforehand. It is well written, just not what I would necessarily normally pick up.
I saw where the plot was going, bad guy wise, but there was a twist that I definitely hadn't been expecting, which is always a nice thing, for me.
Definitely worth checking into, particularly if you're into sci-fi and dystopian story lines.
- CJ
After reading the 'Authors Note' and gaining a sense of understanding from it, I am more inclined to like the book, than I was beforehand. It is well written, just not what I would necessarily normally pick up.
I saw where the plot was going, bad guy wise, but there was a twist that I definitely hadn't been expecting, which is always a nice thing, for me.
Definitely worth checking into, particularly if you're into sci-fi and dystopian story lines.
- CJ
June 9, 2020
A Good Read
Having finished season two of Altered Carbon, I was in the mood for sci-fi noir. I'd purchased this book years ago and decided to finally give it a shot.
The novel was the fix I needed to a point. I was intrigued by the dystopian, cyber punk feel, the reality of life for the everyman and, the mystery.
My chief issue with the book was that it was a bit easy for me to figure out "who done it" based on not so subtle foreshadowing.
That said, I am actually looking forward to reading the second novel in the short lived series.
Having finished season two of Altered Carbon, I was in the mood for sci-fi noir. I'd purchased this book years ago and decided to finally give it a shot.
The novel was the fix I needed to a point. I was intrigued by the dystopian, cyber punk feel, the reality of life for the everyman and, the mystery.
My chief issue with the book was that it was a bit easy for me to figure out "who done it" based on not so subtle foreshadowing.
That said, I am actually looking forward to reading the second novel in the short lived series.
October 25, 2023
This was a really good mix of noir mystery and sci-fi. The world was interesting, it felt very gritty and grimy, it was easy to imagine a world that looked and felt like a future LA. I liked the main character and felt like he was realistic as a PI. Of course it had the usual stereotypical PI story and characters, not to mention lots of smoking and drinking, like a good PI book should. It was entertaining and exciting. Overall 3.5 out of 5 stars.
December 9, 2019
First conceived in the early 90s, this detective noir/cyberpunk mash-up incorporates pretty much every trope imaginable from both genres and has, to put it mildly, not aged overly well. Still an entertaining enough story, though predictable in many ways, and I found myself losing interest long before the end.
August 23, 2017
A classic lone detective story set in pseudo-cyberpunk setting. Closer to the end author dropped any attempts to follow common sense and everything drops into a land of poorly written fantasy with blasters.
June 23, 2017
Gritty
A real page turner! I couldn't put this book away until I finished it. David Stalin makes things easy as pie to believe the L.A. he lives in is real.
A real page turner! I couldn't put this book away until I finished it. David Stalin makes things easy as pie to believe the L.A. he lives in is real.
October 25, 2017
Excellent hard-boiled detective novel set in 2063. I kept seeing a young Robert Mitchum as David Stalin while I was reading this. I hope this gets optioned for a movie.
March 20, 2017
What an imagination! The author created a world I'm not sure I would want to live in and made it believable and real! The plot has plenty of twists and keeps the story moving at a good pace, revealing only enough at the time to make the story plausible and to keep your interest level up.
Included elements of the noir genre which I always like.
Fun read!
Included elements of the noir genre which I always like.
Fun read!
October 12, 2013
When I was first approached by the authors representative to review this book I was fully expecting to receive another in the long line of lackluster works hustled out by an upstart author and their upstart publication house. However, what I received was a compelling and masterfully written book by an accomplished author named Jeff Edwards. Having not previously known Mr. Edwards works I was curious to find out who he was and was pleasantly surprised to see he has quite the accomplished career. With two previously well received books entitled Sea of Shadows and The Seventh Angel, Edwards has received acclaim to the tune of the Admiral Nimitz Award, Reader's Choice Award, Clive Cussler Grandmaster Award and the American Author Medal. So there is no doubt that Edwards can write a good book but how has he done with The Dome City Blues? Well, lets find out.
From the first chapter I was comforted by the ease of Mr. Edwards writing ability. His style of writing makes for both an entertaining and easy read. Most authors carpet bomb the works with obvious over use of a thesaurus, but Edwards writes with common everyday vernacular that makes his writing very comfortable to envision. Beyond the words is where Edwards true talents come forth. His vision of a future world where some opt for surgical alterations to fit their particular professions and talents makes for an interesting vision of a future where people and technology have blended to make a seductively dangerous population. Stuck between the cracks of an ever changing construct of technology and death is retired Detective David Stalin.
D. Stalin, retired and intent on staying that way, is a gritty former Army enlistee surrounded by a world where viruses have decimated the human population and where sin and gluttony rule the day. When Stalin is approached with an intriguing proposition that may pull him from the moth balls and throw him back in the thick of it, he once again begins to taste the tempting sweetness of curiosity. While Stalin can be a gritty no nonsense type of character that fits well with the environment he stars in, he is also a throw back to a more civil era where people had manners and sin was hidden within the shadows of society. It is the ultimate sin, murder, that peeks his interest when a sultry vixen named Sonja Winter crosses his path with an intriguing and perplexing offer.
Sonja Winter in all respects is the definition of temptation and with a body capable of turning heads and emptying wallets it is no surprise that Stalin pays a little more attention to her offer. Faced with the death of her brother Michael, Sonja is determined to prove that her brother did not commit suicide but was rather murdered. Stalin, reluctant to come out of retirement, is rather hesitant to pay any heed to Sonja's dilemma but when Sonja informs Stalin of Michael's alleged wrong doings, Stalin becomes more and more willing to dive back in the muck of investigative work.
As the book progresses you will share in Stalin's fight for survival and question his tactics as he attempts to solve what proves to be an outstanding mystery. You will see what has become of Los Angeles in the year 2063 and you will be surrounded by the technological construct created by man in an attempt to right passed wrongs. Overall, you should walk away from this book as I have, pleased with how the book is not only written but portrayed; a story of the best and worst that man kind has to offer and as also a notice that no matter how much can change there are some things that always remain the same.
Jeff Edwards has done an amazing job studying the human condition and wrapping it in a SciFi package. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and look forward to reading his other works.
Recommended.
From the first chapter I was comforted by the ease of Mr. Edwards writing ability. His style of writing makes for both an entertaining and easy read. Most authors carpet bomb the works with obvious over use of a thesaurus, but Edwards writes with common everyday vernacular that makes his writing very comfortable to envision. Beyond the words is where Edwards true talents come forth. His vision of a future world where some opt for surgical alterations to fit their particular professions and talents makes for an interesting vision of a future where people and technology have blended to make a seductively dangerous population. Stuck between the cracks of an ever changing construct of technology and death is retired Detective David Stalin.
D. Stalin, retired and intent on staying that way, is a gritty former Army enlistee surrounded by a world where viruses have decimated the human population and where sin and gluttony rule the day. When Stalin is approached with an intriguing proposition that may pull him from the moth balls and throw him back in the thick of it, he once again begins to taste the tempting sweetness of curiosity. While Stalin can be a gritty no nonsense type of character that fits well with the environment he stars in, he is also a throw back to a more civil era where people had manners and sin was hidden within the shadows of society. It is the ultimate sin, murder, that peeks his interest when a sultry vixen named Sonja Winter crosses his path with an intriguing and perplexing offer.
Sonja Winter in all respects is the definition of temptation and with a body capable of turning heads and emptying wallets it is no surprise that Stalin pays a little more attention to her offer. Faced with the death of her brother Michael, Sonja is determined to prove that her brother did not commit suicide but was rather murdered. Stalin, reluctant to come out of retirement, is rather hesitant to pay any heed to Sonja's dilemma but when Sonja informs Stalin of Michael's alleged wrong doings, Stalin becomes more and more willing to dive back in the muck of investigative work.
As the book progresses you will share in Stalin's fight for survival and question his tactics as he attempts to solve what proves to be an outstanding mystery. You will see what has become of Los Angeles in the year 2063 and you will be surrounded by the technological construct created by man in an attempt to right passed wrongs. Overall, you should walk away from this book as I have, pleased with how the book is not only written but portrayed; a story of the best and worst that man kind has to offer and as also a notice that no matter how much can change there are some things that always remain the same.
Jeff Edwards has done an amazing job studying the human condition and wrapping it in a SciFi package. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and look forward to reading his other works.
Recommended.
January 13, 2012
Dome City Blues by Jeff Edwards
John Edwards generally writes military fiction. Dome City Blues is his first entry into science fiction. In a ruined earth people of the population lives in Domes to protect themselves from the environment that they have ruined. A grieving former private detective rediscovers his life.
My only hope is that Jeff Edwards continues to write science fiction. I consider this a stellar first effort. His character, David Stalin, was developed as an eminently likable human being with demonstrable flaws. His hopes and fears were realistic and generated an empathetic read.
Edwards did an excellent job or training dystopian future dominated by corporations. When David left the domes you could almost feel the itch in your throat and burning your eyes from the polluted atmosphere.
The plot was intricate and complex without being confusing. Edwards did a great job in masking the true villain and keeping your interest until the end of the story. There's plenty of action and in some cases depraved morality but the protagonist demonstrates positive morals and ethics.
I certainly hope this won't be the last science fiction we see from Jeff Edwards because I are truly enjoyed it.
I highly recommend it.
John Edwards generally writes military fiction. Dome City Blues is his first entry into science fiction. In a ruined earth people of the population lives in Domes to protect themselves from the environment that they have ruined. A grieving former private detective rediscovers his life.
My only hope is that Jeff Edwards continues to write science fiction. I consider this a stellar first effort. His character, David Stalin, was developed as an eminently likable human being with demonstrable flaws. His hopes and fears were realistic and generated an empathetic read.
Edwards did an excellent job or training dystopian future dominated by corporations. When David left the domes you could almost feel the itch in your throat and burning your eyes from the polluted atmosphere.
The plot was intricate and complex without being confusing. Edwards did a great job in masking the true villain and keeping your interest until the end of the story. There's plenty of action and in some cases depraved morality but the protagonist demonstrates positive morals and ethics.
I certainly hope this won't be the last science fiction we see from Jeff Edwards because I are truly enjoyed it.
I highly recommend it.
June 17, 2014
I loved it. A fast moving noir style mystery set in LA in 2063. I won this book in a First Read contest on Goodreads. I was not sure I was into this genre but I have enjoyed the JD Robb books set in the future so wanted to give it a try.
Dome City Blues is a great fast pace mystery that kept me reading late into the night. If I had more reading time I would have read it straight through. What is really interesting was the author wrote it 22 years ago but never had released it. He decided not to do a major rewrite but just give it some tweaks and release it. I am glad he did. I would really like to read some more David Stalin mysteries.
Five years after the death of his wife and partner in their detective agency, David Stalin has closed his agency and turned to metal sculpture. While having a drink in a bar he is approached by a beautiful woman who wants him to prove her brother is not a killer even though he confessed to the murders and then committed suicide on film. Stalin does not want to go back to being detective but finally says he will look into the case and let her know. The more he digs into the case the deeper he gets drawn in.
Lots of twists and turns. Great reading.
Dome City Blues is a great fast pace mystery that kept me reading late into the night. If I had more reading time I would have read it straight through. What is really interesting was the author wrote it 22 years ago but never had released it. He decided not to do a major rewrite but just give it some tweaks and release it. I am glad he did. I would really like to read some more David Stalin mysteries.
Five years after the death of his wife and partner in their detective agency, David Stalin has closed his agency and turned to metal sculpture. While having a drink in a bar he is approached by a beautiful woman who wants him to prove her brother is not a killer even though he confessed to the murders and then committed suicide on film. Stalin does not want to go back to being detective but finally says he will look into the case and let her know. The more he digs into the case the deeper he gets drawn in.
Lots of twists and turns. Great reading.
February 13, 2017
Enjoyable, fun concept.
February 26, 2023
David Stalin has no intention of being a private detective again, but a string of gruesome murders draws him back in.
This story is set into the not-so-distant cyberpunk future when the earth's air is hardly breadable and cities have been covered by giant domes. Everything has been automated and handed over to artificial intelligence that is gaining more and more control over people.
I saw this story compared to some of William Gibson's best work. I would not go as far as that. However, it is a well written and griping story set an in interesting environment.
I was surprised to learn that this book was actually written in 1992 and hardly any changes were made to it when it was released. It's incredible how timely this still feels. Only the representation of the virtual world seems a bit dated, but otherwise you wouldn't guess its age.
This story is set into the not-so-distant cyberpunk future when the earth's air is hardly breadable and cities have been covered by giant domes. Everything has been automated and handed over to artificial intelligence that is gaining more and more control over people.
I saw this story compared to some of William Gibson's best work. I would not go as far as that. However, it is a well written and griping story set an in interesting environment.
I was surprised to learn that this book was actually written in 1992 and hardly any changes were made to it when it was released. It's incredible how timely this still feels. Only the representation of the virtual world seems a bit dated, but otherwise you wouldn't guess its age.
March 12, 2014
For fans of Blade runner and Ghost in the shell, this world really echos these two movies and also has the noir detective element too from Blade Runner.
The story follows a PI on his journey to track a serial killer and although this may not sound like the most original of ideas, the mystery itself, the story unfolding, the characters and sci-fi elements make this idea something that's not been done before. Each of the futuristic ideas through out the book come into play and are bought together for a satisfying and suspenful finale! Great twists.
I would sum this book up as a dark technological thriller with a human heart, if your into the above mentioned movies go check this out at Amazon!
The story follows a PI on his journey to track a serial killer and although this may not sound like the most original of ideas, the mystery itself, the story unfolding, the characters and sci-fi elements make this idea something that's not been done before. Each of the futuristic ideas through out the book come into play and are bought together for a satisfying and suspenful finale! Great twists.
I would sum this book up as a dark technological thriller with a human heart, if your into the above mentioned movies go check this out at Amazon!
May 31, 2014
This was an interesting read because it takes place in 2063, when a retired PI is brought back to work by a client. I enjoyed it, liked how things were different in this time and yet the same and worse. Your house was computerized and could tell you anything you wanted --- where were your cigarettes, with a reminder that you're due for your Smoking Cigarette Cancer Booster shot. Let you know where you left your car keys (although neither of our cars require car keys now) - make your coffee for you, get you up on time. And yet the detective was still a detective operating as he probably would have now! Was not what I expected at all and yet most interesting. Good read!
August 26, 2015
Still in progress, but... nice little future-noir murder mystery.
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Just finished it, and my preliminary review pretty much stands. Nicely-written little future-noir murder mystery, with a decent-sized cyberpunk streak. Rather dark, and the future projected seems... technologically unlikely in certain ways (for example, we've got acid rain pretty much solved), but it doesn't detract from the story. Engaging characters, plot twists I didn't expect, and so on. Basically, if the description I gave in my preliminary review sounds like something you'd want to read, then you should read it.
I got this from Goodreads in exchange for a review, insert standard boilerplate here.
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Just finished it, and my preliminary review pretty much stands. Nicely-written little future-noir murder mystery, with a decent-sized cyberpunk streak. Rather dark, and the future projected seems... technologically unlikely in certain ways (for example, we've got acid rain pretty much solved), but it doesn't detract from the story. Engaging characters, plot twists I didn't expect, and so on. Basically, if the description I gave in my preliminary review sounds like something you'd want to read, then you should read it.
I got this from Goodreads in exchange for a review, insert standard boilerplate here.
December 12, 2016
This book combines the best of old school detective noir with a cyberpunk twist. Like any other detective noir, our protagonist David Stalin is a broken man. He takes up art in order revive to himself but he is healed after he jumps back into the game of a good old mystery solving.
This book has a character typical of the old school detective movies; chain smoking, gun weilding and an emotionally scarred detective. The freshness is the fact that this character is in a post aployptic, cyber-enhanced world.
For me this book combines the best of two worlds and is a definitive read for those who are interested to see the medley of the two worlds.
This book has a character typical of the old school detective movies; chain smoking, gun weilding and an emotionally scarred detective. The freshness is the fact that this character is in a post aployptic, cyber-enhanced world.
For me this book combines the best of two worlds and is a definitive read for those who are interested to see the medley of the two worlds.
June 30, 2014
This book was so freaking good. I was fortunate enough to get a copy from the author on goodreads. I am so glad that I did. The main character was believable and likeable even though he was severely damaged from a tragedy. The book read like a crime novel, but the fact that it is set in the future gave it some really interesting sci-fi aspects. It had a great twist at the end that I did NOT expect. Anyone who likes science fiction, dystopian, crime, or pretty much anything should read this book.
August 24, 2016
In the afterward, Jeff Edwards indicates that when he wrote the novel in the early 90's it was his vision of the future. I don't think that it detracts from the novel. I liked the noir feel even though it might be considered a bit hackneyed. I felt a bit of Blade Runner in it, which is great because I enjoy the film immensely.
The writing was good and the plot was well developed. The reveal was handled well and produced one of those 'oh yeah, it all makes sense' moments. I really enjoyed this.
The writing was good and the plot was well developed. The reveal was handled well and produced one of those 'oh yeah, it all makes sense' moments. I really enjoyed this.
October 10, 2015
Dystopian SF really isn't many favorite, but this was excellent. Strong character development, plenty of "could-be" villains, a believable dystopian setting, all blended with a classic Mickey Spillane "lonely PI" theme make this a great read. The believability of the setting is even more impressive given that this novel was originally written in 1992 - a lot has happened to the world in the 20+ years since Edwards wrote the first version (he admits to lightly editing it before releasing it in 2011).
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