Paloma

Retrieval Artist #5

by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Chris Moore (Illustrator)

As a Retrieval Artist, Miles Flint helps the Disappeared, saving the lives of those oppressed under the Earth Alliance regime. He owes his livelihood, and his very sense of honor, to a woman known as Paloma. It was she who was responsible for setting him on this path—and now she has been murdered.

Summoned by Paloma’s desperate call, Miles reaches her apartment too late. She is already dead, and a seemingly indifferent police force wants no part of Miles’s offer of assistance. So he undertakes his own investigation and uncovers a link between Paloma’s death and the Moon’s largest law firm. The executives there are known to be ruthless—and they have a secret they are clearly willing to kill to protect…

Genres: Science Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook, Science Fiction Fantasy, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Space Opera

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 3, 2006

About the author

Kristine Kathryn Rusch is an award-winning mystery, romance, science fiction, and fantasy writer. She has written many novels under various names, including Kristine Grayson for romance, and Kris Nelscott for mystery. Her novels have made the bestseller lists –even in London– and have been published in 14 countries and 13 different languages.

Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.

In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".

She has also published as:
Sandy Schofield (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kristine Grayson - romances
Kathryn Wesley (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kris Nelscott - mysteries
Kris Rusch - historical fiction
Kris DeLake - romances

Reviews

[Anissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fifth installment of the Retrieval Artist series takes place over the course of about 24 hours. Paloma, retired Retrieval Artist, is found in her posh apartment, the victim of a grisly murder. Miles is her main beneficiary, quickly the prime suspect in her murder and also of an explosion of one of her ships, the Dove. That's a lot on a plate, even for a Retrieval Artist.

I really liked that what I suspected about Paloma and her secret involvement with the Wagners was so. When the law firm WSX was introduced, I had hoped this would come back around for a proper explanation and this really delivered. In good news for further reading in the series, the full reckoning is yet to happen. I can't wait to read the takedown.

I thought this one was well done (like the others) but admit that I did find myself wanting to skim some of Detective Nyquist's investigative parts because as a reader, I knew Miles was in no way guilty so the details felt a bit tedious. I didn't skim read though and when Nyquist reaches his clarity points it was very satisfying. Noelle didn't have much to do in this one but as she's off in a different level of the Moon security structure, it made perfect sense. She was still used to good effect and had good chemistry with Nyquist so she wasn't entirely tertiary. I do look forward to more about her investigation on all those other quarantined ships as it feels like there's a story or three there. I still don't really care about Ki even though I think decent effort went into rehabbing her and trying to make her relevant for future books. I did very much like attorney, Maxine Van Alen. I'd recommend this one if you're reading the series and you want the intel on Paloma.

[Bookmole · Rating 4 out of 5]

My least favourite so far, including book one. But it shifts the story of Miles Flint along nicely, and gives Noelle some romantic interest, so it's not all bad.

Once you have started the series, you cannot miss one. None of these books can be considered stand-alones - if you've missed one, you've missed something important.

So read it anyway.

Just I never really liked Paloma.

And this book doesn't make me like her any better!

[Soo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes:

- 3.5 Stars Round up to 4 Stars
- Second book in the series that had Flint as a main part of the plot vs 1/3 of events.
- It seems like he's finally figuring out where he stands & how he wants to proceed with his life.
- Sucked that Paloma went kaput but it was a good plot line to follow. Not really a mystery but it was an entertaining story.

[Marion Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

How well do you know someone?

If you find out some damaging information about someone you admired and respected would that change your view of that person?

Is justice a zero-sum game?

These questions get answered in a surprising fashion from Paloma: Book 5 of the Retrieval Artist Series by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. I have decided to read and review the entire series here on the website and I must write it has been an absolute pleasure following the adventures of Miles Flint, the Retrieval Artist and various characters that make up this series.

This novel opens up with a murder. Flint discovers the dead person is his mentor, Paloma. Paloma taught him everything he needed to know in order to become a Retrieval Artist. Obviously, he takes her brutal death hard.

Moreover, Flint receives an inheritance from Paloma of some valuable items that include a ship and information about her past. He reluctantly decides to dig into the information he received from the inheritance and learns that Paloma might not have been the woman he believed her to be.

Paloma’s family, led by her son, Justinian, wants the information Flint inherited and will do anything to get it. The Retrieval Artist gets caught in the cross-hairs of Justinian’s determination to get his mother’s inheritance and the police’s investigation into her death. Flint finds out how blind justice can actually be now that he is on the other side of the law.

Paloma is my favorite book of the Retrieval Artist Series so far. Rusch does another excellent job (as she has done on the previous books in the series) of combining a detective story within a science-fiction setting. The world building of this series has captivated me and fans of both the mystery and science fiction genres should add these books on their to-be-read list.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starts off with a bang but eventually gets talky. I enjoy the futuristic world of the "Retrieval Artist" and Miles Flint is a sympathetic if uncomplicated hard-edged detective. This novel, fifth in the series, has less of an alien presence than the first four, however. It eventually reminded me of the cheap 1950's SF movies where, where due to budget constraints, you don't get to see the monster until the last two minutes.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot thickens!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back on the moon with Miles Flint and Noelle DeRicci for the fifth in Kristine Kathryn Rusch's Retrieval Artist series. I'm really not sure why the series is called that, though, because we haven't actually seen Flint do any retrieving at all across the five books, except maybe once off-page before the start of book three.

Still, I really enjoyed this, as I have all the others. It's pacy and exciting, the characters are brilliant and the plots are intriguing. All the weird alien stuff is great and there's enough human emotion to keep it grounded and affecting.

I think I might prefer it if the narration was split simply between Flint and DeRicci - the multiple other POVs does tend to dilute the connection to the characters a bit - but the different perspectives do allow for a broader picture of what's going on, which mitigates the issue a bit.

I will definitely be carrying on with this (I've got the next book on my shelf already) and will be sad when I run out of these!

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the short story "The Retrieval Artist" first, and though I don't usually read series books out of order, I tried this one. I thought it was dull, really. Too much unnecessary description, too much repetition. I can't even remember the name of the cop investigating Paloma's murder, but he reminded me of Inspector Javert from "Les Miserables", bound and determined that Flint is the chief suspect even though there's very little evidence of his involvement that isn't circumstantial. As for the Wagner family, the most interesting thing about them was their names. I kept getting them mixed up. And I felt the ending was really unsatisfactory. I will be reading more of the series, but this one was disappointing.

[Tbfrank · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of this series and enjoyed this installment for its fast pace which helped obscure the fact the entire novel spanned perhaps a day and a half (as in several others of Ms Rusch's books). Other than the physical descriptions of the environment, there is little to give a real sense the tale takes place on the moon. The story would be feel less complete without prior knowledge of the four main characters so reading one or two of the previous volumes is recommended.

[Frank Hofer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of the series so far.

Miles’ friend and mentor is gruesomely murdered and of course Miles is suspected of the crime. Much backstory hinted at in previous books is filled in here while our hero and the police try to find out what really happened.

Some of the victim’s actions early in life seemed incompatible with the character we came to know in the early books, but I just assumed people change and went on from there.

Needless to say, I’ll continue with the series.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rusch, Kristine Kathryn. Paloma. Retrieval Artist No. 5. Roc, 2006.
The woman calling herself Paloma is for Miles Flint the ideal retrieval artist. She seems to him to navigate the complex morality of human-alien interaction better than anyone. When she is murdered, Miles must investigate what turns out to be a legal and ethical morass that could get him killed by a very efficient bioengineered assassin. More noir stuff on the Moon that offers a very wry twist on Dashiell Hammett. I like it.

[Dr susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent sci fi mystery/thriller

Bad stuff happens (really bad stuff). Ki has an epiphany and becomes more likeable. Miles realizes many things weren't what they seemed. The romance and humor of the non-human dinner was a welcome bit of light in a dark series.

[PCress · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very challenging mystery. I love her writing!

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

this series just keeps getting better

[Marsha Valance · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Miles Flint’s mentor is murdered, the retrieval artist turns the Moon upside down to uncover her killer.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Want to go back and read earlier books in the series

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Not a favorite but still good.

[John Wegener · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are all good suspenseful books. This story provided just the right mystery and suspense to keep me reading to the end.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paloma is the fifth installment in the Retrieval Artists, a science fiction mystery series following former detective Miles Flint. The series starts with The Disappeared, but since each book is a stand alone mystery, you could theoretically read them independently.

Miles Flint used to be a detective working for the police force of Armstrong, a domed city on the moon. Then he bought a business from a woman named Paloma and became a retrieval artist, someone who goes looking for people who’ve gone into hiding due to alien laws at the behalf of relatives or others who don’t want them to be officially found. Since becoming a retrieval artist, Paloma has acted as a mentor and an adviser for Miles. At the start of the book, he receives an emergency message and arrives at her apartment to find a crime scene. Paloma has been murdered. Miles always looked up Paloma, but with her death he’s finding out that she’s not the woman he thought he was. Paloma had a dark side.

One of my favorite things about this series is when it includes aliens and alien cultures. For trade reasons, humans have entered an alliance with other human species that means when humans break a law in alien controlled space, they are liable to prosecution and punishment under alien laws. And given the vast differences between humans and alien species, what aliens consider a crime is not always fathomable to humans. To escape alien justice, people hire a Disappearance Agency who gives them a completely new identity somewhere else. Aliens and alien cultures don’t play a large role in this installment of the series, but the details of the situation are a part of the mystery. While I miss the inclusion of aliens, the exploration of Paloma’s past made up for the lack.

Since the very first book, the series has also included sections from the POV of Noelle DeRicci, who was Miles’s partner when he was on the police force. No longer a detective, DeRicci’s role in the series feels uncertain. She had less page time than ever before, even if she did still have a presence. The two other POV characters are a current detective and a reporter. I think I remember them from prior books, and it’ll be interesting to see if they remain in future ones. I do wonder if all of these sections were necessary. While I like Noelle DeRicci, did she really have a part to play in the plot? Same goes for the reporter. It’s possible that Rusch wanted to keep them fresh for future installments, but I don’t know what they were adding to this one.

With Paloma’s death, the only real friend Miles has left is Noelle, and that connection looks like it may be growing tenuous. Additionally, the revelations regarding Paloma may warn him off from trusting too many other people. I want to see where this goes, even if it takes me forever to track down the next installment in the series. My pacing for this series has been about a book a year, but I’ll see if I can speed it up.

I consider The Retrieval Artist to be a criminally under-known science fiction series, and if you have any interest in a mystery science fiction series, I encourage you to give it a try.

Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.

[K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot: Miles Flint is a Retrieval Artist, living on the Moon and helping to find the Disappeared who've been forced into hiding by the Earth Alliance regime. When his friend and mentor, Paloma, is brutally murdered, Flint takes it upon himself to investigate.

Thoughts: Once again, I've managed to jump into the middle of a series. And once again, this has left me a little confused about certain things (especially The Disappeared, considering Flint doesn't spend any time working as a Retrieval Artist in this book). That said, I liked the characters and it was a well paced mystery, so I definitely liked it, despite the occasional moment of confusion. I'll be trying to track down some of the other books in the series, as I'm curious about The Disappeared and the work of Retrieval Artists!

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah the revealing of Paloma. I like Paloma. When I first read this book and the next book, The Recovery Man, I felt very betrayed and disillusioned by Paloma. Yet as I continued on in the series I found myself liking Paloma again. As I reread this as my husband reads this series I find Paloma ' s character more real. Miles at times feels too perfect. He doesn't always feel organic, in the later novels Talia helps. Paloma feels real. Her choices, while not ideal feel organic and real. They feel desperate. Miles actions always feel hollow in a way. Paloma and Noelle always feel more authentic with their flaws and inconsistencies.

[Kalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book in the series more than some others because the characters, Miles especially, seem to be more comfortable in their new roles and are starting to act accordingly. This means the story makes more sense in how it plays out because the characters' actions are more believable (for them as characters). It also concentrates more on the actions of humans rather than aliens, and the human actions probably will not surprise anyone.

I didn't even mind, as a lawyer, that it made lawyers out to be some pretty nasty people for the most part (though there is an exception to that rule). The story was tight and well-written. I'm looking forward to finishing this series.

[BobA707 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Another really enjoyable murder mystery hard core science fiction romp. Great atmosphere, fascinating universe, culture, aliens etc. I've given this book 5 stars, its not significantly better than the others in this series, but 4 stars doesn't really do it justice

Plotline: Fantastic stuff. We have to relearn everything about Paloma after her brutal murder, and the whole plot is brilliantly thought out and executed

Premise: A fascinating possible future, a great universe with more to learn

Writing: Descriptive, logical, simple ... excellent throughout

Ending: Justice hopefully is done

Pace: Never a dull moment

[Carly Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

6/2015 - Wow, very cool to learn so much about Paloma - even though I was so disappointed in the person she was in the past. Rusch does a great job of emotionally investing the reader in the story and the pace is brisk, never dragging.

10/2019 - Still loving this series... and did I mention that I'm also re-buying all of these books since I had first purchased them through a Nook app on my phone and now I've found that all but the last 3 in the series disappeared from it? So that shows how good these books are!

[Rain · Rating 3 out of 5]

As others have mentioned, this 5th book in the series is also my least favourite of the series so far. Nonetheless, it does progress the continuing evolution and development of the main characters and hence remains important to the whole series. Paloma was never a major person of interest to me in the earlier books, and did not become interesting after her death in this one - she was just a plot device for poor old suffering Miles to deal with yet another betrayal. Meh. I hope this isnt the beginning of the end and the next books pick up again.

[Wes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this one, but even as an international lawyer, I found some of it dragged with the focus on the more technical, non-crisis issues. It was an important book for the series, for the character development that it represents, and I'll be glad for it later on, as Miles and Noelle and Ki continue to grow and become more real people, but as a single book, it suffered from some of that detailed approach.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a "Retrieval Artist" novel. I read the paperback edition, and noticed quite a few editing errors that were distracting. The plot is thin. The story seems unlikely, as are the characters and the interpersonal relationships that are described in the story. The book was not as good as some of the author's previous works, but better than some others. I did not enjoy the book, and I would not recommend it.

[Glen U · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book in Rusch's "Retrieval Artist" series. This is the 5th book in the series and her writing is taut, her characters engaging and the plot is compelling. It is the best science fiction/mystery series that I have ever read. She continues to amaze me with her creative skills in keeping the stories fresh and not trite in a somewhat limited setting. A wholly enjoyable read that is hard to put down, at least for the SF fan. I look forward to her next effort.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great continuation of the series, and only two more to go. This time, Miles Flint takes on a legal firm when he discovers that they are hiding something. Not much here about alien cultures and their interactions with humans like some of the previous novels--this is more about detective work and a little legal wrangling.

Rating: PG-13, mild language, a couple of violent/gory scenes.

[Jason Reeser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book of the series that I read. I enjoyed every page of it, and rushed out to buy up the earlier volumes, and eagerly awaited the next ones in the series. I love Rusch's RA world. (Or to be more precise, Moon)