ABANDONED. Science Fiction- Scientist grows a pair of sleeper agent assassins for his corporate employer, the female of the pair he builds as his ideal woman (spoilers ahead)

[Clark]

I read this book back in college around 2012 or so. It's a sci-fi story that could fall into the cyberpunk/biopunk/dystopia subgenres. The story revolves around a brilliant scientist working on a project for a powerful corporation and one of his creations, a female replicant sleeper agent.

So the pair of sleeper agents are sort of like the replicants from Blade Runner, unspecified robotic and biomechanical creations. The scientist in charge builds a male and female, the female he builds secretly as his ideal woman, carefully crafting her appearance and personality around his preferences regardless of the demands and timeline of his superiors. As they become conscious in their tubes the scientist believes he sees the female kiss the glass at him. The scientist makes it so that the female receives the activating command, then she provides the male with the assassination target, and then kills him afterward to cover up.
The sleeper agents eventually escape their containing tubes and the building the scientist was working in, and the scientist, afraid that the corporation will kill him, flees and begins living with the homeless (which are called something like mungo-men in the novel). While there, he fixes one of the homeless men's malfunctioning replicant dog, and decides to get back into the game, setting up his own lab, while on he lookout for the escaped pair of assassins, as he's smitten with the female.
Meanwhile, the sleeper agents start to settle into society using the skills the scientist built into them. The female agent eventually activates the male one, sending him on a mission then eliminating him as she was programmed to. She then begins to look for the scientist.
One of their neighbors (a Jewish person?) overhears the female agent playing piano, which she's exceptional at due to the scientist's programming skills. He begins helping her get gigs and acting as her promoter/manager.
the female agent eventually tracks down the scientist and he comes to her loft, where she breaks down while playing the piano, eventually leading to her shooting herself in front of the scientist.

[Kris]

Clark, please post a new comment if you're still looking for this book - or if you found it.

Clark (OP) was last active on the site in January 2020. Moving to Abandoned folder.