Title: Murder in Retrograde
Author: Greg Hickey
Genre: Fiction: Sci Fi/Noir
Year: 2025
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.
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My rating: *****
My review:
“Murder in Retrograde” by Greg Hickey is a non-stop rollercoaster of edge-of-your-seat suspense, surprise twists, red herrings and a dash of humour, set against the backdrop of a futuristic LA (complete with on-going bush fires).
While investigating what he assumes is a standard environmental legislative breach, former Police detective turned private investigator, Marcus Carver, stumbles into a full-blown murder investigation. The Sci-Fi backdrop flows seamlessly with the 1940s style noir. All the tropes are there: corrupt cops, gangland violence, car chases, shoot outs and even a femme fatale.
The characters are a good mix of interesting, entertaining and the believable and support the flow of the plot without unnecessary distraction. Carver is a complex character whose battles with his inner demons relating to the death of his former partner from his police force days, intrude on but do not interfere with his assessment of the case at hand. He is a PI worthy of Sam Spade.
The book is easy to read, not too heavy and not too light. It is sure to raise a smile as the ending leaves the story exactly where you want it to. It is reminiscent of sci-fi stories like “A Scanner Darkly” by Philip K Dick and the humour and tempo of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett detective offerings. Hopefully Carver will appear in future work of the author.
An excellent choice for lovers of Science Fiction and Hard-Boiled Noir.
About the Author:
Greg Hickey is a former international professional baseball player and current forensic scientist, endurance athlete and author. His previous works include the novels 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, Lindsay.
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