chelsealaurenauthor's review
4.0
Matt Doyle has created a world, in which, technological advances are more a part of everyday use than they are today. His future thoughts on technology are not so far-fetched, as most of what's written about already exist in some shape or form.
In New Hopeland, where the novel takes place, there are Virtual Reality addicts, where drug addicts quite literally live in a different dimension when getting high and there are Tech Shifters, who are people who decide they'd be better suited to live a life as an animal. While they don't live this life 24 hours a day, it still is a way that they identify. These are just some of the advances.
We're introduced to Cassie Tam, who is a private investigator. She's known for taking cases that the local police department writes off, and even some that they've "investigated" but maybe not to the furthest potential, enter storyline here.
Lori Redwood is a Tech Shifter who by day is a human woman and in her downtime, she shifts into a panther. Her brother, on the other hand, is considered a Virtual Reality Addict, who has been found dead at the beginning of the book. However, Lori doesn't believe that her brother overdosed like the police department claims. So she hires Cassie to help her investigate further.
It's a fascinating concept, with the development of this world as its base, and then creating this complex storyline on top. As humans, we often stereotype, so of course, when we hear that a drug addict has been found dead, it's almost always written off as an overdose or suicide.
Matt Doyle brings you along for the ride of the corrupt world that they live in--but also, far too similar to the corruption happening today. He has you questioning your own stereotypes, debating who you'd be in this world, and on the fence about how you really believe that Lori's brother died. You're introduced to relationships that Cassie has in order to do her job well, but the trust and loyalty she has to those who should easily be locked up, but without them, other crimes wouldn't be able to be solved. Corruption is a tangled web, my friend.
There's more to this story than just the investigation as we learn about relationships between siblings, parents, and lovers. Do you really know your sibling? Parent? Lover? Friend? What could they truly be hiding from you? Do they genuinely believe in you?
With an unexpected twist that has you placing together each and every puzzle piece, you're brought through to a full circle. As the first in the series, I'm interested to see where else Matt Doyle leads Cassie Tam, and how her story continues unfolds. You won't want to miss out!
In New Hopeland, where the novel takes place, there are Virtual Reality addicts, where drug addicts quite literally live in a different dimension when getting high and there are Tech Shifters, who are people who decide they'd be better suited to live a life as an animal. While they don't live this life 24 hours a day, it still is a way that they identify. These are just some of the advances.
We're introduced to Cassie Tam, who is a private investigator. She's known for taking cases that the local police department writes off, and even some that they've "investigated" but maybe not to the furthest potential, enter storyline here.
Lori Redwood is a Tech Shifter who by day is a human woman and in her downtime, she shifts into a panther. Her brother, on the other hand, is considered a Virtual Reality Addict, who has been found dead at the beginning of the book. However, Lori doesn't believe that her brother overdosed like the police department claims. So she hires Cassie to help her investigate further.
It's a fascinating concept, with the development of this world as its base, and then creating this complex storyline on top. As humans, we often stereotype, so of course, when we hear that a drug addict has been found dead, it's almost always written off as an overdose or suicide.
Matt Doyle brings you along for the ride of the corrupt world that they live in--but also, far too similar to the corruption happening today. He has you questioning your own stereotypes, debating who you'd be in this world, and on the fence about how you really believe that Lori's brother died. You're introduced to relationships that Cassie has in order to do her job well, but the trust and loyalty she has to those who should easily be locked up, but without them, other crimes wouldn't be able to be solved. Corruption is a tangled web, my friend.
There's more to this story than just the investigation as we learn about relationships between siblings, parents, and lovers. Do you really know your sibling? Parent? Lover? Friend? What could they truly be hiding from you? Do they genuinely believe in you?
With an unexpected twist that has you placing together each and every puzzle piece, you're brought through to a full circle. As the first in the series, I'm interested to see where else Matt Doyle leads Cassie Tam, and how her story continues unfolds. You won't want to miss out!
emhamill's review
4.0
Already reviewed it on my Elisabeth Hamill profile. Loved it! Sam Spade meets Blade Runner!
aly36's review
4.0
New Hopeland is a new world. Cassie Tam takes a case for what she think is an easy case. The case turns out to be more than meets the eye. What an exciting Cyberpunk world the author has created! Murder and mystery are fun to read for me and I enjoyed this book. There was lots of good detail in this book for me on this new world and some great new creature/characters. * I received this book from the author and this is my honest review*
the_novel_approach's review against another edition
3.0
~ 3.5 Stars ~
This story is a blend of my two favorite genres, scifi and crime fiction, but it reads as if those elements were two separate stories: the urban science fiction thriller and the who-done-it. Consequently, the worldbuilding was pretty intense. Cyperpunky while also having a teensy bit of a noir feel, it didn’t quite strike me as Blade Runner—it was more urban—but it was close.
In the future, people trade drugs for virtual reality time (which also basically requires drugs to experience full immersion). There’s the usual mob mentality, and impoverished people committing petty crime in our setting, consistent with noir, and also some sweet techy gear.
People wear suits of armor, which can turn them into mechanical animals—it brings the idea of being a furry to a whole other level—and Cassie, our protagonist and private detective, has a pet robo-bird named Bert, a mechanical gargoyle that protects her and the house. Bert’s tech is really quite fascinating because he seems sentient, and he consequently provides much comedic relief. I wish I had known a bit more how he worked, but the surprises were worth it.
We get to the meat of our story when Cassie has a visitor from the damsel-in-distress, Lori Redwood, whose brother is found dead, needle in hand, but Lori claims he didn’t commit suicide. The plot elements around the murder of Lori’s brother were fairly simple and, honestly, not the story’s most winning aspects, but they were palatable.
By far, exploring the world was the most entertaining for me. That being said, there was a lot of backstory and info dump, and I was a bit bogged down by the pacing. My favorite parts were the crystalline moments when the action, science fiction, and mystery elements locked into a vivid mental picture. I also appreciated Cassie’s hard edges. She was a bad-ass protagonist, and I wouldn’t mind reading more stories with her in them.
Our love story with the damsel-in-distress was lacking, but I didn’t really need it to get me through. However, because the romance wasn’t my main focus, the end dragged during the wrap-up of that part of the plot. All in all, the mecha-furries were cool, Bert the robo-bird was cool, and I would give this protagonist another chance. I liked Addict, but it was kinda slow.
Reviewed by Ben for The Novel Approach
This story is a blend of my two favorite genres, scifi and crime fiction, but it reads as if those elements were two separate stories: the urban science fiction thriller and the who-done-it. Consequently, the worldbuilding was pretty intense. Cyperpunky while also having a teensy bit of a noir feel, it didn’t quite strike me as Blade Runner—it was more urban—but it was close.
In the future, people trade drugs for virtual reality time (which also basically requires drugs to experience full immersion). There’s the usual mob mentality, and impoverished people committing petty crime in our setting, consistent with noir, and also some sweet techy gear.
People wear suits of armor, which can turn them into mechanical animals—it brings the idea of being a furry to a whole other level—and Cassie, our protagonist and private detective, has a pet robo-bird named Bert, a mechanical gargoyle that protects her and the house. Bert’s tech is really quite fascinating because he seems sentient, and he consequently provides much comedic relief. I wish I had known a bit more how he worked, but the surprises were worth it.
We get to the meat of our story when Cassie has a visitor from the damsel-in-distress, Lori Redwood, whose brother is found dead, needle in hand, but Lori claims he didn’t commit suicide. The plot elements around the murder of Lori’s brother were fairly simple and, honestly, not the story’s most winning aspects, but they were palatable.
By far, exploring the world was the most entertaining for me. That being said, there was a lot of backstory and info dump, and I was a bit bogged down by the pacing. My favorite parts were the crystalline moments when the action, science fiction, and mystery elements locked into a vivid mental picture. I also appreciated Cassie’s hard edges. She was a bad-ass protagonist, and I wouldn’t mind reading more stories with her in them.
Our love story with the damsel-in-distress was lacking, but I didn’t really need it to get me through. However, because the romance wasn’t my main focus, the end dragged during the wrap-up of that part of the plot. All in all, the mecha-furries were cool, Bert the robo-bird was cool, and I would give this protagonist another chance. I liked Addict, but it was kinda slow.
Reviewed by Ben for The Novel Approach
ladygetslit's review
5.0
Read my full review on my blog, The Story Salve
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars.
*Full Disclosure: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my opinion of the book.*
Addict is a cyberpunk/crime noir novel that follows Cassie Tam as she attempts to solve the mystery surrounding Eddie Redwood’s apparent drug overdose. Along the way, she has to confront her ex-girlfriend, Charlie, and comes to realize her growing feelings for her client, Lori, a Tech Shifter who uses an animal exoskeleton to role play as stress relief.
what I liked:
* Cassie as the protagonist: she’s slightly snarky & super independent; she’s not afraid of bending the law when she needs to, but she works for the good of her clients in a society where the police aren’t trustworthy
* unique world-building: there’s enough info to give you a sense of the society, but it’s not just a huge info-dump in the beginning & it doesn’t detract from the action of the story
* futuristic concepts that echo our reality: the idea of people who are addicted to virtual reality hits pretty close to home & gives the story an eerie quality that works really well
* Tech Shifting as a metaphor: through her growing relationship with her client, Lori, Cassie learns to reconsider her preconceptions of Tech Shifters, people who use an exoskeleton to transform into an animal or hybrid. Tech Shifting could be seen as the futuristic role playing that is sometimes mocked by non-nerds, and the story reminds us to not be so harsh with our judgements before we really know people.
* queerness & an f/f romance that takes a backseat to the action: Cassie’s flirtation with Lori acts as comic relief rather than detracting from the main storyline. This isn’t a story about being queer, which I also loved.
* the crime plot mixed with the cyberpunk world really kept me guessing
*setup for a longer series: Cassie is such a great character & the world she lives in has a lot of potential for more stories in the future; at the same time, Addict could easily be read as a standalone.
My only issue was the ending. After the mystery is resolved, the story focuses on the romantic tension between Cassie and Lori. I enjoyed this element, but I wanted more of Cassie’s family backstory earlier in the story, rather than having it finally exposed at the end.
Overall: definitely recommended, particularly for sci-fi readers.
Despite the fact that this is outside my normal genre, I really got into the story. There was plenty of world-building that added to the story rather than distracting from it. Addict is a nice escapist type read, but one that also makes you consider aspects of the real world in a new way. I really admired Cassie’s personality and look forward to hopefully reading more of her stories in the future.
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars.
*Full Disclosure: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my opinion of the book.*
Addict is a cyberpunk/crime noir novel that follows Cassie Tam as she attempts to solve the mystery surrounding Eddie Redwood’s apparent drug overdose. Along the way, she has to confront her ex-girlfriend, Charlie, and comes to realize her growing feelings for her client, Lori, a Tech Shifter who uses an animal exoskeleton to role play as stress relief.
what I liked:
* Cassie as the protagonist: she’s slightly snarky & super independent; she’s not afraid of bending the law when she needs to, but she works for the good of her clients in a society where the police aren’t trustworthy
* unique world-building: there’s enough info to give you a sense of the society, but it’s not just a huge info-dump in the beginning & it doesn’t detract from the action of the story
* futuristic concepts that echo our reality: the idea of people who are addicted to virtual reality hits pretty close to home & gives the story an eerie quality that works really well
* Tech Shifting as a metaphor: through her growing relationship with her client, Lori, Cassie learns to reconsider her preconceptions of Tech Shifters, people who use an exoskeleton to transform into an animal or hybrid. Tech Shifting could be seen as the futuristic role playing that is sometimes mocked by non-nerds, and the story reminds us to not be so harsh with our judgements before we really know people.
* queerness & an f/f romance that takes a backseat to the action: Cassie’s flirtation with Lori acts as comic relief rather than detracting from the main storyline. This isn’t a story about being queer, which I also loved.
* the crime plot mixed with the cyberpunk world really kept me guessing
*setup for a longer series: Cassie is such a great character & the world she lives in has a lot of potential for more stories in the future; at the same time, Addict could easily be read as a standalone.
My only issue was the ending. After the mystery is resolved, the story focuses on the romantic tension between Cassie and Lori. I enjoyed this element, but I wanted more of Cassie’s family backstory earlier in the story, rather than having it finally exposed at the end.
Overall: definitely recommended, particularly for sci-fi readers.
Despite the fact that this is outside my normal genre, I really got into the story. There was plenty of world-building that added to the story rather than distracting from it. Addict is a nice escapist type read, but one that also makes you consider aspects of the real world in a new way. I really admired Cassie’s personality and look forward to hopefully reading more of her stories in the future.
broomesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
It was supposed to be easy money. P.I. Cassie Tam takes on what should be an open and shut case, Eddie Redwood’s accidental overdose and death. He’s a VR addict. It makes sense. All she’d have to prove to Eddie’s sister, Lori, is that his death was exactly what it appeared to be and pocket a pretty penny in the process.
She probably should have known that it wouldn’t work out that way.
As she digs deeper and deeper, Cassie is thrust into more than she asked for. There are assassins, drug dealers, cops who want her to back off, and the world of Tech Shifting. And it’s the first time she’s felt a tug of attraction to anyone since her last breakup. Of course it’d be Lori Redwood, her current client who spends time as a tech shifted.
Right from the first pages, you get Cassie’s sarcasm, snark and wit. Think, Veronica Mars as an adult in a tech heavy world with a touch of crime noire. She doesn’t change who she is for anyone. She is one hundred percent Cassie every minute of the day. The fact that Bert, who I refuse to spoil you on, is just as snarky as Cassie, it’s perfect.
The tech in this world, it went beyond my expectations. I didn’t think of applying it in the methods that Matt Doyle did in this novel. It was vivid, understandable and just as much of the setting as Cassie’s ratty apartment was.
As for the romance, Cassie and Lori flirt throughout. There was a part of me that was all about that. I’m not a fan of characters just jumping into bed. Cassie’s caution but ability to learn why Lori is a tech shifter was a dynamic you don’t really see explore. Cassie rolled with it and took the time to understand. Towards the end is when you get the most action romance wise.
There were times that I forgot there was a mystery happening. I was more interested in Cassie and Lori. I couldn’t help myself. I'm a sucker for a slow burn. I also did not see the reason behind Eddie Redwood’s death coming. It was a surprise but one I felt there could have been a little more build up to. So it was good that I didn’t see it coming but it felt a little flat to me.
Am I going to read the next book when it comes out? You better believe I am
She probably should have known that it wouldn’t work out that way.
As she digs deeper and deeper, Cassie is thrust into more than she asked for. There are assassins, drug dealers, cops who want her to back off, and the world of Tech Shifting. And it’s the first time she’s felt a tug of attraction to anyone since her last breakup. Of course it’d be Lori Redwood, her current client who spends time as a tech shifted.
Right from the first pages, you get Cassie’s sarcasm, snark and wit. Think, Veronica Mars as an adult in a tech heavy world with a touch of crime noire. She doesn’t change who she is for anyone. She is one hundred percent Cassie every minute of the day. The fact that Bert, who I refuse to spoil you on, is just as snarky as Cassie, it’s perfect.
The tech in this world, it went beyond my expectations. I didn’t think of applying it in the methods that Matt Doyle did in this novel. It was vivid, understandable and just as much of the setting as Cassie’s ratty apartment was.
As for the romance, Cassie and Lori flirt throughout. There was a part of me that was all about that. I’m not a fan of characters just jumping into bed. Cassie’s caution but ability to learn why Lori is a tech shifter was a dynamic you don’t really see explore. Cassie rolled with it and took the time to understand. Towards the end is when you get the most action romance wise.
There were times that I forgot there was a mystery happening. I was more interested in Cassie and Lori. I couldn’t help myself. I'm a sucker for a slow burn. I also did not see the reason behind Eddie Redwood’s death coming. It was a surprise but one I felt there could have been a little more build up to. So it was good that I didn’t see it coming but it felt a little flat to me.
Am I going to read the next book when it comes out? You better believe I am
coolcurrybooks's review against another edition
3.0
Addict wasn’t anything spectacular, but it was a fairly decent read.
Cassie Tam is a PI in New Hopeland, a city built to be a shining light of technological progress. A woman named Lori Redwood comes to Cassie, wanting to hire her to investigate the death of her brother, Eddie Redwood. The police say it’s an open and shut case: Eddie, an virtual reality addict, overdosed on VR drugs. But Lori insists that while Eddie was a VR addict, he never used the drugs. Cassie’s dubious, but a job is a job. When Cassie starts digging, she finds that Lori may be right and that Eddie’s death was a murder.
In a lot of ways, Addict reminded me of a certain type of urban fantasy novel. You probably know what I mean. There’s a tough as nails female protagonist who investigates a mystery and finds romance along the way. In this case, the love interest is a Tech Shifter, not a werewolf or some other sort of supernatural shape shifter. Lori uses a mechanical suit that interfaces with her neural implants to role play as Ink, a black panther. I did sort of wonder about the application of Tech Shifting. Cassie mentions it’s used by fetishists and furries, but she also mentions that the police have a special unit of Tech Shifters — how does it give any benefits that you wouldn’t get from a human shaped mecha suit? Oh well.
As you might suspect from the above paragraph, Lori is Cassie’s love interest. I think Cassie identifies as a lesbian, although the word isn’t specifically used (I guess she could still turn out to be bi or pan). Lori is part of the kink community, and there’s some discussion of that, role play, and BDSM. That said, Addict is relatively non-sexual. While there might be discussions relating to sex, there’s no actual sex scenes.
My most specific criticism of Addict relates to the characterization of our potential murder victim, Eddie. Murder mysteries usually need to delve fairly deeply into the psychology of the people involved, including the victim. I don’t think Addict does this adequately. There were some reveals about Eddie that came completely out of left field and challenged my suspension of belief. I have a hard time believing that Lori couldn’t have known some of this about her brother.
Otherwise, my criticisms of Addict are more vague. There’s a lot of stories that follow this general format, and Addict doesn’t do enough to distinguish itself, be it through plot, world building or characterization. I would have liked for all characters involved to be more developed, although I didn’t think they were thin exactly. I would just have liked more depth to the book in general.
However, if you’re looking for some light entertainment with a f/f romance subplot, Addict might very well work for you.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.
Cassie Tam is a PI in New Hopeland, a city built to be a shining light of technological progress. A woman named Lori Redwood comes to Cassie, wanting to hire her to investigate the death of her brother, Eddie Redwood. The police say it’s an open and shut case: Eddie, an virtual reality addict, overdosed on VR drugs. But Lori insists that while Eddie was a VR addict, he never used the drugs. Cassie’s dubious, but a job is a job. When Cassie starts digging, she finds that Lori may be right and that Eddie’s death was a murder.
In a lot of ways, Addict reminded me of a certain type of urban fantasy novel. You probably know what I mean. There’s a tough as nails female protagonist who investigates a mystery and finds romance along the way. In this case, the love interest is a Tech Shifter, not a werewolf or some other sort of supernatural shape shifter. Lori uses a mechanical suit that interfaces with her neural implants to role play as Ink, a black panther. I did sort of wonder about the application of Tech Shifting. Cassie mentions it’s used by fetishists and furries, but she also mentions that the police have a special unit of Tech Shifters — how does it give any benefits that you wouldn’t get from a human shaped mecha suit? Oh well.
As you might suspect from the above paragraph, Lori is Cassie’s love interest. I think Cassie identifies as a lesbian, although the word isn’t specifically used (I guess she could still turn out to be bi or pan). Lori is part of the kink community, and there’s some discussion of that, role play, and BDSM. That said, Addict is relatively non-sexual. While there might be discussions relating to sex, there’s no actual sex scenes.
My most specific criticism of Addict relates to the characterization of our potential murder victim, Eddie. Murder mysteries usually need to delve fairly deeply into the psychology of the people involved, including the victim. I don’t think Addict does this adequately. There were some reveals about Eddie that came completely out of left field and challenged my suspension of belief. I have a hard time believing that Lori couldn’t have known some of this about her brother.
Otherwise, my criticisms of Addict are more vague. There’s a lot of stories that follow this general format, and Addict doesn’t do enough to distinguish itself, be it through plot, world building or characterization. I would have liked for all characters involved to be more developed, although I didn’t think they were thin exactly. I would just have liked more depth to the book in general.
However, if you’re looking for some light entertainment with a f/f romance subplot, Addict might very well work for you.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.
stephbookshine's review against another edition
4.0
*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Addict is right up my street, crossing two of my favourite genres: sci-fi and mystery, with a flavour of urban fantasy style that reminded of Jim Butcher and Kim Harrison if they were crossed with Sue Grafton and Tony Bertauski.
The detective plot is tight and well-paced, with an interesting range of suspects and motives, and the futuristic technology is seeded nicely throughout the action in order to give just enough detail without slowing things down.
The central character, Cassie Tam, is a PI who uses a mixture of the available tech (such as her robotic gargoyle security-pet Bert) and old-school policing methods (knocking on doors and asking the questions). Her personal life and history are fed in, again, throughout the plot, with just enough to be intriguing and promising without distracting too much from the main storyline.
I love the whole idea of Tech Shifters of various kinds, and Virtual Reality Junkies (Pro and Addict). In fact the whole setup of the society Matt Doyle has created here has me hooked and I am excited to follow Cassie further and find out more about the corrupt hierarchy she is forced to work within and around, and what more can be done with the AI technological advances.
This is definitely one for my personal wishlist and I would recommend it to anyone who likes urban fantasy but with a sci-fi focus and murder-mystery plot (me, me and me!).
For legal purposes, I’m registered as a private investigator. The law of the land means that’s enough to get me certain dispensations for my work, providing I follow procedure and fill out reams of digital paperwork before I go doing anything stupid. Sometimes, I don’t bother.
– Matt Doyle, Addict
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2018/09/30/addict-matt-doyle/
Addict is right up my street, crossing two of my favourite genres: sci-fi and mystery, with a flavour of urban fantasy style that reminded of Jim Butcher and Kim Harrison if they were crossed with Sue Grafton and Tony Bertauski.
The detective plot is tight and well-paced, with an interesting range of suspects and motives, and the futuristic technology is seeded nicely throughout the action in order to give just enough detail without slowing things down.
The central character, Cassie Tam, is a PI who uses a mixture of the available tech (such as her robotic gargoyle security-pet Bert) and old-school policing methods (knocking on doors and asking the questions). Her personal life and history are fed in, again, throughout the plot, with just enough to be intriguing and promising without distracting too much from the main storyline.
I love the whole idea of Tech Shifters of various kinds, and Virtual Reality Junkies (Pro and Addict). In fact the whole setup of the society Matt Doyle has created here has me hooked and I am excited to follow Cassie further and find out more about the corrupt hierarchy she is forced to work within and around, and what more can be done with the AI technological advances.
This is definitely one for my personal wishlist and I would recommend it to anyone who likes urban fantasy but with a sci-fi focus and murder-mystery plot (me, me and me!).
For legal purposes, I’m registered as a private investigator. The law of the land means that’s enough to get me certain dispensations for my work, providing I follow procedure and fill out reams of digital paperwork before I go doing anything stupid. Sometimes, I don’t bother.
– Matt Doyle, Addict
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2018/09/30/addict-matt-doyle/
jpjackson's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this story. Cassie the PI was owlie and rough, yet you knew deep down she had a tender heart, and of course by the end of the book that shows through.
I also loved the depth of world building and creative use of technology, and kudos to the author for creating advances in tech that I would never have been able to come up with.
I LOVED Bert. That's all I'm going to say because I don't want to include any spoilers. But I will say, I want one!
But then I also want an Ink too. Ha! Sound intriguing? You'll have to read it to find out more!
My only criticism would be that the story is very heavy on exposition and sometimes verges on the dreaded info-dump. I would have liked to seen more details of the story played out through clever dialogue, of which the author was entirely capable as seen with lines like: “I sit back into the chair at the head of my work table and take a big grimace-inducing mouthful of sadly milk-free wake-up juice.”
Excerpt From: Doyle, Matt. “Addict.” NineStar Press, LLC, 2017. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.
I also wanted to know more about Devin, the shirtless, buff, cowboy assassin. Who doesn't want to know more about THAT!
I also loved the depth of world building and creative use of technology, and kudos to the author for creating advances in tech that I would never have been able to come up with.
I LOVED Bert. That's all I'm going to say because I don't want to include any spoilers. But I will say, I want one!
But then I also want an Ink too. Ha! Sound intriguing? You'll have to read it to find out more!
My only criticism would be that the story is very heavy on exposition and sometimes verges on the dreaded info-dump. I would have liked to seen more details of the story played out through clever dialogue, of which the author was entirely capable as seen with lines like: “I sit back into the chair at the head of my work table and take a big grimace-inducing mouthful of sadly milk-free wake-up juice.”
Excerpt From: Doyle, Matt. “Addict.” NineStar Press, LLC, 2017. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.
I also wanted to know more about Devin, the shirtless, buff, cowboy assassin. Who doesn't want to know more about THAT!
stephbookshine's review
4.0
*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Addict is right up my street, crossing two of my favourite genres: sci-fi and mystery, with a flavour of urban fantasy style that reminded of Jim Butcher and Kim Harrison if they were crossed with Sue Grafton and Tony Bertauski.
The detective plot is tight and well-paced, with an interesting range of suspects and motives, and the futuristic technology is seeded nicely throughout the action in order to give just enough detail without slowing things down.
The central character, Cassie Tam, is a PI who uses a mixture of the available tech (such as her robotic gargoyle security-pet Bert) and old-school policing methods (knocking on doors and asking the questions). Her personal life and history are fed in, again, throughout the plot, with just enough to be intriguing and promising without distracting too much from the main storyline.
I love the whole idea of Tech Shifters of various kinds, and Virtual Reality Junkies (Pro and Addict). In fact the whole setup of the society Matt Doyle has created here has me hooked and I am excited to follow Cassie further and find out more about the corrupt hierarchy she is forced to work within and around, and what more can be done with the AI technological advances.
This is definitely one for my personal wishlist and I would recommend it to anyone who likes urban fantasy but with a sci-fi focus and murder-mystery plot (me, me and me!).
For legal purposes, I’m registered as a private investigator. The law of the land means that’s enough to get me certain dispensations for my work, providing I follow procedure and fill out reams of digital paperwork before I go doing anything stupid. Sometimes, I don’t bother.
– Matt Doyle, Addict
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2018/09/30/addict-matt-doyle/
Addict is right up my street, crossing two of my favourite genres: sci-fi and mystery, with a flavour of urban fantasy style that reminded of Jim Butcher and Kim Harrison if they were crossed with Sue Grafton and Tony Bertauski.
The detective plot is tight and well-paced, with an interesting range of suspects and motives, and the futuristic technology is seeded nicely throughout the action in order to give just enough detail without slowing things down.
The central character, Cassie Tam, is a PI who uses a mixture of the available tech (such as her robotic gargoyle security-pet Bert) and old-school policing methods (knocking on doors and asking the questions). Her personal life and history are fed in, again, throughout the plot, with just enough to be intriguing and promising without distracting too much from the main storyline.
I love the whole idea of Tech Shifters of various kinds, and Virtual Reality Junkies (Pro and Addict). In fact the whole setup of the society Matt Doyle has created here has me hooked and I am excited to follow Cassie further and find out more about the corrupt hierarchy she is forced to work within and around, and what more can be done with the AI technological advances.
This is definitely one for my personal wishlist and I would recommend it to anyone who likes urban fantasy but with a sci-fi focus and murder-mystery plot (me, me and me!).
For legal purposes, I’m registered as a private investigator. The law of the land means that’s enough to get me certain dispensations for my work, providing I follow procedure and fill out reams of digital paperwork before I go doing anything stupid. Sometimes, I don’t bother.
– Matt Doyle, Addict
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2018/09/30/addict-matt-doyle/