A review by paperpaladin
Midnight, Water City by Chris McKinney

emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A neo-noire story that is part Chinatown, part Bioshock. The main character of this story (who is unnamed) is a old detective with a sordid past. When asked to do a job for his old employer, things quickly go sideways as he is forced to confront both his employer's nebulous past as well as his own.

With this book there are two stories going on: the murder mystery that the main character is trying to solve and the arc of the character. As far of the plot goes it was interesting with a lot of flash backs. Not every question is answered but all of the big questions are answered. Things are set up well enough that I was able to guess some of the twists but not all which is a nice place to be at in a mystery. As for the character arc, I loved it. Chris Mckiney felt like he really understands the noire genre and was able to both pay homage to the genre while deconstructing it. The main character has growth and a self-awareness that makes the story enjoyable throughout.
 
My rating system
1 - Did not enjoy
2 - Not irredeemable but has too many flaws to say I enjoyed
3 - Enjoyed it
4 - Great book but didn't love it
5 - Amazing book 
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