Titanium Noir (Cal Sounder Series)

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T7 injections turn ordinary humans into super beings. It’s incredibly expensive, highly desirable. It can save one from all sorts of physical challenges but your intellect doesn’t improve. Maybe that’s offset by living a few hundred years. Maybe?! Harkaway’s depiction of the world is visceral and believable, the inequalities of today’s society extrapolated brilliantly to include a separate race of apparently superior humans. And his plotting is impeccable too. The reader is constantly one step behind Sounder, who is, in turn, one step behind the bad guys. It’s a morally grey world where no one really comes out smelling of roses, but Sounder’s moral compass just about leads him in the right direction by the end. Harkaway again delivers a satisfying, slightly out of the ordinary story. Think a mash up of The Maltese Falcon meets Superman. Cal Sounder is an independent police consultant called into investigate unusual cases. In this moment, it is the possible murder of a Titan. What is a Titan you ask? Titans are ordinary humans injected with T7 that reverses the aging process and in so doing makes the recipient bigger, stronger, and almost immortal. Only the wealthy few and well protected can afford the treatment. So how did one of them end up dead of a gunshot? Sounder follows in the steps of other famous gumshoes think Sam Spade or Mike Hammer, in hunting down the killer. Clues that lead him to ex-lovers, bad cops, bad guys, good bad guys, both ordinary and Titan, and finally to the most dangerous and powerful Titan of all. This Titanium fueled who-done-it will not disappoint. If you like noir mysteries, characters like Sam Spade, Mike Hammer with a touch of Harrison Ford in Blade Runner, then get in line for a shot of Titanium Noir. A highly entertaining, satisfying blend of classic detective noir and inventive speculative fiction’ the Guardian

But I did get into it eventually and liked Cal as a lead character, a guy who is smart and resilient, so I hope this is the start of a series. It's a strange new world. Titans are Cal's specialty. Only a few thousand Titans exist worldwide, with the Tonfamecasca family among the most elite thanks to their discovery of the T7 therapy. As it happens, Cal’s ex-girlfriend, Athena, is a Titan and the daughter of Stefan Tonfamecasca, the head of the Tonfamecasca empire. A detective tries to investigate a killing in a dystopian city where the haves and have-nots are divided by more than just money. . . . Surprising and gratifying.” Cal's speciality, and the reason why the cops in Othrys call him in even if they don't always like him very much, is working on cases involving Titans—a new kind of humanity, rejuvenated and vigorous and very long-lived, but also literally bigger than life. There are only a few thousand Titans worldwide, thanks to Stefan Tonfamecasca's discovery of the controversial T7 genetic therapy, which elevated his family to godlike status. T7 turns average humans into near-immortal distortions of themselves—with immense physical proportions to match their ostentatious, unreachable lifestyles. A dead Titan is big news . . . a murdered Titan is unimaginable. But these modified magnates are Cal's specialty. In fact, his own ex-girlfriend, Athena, is a Titan. And not just any—she is Stefan's daughter, heir to the massive Tonfamecasca empire.

If you're a fan of both noir and science fiction, you're bound to love this book. But even if you're not, you will still likely enjoy it. Give it a read. Cal Sounder, a detective known for working on sensitive cases, is called in to investigate a homicide at a local apartment. The victim, a Titan - one of the genetically-altered elites, is over seven feet tall and appeared to be a typical techie at first glance. On closer inspection, he is found to be ninety years old despite looking no older than thirty, clearly a result of the T7 genetic therapy. The victim's murder is not only big news but also an unimaginable crime. Harkaway skillfully employs the classic crime genre tropes, but with a fresh and captivating twist. His writing style exudes noir, bringing to life the shadows and grit of the story's setting. It is a unique and fascinating blend of tech and noir that the author flawlessly executes. Titans are medically-enhanced elites, made via an injection of Titanium-7, done only for a select group, and it produces young, strong and proportionately large humans, from ageing, possibly frail or ill candidates, but it does have adverse effects, including fragmentary amnesia. In Tebbit’s case, it was given as part of his contract. Cal Sounder's Noirish style of commentary on his investigation into the death of a man that it shouldn't have been possible to murder served to integrate a complicated and intriguing murder plot and a view of a future world that made the gap between the really rich and the rest even more impossible to close than it is today.

Cal’s ex, Athena, daughter of discoverer of Titanium 7, and now herself a Titan, is interested in the case: at some stage, Roddy’s research involved work for Titan mogul, Stefan Tonfamecasca. Because it involves Titans, Cal needs to be diplomatic: rich and powerful means something a little different for a Titan: many are wealthy, but, given their size, their power is often physical and as well as influential. Cal Sounder himself is, as one Titan observes, "A nobody, and yet somehow also a pin around which the city turns. Of course you're only a small businessman, but you are, undeniably, something of a figure in all of this, and I cannot for the life of me see how it comes to be so. You walk with giants. Are you on a mission? {...}" Titanium Noir is an entertaining science-fiction noir thriller, with good pacing and the right amount of twists and turns. Harkaway's elegant and rhythmic writing is impressive. He provides snappy exchanges and lightning-paced dialogue, nuanced characters, and a dark vision of future society. Now, it's not particularly original, if you're versed in the genre and its history. But it spins it here and there, and the mystery remains mysterious and engaging throughout. The ending lands well. Let's just say it's hard-hitting (though not fully unexpected).And, of course, like all the best noir, Titanium Noir has plenty of world-weary wisdom to impart about the general human condition, insights that ring true and are applicable to today's headlines, whenever "today" might be:

Cal discovers that the murder investigation is more complicated than it appears. It soon becomes obvious that he's pursuing a crime that could unravel the dark mysteries of his society. Murder, betrayal, and revenge await him. Oh, and let's not forget about Stefan Tonfamecasca - the creator of the controversial T7 genetic therapy, which elevated his family to near-godlike status. Cal's love interest and the story's femme fatale, Athena, is Stefan's daughter. Yup. Things get complicated. What if there was a drug, available only, from one source, that could extend human lifespans by centuries?Harkaway ( Gnomon) pulls off an artful blend of science fiction and hard-boiled detective story in this excellent outing. . . .Harkaway’s superior worldbuilding makes it easy for readers to buy in to the conceit, which burnishes detective story clichés with sci-fi flair. It’s a wild ride.” A Titan has been murdered, and that almost never happens. Titans are genetically enhanced humans who extend their lives with successive enhancements, becoming larger each time. (It’s a little disappointing that they don’t seem to become smarter, more creative or more useful human beings, but that would be a different book.) Cal Sounder has been called to assist the police investigation. His role is complicated by the fact that his ex-girlfriend is a Titan and her father is a big deal in Titan world. The book is fast paced and there is a really trippy twist to the plot.

Titanium Noir blends the best of the science fiction and crime genres to create something vibrant and new. Captivating from start to finish. As Cal digs deeper into the murder investigation, he begins to unravel the complicated threads of what should have been a straightforward case, and it soon becomes clear he’s on the trail of a crime whose roots run deep into the dark heart of the world. Titanium Noir is a tightly woven, intricate tale of murder, betrayal, and vengeance.As Cal delves deeper into the investigation, it becomes evident that the roots of the crime run deep and threaten to shatter his world and the lives of those around him.