Gumshoe Conrad Metcalf has problems—not the least of which are the rabbit in his waiting room and the trigger-happy kangaroo on his tail. Near-future Oakland is an ominous place where evolved animals function as members of society, the police monitor citizens by their karma levels, and mind-numbing drugs such as Forgettol and Acceptol are all the rage.
In this brave new world, Metcalf has been shadowing the wife of an affluent doctor, perhaps falling a little in love with her at the same time. But when the doctor turns up dead, our amiable investigator finds himself caught in the crossfire in a futuristic world that is both funny—and not so funny.
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"all the reviews say it, but it's perfectly apt, so i may as well repeat it: chandler meets phil dick (though he's a bit funnier than both). it's really amazing how closely lethem mirrors chandler's style, which, if you don't know, is beautiful."
— Matthew (5 out of 5 stars)
“This colorful first novel is a fast and lively read, full of humorous visions and outlandish predicaments.”
— Publishers Weekly“Tight plotting create a taut sf thriller that should appeal to both sf and mystery fans.”
— Library Journal“Amid its smartly delivered first-person narration and crackling dialogue, even a tough-talking kangaroo that intermittently tangles with Metcalf seems plausible. An outstanding debut for a welcome new voice in both sf and mysteries.”
— Booklist“Marries Chandler’s style and Philip K. Dick’s vision…An audaciously assured first novel.”
— Newsweek“Marvelous…Stylish, intelligent, darkly humorous and highly readable entertainment.”
— San Francisco Chronicle" This is one of my most highly recommended books. It's sci-fi. It's "noir." It's a mystery. It's screwed up. It's insane. It's funny. I love it to pieces. "
— Mizmoose, 2/19/2014" Super weird science-fiction noir tale. Lethem's writing is clear, lively, and hilarious, though the plot seemed secondary to me and I really wasn't all that intrigued by the mystery. Good and strange, nontheless. "
— Liz, 2/15/2014" An entertaining book which weaves ideas from many other books. He definitely plays the Burgess card and gives us 'make.' The mystery is straight Spillane, complete with twists and love triangles. While I wasn't wild about it, I would recommend it as a good book to bring balance to the SciFi genre, as it works for a mystery. "
— -kevin-, 2/15/2014" This one barely eked out three stars, mainly because of the horrendous sexism. The cover touted the influence of Philip K. Dick, but I think his hatred of women is an unnecessary hallmark of his "style," and certainly not worth imitating. On the good side, I found the "evolved animal" aspect of this story to be pretty amusing--RUN! IT'S THE KILLER KANGAROOOO! I don't know if I'd necessarily recommend this one, but as a detective noir novel, it stuck firmly within the (sexist) genre while adding some interesting new sci-fi twists. "
— Colin, 2/12/2014" Awesome book weird drugs, talking kangaroos. "
— Trey, 1/31/2014" Hey, this is a good book. Sci Fi film noir in the East Bay with evolved animals. "
— Karl, 1/17/2014" Thoughtful/provoking, hardboiled techno noir. What isn't to like? "
— Katherine, 1/12/2014" Great read: especially when stuck in a tent on a mountain top waiting out an ice fog storm. "
— Mike, 1/2/2014" Great hallucinatory noir, like Hammett meets Dick ... really alot like Dashiell meets Philip, good character developement, interesting plot/interaction, and ...wait for it... weak ending that works. "
— Bob, 12/27/2013" Odd and initially a bit off putting but eventually interesting and entertaining experiment. "
— Dirk, 12/22/2013" This was great fun to read. Nice to get a new take on future noir. "
— Andy, 12/16/2013Jonathan Lethem is the author of a number of critically acclaimed novels, including The Fortress of Solitude and the National Book Critics Circle Award winner Motherless Brooklyn. Lethem’s stories and essays have appeared in the New Yorker, Harper’s, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and the New York Times, among others. He lives in New York City.
Nick Sullivan has narrated audiobooks for over twenty years and has recorded over four hundred titles. An Audie Award winner, he is also the recipient of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards. His TV and film credits include The Good Wife, The Affair, Bull, Boardwalk Empire, 30 Rock, Our Idiot Brother, and Private Life.