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Kai Braddock, former LAPD investigator turned private eye, finds himself plunged into the uncertainty of a mid-pandemic world plagued by a renegade French experiment: the xenobot. This hungry little fiend consumes all protein in its wake, causing the entire globe to retreat indoors, create airtight seals, and install airlocks for safe entry and exit (if anyone dared). Thanks to the ingenuity of Triton Technologies, the world finds solace through Triton drones, Triton video chat, and Triton delivery services. As the company states, "From our family to yours. We're all in this together." Cooped up at home, Braddock fills his time working alone as a bounty hunter via drone until he receives an anonymous email to meet in a secret location. According to the email, "SOMEONE IS MISSING."
The narrative introduces a variety of characters arranged along the social ladder who can and cannot afford Triton's technology. A series of narrow escapes and harrowing encounters leave the reader wondering why a solution to the xenobots could be so rife with violence. After all, "If the ship is sinking, you don't auction off spots on the life rafts to the highest bidder."
Harry's novel combines the eerie warmth of WALL•E's Buy n Large with the intrigue of a good old detective novel set in a pandemic-ridden landscape that his audience is likely familiar with. Told from a first-person perspective, the novel takes on a very masculine tone with a sometimes simplistic rendering of characters, despite the complexity Harry brings to the table through his diverse cast. Certain misinterpretations and clichés make for an easy read for any lover of detective or dystopian fiction.