Paul Bassett Davies' third novel is set in a world that resembles our own but at first I was uncertain about the time period. Is it retro-noir? Kilroy, a hard-boiled cop with a fedora is investigating a grisly murder that took place following a public execution. But there are drones. Could this be a futuristic dystopia? Yes it could. The story takes place after apocalyptic floods, an indeterminate number of years before. The food is terrible. Those who survived live in a society run by a religious elite who tolerate no dissent. But a movement is growing. Curtis is Kilroy's best friend who is also a member of the security services for the oppressive bureaucracy. They are both looking for a charismatic teenager named Sheba who may or may not have been the perpetrator of the grisly murder. The story moves at a furious pace. There are visitors from a distant mysterious land, car chases, clone-like characters, some sex and, best of all, an intelligent parrot. There are frequent injections of humour to lighten the dystopian mood. (If you follow Paul Bassett Davies on Twitter you know there will be wit aplenty.) It's a satire that seems less far-fetched than it would have just a few years ago.
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