As Cal delves deeper into the truth about Roddy Tebbit's murder, he finds himself facing threats from the dark heart of the elite world. He realizes that nothing is as it seems, and he finds himself in a more dangerous position than he can handle.

Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway review: A visionary piece of

Before I start diving into the nitty gritty, I want to state that my experience with hard-boiled detective novels is very slim. It’s not a dame I tend to dance with, as its reputation precedes it. I find myself flipping my sign to the closed side any time their shadow darkens my frost tinted glass door. That’s not to say a few convinced me to take on their case with a few sob stories here and there. Everyone familiar with this sorry lot has heard The Maltese Falcon’s story, and I perchance have let a few of the more fantastical cats into my office and poured them a stiff drink. So you see, if you’re looking for a detailed rap sheet on Titanium Noir, hoping I’d give the all clear on its intentions, well, I’m just not that well equipped. Learning to live with a body that’s been extended is no joke. Some (not many) have had several T shots over time—a long time. Cal Sounder is a detective working for the police on certain very sensitive cases. So when he’s called in to investigate a homicide at a local apartment, he is surprised at first to see that the victim appears to be a rather typical techie. But on closer inspection, he finds the victim is over seven feet tall. And even though he doesn’t look a day over thirty, he is actually ninety years old. Clearly, he is a Titan – one of this dystopian, near-future society’s genetically-altered elites.I had a lot of fun with this book. I highly recommend it to mystery fans, Noir fans, Speculative Fiction fans and anyone who is looking for a well-told tale that entertains you while making you think about how the world works. This was top class. Dark, gritty, weird, insanely atmospheric and with brilliant mystery writing at its heart. It's worth remembering that angry and ridiculous people can do bad and effective things just like anyone else.

TITANIUM NOIR | Kirkus Reviews

An SF–tinged romp that blends elements of the noir thriller and the picaresque novel. . . . [Echoes] the Thomas Pynchon of Inherent Vice. . . . A tale of genetic manipulation—familiar to fans of movies such as RoboCop and Elysium. . . . An entertaining shaggy dog of a futuristic whodunit.” The saving grace could have been some of more interesting nooks and crannies hidden among the play of shadows. The danger of ossified power structures, controlled by larger than life players who are as close to immortal as one could get. The Titans’ vulnerability hiding within the intimate relations amongst the very people playing at Gods. Sounder could have mapped out the contours of the world, like an ant finding a picnic and making its getaway to bring on the might of the colony. But instead, the man just stayed in his lane and added a few details to the world. But again, he was quite guarded as if the Titans themselves could read his own thoughts. Sure he made some pretty strategic moves that helped solve the case, but the case never truly revealed anything. Power will do what it can to remain in power, and we must recognize that, maybe even respect it. Bingo. Didn’t need an overloaded case to make that claim. What if there was a drug, available only, from one source, that could extend human lifespans by centuries?

Cal Sounder is occasionally hired by the police as a specialist detective when certain sensitive cases need a special touch. Thanks to a controversial new gene therapy drug, T7, there are a few thousand elite Titans. Taller, stronger and bigger in every way, Titans are men and women rich enough to buy themselves out of death. So when one does turn up dead, Cal has the right insider knowledge and connections to investigate it without becoming public knowledge, especially because his ex-girlfriend, Athena, is not only a Titan herself but also the daughter of the man who invested T7, Stefan Tonfamecasca. But when a Titan turns up murdered, then even Cal must think differently to find a killer before they strike again. Titanium Noir [is]a funny, voice-y book full of fantastic sentences that, as the youths say, absolutely slap. It’s the kind of writing that reminds you that poetry and detective fiction have a lot in common. . . .An exemplar of its genre, Titanium Noir twists and turns between excellent fun and deep melancholy.” 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.

Titanium Noir – The British Fantasy Society Titanium Noir – The British Fantasy Society

The tone is set in the first few opening lines, in the sparse, take no prisoners, non conversation between Cal and the Captain as they head towards the crime scene. Cal Sounder is a detective working for the police on certain very sensitive cases. So when he's called in to investigate a homicide at a local apartment, he is surprised at first to see that the victim appears to be a rather typical techie. But on closer inspection, he finds the victim is over seven feet tall. And even though he doesn't look a day over thirty, he is actually ninety years old. Clearly, he is a Titan - one of this dystopian, near-future society's genetically-altered elites. But the SF element drew me. The writing is a tour-de-force. Such tight, descriptive, stylish prose, blending noir and Blade Runner-esque mean streets with a SFnal overlay. What kept me going was Cal Sounder's sardonic humor, as well as the sense that he was a good person at the substrate. titanium noir” has a fantastic description and premise. people are turning into titans with a t7 serum that allows them to become bigger, faster, and stronger. when a titan is found murdered, it’s cal’s job (though he’s not a cop) to solve the murder.But Titans are Cal’s specialty. In fact, his ex-girlfriend, Athena, is a Titan. And not just any Titan—she’s Stefan’s daughter, heir to the Tonfamecasca empire. As Cal digs deeper into the murder investigation, he begins to unweave the complicated threads of what should have been a s 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? {...}" 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. No es fantasía porque la ciencia es la que produce a estos Titanes. Élite de humanos super ricos que pueden pagarse el tratamiento que los vuelve jóvenes de nuevo, cura todas las dolencias y debido a la naturaleza de la técnica empleada para ello, también les hace crecer por encima de las medidas humanas, en altura, musculatura y apetitos. Ademas les hace inmortales, porque... porqué no?