Fallen hero for hire
Burt Holmes, PI
by A.M. Roelke
Mystery & Thrillers, Scifi & Fantasy
Pub Date: January 23, 2016
Review
Part noir part sci fi adventure, Burt Holmes PI is a thrilling novel by newcomer A.M. Roelke.
Burt Holmes was a cop, but something happened and now he is a PI with gaps in his memory and all too many regrets. What he does have is a sense of right and wrong and a desire to protect. It leads him into taking a case for an ancestral captain – a young girl who fears for the welfare of a brother she has never met. Her father, another ancestral captain, is a cruel man with money and connections and a history of being abusive.
The ancestral captains command immense ships and control the majority of commerce. Perseus Station and many others is dependent upon their business. That makes them not only powerful but entitled. Wade Hampton, Holmes's client, is at once vulnerable and dangerous. While she has had control over her ship for several years, she is not emotionally mature and her history has made her unstable. Holmes is yet another complex character. He is missing a large portion of his memories. His reaction to Wade is mixed, both because he wants to help and protect her and because he knows how dangerous she is.
I liked Burt Holmes, PI a great deal. Its complex characters and interesting plot combining scifi and noir elements make it a good choice for scifi fans. Roelke is definitely an author to watch. I look forward to seeing if Burt Holmes returns in a second novel.
4/5
I received a copy of Burt Holmes, PI from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom
Description
P.I. in space Burt Holmes used to be a cop on Perseus space station, a place known for its docks and jails. Now he's a private eye who knows his own flaws all too well … and has gaps in his memory. Burt was kicked off the force for killing someone, though he can't remember it. Nowadays he usually handles divorce cases. He's facing his hardest job yet working for Wade Hampton, who is one moment a hardened—and deadly—ship's captain, the next an insecure young girl who tugs at his protective instincts. Then an old nemesis—a child predator—escapes from jail. Life gets complicated, with assassin drones, gangsters, a badass robot, and a kid in danger. Is Burt up to saving the day, solving the crimes—or handling the return of his own memories?
