I Only Killed Him Once
A Ray Electromatic Mystery

by Adam Christopher
Macmillan-Tor/Forge
Tor Books

Sci Fi & Fantasy
Pub Date 10 Jul 2018  
 

Review

Few things go as well together as robots and pulp noir, as Adam Christopher has repeatedly proven with his Raymond Electromatic novels.  Christopher’s LA of the 1960s has all the glamour of Hollywood in its heyday and something extra - a robot detective turned hitman. Having a memory that starts from scratch every 24 hours is a weakness that just may turn out into a strength in Christopher’s newest novel - I Only Killed Him Once.

Ray rarely thinks twice about the assignments Ada gives him, but the man in black who shows up with an ominous warning has a hat that looks a lot like the one belonging to the man he killed the night before.  And a handsome man in a loud suit addresses Ray as a colleague in a particular endeavor. Something odd is going on, and all Ray has to go on are the cryptic notes he’s written himself. Ada and his memory tapes are missing and with his limited memory it’s only a matter of time before he shuts down permanently.

I Only Killed Him Once is decadent, guilty fun, exciting in the way that only pulp science fiction can.  Ray is a noir style pi with a unique twist. Christopher makes readers believe in Ray’s abilities as a hitman and pi while accepting that he is a robot with a limited memory.  Adam Christopher is a great writer, and I look forward to seeing what comes next.

5 / 5

I received a copy of I Only Killed Him Once from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

— Crittermom

Description
 

A blend of science fiction and stylish mystery noir featuring a robot detective, I Only Killed Him Once is the newest stand-alone installment in Adam Christopher's Ray Electromatic mystery series.

Another Hollywood night, another job for electric-detective-turned-robotic-hitman Raymond Electromatic. The target is a tall man in a black hat, and while Ray completes his mission successfully, he makes a startling discovery—one he soon forgets when his 24-hour memory tape loops to the end and is replaced with a fresh reel…

When a tall man in a black hat arrives in the offices of the Electromatic Detective Agency the next day, Ray has a suspicion he has met this stranger before, although Ray’s computerized boss, Ada, is not saying a thing. But their visitor isn’t here to hire Ray for a job—he’s here to deliver a stark warning.

Because time is running out and if Ray and Ada want to survive, they need to do exactly what the man in the black hat says.

A man that Raymond Electromatic has already killed.