KLIATT - Ginger Armstrong
Following The Disappeared, this novel continues the Retrieval Artist series that is based on Rusch's Hugo-nominated novella, The Retrieval Artist. Now Miles Flint, a former detective, has taken over Paloma's business, living the solitary life of a Retrieval Artist. Working for families and insurance companies, Flint searches for those on the run from the legal system but does not reveal identities or give information to anyone other than his clients on a "disappeared's" whereabouts. When a powerful attorney visits Flint and begs him to take a case, Flint has no idea that the research will lead him to a murder at the highly publicized and popular Moon Marathon. Flint is intrigued by the case involving another Retrieval Artist who allegedly died due to a dangerous flu virus. Frieda Tey, a scientist once accused of the deaths of a group of humans in a viral experiment, is suspected of unleashing this same highly contagious, deadly virus at the Moon Marathon. Also at the marathon, Tracker Miriam Oliviari, who has been searching for Frieda Tey for years, finally believes that she has found her prey while Detective Noelle DeRicci, Flint's former partner, investigates the death of a young woman at the same event. Suspense builds effectively as time elapses with characters becoming infected and the threat of death so imminent. The plot moves smoothly as chapters alternate between Flint's investigation, Oliviari's medical research and tracking, and DeRicci's involvement with her coworkers while handling the Moon Marathon investigation on site. Readers of police procedurals as well as fans of SF should enjoy this mystery series. This novel is definitely recommended for fans of theseries but will stand alone for those who have not read the previous novel or novella.