Titanium Noir nearly implodes under the weight of its retro tropes, but the book, like its Titans, reboots in time for a surprising and gratifying finale.
It’s all very entertaining and often convincing, though there are moments when things tip over into parody ... All are gifted with snappy dialogue, and the mystery resolves with a sharp twist.
While there’s a Chandleresque quality to Titanium Noir, I felt Harkaway was embracing rather than pastiching the style. That’s not to say he holds back. The novel is peppered with razor-sharp observations ... Titanium Noir may not have the heft of a typical Harkaway novel, but that’s more than made up by a devotion to the conventions of hard-boiled crime and the Truhen-inspired pacing, tension, and twisty plot.
The world of Titanium Noir is a rich one that is creative and unique, and not too far afield from a technologically advanced future driven by greed and corporeal pleasure that is believable and realistic, in spite of its fantastic components. Of the dozens of characters, some important ones were begging for more meat on their titanic bones, and some aspects of the setting were ripe for more exploration, but the plot took us in a different direction that was still exciting. In spite of these, Harkaway’s imagination and skillful storytelling are working at full throttle in this highly original, hilarious crime novel.
Harkaway colors each character and vignette with just enough detail to keep things interesting, while assembling the setting and unraveling the mystery in a steady stream of information ... With its likable narrator, explosive action, noir-style rumination and just the right amount of twists, Titanium Noir is an entertaining sci-fi mystery that never overstays its welcome.
This SF thriller hits all the beats of a gritty noir mystery, wrapped in a near-future setting where immortality can be had for a price ... Harkaway... combines a satisfying mystery with a thought-provoking science-fictional setting and just the right touch of heartbreak to make for a compelling read.
An artful blend of science fiction and hard-boiled detective story ... Harkaway’s superior worldbuilding makes it easy for readers to buy in to the conceit, which burnishes detective story clichés with sci-fi flair.
An SF-tinged romp that blends elements of the noir thriller and the picaresque novel ... There are the inevitable crooked cops and femmes fatales... along with some fun culinary side notes... to pepper Harkaway’s tale ... An entertaining shaggy dog of a futuristic whodunit.
