4 out of 4 stars
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When I first read the description for Carl H. Mitchell's Sundown: engineering gives the devil a sunburn, I was not sure what to expect of the novel. It seemed to have a little bit of everything: conspiration, detectives, political crisis, environmental problems, and dystopian setting. Each of these things sounded good on their own, but I was somewhat skeptical of how they would all fit together. However, the novel turned out to be a well planned and extremely well-written journey, that grips the reader from the very first pages and holds tight throughout the fast-paced ride, which lacks no excitement.
Sundown is set some years in the future, in the world ruled by an international World Council. Due to the release of a biological weapon that has destroyed more than half of the world's oil, The United States, like other countries, has deteriorated into a place where people make their own laws and no justice is guaranteed. Streets of New York are ruled by paracops, neighborhood gangs that look out for their own and outnumber the actual police force. Politicians struggle in the middle of the energy crisis, and all means are acceptable in their fight for power. In the middle of all this, Nick Garvey, a New York City detective, is trying to solve the murder of the vice president, and investigate a child kidnapping network that's been plaguing the city since the one-child policy was announced by the world council. the story mostly follows Nick as he gets drawn deeper and deeper into the world of political conspiracy, while also struggling to mend ties with his estranged daughter.
I enjoyed following Nick Garvey and the progress he made in his investigation. Actually, what I most liked about this book was that the main characters, both heroes and villains, were well developed and had their own personalities, goals, and ambitions. Even the several supporting characters had their agendas, and it was fun reading the occasional chapters or paragraphs from their point of view. None of the characters felt flat, or their parts in the story forced. Also, the world-building was magnificent and extremely detailed.
There were some parts, which I found a bit difficult to follow but they mostly had to do with things I'm not familiar with, like electrical engineering. Describing how the energy grid over Manhattan worked and how it was built, certainly showed knowledge and research of the subject, but it didn't make things any clearer for me. Also, some chapters that provided backstory for the novel's world, could have been shorter. They were well-integrated into the writing but sometimes it felt there was too much information and not all of it was necessary. Other than that, I really didn't find many faults with this novel. Even the editing was good, I noticed only a couple of small errors.
All in all, this book was a positive surprise. I enjoyed reading it, and not once did I feel I needed to push myself forward. Instead, I was pulled in by the story and wouldn't mind reading more about Nick Garvey and his investigations in the future. This book definitely deserves 4 out of 4 stars, and I recommend it to anyone who likes fast-paced detective stories and doesn't mind a wide cast of characters.
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Sundown
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