KOP by Warren Hammond

Published by Tor on April 29, 2008

KOP is set on the planet Lagarto. Hammond's depiction of Largato as a seedy, economically deprived world is particularly well done; Lagarto seems to come alive, as if it were a character in the novel.   KOP's protagonist, Juno Mozambe, is a law enforcement officer employed by the Koba Office of the Police.  His historical role in KOP has been that of enforcer, making sure businesses are paying for protection and other law enforcement officers are staying in line.  His partner in this endeavor, Paul Chang, is chief of police, but it isn't clear that he'll survive a gang war that's underway between the local gang that he protects and a rival gang from another Lagarto city.  Juno seems to be losing the respect of the police force he once dominated, and at the same time has the chance to gain the respect of an incorruptable young officer, Maggie Orzo, with whom he is partnered.

The complex crime story is pure fun, and Juno's conflicted feelings about his own corruption as a law enforcement officer make him an interesting character. The pace is brisk and the story is action-packed.  The violent ending probably shouldn't have surprised me but it did. 

Readers of crime fiction, particularly those with an appreciation of noir, would probably feel at home reading this sf thriller. I enjoy both genres and thought Hammond did a skillful job of blending them.

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