EX-KOP by Warren Hammond

Published by Tor on March 2, 2010

Juno and Maggie are back in another brisk, violent story of life on Lagarto.  The noir atmosphere so masterfully created in KOP is just as effectively rendered in EX-KOP. Particularly strong is a subplot involving Juno's need for money to pay for a new spine for his wife who, hospitalized after a suicide attempt, has no desire to live. Juno wrestles with the moral and personal issues presented by his wife's desire to die, a dilemma that humanizes Juno, making him all the more appealing to the reader. That humanization is necessary given Juno's immediate disregard for the possible innocence of a convicted murderer, whose case Maggie hires him to investigate. Of course, Juno revises his opinion as the novel progresses, and Hammond does a fine job of letting suspense build as we wait to see whether the prisoner will be saved from execution.

The ending of this novel sets the scene for an anticipated third novel in this entertaining series. I look forward to reading it. If you like action and a sense of noir in your sf, you shouldn't miss the KOP books.

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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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