I am a sucker for anything superhero related, so Christopher had a built in audience here. It didn't disappoint. It was quirky and distinctive, giving the story its own unique edge on the plethora of other superhero stories out in the world. I loved this so much I ended up tracking down a signed limited edition copy of this.

'Made to Kill' by Adam Christopher seems to have all the things I like in a book: a noir detective story, a robot, and intriguing mystery.

Raymond Electromatic is a private eye, and a pretty good one. He's also the last robot, as all the rest were put out of commission. His office mate Ada is a supercomputer and has an inside voice in Ray's head. When a familiar looking woman arrives, Ray finds himself on the case in Hollywood. The plot becomes about something bigger than Ray anticipated, and now Ray may find himself in trouble.

I like the idea of this more than the execution. I'm not sure what exactly didn't work for me, but Ray feels like a cool gadget that never gets fully used. He spends a lot of time thinking about the emotions he should be having, but I just never felt any sympathy for him. Perhaps this changes in later books. I did enjoy the read and the flavor. I just wanted to like it more than I did.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Macmillan Tor/Forge and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Raymond Electromatic is good at his job, as good as he ever was at being a true Private Investigator, the lone employee of the Electromatic Detective Agency--except for Ada, office gal and super-computer, the constant voice in Ray's inner ear. Ray might have taken up a new line of work, but money is money, after all, and he was programmed to make a profit. Besides, with his twenty-four-hour memory-tape limits, he sure can keep a secret.
When a familiar-looking woman arrives at the agency wanting to hire Ray to find a missing movie star, he's inclined to tell her to take a hike. But she had the cold hard cash, a demand for total anonymity, and tendency to vanish on her own.
Plunged into a glittering world of fame, fortune, and secrecy, Ray uncovers a sinister plot that goes much deeper than the silver screen--and this robot is at the wrong place, at the wrong time.

I had high hopes for this: an alt-history noir mystery with a robot investigator. Sounds brilliant. But it just wasn't...

Normally, I want a book to read well, have great characters, an intriguing plot, dialogue that works, and a finish that doesn't make me roll my eyes. Sometimes I can forgive poor dialogue if the rest of the book is strong...

This one just failed for me. The idea was good but just didn't hook me enough. But the worst part was the narration - coming from a robot, it was just flat and uninteresting. That sense of urgency you expect from an investigator just wasn't there. And if that isn't there, I can't invest myself 100% in the story.

I am happy to have a look at the second book and see if any of that changes. I hope it does...


Paul
ARH

An Entertaining Enough Genre Mash-up

If you think about the premise for a moment, and then toy with ideas about where you could go with it - well, you'd get this book. No surprises or special twists beyond the premise and the mash-up. You get a hard boiled detective, but he's a robot. You get a robot/AI story, but it's hard boiled noir. You get a twisty plot appropriate to the 60's setting, and a nice bit of L.A. for scene setting. There are no other big surprises.

That's fine enough. Our hero robot, Raymond, has an engaging enough voice and a certain dour appeal. His A.I. assistant Ada stands in for the loyal secretary. Raymond's 24-hour memory tape loop allows for some complications in the honored "amnesia" style. There is some humor and some special robot touches. Otherwise, it's twisty crime/conspiracy/double-cross stuff.

If you really enjoy robot tales, this is probably a bit light on content and depth. If you like serious hard boiled detective fiction, this is probably a bit light on content and depth. If you're looking for some diverting entertainment, a few good lines, and a nice, amiable read that combines the two, then this book, (and the series), could be just the ticket.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)