Bone Wires by Michael Shean is a Science Fiction novel that crosses genres being a police procedural along with a crime novel set in the distant future. The closest thing that comes to mind that has come out recently is the Slab City Blues Series of Novellas by Anthony Ryan. These two things have many points in common, though the latter is more noir, gritty cop fiction meets dystopian future and the former is a more stylized version without the hardboiled detective. This novel is all about predators. Everyone is a predator in this novel – hunting someone, or something, or both, whether it's power, revenge, money, or simply their nature as a being, the coldest predator of all turns out to be a big surprise.. Read more to find out details..

THE PLOT It is the year 2076. Police services have become privatized into a public company named Civil Protection, or CivPro for short, where profits are everything. People have to have a contract to be protected by the police. Our protagonist, Detective Daniel Gray, is a blue shield, tier III in Homicide, which is now basically, a janitorial job. He is ambitious and dreams of a juicy case that will raise his level to Amber, tier IV, which will get him a new apartment, a new car, and a raise, along with respect and power within the department. Unfortunately, like the Chinese say, be careful what you wish for, it may come true. The case does come in the form of the “Spine Thief” murders, where someone is cutting people's spines out with a hot knife while they are willingly in a prone position. What would make them do this willingly? But something is not right, and the company wants to sweep everything under the rug as quickly as possible. Three of these murders happen, and while Gray must put the pieces together, he finds horrific things, and becomes a hero – yet he knows there in his gut, that there is so much more than that, which is carefully being kept from the public because it would lower the stock price. People come out of the woodwork – powerful people, trying to pull him one way or the other to meet their own agendas. He sees no way that he can keep clear of their machinations without staining his own reputation. He can't hide. He can't work with them, so the only option he sees is to be true to himself and go up the middle. He goes on the warpath to do what he believes is right, to protect what he loves. In the midst of this, he falls for a Subject of Interest (SOI)– a girl from a club - an exotic dancer, who was involved with one of the people who lost his spine. Is she involved in the murders, or something even worse? He keeps finding out new information that leads him ever onward, in his quest to find out the truth. Gray finds blackmail of powerful executives, exotic new psychotropic drugs, crooked vice cops, shell companies, sexual favors and mysterious land owners, Nazi war criminals, serial killers, industrial espionage, street gangs and more. This maze of a plot has many dead ends and red herrings, while the body count continues to rise. Sources from all walks of life abound in this book, from high up in the police to an apex predator named Jimmie BlackEyes in the Verge, ( a lawless region outside Seattle, Wa), who kills as a way of life. In the end, everyone lies, to some extent, and everyone tells the truth, when it suits their interests. You must sift things through everything to get to the nuggets of gold. It is only at the end of the maze that you find out how well you've done. The plot is tightly woven, closely packed, and like a maze, has many different avenues to search for clues, which can lead you astray, or lead you to gold. Gray has a choice: he goes through door number one, and buckles under to a system that is only interested in bottom line profits, not in justice, and he's rewarded for his efforts and walks away from his love, or goes through door number two, and continues with his off-hours investigations, helping Interval Affairs put the pieces together against the mysterious forces that may include his lady love. He could lose either way, but what really may be at stake is his soul, so he has to choose wisely. Is there a door number three? For plot, I give this novel, a 9/10.

CHARACTERIZATION: This novel was a challenge for characterization, because as predators, everyone with the exception of Gray and Jimmie has natural camouflage. Shean characterized his protagonist Gray amazingly well. As our narrator, we see inside his head. We learn his hopes and dreams, and go through his evolution as the story progresses. I believe that Shean was correct in choosing a single POV for this novel, as the story is so complex, that transitioning to different points of view would have added too much complexity to the book, almost to the point of unreadability. The book was complex enough without adding different realities and differing truths. The other characters in the book had some characterization, like his partner Carter, Megan Cinders -the coroner, Jimmie BlackEyes – the tribal leader, Angie – the stripper girlfriend, Muller – the gallery owner, Yin – Muller's apprentice and Maskowitz – the fired Tech guy. The problem was, these people are all playing double roles, with the exception of Jimmie. So we really don't get to know the real people behind those roles. The roles are characterized somewhat, but with all the smoke and mirrors going on in the book, it is hard to say who is what, with the exception of Gray and Jimmie of course. Jimmie, the apex predator. Jimmie was characterized quite well – eerie, scarey, and dangerous. You never want to see him anywhere near you, much less talk to him. Moody was a trope, a lead vice cop on the take, powerful, defensive, over weight and willing to take down others for his own profit at the snap of two fingers, but what was he really like inside? We'll never know. We get a glimpse of the real Angie at the end – cold, highly functional and highly trained - rationalizing her role, as if she were collating reports instead of what actually occurred. It was a ghoulish moment, and one that the author Shean wrote perfectly. She swapped roles with Jimmie at that point. While she did not revel in her actions as he did, her coldness and offhandedness on the subject, as if the necessary containment measures along with Muller's actions meant nothing more than a walk in the park, was so chilling that she topped the list of predators in the book, in my mind.. That was a shocking experience. It clearly effected Gray profoundly. For characterization, I give this novel, an 9/10.

IMAGERY: Shean did a masterful job of imagery. If you like your novels bloody, then this is your cup of tea, so to speak. It has everything from an abattoir filled with dismembered bodies to three bodies with their spines cut out, to a dismembered person left in a pyramid outside an art gallery. People are also shot, with blood everywhere. They also used toxic gas to kill them in droves. The one image I will always remember is Gray's meeting the Jimmie BlackEyes at the park in the Verge which is where his tribal group hangs out. Each tribe member has tattoos on their face to represent their totem animal and they are surgically enhanced for speed and strength. Some have replaced all their teeth with canine teeth for that pokey effect. They walk and move like animals in the wild – smoothly, quietly and gracefully. Gray comes to see Jimmie to ask him a question about the murders. He hopes that he won't be killed as he is led into the park by Owl and Jaguar to see Jimmie. He is scared to death, but refuses to show his fear. He arrives to find a less than stellar throne with a lithe, bronzed, well-muscled figure in black bike shorts sitting in it, whose eyes have been removed – their sockets black. The eyes themselves have been replaced surgically with black, sparkling points of unknown origin which probably see better than anything nature ever created. Jimmie seems amused that the police would come to him without wanting to cause trouble. Gray asks Jimmie his question and hopes that he won't be killed, eaten or maimed before he can get back to his car. Gray is respectful to Jimmie as an authority figure in the park, but knows that Jimmie is an apex predator, and is thankful that it is daytime, as he would never want to be anywhere near the park at night. Those black, sparkling dots survey Gray – seeming to see inside his soul, as Jimmie considers Gray's question. Gray tries not to feel like prey, pushing his herd instinct way down deep - instead forcing himself to look at Jimmie's black pinpoints. Then in a deep voice, Jimmie says he'll look into it. Gray assures him that the knowledge will help him and the tribe. Jimmie laughs. The audience is over, and Gray is led back to his car by Owl and Jaguar. Gray is ust glad to be alive. His skin crawls as he tries to bring his breathing under control, as he sits in his car. What was he thinking – being in the Verge and talking to an apex predator all alone, without a riot squad to back him up? He could have been killed, and no one would have known about it...For imagery, I give this novel a 10/10.

THE GORE SCORE: This gore score is high. You don't have an abattoir in your book and get a low gore score. They never said how many body parts were hanging on the walls, or how many people altogether had died after being dismembered, but there were many. My estimate would be 20 – 25. The spine thief took three, so that's 23-28 people right there. Two people get shot in an apartment at close range, so now the body count is up to 25 – 30. The human pyramid adds another, so that brings our total to 26-31. At the end, is a battle royale, where the police use toxic gas on their foes. The real numbers never come out, and there is definitely hails of bullets involved as well. At my best estimate, the gas must have taken at least 8 of the gang members, and bullets took out about the same between the police and the gang, so that's another 16. Now, we have a body count of 42 -47. I told you in the last review that I would keep count. Plus, a single shooting at the end of the book by Gray brings that total up to 43 – 48. We'll split the difference, and call it 45. That is a lot of bodies for a single novel. There were so many dismemberment’s in the abattoir that it should have been a scene from the Texas Chain Saw Massacre. For those of you who are faint of heart, this is not the book for you, but if revel in this stuff, you will love this book. Shean has a way with gore that will thrill your socks off. My final gore score for this novel is 9/10.

DIALOGUE: The dialogue in the book is concise and snappy. There is no overage of words here and because everyone is a predator in camouflage, you find a lot of double entendre and hidden meaning in what they say. You have to read between the lines or you won't get anywhere until the end of the novel. The only one who speaks straightforwardly is our protagonist, but he starts learning from his superiors that is not how you play the game, and wises up quickly – starting to hold back information that only he needs to have on his hunt for the truth. The dialogue was custom crafted to create those dead ends and red herrings, I spoke of previously. Remember, everyone lies, yet everyone tells the truth when it fits their purposes, especially when they want to aim someone at a target they want to hit. While the dialogue was not huge, it definitely played a role in the plot and the characterization. Shean did a good job at crafting his dialogue to give us just enough information to keep the story moving forward, keeping us on our toes, leading us astray, and making us want to read more to find out what happens. For dialogue, I give this novel, an 8/10.

PACING: The pacing in this book was consistently swift. You started the book with Gray in the car, dreaming of hunting his Amber badge, as he gets the call for the first Spine Thief murder. The action and obfuscation never let up from that point forward, as both the bodies and the crimes pile up, with Gray in the middle – trying to keep his reputation and his sanity while preserving the company bottom line – even though he is falling in love with a stripper, which is bad PR for a hero, and could lower stock prices. Pages fly by, as you want Gray to get out of his dilemma, get the girl, and get out of this life with his soul in one piece, though he doesn't realize that option is on the table. As we get near the ending, my reading sped up to compensate for the amount of information thrown at me, and the events that transpire. No one is blameless, yet surprises abound. The battle royale is one of those surprises with the result being a jaw dropping moment where my heart breaks for Gray. The pacing of this book was well constructed. Built deliberately as building blocks are built into a tower, using dynamic tension to heighten the reader's interest. The more I read, the more the dramatic tension rose. Once I got to the battle royale, I was clawing the bottom of my chair, winging through those pages - faster than anything in nature. It never let up until the very ending of the book. For pacing, I give this novel a 9/10.

THE ENDING: The ending was a big surprise to me. If I had read the novel slower and reflected on some of the clues longer, I wouldn't have been as surprised as I was, but I still would have been surprised by most of it. The ending comes in four parts, Justice, Tragedy, Redemption and Freedom. The last two parts, made the tragedy worth it. Any time you can end a novel with a message of Freedom, you get my vote. Redemption and Justice are right behind Freedom in importance to me. Being an election year, maybe Freedom is on my mind that much more, but being an American, and a Texan to boot, I believe Freedom is an inherent human right. When you end a novel with that message, it just resonates with me, including all types of Freedom – Freedom to be yourself, Freedom to save your soul, Freedom from corruption, Freedom of speech, Freedom of assembly, Freedom from search and seizure, Freedom to protect yourself, and Freedom to live your live any way you please as long as it doesn't hurt others. For the ending of this novel, which was finely crafted, to draw you into the middle of the maze and explain all the lose ends, then give Gray his Freedom, I give this novel a 10/10.

THE UPSHOT: This novel was all about predators and everything they do to get what they want, including killing by the boatload. It ended up being about justice, redemption and freedom after some very hard won lessons, forty five bodies, a lot of blood and body parts. Who would have guessed that Gray would have been the predator voted most likely to be the guy who the joke: Nice landing, wrong airport, was about, at the beginning of the story. After the story, he finally landed at the right airport, even though his future was uncertain, he was going in the right direction, with his soul in tact - sadder but wiser. I recommend this book to people who love science fiction mixed with mysteries, mystery fans who don't mind a setting in the future, police procedural and crime fans who love detailed, mysterious cases and the gore that goes with them. I also recommend this book as a human interest story – as something that may just be prophetic. As a country, America is already privatizing government functions. If everything is bottom line driven, our world will change for the worse. Remember the old coal mines of yesteryear and the veritable slaves that worked there - driven by pure profit and dwell on that for a while. Do we want those days back? For a total score, this novel gets a 55/60, a mid-5 stars.

MLB SCORE CHART

50 – 60 5 STARS
40 – 49 4 STARS
30 – 39 3 STARS
20 – 29 2 STARS
10 – 19 1 STARS
00 – 09 0 STARS ( )

"...she had appeared like some kind of bizarre nymph that might have sprung from one of the dying trees."

I love reading stories taking place from my home city, and even though I lived in a smaller city across the green waters of Puget Sound, Seattle is our Mecca, this Emerald City, our capital of Sin. Where as children we went to see Robert Plant and Van Halen and danced in the aisles as Madonna crawled across stage crooning "Like a Virgin:" in her first stop for her inaugural world tour. It is timeless for the children of the 80's. Writing about such a city means a challenge directed to me and so many of Her own. The town gets in your blood, you see, one must remember not to be a slave to the memories and let her grow and move on Yes, She is timeless, just as such a tale I believe Bone Wires will be for quite some time.

Bone Wires reads as if someone stumbled across the corpse of Mary Shelly frozen in the wasteland of Antarctic after her monster left her there in hopes of future dreams, only to have some twisted word geneticist harvest an egg and fertilize said egg with the seed of Raymond Chandler and William Gibson. Then read stories from the archives of my fellow children of the 80's fading Shadowrun campaigns, (minus the elves, orcs and other fantasy creatures) into the speakers of the birthing waters from where the story springs forth. A story to darken our dreams with a twisted noir tale of mystery, science fiction and some mind-blowing symmetry and dance. Around and around the slick shiny pole it goes, with Gangster Northwest Indians still clinging to the hope, to a small edge of land against a dead body of water. To the insanity that is slowly creeping and threatening not only to take over our Mecca, this metropolis in the middle of chaos but to cause the dreams and ambitions of a company homicide detective crumble around him one corner at a time

Detective Grey is represented as a slave to himself, to the company, to fashion and popular beliefs, just like everyone else. But just as he wants more out of his job as a corporate police officer, like many in the field, he wants a little bit more out of life. His fashion a bit more posh, his cars a little more shiny, his coffee real and his lapels shiny. He is over the top, as is so many in this story. He can sum up the story, just all of what is wrapped up, at least one aspect of it. Angie, this dark-haired femme fatale represents the same section, but she is casting a light into the dark corners. She symbolizes the painted beauty of the inner city, those that think they are untouchable, as if their actual money and presence, where they live, what they eat and drink. What they wear... not much different then today, yet the story is much more than that. The allegory entails a very subtle and gentle sable brush, with short light pressured sweeps to bring out the tease and hints of the darkens.

I know I sound a bit over dramatic (OK a lot), forcing these purpl'ish prose upon you, I hope you can forgive me. This is another book that took me back to feelings I remember evoked by each of the aforementioned authors and all the times I played Shadowrun. It also made me think, really think about the meaning behind the disturbing imagery within. For example, the Indian tribe is the Duwamish which literally means "The People of the Inside". The Duwamish are Chief Seattle's tribe, of which the Emerald City is named and a tribe that can be traced back to 6th century AD.. The symbolic importance not only includes a NW Indian Tribe, but using the Duwamish is not lost on me. You do not need to know your Pacific NW history to recognize the significance the current "chief" of what is left of this tribe represents. Though he plays a quiet behind the curtain role, his is not one to ignore, remember that as you read the book.

It was more then the above much more. It was not just hard-boiled, or noir (by the way if you are thinking Bladerunner, think again nothing like that). It had romance, a dark twisted screwed up romance which at one point while reading I was thinking, "Oh gods, another guys attempt at a sex scene, will they not learn penthouse forum is not a legitimate source?" As the story progressed and the allegories were being brought forth stronger and stronger, much like the real coffee the main character, Detective Grey was drinking, I had an "ah-ha" moment and smiled. Oh yes this man can write! I ended up drinking a forbidden energy drink at one point so I could finish the last bit it was holding me so tight, but my brain was over worked and needed sleep. (bah sleep is for weenies and over rated!).

I have to check exactly where I am at but this is for sure in my top 12 of the year. This book is amazing. I was told not to read the first book as it was not as well written but I may just to have the story because I love how Michael Shea's mind actually works. I really love a well written mind-fuck. Yep, exactly that. No excusing or apologizing for the language. This was straight up a story to make you go holy shit and as soon as you finish want to start it again because surely you can get more out of it. It is that good.

This writer is an up and coming star. I am sure there was something in there that was off, perhaps a typo or missed space but I cannot recall, and frankly do not care. Maybe there isn't who knows? What is my point with that? THE STORY is the point. How this writer was able to take complex allegorical story devices and weave them into a cyberpunk world without it being to outlandish and over the top and still maintain the same smokey flavor of decaying flesh like the orchids from the hot-house had in The Big Sleep? I bought a book for my former American Pros teacher, who is a hard-core noir fan and who taught us not only Raymond Chandler's literary hard-boiled stories, but also shared many of his poetry collections. She showed how a poet can contribute to the telling of a story, and what makes good allegory and why this style of writing is what makes or breaks these hard-boiled novels.

I could keep going but frankly I would get lost in the maze, or is that he haze, of this story. My question is, do you like procedural? Do you like mysteries? Can you handle disturbing imagery painted with brilliant allegorical context and subtle symbolic symmetry? How about dark, bloody violent and with the promise of a bit of hope for humanity? Well that maybe a bit too much because I am not sure who had the most hope, myself, or the protagonist.

I think I want you to be the judge though, if I could I would buy all my friends I know who like this type of novel, a copy of this book. I cannot recommend it higher. It is NOT a tale for the meek, or those who abhor violence. The visceral aspects are necessary. I could write a 15 page paper on the sociological and culturally implicated symbology alone. It is getting a full set of five stars, or in honor of Seattle, five umbrellas! ( )

I received a PDF copy of this book from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for the review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Let me start by saying that I am a “newbie” to the Sci-Fi genre, being a huge fan of Heinlein who’s stories always gave me enough of the world I live in to be related to amidst the futuristic scenarios. Michael Shean has accomplished that feat, while setting up a story that follows a Homicide Detective in the far future. I am a huge mystery fan, and here the book excels expectations, while creating a horrific series of gruesome murders, the intrigue from both inside the department and on the street are very real in feeling and description.

The story also incorporates a new romance, generated in the solution of the murders, and creating yet another layer of manipulations while providing the one true ray of light in this rather dismal scenario of earth future.

The character of Dan Grey is impeccably crafted; both his good and bad qualities are given free rein: ambition and single-mindedness combined with a rather dismal view of the people on the fringe of society. He is resentful of being watched, yet expects that the ‘watchers’ will also provide him with useful information while simultaneously providing him with alibis useful enough to keep him from being called on the carpet. He is manipulated and manipulator, although more honest about his participation in both.

Like all good crime stories that are character driven, this one has a multitude of plot twists that will keep you guessing until the very end. And then, it all comes clear. The writing is polished and tight, with details that allow you to visualize in detail the world that surrounds Dan Grey.

I would recommend this book highly to anyone who is a fan of noir or crime dramas, and I also feel that a futuristic fan would like this as well. The world is painstakingly and impeccably drawn, dark and clinical with a corporate component that is chillingly believable. While I wanted to review this book based on the mystery component, the pieces integrated so neatly into the book that I can say that there was no piece that did not work for me, romance, futuristic, noir or mystery.
( )

In the year 2076, Detective Daniel Gray, Homicide Tier III, investigates a series of murders where the killer has removed the victims' spines. Among the many twists and turns of the plot, Detective Gray becomes interested in a Subject of Interest, an exotic dancer who knew the first victim.

Bone Wires is a futuristic sci-fi crime thriller with a noir feeling. While the main plot is the murder mystery, the subplot is Gray's romantic relationship. The characters are believable and the situations, although set in the future, seem realistic.

3 stars


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of FMB Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by FMB Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review nor was there an obligation to write a positive one. All opinions expressed here are entirely of my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.* ( )

Dan Gray is a homicide detective. His job isn't glamorous but it does provide great perks as you move up the corporate ladder. Dan is currently a Tier 3 with a Blue Badge and he yearns for a case that will take him Tier 4 or 5 and garner an Amber Badge. Dan is all about the job. His partner, Brutus Carter, has been on the job as long as Dan has been alive. Carter actually worked for the Seattle Police Department before policing went to the private sector. Carter appears to do his job and nothing more, or at least that's how it appears to Dan.

Dan's dreams are fulfilled when he receives not one but three calls for homicides in less than one week. All of the victims have had their spines removed. The first victim is an off-duty CivPro officer, Anderson. The investigation into his death allows Dan to meet the stripper, Angela "Angie" Velasquez. Angie seems to have dirt to dish about the deceased and she gradually spills her information while flirting with Dan. Even though a similar homicide occurs within days of the first, Anderson's case is quickly closed once it is learned he was selling CivPro information to outside concerned parties. And once that case is closed, Dan works fast to become friendlier with Angie.

Even though Dan seemingly solves the "spine thief" case and ties it to at least a few hundred unsolved cases, he remains restless. Dan is quickly pulled up the chain and receives his Amber Badge. He's at a higher pay grade and receives numerous upgrades and perks, such as a new vehicle, a new apartment, and a bonus for solving the case. He even got the girl, as his relationship develops with Angie, albeit slowly. But all is not what it appears and just when it seems like Dan's life is going full-steam on his desired career track he runs into a major snag that could cost him his life.

Mr. Shean has provided a dystopian mystery thriller with Bone Wires. He paints a haunting picture of a possible future that has suffered the ravages of global warming and numerous wars. The language is often harsh which appears to amplify the dystopian qualities of this not-so-distant future world. The characters are all well-developed, and the action and settings very realistic. The good and bad guys seem to exist in a world filled with not only black-and-white, right-and-wrong but also myriad shades of grey. Dan struggles to remain on the side of right but is pulled into the greyer areas as the story progresses. Mr. Shean has provided a story filled with plenty of twists and turns so the reader is never quite sure what will come next. Bone Wires was a very different mystery-thriller read for me, primarily because of the language (a lot of profanity is used but it adds to the harshness of the story and doesn't really detract). I'm not sure if I would have chosen Bone Wires as a story to read on my own, but I'm very glad I had the opportunity to read it. If you enjoy mystery thriller reads with an edge, then grab a copy of Bone Wires . . . it won't disappoint you. ( )