I was so excited for this book based off of the description but I was so disappointed with how the writing wasn’t super engaging for me. I didn’t make it past 50 pages ;(

This was an unfortunate DNF for me. It was not the book for me and a difficult read for me to get through.

-- This review is several years past the release date due to the many issues of 2020, but a huge thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early copy of the book.

It took me a little while to get into this book, but I did truly enjoy it once I got farther into the story. I found the setting to be fascinating and I enjoyed the vibe that the setting out out. There were a few things I did not enjoy as much as others, but all in all it was a good read!

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book had an amazing plot, loved the deeper undertones of the story.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

Just kind of a slog. Great concept, an interesting setting, some colorful characters but the center just doesn't hold.

I started reading this book and found that it was not for me. I didn't want to review a book that I didn't finish.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not an huge fan of this kind of genre and in fact I didn’t like it.

Maybe I wasn’t biased, but i couldn’t enjoy it

I wasn’t a huge fan of the plot. This book just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t get into the writing style and found it quite juvenile.

In an alternate reality where technology has advanced much more quickly than in our own (due in part, at least, to Tesla winning the energy wars), a hardened detective works freelance for the NYPD with an synthetic (a robot of new design). The case they’re investigating has them scratching their heads when automatics (scaled down and pacified versions of the machines built to help win the First World War) take the lives of some cops on the take.

This book was slightly derivative of Asimov’s Robot Series (which is a bit synchronicitous as I just finished those books) but had the gritty backdrop of the 1930s and all its hardships. The alternate reality was rich and the evolution of metal men was interesting.

I may not finish the series, but I enjoyed this one.

This could be the first in a fascinating series but this specific book is lacking that something that makes you say "Wow, great".
It's an entertaining story, i loved the concept and the world building but I think that some more character development would help.
I think there will be more in the next book but this one was an entertaining read but something was missing.
Many thanks to the publisher afor this ARC, all opinions are mine

Night Call is the first in an SF-noir alternate 1930s timeline PI murder mystery series by Brenden Carlson. Released 10th Nov 2020 by Dundurn, it's 336 pages and available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

This is an engaging book in a much beloved subgenre. I love the noir vibe. I love the androids and their often fraught interactions with humans. I really enjoyed the darkness (often literal) and desperation of the Lower City of NY. There's a lot of Philip K. Dick and Asimov nuance floating around in the narrative and I really did enjoy reading it. With that being said, the book is not entirely unproblematic. There are several aspects I found myself struggling with. There is -so- much gratuitous violence. The main (human) protagonist Elias Roche murders witnesses, thugs, pretty much everyone, willy nilly. He's a very dangerous guy. I get that it's part of the gritty noir vibe, but in my opinion the author does a superlative job of calling up the mean streets of New York without the superfluous body count. There are very few females mentioned in the entire book (the female director of the FBI makes an appearance), there are some mentions of prostitutes, and various secretaries. Again, the author is adept enough that the omission is certainly intentional to better call up the 1930s noir vibe, but it seemed unnecessary in context.

Other reviewers have done a good job of providing a precis of the plot, so I'll avoid going into details except to say that the denouement was a bit of a letdown given the otherwise generally good buildup. The language is rough overall (and somewhat anachronistic - I'm pretty sure 1930's cops didn't drop the "f" word nearly as often as occurs in this volume).

I enjoyed the characterizations (especially Roche's android partner, Allen). I really really enjoyed the vibe (pitch perfect!). It's not flawless, but it certainly was well written and diverting.

Four stars. I would recommend it unhesitatingly to fans of unredacted Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and James M. Cain.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Thanks to netgalley for giving an advanced copy of this book.

I like visualize some of the book that I read, and it's better when speaks about the past, and that's something I love about this, then there's the plot... I tried to like it but it was hard for me to get to it.

Review:
Brenden Carlson’s Night Call is an ambitious novel that never quite finds its footing. While it boasts a slew of genre-appropriate components—enough to have any fan of cyberpunk or sci-fi noir chomping at the bit—the execution manages to fall flat more often than not. The setting is maybe too familiar, the stakes not quite high enough, and the overarching theme of classism and achieving equality between humanity and artificial intelligence, while there, lacks the depth that many readers now expect in a post Blade Runner world. Add to this an anti-hero who leans more toward anti than hero, forgettable cut and paste villains, and an emotional vacuum of an Automatic partner whose attempts at a cheeky, Odd Couple-esque relationship would put both Kirk and Spock to sleep, there is little for the reader to really grab onto.

Where the novel manages to keep the reader pushing forward is in Carlson’s ability to effectively and continuously inject action into his scenes. While the cinematic style doesn't always present neatly in a novel format, especially after several pages worth of a shootout or chase scene, it can nonetheless prove very compelling, and maybe even a saving grace for those who are specifically looking for that kind of storytelling. It’s action packed, without a doubt, leaving the bad guys shot, the shooter vindicated, and a path a destruction always trailing behind—the exact things you would expect to see in a violent new/old world where the mafia and the police are in constant battle for control of the city, and where the leading man presents as an imperfect, alcoholic veteran who always shoots first and rarely even stops to ask questions later.

Verdict: If you’re looking to scratch an itch that has been plaguing you since you first fell in love with noir-style science fiction, we feel your pain, but Brenden Carlson’s Night Call probably isn’t going to be the one to do it. While it stands on its own two feet as an action-packed, cinematic thrill-ride, it’s lack of depth and honest humanity leaves it falling short, reminding us more of the lost days of pulp fiction than the cherished cyberpunk genre fans have come to know and love.

I haven’t been this infuriated by a book in a long time. Nigh Call is, pure and simple, cop propaganda, and it would still be awful before the recent awareness of police violence. It goes out of his way to justify (and glorify) police officers torturing, maiming or killing suspects.

If that’s not enough terribleness for you, it sucks as a book too.
The plot is a convoluted mess that makes no sense if you think about it. The foreshadowing is non-existent, leaps of logic abound, and you know who the bad guy is from the start because he’s mean to the protagonist.
The world-building doesn’t hold up if you look at it twice. You have robots that can get drunk but no internet. Racism and sexism disappear because everyone’s united in hating robots? Hilarious. Someone doesn’t the basics of oppression and power systems. The only female characters are secretaries and the head of the FBI who has two scenes, and the only person of color is a thug.
The main character, Elias Roche, is a monster who feels no remorse for murdering people. Allen, his partner, exists solelly to criticize Roche’s behavior so every other character can go on a rant on how violence is necessary. Seriously. The narrative stops so side characters can go on and on about how you only have justice if you go around killing/hurting bad guys.
There’s nothing good or even redeemable about this book.

It's a solid 3 stars, maybe 3 and 1/3.
Let's begin by saying this was not my cup of tea. I thought it would have been more scifi than a cop book, and the constant use of overplayed cop-show clichés was a bit off putting: oh, the never-heard-of trope of the tired cop, who's a good cop with loose morals and methods who is so not like the bad cops and has a tragic past.
Nevertheless, the world-building was very interesting and the story compelling.

I was not a fan of this at all. It was a cool concept however, it wasn't for me. It was way too... si-fi-y for me. I'm not that deep into the genre yet. But If you like Sifi, you'll love this

When I read the synopsis of the book on NetGalley, I was hooked! A noir murder mystery and detective robots? You got my attention!

The pace of the book is OK, but there's very little surprise plot-wise. Most of the clues or the resolution are dropped in the lap of the main character, and there's hints and traces of world building be not enough information is revealed to my taste. I liked the use of famous figures, but way too few time is spent on the different categories and models of Automatics.

I recommend this book (which I received as an ARC through NetGalley) to people who like noir and steampunk settings and who are not afraid to embark on a new series.

Set in an alternative 1930s New York, a former police officer Roche and his new automatic (robot) partner Allen, need to keep a perilous peace in order to keep war from its streets.

This was a gritty novel. The alternative setting worked quite well, but ultimately it also left me with a lot of questions. Especially about the world above where the super-rich have fled the turmoil that is common New York City. A lot of automatics also to keep track off. Green eye/blue eye/red eye. How autonomous are they? What freedoms do they have?

While the setting was interesting, the noir-ness of the novel didn’t really speak to me, and I don’t think I would read more in the series.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I really tried to read this book but I just couldn't get into it. Nothing about this book was absorbing enough for me to continue reading. I did not finish this book.

Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for this free copy.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Brenden Carlson's Night Call is the start of a series following Elias Roche, former cop now Mafia enforcer. Set in an alternate history 1930s New York where robotics are commonplace assets, Elias is saddled with an Automatic partner as he investigates the murder of multiple cops and why the FBI is covering it up.

I was very much intrigued by this premise of a scifi noir in the 30s Mafia era. I think the characters Carlson introduced were compelling, and the concepts of the way Carlson's alternative New York worked and looked were very intriguing. I actually really liked Elias, Sinclair, Toby, and Allen.

What worked against this novel was the pacing. I was expecting something high-octane and fast-paced, but found the entirety of the novel to be consistently slow going. Especially for a murder mystery with near-constant danger, I was surprised and a little disappointed that I never felt that edge-of-your-seat anticipation that I had been hoping for.

Overall, there is a lot of room for Carlson to expand this world and I would be interested in continuing the series.