Oxfords dictionary, defines noir as “a genre of crime film or fiction characterized by cynicism, fatalism, and moral ambiguity.” That’s about as perfect of a summary of this book as you could put together.

The characters are fascinating, the dialogue is perfect and the story a challenging mystery with quite a few red herrings, twists, and turns before a resolution that works. The city is a perfect setting – you think you know where you are, but it’s not quite reality. There are a couple of very interesting bars; totally different, but each fits into its place in the story nicely

The idea of “Titans“ as a medical revolutionary next step in humanity is quite intriguing and well thought through. Their implications for society from economic, political, business, and personal perspectives are all considered, and incorporated into the story itself.

I have read the authors three other novels and enjoyed them immensely. He goes in entirely different direction in this book and does it quite well. Enjoy I certainly did!

thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for an advanced audio version in exchange for honest review

3.5 out of 5
the books blurbs referencing a PKD style dirty detective with super heros added is spot on. the book's worldbuilding and overall plot are fantastic and imaginative. lots of unique situations and characters with all their associated quirks fleshed out. ive enjoyed Harkaway's prior works and would have given this 5 stars but the style of literally prose, while beautiful, was too dense for me many times to the point I had to reread whole pages two or three times to fully understand the goings-on in the main character's head or the situations he finds himself in.
the actualy who dun it story line of the detective noir style story is very satisfying.

Titanium Noir was an excellent book. I mainly picked it up because the description had Philip K. Dick in it. Think Philip K Dick meets a humorous detective. The sci-fi aspect was light and simple and tied into the investigation smoothly. The book was funny and had enough twists and turns to always keep me guessing. I am excited to read more books by Nick Harkaway; hopefully they can live up to this one.

I received Titanium Noir as an ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Titanium Noir takes place in a retro-future Chicago-esque city run by Titans, genetically enhanced humans who are bigger, stronger, and tougher than normal folk. They're admired, envied, and hated, and they tend to keep to themselves, particularly after a few rounds of T7 treatment. When one is murdered, however, the cops reach out and soon Cal Sounder is on the job. He's just a regular human detective, but he's got an inside track with the Titans because he's been dating one of 'em. These Titans are a wily group with lots of infighting and interpersonal drama, however, so the case is definitely not clear cut and not everyone's who you - and Cal - think they are. Which leads to the question: Who dunnit, and why?

I had a lot of fun reading this highly entertaining, ingenious, and well-written noir detective story. Definitely recommended.

What a remarkably great book. I am a huge fan of Nick Harkaway, but even so, it's hard to overstate how much joy this novel gave me. It's about a PI in the near-future investigating the death of a Titan, a person who's been through a process that grants superhuman health and near-immortality. Harkaway has come up with a perfect metaphor for the billionaire class -- they literally take up more space than baseline humans. It's smart and funny and sharp and inventive. A look into the future that feels plausible and strange all at once.

Noir and fantastical, Harkaway's latest is a dirty detective story perfect for readers who love a good supervillain. An amazing fit for fans of "The Boys" and old-school private eyes.

Brilliant. I love this book so much. 10 stars! I was so excited to see Nick Harkaway had a new book, I love all his previous books too, and this one grandly fulfilled my hopes and expectations. I'm gushing, but it really is that fantastic. The protagonist, Cal, is highly relatable and likeable. He's a really good guy, with a very interesting and dangerous job as a private detective but also a sort of public relations liaison between humans and Titans, who are genetically improved humans. Cal is smart, and earnest, and conflicted about the superhuman Titans, who naturally are also super-wealthy and not necessarily admirable people. The near future noir murder mystery is such a great setting, with all the gritty PI ambience and the boosted intrigue of advanced technology and science. This story pulls it all together perfectly, with well drawn characters, realistic relationships, plausible plot, and an extremely satisfying ending. Definitely read it!!

"Philip K. Dick and Raymond Chandler by way of Marvel" was a great way of describing this book. I enjyoed how good the story was and glad it worked so well overall. I enjoyed how good the concept was and how well the story was told. Nick Harkaway has a great writing style and I enjoyed the scifi elements going on. I look forward to reading more.

“Patient Jane was pretty dinged up by the car. Two broken legs, cracked pelvis, concussion. Then they shot her.” “Where?” “In the designer bulletproof item—so her brain is still inside her head—but from real close up. Those things are good, but they’re not magical. Figure she got hit three times with a sledgehammer. She is all kinds of fucked up inside, my friend. No idea if or when she will wake up.”