Nick Harkaway isn't very prolific, but all of his novels, including this one, are worth reading. In Titanium Noir he perfectly catches the voice of noir fiction - the "mean streets" and corrupt wealthy and shady cops and crimes fueled by various combinations of the seven deadly sins - while developing a first-rate detective hero and bringing the genre up to date. There is none of the nostalgia that plagues so many tough-guy detective stories.

And he also creates an extremely interesting near-future world, one in which our billionaire overlords have literally become larger-than-life demigods. I hope Harkaway has more stories set in this world.

The "noir" part of Titanium Noir is here for you in spades—a quintessential hard-boiled private investigator thriller, with organized crime, loads of violence, and plenty of dames who are bad news. The mystery wasn't that interesting but obviously it also wasn't as integral as all the fist fights and corrupt cops and clandestine meetings available in the solving. The "sci-fi" aspect of the story—secrets of immortality unlocked for select few, very wealthy or connected people can become younger but for *science reasons* this makes them physically larger and denser—mostly had me chuckling throughout. Would make at LEAST as good a movie as that one where everyone stayed young but had a watch that killed them when they ran out of money, and I bet you could get plenty of equally terrible puns out of the whole situation to boot.

In a near-future dystopia, Cal Sounder is a detective who is called in for the PD on "special" cases. However, when he shows up to the crime scene, he's surprised by the routineness of the murder. But this is not what it seems, as the murdered techie, is a Titan, a genetically altered elite. A dead Titan would be big news but a murdered one? That's just plain unheard of and it's right up Cal's alley. As the murder investigation intensifies, Cal begins to figure out what should have been a straightforward case, and it becomes clear he’s on the trail of a crime whose roots run deep into the dark heart of the world.
Hoping this is the start of a series!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for this e-arc.*

I don't read a lot of noir as I'm not interested in dark, gritty, or depressing, and noir can be all three.

But the SF element drew me. The writing is a tour-de-force. Such tight, descriptive, stylish prose, blending noir and Blade Runner-esque mean streets with a SFnal overlay. What kept me going was Cal Sounder's sardonic humor, as well as the sense that he was a good person at the substrate.

Drugs is at the center of the crime/mystery, in this case one that can make "superhuman." To solve the case, Cal not only has to follow clues, but listen to the way people at the bottom of the heap view their world, which was especially well done.

But don't start this one late at night--the pacing starts frenetic from the gitgo and does not let up!

An interesting, gritty, and kind of bizarre (in a good way) take on the hard-boiled detective novel, with a very astute, blunt, sardonic main character and overall voice. Cal Sounder's intelligent approach to this most unusual murder investigation (which the reader is just dropped into without preamble) is used to examine broader issues that don't just apply to the futuristic world of the novel, but to ours as well, sadly, like wealth gaps, the privileges that money can buy (including immortality in one sense or another), greed, abuse, and accountability. These themes come together with the threads of the murder investigation to create very satisfying twists towards the end, at least some of which I definitely did not see coming.

Something I also enjoyed was the use of urban legends to build the complexity of the investigation. This is not something I've really seen deployed in the crime fiction that I've read. It serves as an opportunity to hear from the everyday people of this world, as well as a point of contrast to the rich people's narratives and what the truth of the matters really were in the end. It also makes a excellent point on how stories are truly dynamic; the narrative grows and changes, or is twisted, depending on your point of view, with the passage of time.

Overall, this was an excellent book, and the nature of this world and the story makes me wonder if there will be more novels set in this universe. That would certainly be interesting indeed.

Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway is set in the near future where gene therapy can drastically chnage human existence.

"Cal Sounder is a consultant working with the police on a murder. But not just any murder - it looks like a Titan has been killed. Titans are people changed by the prohibitively expensive T-7 gene therapy. Each dose makes them bigger and closer to immortality. This victim is over 7-feet tall. Others are even bigger. And some of the wealthiest people on the planet. Cal will have to tread carefully to find a killer."

This book is written partly in Crime Noir style. It is gritty crime fiction at times. The world of Titans is unreal. We've all seen at least one 7-footer. Can you imagine a person that's 12-feet tall? There's also a character named Double-Wide that sounds wild.
Cal pushes until he gets the answers he wants. He's not really a nice guy, but he recognizes that. Especially when he is forced into a cage match.
I did not guess the killer or how the story would evolve. It was nice to see an author go in an atypical direction. You probably won't guess the ending either.
This story reminded me of Hench from Natalie Walschots and Chosen Ones from Veronica Roth. Not the stories but the worlds that are almost believable.

An entertaining read and great character from Harkaway.

Special thanks to Knopf, and Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Titanium Noir is hard boiled PI story set at some point in the future where humans are able to genetically modify themselves to reverse age. The process causes humans to grow larger, become stronger, faster, tougher, and thus the Titans are born. Cal Sounder is someone who handles cases involving Titan's thanks to his personal relationship with the family who created and owned the technology. When a Titan is found dead in their apartment a case begins that will lead Cal to some hard truths and revelations related to those he knows and to the heart of the company that creates Titans.

This books is a noir story through and through. The dialogue is unique and crisp, the banter hard and efficient. The city remains unnamed, only ever the city. There are criminal undergrounds, membership only clubs of debauchery, power, corruption, and our man investigator finding themselves more and more in over their head. Lover of noir will find a lot to love in this quick, efficient story.

The mystery itself revolves around a murder made to look like a suicide that uncovers family struggle, turmoil, and buried secrets from the past. The mystery at the heart of the story is intriguing enough and our main protagonist meets a rogues gallery of quirky, interesting characters along his path to solving the crime.

Sci-Fi fans might be a little disappointed. Very few things are explained in depth. The world building is scant, opting for the lived in feel where the reader is thrown right into the story and asked to tread water. The reader might find it a little difficult at the beginning as they get used to the sharp dialogue, the pacing and mannerisms of noir, and the lack of in depth explanations. The main core story itself is your standard noir story. There isn't really any new ground being broken here. It would have been nice to spend more time in the world, fleshing out our main character, his past, and the world in which he moves through.

Overall, it's a quick, efficient, fun read that gives a satisfying resolution and doesn't over stay its welcome. It would even be nice to maybe see Cal in the future. If you like gritty, PI stories with a compelling lead, check it out.

3.5 stars

This was a cross between a hardboiled detective novel and a sci-fi pseudo-dystopian novel. I enjoyed the writing and the pacing, and the plot was different and interesting enough to keep me invested. I enjoyed trying to puzzle out the culprit(s), as well as what Cal's next steps would be. The story is told in first person from Cal's point of view, but despite the solid writing, I never felt emotionally attached to Cal. I'm not sure if it's because the book was so short or if it was just something with the writing style. Still, despite the lack of an emotional attachment to Cal, I did feel invested in him surviving the whole ordeal and figuring out what happened to the murder victim. I'd be interested in reading other books by this author.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and the publishers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I think the noir-sci fi mash up distracted each from the other. A great story, does a good job asking why some people are "haves" at the cost of the "have-nots".

This is a fantastic novel with all the elements of a hard boiled detective novel, a noir whodunnit and the originality and ingenuity to back it up. The writing is direct and cutting making it absolutely perfect for this kind of story. The plot is original and driving. The best thing, however, are the characters. Every single character springs to life in your mind and is exactly as it should be.

When Cal Sounder is summoned to a case, he expects a much nicer part of town. But as soon as he sees the victim, who is seven feet tall and, according to his driver’s license, ninety-one years old, Cal knows Roddy is a Titan, and Titans are Cal’s specialty.

T7 genetic therapy was devised to not only prolong life, but reset the body to perfect health, although at a larger size. And each treatment leaves the individual larger. Only the wealthy can afford T7 therapy and Titans are normally wealthy and of a higher social class. Roddy just looks like a quiet, nerdy guy, who rides his bike to campus. But now he is on the floor with a bullet to the brain, and Cal has been called in to handle the investigation. It is unthinkable for a Titan to be murdered, but Cal now needs to investigate how Roddy ended up murdered in his apartment.

The book is at times intense, at times a little confusing, but the world of the Titans, and those who want to be Titans, is addicting. Following Cal as he carefully treads through a seedy underground of cage fighters, and the wealthy world of the Titans, it was a lot of guessing as to how Cal would handle each interaction. I never knew what decisions Cal would make, so I was constantly guessing his next move.

Thanks to NetGalley for sharing this digital advanced reader copy. This is my honest opinion.

I am usually firmly ensconced in the Fantasy portion of SFF, but have been trying to dabble a little more in the SciFi portion. I'm also trying to broaden my bookish horizons by reading other genres that I have typically passed over, so when I heard about Nick Harkaway's Titanium Noir, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get a fusion of scifi and crime-noir thriller, and it is what I imagine the perfect combination of those genres being.

Not being that familiar with the noir crime thriller, I did go into this with a particular idea of what that looks like: the brooding private investigator who has just as much experience with the police as he does the local criminal underbelly; the unexplained crime scene that the PI has particular experience in dealing with; the femme fatale; the local mob and associated families; the PI's love interest; and Harkaway hit all of these notes perfectly for me.

Cal Sounder, who the police reluctantly call on to deal with crimes involving Titans (members of the incredibly wealthy who can afford to buy their version of immortality via a super-drug called T7), is brought in to investigate the murder of a previously unknown Titan. Sounder has unique insight into the elite lifestyle of the Titan's as he once dated one of the members of the main Titan family; as such, he walks a fine line between keeping the Titan's out of the limelight when necessary, and keeping the police happy that they have someone on the "inside".

The mystery is a well-crafted and perfectly paced thrill ride, and the characters are all superbly developed and the world building is spot on. I had a clear idea in my head of what the city looked like, from the grittiest of dive bars to the most opulent of Titan dwellings.

A fast, entertaining book, Titanium Noir will keep readers engaged with its intriguing, futuristic yet fully believable world and its unique characters. This book will especially appeal to both readers of scifi and noir thrillers, but I think anyone will find this an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Knopf & NetGalley for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #TitaniumNoir

Language: R (14+ swears, 11+ "f"); Mature Content: PG13+; Violence: PG13+
Harkaway obviously spent a lot of time crafting the world for this book. Unfortunately, his descriptive style of writing did not hold my interest. The murder mystery with its special investigator due to the special victim premise was not enough to convince me I needed to read through the crime solving. Furthermore, this book does not fit the interests of my blog's target audience.
The mature content rating is for innuendo. The violence rating is for gun use, mentions of murder and suicide, and gore.

Titanium Noir
Nick Harkaway
reviewed by Lou Jacobs


readersremains.com | Goodreads


Mix Philip K. Dick with Richard K. Morgan, infuse the potion with a little Philip Marlowe, and create Titanium Noir. Hard-boiled detective Nick Sounder, mouthy, brash, yet intuitively smart and keen-eyed for observation, is thrust into the investigation of the murder of Roddy Tebbit.

In this near-future dystopian world, a controversial discovery by magnate Stefan Tonfamesca has made available T7 genetic therapy for the select few—doled out by Stefan at an exorbitant price or the cost of “favors to come.” The therapy not only enhances the strength and size of the body but also turns back the ravages of time on the whole body. The elite recipients attain an almost godlike status. There are only a few thousand Titans worldwide. A murder of a Titan is definitely big news. Roddy Tebbit, a rather nerdy Titan techie, stands well over seven feet tall, and although he is ninety-one years old, looks no more than thirty. Cal Sounder is called in to investigate his murder. The police require a buffer and liaison during this most sensitive matter. He is no stranger to the dark, mean streets and can go where “cops” are not wanted and avoided. His ex-girlfriend and femme fatale is Athena, a Titan herself, and no less, Stefan Tonfamesca’s daughter and heir to his empire.

Picture Humphrey Bogart as Cal Sounder and Lauren Bacall as the lithesome and delectable Athena. Nick Haraway provides a complicated, interweaving plot that reveals both secrets and red herrings, ratcheting up the suspense and intrigue as the snarky Cal gets closer to revealing the twisted motivation and culprits responsible for Roddy’s demise. Hardaway populates his tale with multiple richly characterized actors. It’s truly difficult to discern who the villains and heroes are as this page-turner escalates into a satisfying conclusion. Hardaway nicely infuses tension and intrigue as this crime investigation morphs into a near-future dystopian noir mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf/Pantheon Publishing for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. Excuse me, while I download some of Hardaway’s earlier oeuvre.

I thought this was really, really good. Previously I have read three books by this author and my ratings have varied. Titanium Noir: A novel however rates up there with The Gone-Away World at five stars.

Cal Sounder is a detective who is called in to deal with sensitive crimes involving Titans, genetically altered elite members of society. The premise is great, the story exciting and the humour very funny. The author builds a wonderful world of science fiction and crime. (SciFi/crime - my kind of genre.)

I thought it was smart, clever and always interesting. I recommend it if you like your crime dark and your science fiction intriguing.

A gritty mashup of near future sci-fi and classic hardboiled detective story. The plot is intricate, twisty, and intriguing, and characters were well-crafted. The theme of only the elite Titans being able to afford geriatric medical treatment resonates well, and the writing itself is snappy. Cal Sounder is a great archetypal noir detective, gruff and competent and likeable. The narrative moves along at a satisfying clip, yet the story is also human and readable.

Two stylistic changes could have improved my reading of this book. Shorter chapters than the 7 total monoliths in the book would have kept the flow for me. Long passages of back-and-forth dialog are presented without speaker names or sufficient context clues, making me more focused on tracking who was saying what than what was being said.

A solid read, intriguingly written, that appeals as both a detective story and a dystopian cultural commentary.

Thanks to Nick Harkaway, Knopf Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC, in return for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this. It has all the grit, dark humor, and violence of a Raymond Chandler novel of early 1940s Humphrey Bogart noir film, with a Sci-Fi twist to keep it fresh. If you’re a fan of the noir genre, especially the classics, you can’t miss with this novel. The Sci-Fi element was really incidental and just gave a different flavor to the mafia-esque characters, and a little more room for the author to play with the noir tropes. It’s a fast read, well-plotted and executed, and highly entertaining.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

"Sci-fi hard-boiled detective fiction" is such a catnip microgenre for me (see also the Takeshi Kovacs books and <I>Gun, with Occasional Music</I>) and this nails every aspect, with a really interesting sci-fi hook (that nevertheless remains fairly grounded, far more so than the cloned assassins or geoengineered kangaroo henchmen of the other books I named). There's a reason Nick Harkaway is one of my favorite living authors.

The book’s description sounded really intriguing and I was looking forward to the mix of sci-fi and an old fashioned crime novel. Unfortunately the book just didn’t work for me. I found the author’s writing style dense and hard to get into, and the story jumped around too much.

The story started a little slow for me, but I powered through and I am so happy I did. I ended up really liking the story. It is a blend of noir and science fiction with an interesting premise. The book is great as a stand-alone and would make an excellent series. Start reading and keep going, you won’t regret it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf, and Nick Harkaway for the eARC.