This edition comprises three linked tales: the title novel, a novella
and a novelet (these latter reviewed separately below).
Martti Seppanen is a private detective in an alternate Los Angeles --
it's the early 21st century, but science is more advanced. The discovery
of cheap gravitic power has made the internal combustion engine obsolete,
and various other advances in physics and biology have resulted in novel
opportunites for crime. Oh, and real psychic abilities exist in this
world, too. In the title novel, Martti is commissioned to find out what
has happened to the leader of a major new religion. This leads him deep
into various strange cults. (Some of the descriptions of religious cult
leaders and practices skirt amusingly around certain well known ones that
exist in our own universe.)
The stories are told in a matter of fact style that works well for
detective fiction. Martti is a likeable character, and good at his job.
Some of his more helpful intuitive flashes of inspiration, used to move
the plot along, appear to be due to an unrecognised psychic talent. I'm
not sure whether I like or am annoyed by the psychic element. It is used
fairly arbitrarily in some places, yet is quite integral in others. I
would have been happier if some firmer scientific basis had been given for
it, in order to make this truly SF. (Of course, the fact that the gravitic
power source is not described either doesn't concern me in the least,
SF-wise.)
Contents
- • A Most Singular Murder. 1991
- Martti Seppanen investigates the case of the twice-murdered astronomer:
who did each murder, how, and why?
- • The Case of the Duplicate Beauties. 2001
- Martti Seppanen investigates the case of two actresses
who have vivid recollections of traumatic events
that could not have possibly happened.
