The Troubleshooter by Bard Constatine

I was approached by Bard Constatine to see if I would review one of his books. I chose The Troubleshooter because it sounded really interesting - private-eye in a futuristic dystopian city? Sign me up!

The Troubleshooter stars Mick Trubble, an amnesiac who makes a living solving problems. One day, he's hired by a rich person to find Tommy Tsunami, one of the most dangerous people in New Haven. If that job's not difficult enough, Mick finds out that this 'job' is at the heart of a plot that may change New Haven forever. And he is one of the key players.

What I thought was the most unique part of the novel would be its setting. It's basically a pulp-fiction story with your fast-talking private eye, but in a futuristic world where the underground is run by competing factions (or gangs. They're basically gangs with lots of powers). I thought the dichotomy between the futurist things (like synoids, which are androids but cooler) and Mick Trubble would be too much, but it works together wonderfully.

Mick Trubble is clearly the star of the book. I found the other characters interesting, but I didn't really pay them much attention - unless Mick's attention was focused on them. As the narrator, he steals the show, which may or may not be a good thing, considering that several characters, like Hunter could become major characters in future books.

Another 'star' of the book would be its language. The book uses many unique words, which necessitates a glossary even before you start reading the book (The introduction to the glossary was well-written too, I enjoyed reading the forward). For me, a once-through the glossary was enough, and I managed to pick up the meanings of the words from context. However, others may be confused by all the words, in which case the glossary will definitely come in handy.

I really enjoyed this book, and it looks like the first in a unique and enjoyable series. If you like noir, pulp fiction, private-eye novels, dystopian novels or all of the above, you should definitely pick up this book. Chances are, you won't regret it.

Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for a free and honest review.