Caffeinated Reviewer

The silicon revolution left Dremmler behind, but a good detective is never obsolete.

London is quiet in 2039—thanks to the machines. People stay indoors, communicating through high-tech glasses and gorging on simulated reality while 3D printers and scuttling robots cater to their every whim. Mammoth corporations wage war for dominance in a world where human augmentation blurs the line between flesh and steel.

And at the center of it all lurks The Imagination Machine: the hyper-advanced, omnipresent AI that drives our cars, flies our planes, cooks our food, and plans our lives. Servile, patient, tireless … TIM has everything humanity requires. Everything except a soul.

Through this silicon jungle prowls Carl Dremmler, police detective—one of the few professions better suited to meat than machine. His latest case: a grisly murder seemingly perpetrated by the victim’s boyfriend. Dremmler’s boss wants a quick end to the case, but the tech-wary detective can’t help but believe the accused’s bizarre story: that his robotic arm committed the heinous crime, not him. An advanced prosthetic, controlled by a chip in his skull.

A chip controlled by TIM.

Dremmler smells blood: the seeds of a conspiracy that could burn London to ash unless he exposes the truth. His investigation pits him against desperate criminals, scheming businesswomen, deadly automatons—and the nightmares of his own past. And when Dremmler finds himself questioning even TIM’s inscrutable motives, he’s forced to stare into the blank soul of the machine.

Auxiliary: London 2039 by Jon Richter delivered a cyberpunk thriller featuring a noir detective. The story shares a riveting murder case dealing with artificial intelligence. Find out why I recommend adding this one to your TBR reading pile…

I recently listened to Dan Stout’s Titanshade. If you loved the Carter Files, you’ll want to grab this. It’s London 2039 and all technology from leg replacements to automobiles (pods) uses TIM (The Imagination Machine) OS system. In fact, TIM/robotics has replaced most work by humans.

Detective Carl Dremmler and T Petrovic (ve/ver) are assigned the murder case of Letitia Karlikowska. They have the suspect, so it should be a wrap. But the perp is claiming his robotic arm was hijacked. Yikes! The case quickly morphs into more The two work under the radar as their captain tries keeping this case of the books. Think of the panic it could cause.

The world Richter created was realistic and immersive. It raised questions regarding scientific advancements and artificial intelligence while entertaining us with an action-packed case.

Dremmler was pulled from the pages of a Noir crime fiction novel. He is gritty, occasionally crude, and has a past that causes him anguish. He drinks too much, lives a solitary life, enjoys casual hookups and has a problem with authority. The author did a superb job of sharing his pain and past. I enjoyed how he threaded those details into the current case.

Secondary characters were detailed and unique. They helped create suspects, cast doubt and flesh out both our protagonist Carl and the world. All of this created a suspenseful and tight flow as the world-building unfolded seamlessly.

His partner is non-binary and referred to using ve/ver. The whole v thing threw me for a moment, but I quickly figured it out. We saw a cast of diverse characters that accepted at face value in this world. (at least they got something right)

This dark fiction is a blend of sci-fi, cyberpunk, and noir crime. Bonus: the cover is awesome and fits the narrative. I devoured Auxiliary: 2039 and look forward to more from this author. I highly recommend it to fans of Titanshade, Black Mirror, and Altered Carbon.

The ending was perfect and frustrating all at the same time. Brilliant, really. I can still hear them……

• Available in Kindle Unlimited

About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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