The premise of the "Kat & Lock" crime novels is to pair a regular detective with a holographic AI as a partner, thereby paving the way for a new approach to investigating serious crimes. In the first installment, Lock was somewhat of a number-cruncher, but in this second installment, the various capabilities of both humans and AI are utilized more extensively as the investigation progresses.
In this installment, young men are found murdered—and even crucified. Recommendations are issued to restrict the men’s movements, advising them to avoid going to pubs alone. At least there are no restrictions on clothing—no skinny jeans or the like, for example—which would have been sarcastic.
The story isn’t a top-notch mystery, but the author’s own voice is starting to emerge clearly. Artificial intelligence also evolves as a detective, raising questions not only about the technical aspects of police work but also about humanity. Things are heading in the right direction toward the third installment, which is set to be published next year.
