Book Review: Flesh and Steel

Guy Haley, Flesh and Steel: a Noctis and Lux Novel. Nottingham, UK: Black Library, 2020. ISBN: 9781789993783.

 

Genre: science fiction

Subgenre: detective, mystery, Warhammer 40,000

Format: e-book

Source: I own this one

 

 

"People who tell you they have nothing to hide almost always very much have something to hide" (128). 

 

Probator Noctis is a detective in the imperial city of Varangantua. A murder takes place, and the body is split in half. One half is on his district; the other half is inside a district belonging to the Adeptus Mechanicum. The Mechanicum assign one of their own, Rho-1 Lux, to investigate. Now Noctis and Lux need to work together to solve a murder that is only a hint of a major conspiracy involving some of the wealthiest houses in the city as well as the upper ranks of the Mechanicum.

Noctis knows all about wealth in the city. He is the son of one of the wealthiest families in the city. However, he wants nothing to do with his family, so he becomes a cop to get away from them as well as to seek redemption. Lux is a relatively young Mechanicus with a talent for solving crimes, which is why the Mechanicum leadership assigns her to the case. A big part of the novel is them learning about each other and learning to work together. 

The story is told mainly from Noctis's point of view. The story has a frame where some officer hacks Noctis's private journal and hands it over to a supervisor. The officer is trying to get Noctis busted for some reason or another. So the supervisor is reading the journal, and the entries are the murder investigation. To be honest, the author could've left out that framing device, and the novel would have still worked out fine. 

The story itself is good. It is a good detective mystery where clues are revealed a bit at a time. In addition to the murder, Noctis also has a missing persons case that his supervisors want solved right away, mostly because the missing girl is the daughter of another rich city scion. Could there be a connection in the two cases? The detectives will have to find out. 

The story draws you in. Varangantua is a big city with many sectors. Noctis has something to prove, and so does Lux. Just when you think the solution is at hand, the case takes another turn and gets more complicated. The story offers a good amount of intrigue and suspense along with some action. The ending is good too. In addition, we learn more about the Adeptus Mechanicum and their ways through Lux, who is a relatively recent convert to the Cult of the Mechanicum. 

Similar to Bloodlines (link to my review), this is a solid police mystery set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. You get the noir feel of a cynical cop trying to do the right thing in a very corrupt city plus a bit of buddy cops story with the interaction between Noctis and Lux. Fans of 40K seeking to read something different might enjoy this. Folks who like detective tales may like this even if they are not 40K fans. For those folks, the book does include a helpful glossary of terms to help with the 40K lingo. 

Overall, this was very good, and I really liked it. The main story's ending gives the possibility for a sequel, so I hope there is one down the road. As I said, the author could've left out the frame story; it feels unnecessary. Still, it is a good story with good pacing and intrigue. I'd recommend it. This novel is part of Black Library's Warhammer Crime series.

4 out of 5 stars.

This book qualifies for the following 2022 Reading Challenge: