CAPTURE

Californian Benita Garcés makes her living wearing a behavior capture bodysuit, which collects data that a tech company uses to create humanlike virtual characters. But Rameshwar Thakkar, the company co-founder, wants her to use her skills and gear for gathering information about ostensibly innocuous Bennington’s Antiques in San Mateo. With assistance from android Brad, Benita sneaks into the shop owner’s house only to discover a dead body. It turns out Bennington regularly trades in a variety of stolen goods, including biotech parts. This recent murder seems a reasonable excuse for several people, like Bennington’s business partner and his employees, to make a grab for his stash—and killing for it certainly isn’t off the table. Meanwhile, Thakkar sets up a rather dubious deal while Benita is entangled in various complications, like dealing with her employer’s “famously spoiled daughters.” The first third of Hemken’s novel is laden with exposition. But it’s never boring; the author reveals character backstories and near-future Earth’s precarious circumstances. For example, the story unfolds barely a decade after The Riots, lethal violence in LA brought on by unrelenting heat waves. There’s likewise chic tech; e.g., augmented-reality glasses. Once Benita is on the job, the plot accelerates, ably melding espionage and thriller components. Like any good SF tale, much of the future world’s issues are timely. Benita is so connected to everything; even when not donning her behavior capture suit, privacy doesn’t seem feasible.

Invigorating cross-genre story with a distinctive futuristic setting.