Made to Kill by Adam Christopher
Synopsis:
Raymond Electromatic is good at his job, as good as he ever was at being a true Private Investigator, the lone employee of the Electromatic Detective Agency – except for Ada, office gal and super-computer, the constant voice in Ray’s inner ear. Ray might have taken up a new line of work, but money is money, after all, and he was programmed to make a profit. Besides, with his twenty-four-hour memory-tape limits, he sure can keep a secret.
When a familiar-looking woman arrives at the agency wanting to hire Ray to find a missing movie star, he’s inclined to tell her to take a hike. But she had the cold hard cash, a demand for total anonymity, and tendency to vanish on her own.
Plunged into a glittering world of fame, fortune, and secrecy, Ray uncovers a sinister plot that goes much deeper than the silver screen – and this robot is at the wrong place, at the wrong time.
Review:
Ray is the last of his kind – a robot. He and Ada solve crimes for the right price, as well as a secret darker pursuit. As Ray hunts down a missing man, he uncovers an incredible conspiracy.
Made to Kill is a unique, scifi noir novel. It’s a Raymond Chandler mystery crossed with an alternate history where robotics and artificial intelligence were developed in the early 20th century. Ray is a robot full of personality. And the setting is a captivating early Hollywood. The mystery is a wild ride that is unpredictable and full of suspense. It’s a shorter read at 240 pages, but a lot is packed into this fast-paced story. I would love to see more books about Raymond Electromatic – I thoroughly enjoyed him.