In this engrossing fourth book of Domowitz’s Getz Parker Magical Mysteries series (following Murder of a Martyr), readers embark on a colorful murder mystery where politics, religion, and alchemy collide, with deadly results. When information securities magnate Getz Parker is asked by four strangers to locate the alchemical Name of God, he turns them down to focus on supporting Will Kraken, presidential hopeful and Synodal decentralist. After an attempt on Kraken’s life leaves one of the four dead, Parker finds himself entangled in a conspiratorial web of power, ideology, and Heavenly pursuits where everyone’s a suspect—and the Name of God sits at the bloody center.Readers will find themselves hypnotized by the anachronistic futurism of Domowitz’s setting, mixing Victorian and Steampunk aesthetics with sci-fi trappings like body-mods, AI, and virtual realities, to create a unique backdrop that teems with vibrant characters and an elegantly complex, all-too-believable political landscape. The plot occasionally gets lost in the weeds of its conspiracy, and some readers will struggle with the esoterica threaded throughout, yet Killing Kraken marches on with populist aplomb, grounding itself via the often humorous, always colorful observations of Parker’s AI assistant who serves as narrator.
With a background in financial technologies, Domowitz puts the “real” in magical realism: the story’s alchemical mysticism exists firmly within the bedrock of its political machinations and organic human interplay, where, to quote the author, “detectives shall well and truly detect.” The prose is both evocative and economic, building fast yet effectively, and results in beautifully lived-in characters and a thrilling roller-coaster pace that will keep readers turning the pages until the very end. Mystery may beat at the heart of Killing Kraken, but it’s no guesswork to see that Domowitz has crafted a work of inspiring and engaging science-fiction that readers will greatly enjoy.
Takeaway: Alchemy and politics prove a murderous mixture in this rousing adventure.
Comparable Titles: Michael Scott’s The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series, Liam Fialkov’s The Newton Code.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
