SOJALS rating:

Good (3/5)

I first read this on the 31st March 2007 and most recently on the 4th April 2021

An awesome augmented Amazonian has retired to a bad part of town. She's an old woman now and her augs are failing, but once she was a soldier. Jenny Casey, known by the nickname "Maker", is still very competent and very dangerous.

Her friends are few but varied. One is Mitch, a young and honest police officer. Another is Razorface, gang boss over most of the city. There is also the cute but deadly Bobbi Yip, a young gun-for-hire.

Now her old army boss wants her back. Colonel Fred Valens has nasty ways of persuading her. She doesn't want to go back to him and his schemes but when she finds out wehy she is really needed, she will do whatever he wants. It's not a job she could question: she will do it eagerly. She is ex-pilot, and no ex-pilot could turn down this chance to fly again especially when this mission is so much more important than any other.

But she still plans to bring down Colonel Valens. She knows the dreadful crimes he has committed and she has got friends and they are just the sort of friends that can, and will, help.

I have to say that is a very misleading review, but I've foolishly gone on and read "Scardown", the sequel, and that's quite a different book and perhaps not as good as this excellent cyberpunk novel. I was thrilled and engrossed - this is a fab debut and Elizabeth has gone on to write even better novels.