My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This novel won the 2015 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. Liam Penn’s alternate reality story of eugenics is a haunting science-fiction tale well told. In an effort to create a perfect world humans have been divided into two groups–the genetically superior (Pures) and those judged inferior (Impures). The sociological implications play out brilliantly as the Pures struggle to maintain their natural impulses (lust, envy, greed, and so on). The Impures face limited lifespans, terrible living conditions, segregation, and moral outrage. Penn portrays the driving sense of duty and hunger for justice in these investigators as they fight the weary battles against bureaucracy, horror, and disappointment in their fellow humans.
This story is Penn’s first published novel. Such a fabulous start, look for more to come in this series.