SILENCED - Nicole Kurtz Parker Publishing/ISIS 1-60043-037-6 June 2008

SYNOPSIS:  Cybil Lewis, a private inspector in the year 2146, is no stranger to family dysfunction. But when her inspector-in-training, Jane, asks Cybil to investigate the disappearance of her cousin, Cybil is tossed into a world of political ambition, drugs, and deception on such a grand scale, she barely survives with her life. This case will take her and Jane far into the reaches of the divided states and into the upper crest of political turmoil that lies in the wake of the Great War.

PARANORMAL FICTION |2|  Tomeka Stewart

REVIEW:  The year is 2146, and the United States no longer exists. The landscape is battered and bare, and criminals run freely over the newly formed territories. Private Inspector Cybil Lewis has her hands full trying to solve the murder of Mayor Annabelle Christensen’s daughter. Cybil is no stranger to sending criminals to the Cradle and with the help of her partner Jane, who happens to be the mayor’s niece, Cybil goes on a mission filled with danger and suspense. The questions that surface and the secrets revealed will cause chaos in a world where chaos is ever present. Will Cybil be able to solve this crime before it gets her and the people she cares for killed?

Ms. Kurtz’s use of setting and scenery makes SILENCED come alive in your mind. I could feel the dampness in the air from the recent rains and the wind in my face when riding Jane’s aero cycle. Being a bit of a sci-fi buff myself, I really enjoyed the introduction of the “hatchlings” – androids created to serve the Territory Alliance.

Despite these elements, SILENCED failed to deliver.  Trey, a hatchling and Cybil’s lover, brings an air of mystery to the story that never quite plays out for me. I found the pacing of the story a bit slow; but at the same time it jumped around too much to maintain a smooth flow.  SILENCED does have all the pieces for a great sci-fi, but I feel that the actual plot lacked the details that would tie the story together and make it an easier read.  It left too many questions unanswered, and me feeling incomplete.

reviewer@romanceincolor.com | 3rd June 2008