A well-executed and deeply engrossing SF tale…
Bailey visits a bleak future in his deeply engrossing part-mystery-part-dystopian which features NYPD Detective Ray Fisher. After an unusual accident leaves two people dead, Ray Fisher, the NYPD Detective, begins his investigation into the case and gets dragged into a sinister conspiracy where shadowy figures are using people like pawns. The stakes rise when Ray is suspended from NYPD. Bailey packs plenty of emotions and a fair number of ethical dilemmas into Ray’s excursions. His writing is assured and worldbuilding vivid. He adeptly balances action and characterization while keeping up a page-turning pace. The protagonists, especially Ray and Brad’s struggles with their personal trauma, intriguing mystery, first-rate police procedural detail, government conspiracies, and the haunting atmosphere of dystopian landscape combine into a mesmerizing whole. Readers shouldn’t expect simple answers by the end but Baily succeeds in crafting an immersive read. Fans of character-driven dystopian will relish Bailey’s take on futuristic SF.
Rats in a Maze
By Peter Bailey
Moonshine Cove Publishing, LLC
Pub date September 15, 2020
ISBN 978-1945181917
Price $14.99 (USD) paperback
