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Jen Lu Mysteries #1
by Michael Kaufman
Perfect for fans of Ben Winters and Cory Doctorow. In this thrilling near-future novel, the secret to eternal life is closely guarded by people who will do anything to protect it--even if it means destroying everything in their path.
Set in Washington D.C. in the near future, climate change has hit hard, fires are burning, unemployment is high, and controversial longevity treatments are only available to the very rich. Enter resourceful young police detective, Jen B. Lu, and her 'partner,' Chandler, a SIM implant in her brain and her instant link to the Internet and police records, and constant voice inside her head. He's an inquisitive tough guy, with a helluva sense of humor and his own ideas about solving crimes.
As a detective in the Elder Abuse unit, Jen is supposed to be investigating kids pushing their aging parents to "exit" so they are eligible to get the longevity drug. But what really has her attention are the persistent rumors about Eden, an illegal version of the longevity drug, and the bizarre outbreak of people aging almost overnight, then suddenly dying--is this all connected? Is Big Pharma involved?
When Jen's investigations of Eden take her too close to the truth, she is suspended, Chandler is deactivated, and her boyfriend is freaked out by "the thing inside her brain." This leaves Jen to pursue a very dangerous investigation all by herself.
"[O]utstanding...Exceptional worldbuilding...is complemented by sympathetic characters and suspenseful plot twists. Kaufman is a writer to watch." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A strong, richly imagined brew for stouthearted readers, with hints of a series to follow." - Kirkus Reviews
"An engrossing thriller set in a fascinatingly plausible near future, The Last Exit centers on a human-AI partnership that's as believable as it's moving." - Emma Donoghue, New York Times bestselling author of Room
"Detective Lu has troubles aplenty coming at her in this fast-paced thriller: a baffling mystery to solve when too many people start dying too fast, personal moral quandaries to wrestle with, and a cruel and inequitable society on the brink of chaos to navigate." - Con Lehane, author of the 42nd Street Library mysteries
"I love a book that makes me think, shows me a different world, and makes me savor the world I have, and be more grateful for it." - Anne Perry, international bestselling author of the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries
This information about The Last Exit was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Michael Kaufman is the author of two novels and seven works of non-fiction. He has worked with the United Nations, governments, NGOs, educators, and companies in fifty countries to promote women's rights.
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