Review: The Predator and the Prey by K.C. Sivils

Synopsis

Everyone has a past they'd like to forget. Inspector Thomas Sullivan has a past that is about to catch up with him.Sent to the developing planet Beta Prime to clean up its corruption and crime, Sullivan is saddled with a wet behind the ears rookie detective for a partner. An already difficult job is made more so by the haunting presences of a mysterious young woman.

A crazed serial killer and the theft of life saving drugs are just the start of Sullivan's troubles. Betrayal by his own police force just might finish him off.

Faced with solving multiple crimes at once to save himself, who can Sullivan trust in his new home, the eternally cold Capital City?
-- an ex-con cabbie
-- a priest who knows too much about crime
-- the owner of a neighborhood tavern and diner with a shady past
-- a mysterious beauty who haunts Sullivan from his past
-- his idealistic and naive young partner

Desperate for redemption for mistakes in his past, can Sullivan even trust himself?

The debut novel from K.C. Sivils, The Predator and The Prey is a crime thriller set in the gritty urban setting of Capital City 200 years in the future. Fans of cross genre storytelling such as Joss Wheadon's space westerns and Alex P. Berg's Urban Fantasy/Crime noir stories should enjoy the adventures of Inspector Thomas Sullivan as he seeks to deliver justice to the innocent citizens of Capital City and the planet Beta Prime.

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Review

For some reason, I pictured Harry Dresden, of the Dresden FIles, as the futuristic Inspector. I know they have nothing in common, but as soon as the action hit the ground, I pictured Dresden doing the running. Obviously, it's just me. I probably still have Jim Butcher's book world residue dancing in my head. But just like Butcher, author K.C. Sivils knows how to start a series!

Within the first few pages, someone has died, and there's been some sort of cover-up, throw in a handful of dirty cops, and in the thick of it all is Inspector Thomas Sullivan. The book goes back and forth between his point of view, to that of a serial killer on the loose and his victims, and a mix of power hungry Elitists. This was such a fun read. I thought I knew who the killer was, and knew where the story was headed, but I was surprised at the outcomes. 

If you're looking for a quick read, this is a page turner. It is set in a futuristic, and distant world but the author won't let you get confused and be bogged down with new jargon. I read this on a kindle app, and at the beginning, there were some words that were underlined, which then took you to a link explaining the makeup of Beta Prime. Treat this as any other crime thriller, with an almost episodic action in each chapter but it works. I got sucked into this world and wanted to see when, and how Sullivan could catch the Predator and save the Prey.  

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review. However, these thoughts and opinions are my own. I'm not required to write a positive review.

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About the Author

Author of over twenty non-fiction books, including an Amazon Best Seller, Sivils has now ventured into the realm of fiction with his Inspector Thomas Sullivan series. Science fiction and classic crime novels have long been favorites of author K.C. Sivils. The combination of film noir and science fiction in director Ridley Scott’s adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s sci-fi classic Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep into the masterful Harrison Ford vehicle Bladerunner encouraged him to consume as much of both genre’s as possible. 
A fan of past noir masters such as Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, Sivils also enjoys the current generation of storytellers like Renee Pawlish and Alex P. Berg.

Website: http://kcsivils.com/
Follow author K.C. Sivils on his Amazon page here.