The Big Sheep

May 16, 2016
Kroese (Disenchanted) demonstrates his creative imaginative worldbuilding in this sci-fi mystery series debut set in 2039 Los Angeles. The brilliant lead is Erasmus Keane, who prefers being called a “phenomenological inquisitor” rather than a private investigator. Aided by sidekick Blake Fowler, Keane is looking into the disappearance of a sheep named Mary, who had been genetically modified to host organs that could be transplanted into humans. The challenges of finding her are heightened when the duo are asked for help by Priya Mistry, a TV megastar, who fears for her life after getting a note warning her that someone is out to kill her. Priya is also freaked out by having appeared in a face cream commercial that she insists she never made. There are some amusing one-liners and Kroese’s future version of Chandler’s mean streets holds potential, but the promising opening isn’t sustained for very long.

Starred review from June 15, 2016

Phenomenological inquisitor (don't call him a private detective) Erasmus Keane and his assistant Blake Fowler operate in 2039 Los Angeles, roughly ten years after an event known as The Collapse left huge parts of the city a gang-dominated war zone. They have accepted a case from the secretive Esper Corporation, whose labs seem to have misplaced a very special sheep. The duo soon catch another investigation, this time from a beautiful actress who believes someone is trying to kill her. As unlikely as it may seem, the two incidents are connected. The title is a nod to Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep and Philip K. Dick's classic Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (and the film version, Blade Runner), but the noir is leavened with plenty of humor. Keane is a fairly unlikable genius, accompanied by a sidekick with whom readers can bond. The mystery seems to telegraph its direction early on but then takes a bizarre turn. Here's to hoping these characters have more cases to solve in the future. VERDICT Fans of Sherlock Holmes and Douglas Adams's "Dirk Gently" novels will find things to love in Kroese's latest (after Starship Grifters).--MM

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