Killer in the Retroscape

A Near-Future Mystery

By: Bruce M. Perrin

Narrated by: Denver C. Risley

In 2068, in St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Douglas (Doug) Michaels finds his lifelong friend Josh Unger dead in his home.

When law enforcement concludes his death was a suicide, Doug and his wife Ali are dumbstruck; they wonder what could explain such a needlessly violent and lonely death in a future where such actions are unimaginable.

Trying to unearth a killer, be it either flesh and blood or the cumulative stress of life, Doug creates a mental landscape of Josh’s past, a retroscape, starting in the mid-2030s.

Among its landmarks are:

• An illness sensationalized in the media as the “zombie pandemic” that drives a wedge between husband and wife, parents and children
• Cryptic communications between Josh and an “after-life specialist” who peddles immortality services
• A mysterious phrase uttered at the assassination of a government official that ties it to Josh’s death 14 years later
• Josh’s machine-intelligence wife Julia, who may hold the secret to his death...if she can only remember

In the end, determining guilt in a retroscape littered with suspects tells Doug more about humanity, technology, and himself than he ever would have imagined.

©2018 Bruce M. Perrin (P)2020 Bruce M. Perrin

Is this our future?

This sci-fI mystery really got me thinking. In the investigation of the untimely death of his friend, Doug gigs in to find the shocking explanation.

Bruce M. Perrin certainly did his research. Building upon the technological advancements that we have undergone, he puts forth a very plausible future scenario. Great story with a fantastic twist at the end.

I enjoyed Denver C. Risley’s performance. I thought he was consistent throughout, and I didn’t encounter any issues that detracted from the story.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

Timing is everything!

This book timing is amazing! It certainly makes you think of what is going on in our Covid-19 days. Very well done! Kudos to the author and the narrator for bringing this book to life!

Quite A Different, Extremely Interesting Story!

Wow This one really makes a person think. So much is referenced regarding now a day events.
This is a fictional possible future American and the different things brought about by cause and effect that could be possible.

Complex and Believable Future World and Clever Mys

What will the future look like? Killer in the Retroscape is a near future sci-fi that lavishly describes a fair idea while presenting an intriguing mystery. An industrial psychologist is unconvinced his old co-worker and friend took his own life when he’s found dead.

Exploring the future in Perrin’s Killer in Retroscape world was a feast for the imagination. Much is simply details coloring in the backdrop, but it is also what lies at the heart of the story. I really liked the main character, Doug, who is doing the investigation along with his intuitive and bright wife who is brilliant in the field of medicine and his virtuent assistant an A.I. that helps him create the retroscape of memories he uses to aid in solving the mystery.

The actual mystery stays in the background many times in the story though it is there and Doug is working through what he knows from the past as well as a few clues he must find from outside sources. There are dragging spots when too much description occurs, but for the most part I was right in the moment and enjoying it all. I had my suspicions about the solution and, happily, I was not wrong- though there was a twist that got me near the end.

Denver Risley was a new-to-me narrator who I thought matched Doug’s reflective and analytical personality well. He had no trouble with the female, AI or automated voices either. A strong, versatile voice in fact. The quality of the production was good.

All in all, Killer in the Retroscape was an engaging sci-fi mystery that was strong on the sci-fi and left me interested in more of the author and narrator’s works.

Worth your time

As a representative of AudioBookReviewer.com here is a review on Killer in the Retroscape: A Near-Future Mystery written by Bruce M Perrin. This slow burn futuristic mystery is a must listen for Sci fi and or mystery fans alike. The author painted a realistic future based on real world data collected in 2018 forecasting what technology and life would be like 50 years in the future. Each character in this tale was well flushed out and the fact that the protagonist is a retiree was so unique. This future world where robots and artificial intelligence do all the work for humans forming an unknown dependency was a blast to explore. As soon as you think you have this mystery figured out the ending will turn you on your head.


 
The narrator Denver C. Risley's performance was middle-of-the-road. His voice acting was consistent throughout but lacked the vigor of a more seasoned narrator. From what I can tell this is his first narration job, at least on audible. He has potential and I can see him improving as his career progresses. 

 

Editing, quality, and production fell short with most books I have listened to.  It was clear but had issues with the cuts in between chapters and too much dead air.

Jazzy Smooth Sci-fi

A great story that pulls you in to an almost plausible reality with a twist so smooth if you clear your to you'll miss it! Denver does a great job keeping each characters voice so recognizable and consistent you don't even need to hear which character is speaking. The world created is so close to how we live today it's not a real stretch to imagine everything in your minds eye.