Neon Nights

There's No Murder in Paradise, Book 1

By: Anna Mocikat

Narrated by: Garrett Kiesel, Cari Favole

There’s no murder in paradise.

Homicide detective Siro Ferreira-Nunes must solve his most challenging case. More and more people end up dead in the “city of dreams,” an allegedly perfect society. The victims haven’t just been murdered; they’ve been also horribly mutilated and stripped of their neural implants and augmentations. This is not the work of a serial killer but the signature of crime syndicates who sell the costly augmentations on the black market.

A specialist in organized crime, detective Ferreira-Nunes is the right man for job. Partnered with the sharp-witted Kate Spader, they delve into the seedy underworld of Oldtown, the megacity’s most notorious district, where life is cheap and criminal masterminds know how to evade the all-controlling “perfect” society of Olympias. One of the victims, a popular TV star provides a surprising clue: behind his shiny smile the actor hid a shocking double life in Oldtown’s infamous red light district. Was the man really just a victim?

The investigation leads Siro and Kate from Oldtown’s gritty shadows to the opulent penthouses of the elite in the skyscrapers above. After the detectives barely survive an assassination attempt on their lives, the Guardian Angels, Olympias’ notorious elite cyborg enforcers enter the stage. But can they be trusted or are they following their own agenda?

"Neon Nights" is a spin-off from the acclaimed "Behind Blue Eyes" series but can be enjoyed as a standalone—an exciting mix of cyber intrigue, sex, and danger. For fans of "Altered Carbon" and noir detective stories!

©2023 Anna Mocikat (P)2024 Anna Mocikat

cyber noir at its finest

if you're a fan of cyberpunk and noir. then this one's for you. a fantastic side story interesting world of A.K. Mocikats behind blue eyes. a fun bonus for fans of BBE 10/10

Neon Nights lives up to its name!

I love everything Mocikat writes and this is just another amazing book to add to that list!

Detailing the detective Siro’s backstory, we find out why he came to Olympias 1 and we get to see the first case he ever worked with Kate.

This was one of those plot lines that I didn’t realize I needed until just now. Siro and Kate were fun to read about in Behind Blue Eyes but now I love them even more than I already did.

Fast paced and exciting, Neon Nights lives up to its name. It is electrifying and horrifying all at the same time and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Dark gritty and sexy

an absolute awesome look into the Behind Blue Eyes universe that isnt based around the angels.

Two devices are on the look out for an augmention harvesting gang.

some spicy scenes in the story.

The narration is top tier and kept me totally immersed into the story.

Don't skip out on us this amazing cyberpunk story.

Excellent blend of sci fi and old school detective story

The world created positions the familiar with the grittiness of the future. Technology leaps forward but the edge of a large city remains. The story telling allows the reader to visualize the surrounding and technology of the future in a way that augments the story without distraction.

But it’s the character development and relatability of the main characters that allows the narrative to unfold. The relatability allows the reader to empathize with the characters and buy in to the various situations.

This is all of course a backdrop for a classic detective story. The pace moves briskly and allows for a quick read and engaging story.

Dystopian Cyberpunk Detective Noir done right!

*This is a totally independent novel set in the cyberpunk dystopia of Olympias, the same universe as Behind Blue Eyes (an excellent series). You don't have to have read BBE to appreciate this amazing detective noir.

*The audio narration is EXCELLENT. Both main characters are perfectly done by Kiesel and Favole. I read the book and listened to the audio and it's a joy to find audio books that are so well done.

In this gritty future, Detective Siro Ferreira-Nunes navigates a world where citizens are part cyborg, part human, and wholly dangerous. Set in the sprawling city of Olympias I (formerly Atlanta), controlled by dystopian megacorporations, the novel introduces us to a hedonistic society steeped in propaganda a la Brave New World. Our standard morals and norms are considered mental illnesses or weaknesses. Monogamy is deviant concept, religion is a delusion, and citizens are expected to end their own lives far before reaching the age of retirement.

Detective Siro has great ideals and ambitions, a modern day police officer who is dropped into this dystopian noir cityscape. He has to come to terms that the police walk the thin line between enforcing the law against corrupt criminals and corporations and being corrupt corpo goons themselves.

Siro’s new partner, Kate “Spider” Spader, adds a cynical edge to his strait-laced idealism. Together, they investigate the gruesome death and organ harvesting of a mid-tier celebrity. But this case unravels into something much larger—a web of cybernetics, sex, and the totalitarian government of Olympias.

“Neon Nights” doesn’t shy away from the R-rated aspects of cyberpunk. Gruesome murders, sleazy encounters, and a relentless pace keep readers engaged. HOWEVER, and this is something I found very important as a reader, the author (Anna Mocikat) uses Detective Siro and his modern-day sensibilities to portray the deep contrast between what our society and time embraces as healthy compared to the self-indulgent gluttonous attitudes of the dystopian future. We see glimpse into the fact that these social changes were started by the mega corps themselves, as an aspect of control over the masses. Every one of the “seven deadly sins” is showcased in the city of Olympias as an ideal to strive towards.

If you’re a fan of both detective novels and cyberpunk, “Neon Nights” serves up a thrilling blend. Dive into the neon glow, where every shadow hides secrets, and danger lurks around every corner.

Some of the dialogue and performances took me out of it.

The laughing and some of the choices on the performance took me right out of the book. I think the story was fine. I felt that the ending was a little too much Deus Ex Machina.