Sisters of Glass

In Los Angeles, 2030, Karl Latte is an anomaly. In an age when everyone has a satellite receiver imbedded in his or her body, the burned-out policeman has no electronic implants. Even so, his ability to read minds makes him the only man able to rescue Romy, the last survivor of the first batch of genetically tailored female mates sold by Genesistems corporation. These women, known as Sisters, have been systematically killed in Platform 66, Genesistem's impenetrable headquarters off the California coast. Karl rescues Romy, and the pair go on the lam, with the predictability of their flight somewhat redeemed by Karl's budding realization that Romy is human. The novel comes to life when the pursuit grows hotter, with not only Genesistems (whose implants turn out to be mind-control devices) but a thuggish entrepreneur on the heels of the couple. St. John (A Terrible Beauty) deals better than most with the implications of the wealthy achieving a degree of immortality by being able to switch bodies at will, and the novel's climax is genuinely gripping, even if it is followed by an implausibly large victory for the forces of virtue. Though St. John's prose is of only average quality, the novel is an entertaining combination of hard-boiled action, futuristic romance and speculation about biotechnology. (July)