Legacy of Molly Southbourne

Arthur C. Clarke Award winner Thompson’s third Molly Southbourne novel (after The Survival of Molly Southbourne) is a crisp, gritty tale at the intersection of horror, sci-fi, and crime fiction. When Dumfries car salesman Noel Berg is murdered, retired operative Myke is recruited to track down the molly—a deadly doppelgänger of the original Molly Southbourne—who is believed to have committed the crime. The case is complicated by the introduction of Tamara Koleosho, a martial artist who also has doppelgängers, and Myke’s violation of her agreement terms when she sets fire to buildings housing molly cadavers. Though the novel’s alternating perspectives can be disorienting, the action scenes are hard-hitting and adrenaline-stimulating, and serve as the most powerful and immersive parts of the novel. While the culminating twist isn’t mind-blowing, it does raise some intriguing questions. Newcomers won’t want to start with this one, but series readers and lovers of strong female characters will be pleased. (May)