Bang Bang Bodhisattva

This voicey and fast-paced cyberpunk noir, Wood’s debut, follows transgender gig worker and jack-of-all-trades Kiera Umehara as she races to solve two murders she’s been framed for. When her landlord raises the requirements for “social scores” necessary for her and her polyamorous partners to stay in their property, a desperate Kiera takes a job with hangdog, technophobic private eye Angel Herrera tracking down and exposing duplicitous lovers using her hacking skills. Then two bodies turn up with only two things tying them together: their connection to Kiera and a stick of Nag Champa incense left at the crime scenes. The unlikely detective duo must stick together to solve the mystery and clear Kiera’s name. Wood’s punchy, pulpy style is well-suited to the subject matter, and noir fans will appreciate the many plot twists. The quippiness of the dialogue occasionally comes at the cost of the story’s emotional beats, and the rapid-fire references can become difficult to wade through in pursuit of the plot, but once the story finds its footing, it rollicks along. The result is fresh, exciting cyberpunk. Agent: Stacia Decker, Dunow Carlson & Lerner. (May.)