The Jigsaw Assassin

Asaro brings a strong sense of humanity to characters who are used to being viewed as less-than in her hard-boiled fourth Major Bhaajan cyber-thriller (after The Vanished Seas). Former Imperial Space Command officer Maj. Bhaajan, now working as a private investigator, returns to the capital of the matriarchal Skolian Empire to look into the assassinations of three top research scientists. As a native of the notorious Undercity slums, Bhaajan faces prejudice and underestimation of her talents from all sides as she threads her way through various political factions with ties to the murders. She, in turn, must overcome her own prejudice of artificial lifeforms when her digital assistant, Max, brings evidence that a rogue Evolving Intelligence—like the monstrous entity Oblivion that she previously defeated—may be connected to the deaths. The talkiness of the investigation slows the pace of the mystery and the solution relies on a bit of technical trickery, but Bhaajan’s understanding of her own self-worth and her ability to sacrifice some of it to succeed at her goals will still leave readers satisfied. Asaro’s fans will not be disappointed. (July)