Liquid Cool is an immersive cyberpunk adventure that masterfully blends film noir-style detective work with futuristic, dystopian storytelling. Author Austin Dragon crafts a vivid world filled with neon-lit skyscrapers, hovering vehicles, and a society dominated by advanced technology. The story follows private investigator Cruz, who is hired to solve a missing person’s case. As he investigates, he uncovers a web of conspiracies involving megacorporations, ruthless criminals, and a mysterious figure known only as “the Big Guy.” The investigation takes him through the city’s dangerous underworld, and he encounters an array of colorful characters, from femme fatales to eccentric inventors, each adding to the layered and unpredictable storyline. The novel nicely balances fast-paced action, mystery, and dark comedy, making for a very entertaining read.

Dragon’s descriptive world-building is one of the highlights of this book, as the futuristic mega cityscape comes vividly to life with its non-stop buzz of activity and rainy atmosphere. There’s a lot to unpack in this futuristic world, with its advanced technology and gritty characters. It should be noted that this book does require a significant amount of attention to detail due to the sheer volume of information presented. If you’re listening to the audiobook, be sure to listen at a slower speed to fully appreciate/grasp all of the extensive worldbuilding. On the positive side, the book’s short chapters and straightforward writing style allow it to be read faster than expected for its length.

The book is also full of unique, memorable characters. Protagonist Cruz is a very likable genius detective, and his detective work includes some ridiculous scenarios that add humor and intrigue to the story. Many of Cruz’s friends are flawed, shady characters that readers will find crass and unlikeable—but they all have larger-than-life personas that add entertainment value to the story. The overall narrative of the story is driven by Cruz, with a lot of accompanying action and engaging dialogue that pulls the story together.

The story begins as a mystery after an explosive shootout at Joe Blow’s bar. Soon after, the story shifts to Mr. Cruz and his effort to set up a detective agency. The two storylines don’t come together until late into the story, so readers will have to be patient, but there is a satisfying resolution of how everything ties together. Cruz’s initial case of the murder of “Easy Chair Charlie” is solved quickly, and other cases come his way after word spreads that he is in the detective business. The book, at times, feels like a series of short stories of Cruz solving different cases with new characters introduced in each.

One critique of the novel could be its overwhelming cast of characters. At the beginning of the book, almost every chapter introduces someone new, and it becomes difficult to keep track of everyone or to understand the connections between them. The first three chapters are told in the 3rd person, focusing on different characters. In the 4th chapter, readers discover that these are side characters as the perspective switches to the 1st person POV of the protagonist, Mr. Cruz. On the positive side, there is more clarity later in the novel, and the complex interconnectivity of the characters becomes very intriguing. The author’s ambitious attempt at creating a sprawling, interconnected world is very evident, but the lack of focus on a central cast early on may have readers wanting a more cohesive narrative.

In summary, Liquid Cool is a great option in the cyberpunk genre, offering a refreshing take on classic noir tropes with a futuristic twist. The abundance of characters make it challenging at times, but readers who are patient will find it a very satisfying story by the end. Narrator Shamaan Casey does a fantastic job portraying the characters with distinct voices and brings the complex dystopian world vividly to life. If an action-packed detective storyline set in an expansive dystopian world sounds interesting, don’t hesitate to add this book to your reading list. The 2nd and 3rd books in the series, Blade Gunner and NeuroDancer, are currently available as physical copies, so you can quickly devour the entire series!