By Adam Christopher

Tor / Titan, out now

Down these mean streets a robot must walk – one last time…

Adam Christopher’s LA Trilogy follows in some great noir footsteps and this finale brings things to a (moderately) tidy close, but it’ll be a shame not to spend any more time with Ray Electromatic, Ada and co. – Christopher has created a wonderful alternate version of the real Los Angeles of the period that continues to come alive on the page.

A lot of the questions that attentive readers will have had from the start are answered – with some of the answers having been hiding in plain sight from the beginning (and yes, you will kick yourself at a couple of the reveals). The various rules that have governed Ray’s life continue to be both a help and a hindrance in storytelling terms, and Christopher puts his robotic PI through the wringer along the way. Fans of the genres being mashed together here will recognise the tropes being homaged and you’re bound to grin at the “scientific” solution to one of the problems.

Verdict: Entertaining to the last, Ray Electromatic’s adventures conclude in style. 9/10

Paul Simpson