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Retrieval Artist #2
Extremes
Miles Flint, a former detective, has taken over Paloma's business, living the solitary life of a Retrieval Artist. Working for families and insurance companies, Flint searches for those on the run from the legal system but does not reveal identities or give information to anyone other than his clients on a "disappeared's" whereabouts.
While searching for the Disappeared, criminals on the run for commiting unspeakable acts of violence against alien cultures, Retrieval Artist Miles Flint investigates two suspicious deaths, leading him to a demented scientist who is now one of the Disappeared.
When a powerful attorney visits Flint and begs him to take a case, Flint has no idea that the research will lead him to a murder at the highly publicized and popular Moon Marathon. Flint is intrigued by the case involving another Retrieval Artist who allegedly died due to a dangerous flu virus. Miles believes the death is not an accident. Police Detective Noelle DeRicci, Flint's former partner, investigates the death of a young woman at the same event. She knows the death is not an accident. It soon becomes clear that both deaths are connected. Flint and DeRicci find themselves in their own race, one against time and a certain kind of madness that could threaten everything they know and love.
While searching for the Disappeared, criminals on the run for commiting unspeakable acts of violence against alien cultures, Retrieval Artist Miles Flint investigates two suspicious deaths, leading him to a demented scientist who is now one of the Disappeared.
When a powerful attorney visits Flint and begs him to take a case, Flint has no idea that the research will lead him to a murder at the highly publicized and popular Moon Marathon. Flint is intrigued by the case involving another Retrieval Artist who allegedly died due to a dangerous flu virus. Miles believes the death is not an accident. Police Detective Noelle DeRicci, Flint's former partner, investigates the death of a young woman at the same event. She knows the death is not an accident. It soon becomes clear that both deaths are connected. Flint and DeRicci find themselves in their own race, one against time and a certain kind of madness that could threaten everything they know and love.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
28 people are currently reading
328 people want to read
About the author
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
1,340Ìýbooks712ÌýfollowersKristine Kathryn Rusch is an award-winning mystery, romance, science fiction, and fantasy writer. She has written many novels under various names, including Kristine Grayson for romance, and Kris Nelscott for mystery. Her novels have made the bestseller lists –even in Londonâ€� and have been published in 14 countries and 13 different languages.
Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.
In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".
She has also published as:
(collaborations with husband )
- romances
(collaborations with husband )
- mysteries
- historical fiction
- romances
Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.
In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".
She has also published as:
(collaborations with husband )
- romances
(collaborations with husband )
- mysteries
- historical fiction
- romances
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February 4, 2024"Extremes" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch is one of my favorite books. It's the second book in her Retrieval Artist series (which starts with "The Disappeared"). I've been re-reading the series this summer and it's just as good the second time through - perhaps even better. Somehow, she's able to blend classic crime noir with science fiction, yet she avoids the depressing cynicism that sometimes appears in both of those genres. The Retrieval Artist series is creative, traditional, clever, compelling and generally fabulous. I love it so much.
March 5, 2019
This was a good book. I had forgotten how well the story worked. This story expands the Retrieval Artist universe. Miles has his first case as Retrieval Artist. Naturally it is entangled in his old partner DeRicci's case as well. I even like Zweig/Tey and her 'cause'. Well written and engrossing.
November 28, 2020
4/5
On est sur un policier de science-fiction.
Dans ce tome, qui est totalement indépendant du précédent, on est sur le même principe que le tome précédent : plusieurs points de vue indépendants, chacun apportant son lot d’éléments importants pour l’enquête principale.
D’un coté Miles Flint qui est l’expert récupérateur du titre de la série (il traque les fugitifs mais jamais dans le but de leurs nuire, par exemple pour le compte de leurs proches, ou si ils ont gagné un héritage �), qui a le point de vue le plus éloigné de l’intrigue finalement vu qu’il n’arrive au point ou il ne découvre son existence que dans la seconde moitié du livre, et de l’autre son ancienne partenaire dans la police de la zone, Noëlle DeRicci qui se retrouve comme enquêtrice principale sur le meurtre du départ.
On suit également une autre femme, qui fait un métier similaire aux récupérateurs, mais dans un autre but, vu qu’elle est traqueuse de fugitif, donc elle son but est de trouver les criminels et les ramener à la justice ou à ceux qui leurs en veulent.
La distinction entre récupérateur, qui travaille indépendamment comme un détective privé, et traqueur qui travaille en général pour les firmes d’avocats et utilise en général des moyens moins légaux pour arriver à ses fins est vraiment distincte.
Même si ça peut changer dans le futur, je trouve, sur ce tome, un peu dommage que le titre de la série soit lié à Miles qui finalement a le point de vue le plus éloigné de l’ensemble, et en plus vu que c’est le seul protagoniste masculin. Etant donné que le titre est au pluriel je pense que c’est possible que ça change, et qu’il ne soit plus le seul expert récupérateur ensuite, mais pour l’instant disons que ça touche une corde un peu sensible.
Bref, ici l’intrigue commence quand un cadavre est découvert dans le grand marathon lunaire. Cette course se déroule à l’extérieur (ou « Dehors » pour la population des dômes) est réputée difficile et très dangereuse. Chaque année les blessés sont très nombreux, et il y a même assez souvent des morts. Les dangers sont cachés, par exemple il y a une couche de poussière en permanence sur le sol et elle cache des débris qui peuvent facilement faire tomber quelqu’un, voir déchirer sa combinaison). Chaque participant court son marathon en combinaison avec réserve d’oxygène.
C’est une course très réglementée, seuls les participants et les organisateurs ont le droit de sortir « Dehors » pendant toute sa durée. Il est donc évident que le coupable est l’un d’entre eux.
En plus la victime, qui est morte d’un manque d’oxygène, a été découverte dans une combinaison neuve, jamais utilisée, sans poussière sous ses pieds, ce qui veut dire que quelqu’un l’a déposé sur place. On commence à soupçonner un crime quand il est évident que la victime n’a pas appuyé sur son bouton d’urgence pendant qu’elle perdait son oxygène. Hors toutes les combinaisons en sont équipé, a un endroit facile à atteindre �
L’enquête s’annonce difficile car on ne peux pas se permettre de perdre des potentiels témoins et coupables dans la foule (il y a des centaines de participants et organisateurs). Du coup on empêche tout ce beau monde de rentrer dans les dômes, ce qui fait que l’enquête doit vraiment aller très vite, sinon à force c’est sur qu’un accident va finir par arriver.
Bref, voila pour le contexte et je ne vous en dit pas plus.
On était un peu sur le même principe que le précédent. Chaque point de vue à différents indices sur l’ensemble et il faut attendre un certain temps avant que tout prenne sens pour qu’on comprenne ce qui c’est vraiment passé. Je trouve le principe vraiment sympa finalement, surtout que dans ce tome c’était mieux que dans le précédent, ou j’avais vraiment l’impression d’être perdue au début. Ici non, chaque point de vue a son sens, et fait avancer l’ensemble de son coté, avant que les trois se rejoignent vers la fin du roman. Très intéressant.
J’ai aussi bien aimé le fait que dans celui ci on ne parle pas du tout d’extraterrestres, c’est la partie que j’avais le moins aimé dans le précédent, donc elle ne me manque pas.
Et puis fait marrant, je ne savais pas du tout qu’on en viendrait à parler épidémie d’un virus proche de la grippe, confinement, et problèmes de contamination en lieux clos dedans (dôme lunaire). Comme quoi il fallait bien tomber sur une dans l’année et c’est tombé sur celui ci pour moi.
J’ai passé un bon moment dans cette enquête, et je lirais la suite avec plaisir.
On est sur un policier de science-fiction.
Dans ce tome, qui est totalement indépendant du précédent, on est sur le même principe que le tome précédent : plusieurs points de vue indépendants, chacun apportant son lot d’éléments importants pour l’enquête principale.
D’un coté Miles Flint qui est l’expert récupérateur du titre de la série (il traque les fugitifs mais jamais dans le but de leurs nuire, par exemple pour le compte de leurs proches, ou si ils ont gagné un héritage �), qui a le point de vue le plus éloigné de l’intrigue finalement vu qu’il n’arrive au point ou il ne découvre son existence que dans la seconde moitié du livre, et de l’autre son ancienne partenaire dans la police de la zone, Noëlle DeRicci qui se retrouve comme enquêtrice principale sur le meurtre du départ.
On suit également une autre femme, qui fait un métier similaire aux récupérateurs, mais dans un autre but, vu qu’elle est traqueuse de fugitif, donc elle son but est de trouver les criminels et les ramener à la justice ou à ceux qui leurs en veulent.
La distinction entre récupérateur, qui travaille indépendamment comme un détective privé, et traqueur qui travaille en général pour les firmes d’avocats et utilise en général des moyens moins légaux pour arriver à ses fins est vraiment distincte.
Même si ça peut changer dans le futur, je trouve, sur ce tome, un peu dommage que le titre de la série soit lié à Miles qui finalement a le point de vue le plus éloigné de l’ensemble, et en plus vu que c’est le seul protagoniste masculin. Etant donné que le titre est au pluriel je pense que c’est possible que ça change, et qu’il ne soit plus le seul expert récupérateur ensuite, mais pour l’instant disons que ça touche une corde un peu sensible.
Bref, ici l’intrigue commence quand un cadavre est découvert dans le grand marathon lunaire. Cette course se déroule à l’extérieur (ou « Dehors » pour la population des dômes) est réputée difficile et très dangereuse. Chaque année les blessés sont très nombreux, et il y a même assez souvent des morts. Les dangers sont cachés, par exemple il y a une couche de poussière en permanence sur le sol et elle cache des débris qui peuvent facilement faire tomber quelqu’un, voir déchirer sa combinaison). Chaque participant court son marathon en combinaison avec réserve d’oxygène.
C’est une course très réglementée, seuls les participants et les organisateurs ont le droit de sortir « Dehors » pendant toute sa durée. Il est donc évident que le coupable est l’un d’entre eux.
En plus la victime, qui est morte d’un manque d’oxygène, a été découverte dans une combinaison neuve, jamais utilisée, sans poussière sous ses pieds, ce qui veut dire que quelqu’un l’a déposé sur place. On commence à soupçonner un crime quand il est évident que la victime n’a pas appuyé sur son bouton d’urgence pendant qu’elle perdait son oxygène. Hors toutes les combinaisons en sont équipé, a un endroit facile à atteindre �
L’enquête s’annonce difficile car on ne peux pas se permettre de perdre des potentiels témoins et coupables dans la foule (il y a des centaines de participants et organisateurs). Du coup on empêche tout ce beau monde de rentrer dans les dômes, ce qui fait que l’enquête doit vraiment aller très vite, sinon à force c’est sur qu’un accident va finir par arriver.
Bref, voila pour le contexte et je ne vous en dit pas plus.
On était un peu sur le même principe que le précédent. Chaque point de vue à différents indices sur l’ensemble et il faut attendre un certain temps avant que tout prenne sens pour qu’on comprenne ce qui c’est vraiment passé. Je trouve le principe vraiment sympa finalement, surtout que dans ce tome c’était mieux que dans le précédent, ou j’avais vraiment l’impression d’être perdue au début. Ici non, chaque point de vue a son sens, et fait avancer l’ensemble de son coté, avant que les trois se rejoignent vers la fin du roman. Très intéressant.
J’ai aussi bien aimé le fait que dans celui ci on ne parle pas du tout d’extraterrestres, c’est la partie que j’avais le moins aimé dans le précédent, donc elle ne me manque pas.
Et puis fait marrant, je ne savais pas du tout qu’on en viendrait à parler épidémie d’un virus proche de la grippe, confinement, et problèmes de contamination en lieux clos dedans (dôme lunaire). Comme quoi il fallait bien tomber sur une dans l’année et c’est tombé sur celui ci pour moi.
J’ai passé un bon moment dans cette enquête, et je lirais la suite avec plaisir.
May 18, 2017
The idea of blending science fiction, procedural crime drama, large marathon events, epidemiology, and PR in politics seems like a bizarre combination but does it so perfectly well.
This mixture of genres and elements work together, none are simply decorative paint and all the main characters have depth. The story progressively builds tension by running different sub plots against each other and as the reader who sees all you wish you could intervene but you have to relinquish control and watch it all unfold.
My first criticism is some lengthy sections of dialogue discussing evidence feel so lengthy they become convoluted and hard to follow. Secondly, some of the minor characters feel underdeveloped and the lack of detail on them makes it hard to understand their reactions/motivations (particualrly the marathon organisers and detectives).
Those two nitpicks aside, this is a fun book that you'll want to shirk some of your workday to keep reading.
This mixture of genres and elements work together, none are simply decorative paint and all the main characters have depth. The story progressively builds tension by running different sub plots against each other and as the reader who sees all you wish you could intervene but you have to relinquish control and watch it all unfold.
My first criticism is some lengthy sections of dialogue discussing evidence feel so lengthy they become convoluted and hard to follow. Secondly, some of the minor characters feel underdeveloped and the lack of detail on them makes it hard to understand their reactions/motivations (particualrly the marathon organisers and detectives).
Those two nitpicks aside, this is a fun book that you'll want to shirk some of your workday to keep reading.
September 26, 2020
Notes:
3.5 Stars
I think it's odd that the MC for the story revolved around a friend vs the actual MC. Otherwise, it was a cool case & there were interesting details about dome life & practices.
3.5 Stars
I think it's odd that the MC for the story revolved around a friend vs the actual MC. Otherwise, it was a cool case & there were interesting details about dome life & practices.
November 16, 2018
3.5 stars.
February 18, 2017
Second installment of The Retrieval Artist series follows ex-detective-cum-Retrieval-Artist, Miles Flint undertaking a possible case brought to him by Ignatius Wagner of the law firm of WSX (Wagner, Stuart & Xendor). It seems that Rabinowitz, a firm Retrieval Artist has died in what Ignatius considers sketchy circumstances. A cold virus. But not just any cold virus, this one is possibly the result of a Disappeared, scientist Frieda Tey (my brain kept wanting to call her Josephine because of the author of same last name.). To say she's mad would be an understatement. She's undoubtedly brilliant but is, as shown through the story, working on some next level batcrap crazy. She's the one on which our multi-threaded story centers. And it should because when we come in on the story, she's already got several hundred murders under her belt care of said virus she released into a population under a closed environment just to test that whole Survival of the Fittest thing & try to nudge human evolution to, her decided, appropriate next step.
It so happens that Tracker, Miriam Oliviari (trackers look for Disappeareds to turn them over to the authorities), is also on the hunt for Tey at the Moon Marathon. This is a race for extreme sport enthusiasts and pulls very high revenue for Armstrong Dome as a tourist draw. Oliviari is sure Tey is there under an assumed identity & is herself working undercover to capture her. And then there's Flint's former partner, Noelle DeRicci investigating a death at the marathon that leads to the search for Tey.
I really enjoyed this one and was really impressed that it takes place mostly in one day. Flint is still getting his bearings as a RA and I enjoyed the push off that former mentor Paloma gave him. It was for both their benefit. I'm even more curious about her now and look forward to what will be revealed about her past cases as the series progresses. Much of the story here is procedural and that's an aspect that I liked. To see the various paths of disparate investigations come together was satisfying and really made for good build up to a tight close. There were good questions posed about ethics in the pursuit of knowledge and also about how human perspectives can be quite broad depending on ones point of view (in this case, attitudes of what is right or wrong with human enclaves varied between those from Earth & those from the Moon, based on things like environment, scarcity of resources and emphasis of individual vs. communal goals/wants). Like the first book, it's an easy read but gives this reader other things to think about more deeply after I'm done.
Recommended and I will of course, be continuing with this series. I don't think these need be read in sequence, but I do intend on doing it that way.
It so happens that Tracker, Miriam Oliviari (trackers look for Disappeareds to turn them over to the authorities), is also on the hunt for Tey at the Moon Marathon. This is a race for extreme sport enthusiasts and pulls very high revenue for Armstrong Dome as a tourist draw. Oliviari is sure Tey is there under an assumed identity & is herself working undercover to capture her. And then there's Flint's former partner, Noelle DeRicci investigating a death at the marathon that leads to the search for Tey.
I really enjoyed this one and was really impressed that it takes place mostly in one day. Flint is still getting his bearings as a RA and I enjoyed the push off that former mentor Paloma gave him. It was for both their benefit. I'm even more curious about her now and look forward to what will be revealed about her past cases as the series progresses. Much of the story here is procedural and that's an aspect that I liked. To see the various paths of disparate investigations come together was satisfying and really made for good build up to a tight close. There were good questions posed about ethics in the pursuit of knowledge and also about how human perspectives can be quite broad depending on ones point of view (in this case, attitudes of what is right or wrong with human enclaves varied between those from Earth & those from the Moon, based on things like environment, scarcity of resources and emphasis of individual vs. communal goals/wants). Like the first book, it's an easy read but gives this reader other things to think about more deeply after I'm done.
Recommended and I will of course, be continuing with this series. I don't think these need be read in sequence, but I do intend on doing it that way.
December 21, 2019
I hope in 2020 I read fewer meh books
April 20, 2023
The character development is fantastic!
March 15, 2016
3.5 stars
Off topic: If you find old library due date stickers on the back of s book, do you remove them, or do you leave them on as quaint reminders of a bygone day? Or does it matter whether or not they're covering part of the text that you want to see on the back cover of the book? I took one off that was really blocking the description and left one for history's sake.
My first big reaction to the book was how glad I was that Noelle DeRicci, Miles's old police partner,was still in it. I liked the police procedural aspect of the first book a lot so I'm glad that wasn't lost. And I like Noelle a lot too. It's nice to see a more mature female character. Noelle has been a cop for more than twenty years, so she has to be in her forties. I I liked that there wasn't even a hint of that in this book as well. These people have way too much to deal with for romance to be a factor.
As a piece of advice for fans of the series, I did confuse myself a bit by reading the short story that inspired the series in between reading the first book and starting this one. It takes place a bit later in Miles career, so there's no reason to read it before reading the series even though it was written first. It was also a bit confusing to remember which things were in the first book and relevant to the actual series and which were from the novella story. Now that I know that it wasn't a prequel, I'd say only die-hard completists really need to read it, it doesn't add anything to this series. It's mostly interesting to see how the author took the ideas from her original story and expanded upon them, what she kept (most of it) and what little changed and was fine-tuned. I don't recommend paying for it. But if you do read it, you should probably wait until you're farther along in the series so it isn't as confusing.
The premise of the series continued to bother me. I definitely like the idea of culture clash with the various aliens. I'm OK with the idea that interspecies agreements have been made where each world is allowed to enforce its own laws, so humans that break the laws of another species on their world have to face the consequences-- even if they didn't know about the law . That's the part that continues to rub me the wrong way, Miles and others having no respect for the last part. Like being ignorant is an excuse. And they often belittle the aliens' laws and beliefs. Some of the cases I remember from the first book had more serious consequences than anything a human law would have. But some of them have been pretty horrifying and someone should be responsible somehow for atoning for their crimes. One of the cases in the last book, and in the original novella, involved a corporation building on land where Wygnin nestlings were living. The humans didn't realize that the Wygnin considered the nestlings to be sentient, they only eat their shells after the die, or something like that. Hundreds of conscious beings were killed, but Miles and others acted very dismissive of the crime and acted like ignorance was an excuse. The only thing that made that story work for me was that the Wygnin don't try to take people to forced labor camps, like the Rev do, or kill them, they take one of their children and try to turn them into Wygnin, which is considerably more horrifying. Disappearing is justified in that case, even if the adult was at fault.
I really enjoyed the book overall. I like the characters, especially Noelle. Miles didn't have much personality, for the star of the book, but he was fine. I liked the three view points and the way it kept the story moving and interesting. She writes a good story, she has skills. There were a few things that stuck out though. The pace of the book was weird. It was slow at the beginning. It was page 165 before we got any idea what Miles's case was about. That was when his case finally intersected with Noelle's case and whatever the Tracker was doing, so that worked (dum dum dum DUMMM, it was a very dramatic reveal) but it was all maybe a little bit too deliberate and slow paced. Then the way it unfolded toward the end, it felt almost like I'd been watching the wrong case, suddenly it was over and I didn't even realize we were near the end. The pace was just odd. And Miles's practically magical hacking skills get to be a bit much sometimes too, there wasn't anything electronic that he can't hack in mere moments. The systems in the traffic ship didn't recognize his codes anymore, no problem! He hacked them from a random section mid-ship, voila! No security system was safe from those magic fingers. But it was fun, a good sci-fi mystery.
Off topic: If you find old library due date stickers on the back of s book, do you remove them, or do you leave them on as quaint reminders of a bygone day? Or does it matter whether or not they're covering part of the text that you want to see on the back cover of the book? I took one off that was really blocking the description and left one for history's sake.
My first big reaction to the book was how glad I was that Noelle DeRicci, Miles's old police partner,was still in it. I liked the police procedural aspect of the first book a lot so I'm glad that wasn't lost. And I like Noelle a lot too. It's nice to see a more mature female character. Noelle has been a cop for more than twenty years, so she has to be in her forties. I I liked that there wasn't even a hint of that in this book as well. These people have way too much to deal with for romance to be a factor.
As a piece of advice for fans of the series, I did confuse myself a bit by reading the short story that inspired the series in between reading the first book and starting this one. It takes place a bit later in Miles career, so there's no reason to read it before reading the series even though it was written first. It was also a bit confusing to remember which things were in the first book and relevant to the actual series and which were from the novella story. Now that I know that it wasn't a prequel, I'd say only die-hard completists really need to read it, it doesn't add anything to this series. It's mostly interesting to see how the author took the ideas from her original story and expanded upon them, what she kept (most of it) and what little changed and was fine-tuned. I don't recommend paying for it. But if you do read it, you should probably wait until you're farther along in the series so it isn't as confusing.
The premise of the series continued to bother me. I definitely like the idea of culture clash with the various aliens. I'm OK with the idea that interspecies agreements have been made where each world is allowed to enforce its own laws, so humans that break the laws of another species on their world have to face the consequences-- even if they didn't know about the law . That's the part that continues to rub me the wrong way, Miles and others having no respect for the last part. Like being ignorant is an excuse. And they often belittle the aliens' laws and beliefs. Some of the cases I remember from the first book had more serious consequences than anything a human law would have. But some of them have been pretty horrifying and someone should be responsible somehow for atoning for their crimes. One of the cases in the last book, and in the original novella, involved a corporation building on land where Wygnin nestlings were living. The humans didn't realize that the Wygnin considered the nestlings to be sentient, they only eat their shells after the die, or something like that. Hundreds of conscious beings were killed, but Miles and others acted very dismissive of the crime and acted like ignorance was an excuse. The only thing that made that story work for me was that the Wygnin don't try to take people to forced labor camps, like the Rev do, or kill them, they take one of their children and try to turn them into Wygnin, which is considerably more horrifying. Disappearing is justified in that case, even if the adult was at fault.
I really enjoyed the book overall. I like the characters, especially Noelle. Miles didn't have much personality, for the star of the book, but he was fine. I liked the three view points and the way it kept the story moving and interesting. She writes a good story, she has skills. There were a few things that stuck out though. The pace of the book was weird. It was slow at the beginning. It was page 165 before we got any idea what Miles's case was about. That was when his case finally intersected with Noelle's case and whatever the Tracker was doing, so that worked (dum dum dum DUMMM, it was a very dramatic reveal) but it was all maybe a little bit too deliberate and slow paced. Then the way it unfolded toward the end, it felt almost like I'd been watching the wrong case, suddenly it was over and I didn't even realize we were near the end. The pace was just odd. And Miles's practically magical hacking skills get to be a bit much sometimes too, there wasn't anything electronic that he can't hack in mere moments. The systems in the traffic ship didn't recognize his codes anymore, no problem! He hacked them from a random section mid-ship, voila! No security system was safe from those magic fingers. But it was fun, a good sci-fi mystery.
March 25, 2018
What happens when a rogue scientist decides she wants to kill an entire moon city with a virus in order to create her own version of a superhuman race? That question is the basic plot of Extremes by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Extremes is the second novel in the multi-genre Retrieval Artist Series.
Miles Flint has become a retrieval artist after quitting the police force in the first book of the series, The Disappeared. Retrieval Artists are basically intergalactic bounty hunters that track down people who have disappeared in order to escape punishment from the human-alien societies created in this series. Most retrieval artists usually work outside of the law. But, Flint’s background as a detective and his strong moral compass has caused him to be conflicted as he works on his first assignment as a retrieval artist.
He is chosen by a major law firm to investigate a former retrieval artist work on tracking this rogue scientist, Frieda Tey. In the process, he comes across a murder at the moon marathon on the colony of Armstrong. Flint finds out his work for the law firm and the murder are connected. As a result, he meets up with his old partner, Noelle DeRicci, from the police force who is investigating the murder. The two work together to solve the case and begin to understand that there’s a new dynamic in their relationship now that Flint is a retrieval artist.
Extremes is another solid novel in the Retrieval Artist series that combines elements of traditional science-fiction and mystery into a genre gumbo I enjoyed reading. Rusch is an old fashioned storyteller where characters and plot both work together to create a solid story. No fancy or superfluous prose that distracts from the story. This novel was refreshing to read and I’m looking forward to reading and reviewing Consequences, book three of the series. Recommended.
May 15, 2019
Good beginning, ending got a little plodding. Feels like she's mastering the detective genre as she goes. This is book two, so I have hopes.
The double wallop of genre - detective plus sci-fi - makes this a very comforting series if your idea of comfort is genre conventions (mine is!)
It's weird how uninterested she is in the hundreds of alien races she's established (well, she says there are hundreds but then just describes 4 over and over). They mainly exist as antagonistic plot devices, often offstage, and when they appear, it's as unindividuated groups with a few broad-strokes racial characteristics. Very throwback 50s paperback scifi. They also provide her with lots of opportunities to rail against moral relativism and praise the noble values of humanity, which mapped onto, say, geopolitics, is a little uncomfortable.
She's mostly into fleshing out her moon society, esp in this book, which is fine and all -- it's austere and planned, very Soviet without the Communism, and, being domed, insular and germophobic -- in other words, a big spaceship -- but ... aliens! And she's given us just enough for them to be intriguing. One race is superhumanly beautiful, golden, emotes into our brains, and steals children.
Hoping the rest of the series eventually gives us their POV...
The double wallop of genre - detective plus sci-fi - makes this a very comforting series if your idea of comfort is genre conventions (mine is!)
It's weird how uninterested she is in the hundreds of alien races she's established (well, she says there are hundreds but then just describes 4 over and over). They mainly exist as antagonistic plot devices, often offstage, and when they appear, it's as unindividuated groups with a few broad-strokes racial characteristics. Very throwback 50s paperback scifi. They also provide her with lots of opportunities to rail against moral relativism and praise the noble values of humanity, which mapped onto, say, geopolitics, is a little uncomfortable.
She's mostly into fleshing out her moon society, esp in this book, which is fine and all -- it's austere and planned, very Soviet without the Communism, and, being domed, insular and germophobic -- in other words, a big spaceship -- but ... aliens! And she's given us just enough for them to be intriguing. One race is superhumanly beautiful, golden, emotes into our brains, and steals children.
Hoping the rest of the series eventually gives us their POV...
July 27, 2016
This taut thriller is set on the Moon, where extreme sports enthusiasts run a marathon race � outside a domed city, on the Lunar surface, in environmental suits. But when a murdered woman is found on the race course, three separate investigations lead to terrifying answers about a ruthless, disgraced scientist and the virus she has designed. A suspenseful read.
February 16, 2015
5th Retrieval Artist book I've read and the best so far. Compelling from start to finish. I didn't want to put it down. A page turner filled with mystery, suspense and great characters and setting. A must read.
October 13, 2009
Nothing necessarily wrong with the book itself. I just couldn't get into or care about the mystery.
August 6, 2014
Love this series. Immediately started the next one.
January 25, 2021
I enjoyed the first Retrieval Artist novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch so much I bought the second one and put it straight to the top of my reading pile.
Miles Flint has quit his job as a police detective on the moon and is now working alone as a Retrieval Artist, someone who seeks out those who have Disappeared to escape justice for their crimes.
I was pleasantly surprised that the narrative of this instalment was still split between Flint working in his new office and his old partner, Noelle DeRicci, still working with the police, as I really liked DeRicci and would have been sorry to see her go.
It perhaps took a bit too long for their disparate plotlines to come together, especially as they both spent most of their time working through things on their own, so there wasn't as much interaction and direct action as I would have preferred. DeRicci also got a lot more page time than Flint, which was great because I really enjoyed the deeper analysis of her character and the levels of difficulty she faced in her investigation, but it did feel as if Flint was a bit short-changed.
But the book really came together really well and there was a lot of interesting ethical and moral exploration of issues. So, I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of these.
Miles Flint has quit his job as a police detective on the moon and is now working alone as a Retrieval Artist, someone who seeks out those who have Disappeared to escape justice for their crimes.
I was pleasantly surprised that the narrative of this instalment was still split between Flint working in his new office and his old partner, Noelle DeRicci, still working with the police, as I really liked DeRicci and would have been sorry to see her go.
It perhaps took a bit too long for their disparate plotlines to come together, especially as they both spent most of their time working through things on their own, so there wasn't as much interaction and direct action as I would have preferred. DeRicci also got a lot more page time than Flint, which was great because I really enjoyed the deeper analysis of her character and the levels of difficulty she faced in her investigation, but it did feel as if Flint was a bit short-changed.
But the book really came together really well and there was a lot of interesting ethical and moral exploration of issues. So, I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of these.
October 29, 2019
Read this and The Disappeared. Consequences is on my table waiting. I needed a break. She is a good writer. The series is good. The problem is like most good sci fi it makes you think about the current society and how close we are to what we makes us uncomfortable to unhappy about what we read. Who wants to pay the price to live like that? Progress is a good thing when true justice is maintained. How much does society force on us so that we can just buy groceries at the store, get healthcare, school our children, earn enough money to pay basic bills. Why should I be forced to by an iPhone so that I can get a discount at the food store. I need to eat. I don't need all the stuff of the iPhone. This is just an example, I am not putting down the iPhone. Good sci fi gets you to think about societal improvements. Are they really improvements if the losses are greater? The Retrieval Artist series by Rusch are good reads!
March 6, 2021
Rusch, Kristine Kathryn. Extremes. Retrieval Artist No. 2. Roc, 2003.
Extremes, the second full novel in Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Retrieval Artist series, hits closer to home than Rusch could have imagined in 2003. Miles Flint, now an independent investigator of cases involving people who have vanished, either because of or in spite of the various alien legal systems with which humanity has become involved, is troubled by the suspicious death of one of his fellow investigators. His former partner in the Armstrong city police department finds herself investigating the death of a marathon runner and later a viral outbreak in one of the city’s domes. The idea of a crowd disease in the closed environment of a lunar city seems all too real as we claw our way out of our own pandemic. Rusch has once again created a well-plotted mystery with strong characters and some fun science fiction twists. She is a writer I will continue to read.
Extremes, the second full novel in Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Retrieval Artist series, hits closer to home than Rusch could have imagined in 2003. Miles Flint, now an independent investigator of cases involving people who have vanished, either because of or in spite of the various alien legal systems with which humanity has become involved, is troubled by the suspicious death of one of his fellow investigators. His former partner in the Armstrong city police department finds herself investigating the death of a marathon runner and later a viral outbreak in one of the city’s domes. The idea of a crowd disease in the closed environment of a lunar city seems all too real as we claw our way out of our own pandemic. Rusch has once again created a well-plotted mystery with strong characters and some fun science fiction twists. She is a writer I will continue to read.
November 15, 2023
Ms Rusch is a great writer, under her various pen names and genres.
I like the Retrieval Artist books on the whole. The Moon, the alien races, the cops, DeRicci especially and her partners.
The one character I don't much like is Miles. He sells the info. For a lot of money.
He then charges a fortune. Sure it's to discourage people, because it's dangerous for the hidden ones blah blah.
But I don't take charity cases he says. Right.
He's also a computer genius. Apparently. I could pick holes in that too.
But 4 stars because the rest of the events and characters are great, her aliens are interesting and attention grabbing. Her writing is great.
Worth your time reading this and all the others in the series. My personal dislike of the "hero" is why not 5 stars.
I like the Retrieval Artist books on the whole. The Moon, the alien races, the cops, DeRicci especially and her partners.
The one character I don't much like is Miles. He sells the info. For a lot of money.
He then charges a fortune. Sure it's to discourage people, because it's dangerous for the hidden ones blah blah.
But I don't take charity cases he says. Right.
He's also a computer genius. Apparently. I could pick holes in that too.
But 4 stars because the rest of the events and characters are great, her aliens are interesting and attention grabbing. Her writing is great.
Worth your time reading this and all the others in the series. My personal dislike of the "hero" is why not 5 stars.
July 18, 2019
I liked this one, though it wasn't what I expected when I started reading it. I like that each retrieval artist series book is about as different as they can be from each other, each book is an entirely different location, an entirely new story, and (most of the time), entirely new cast of characters. Definitely keeps things interesting, and keeps the reader guessing. Plus, there's all kinds of aliens, space travel, new worlds, and much much more to keep the reader entertained. I don't think I've read a series before with so many moving parts that just fit so well. My hat's off to Mrs. Rusch for this entire series.
February 1, 2020
I gave the first book four stars. Great world building, character development, and an interesting mystery. So what happened here? The author lost me on all three fronts.
Almost no world building. No aliens and very little information about dome life, how humans might have evolved, whatever. In fact the moon setting was never put to good use other than to create a closed habitat setup for viral catastrophe. Characters? Meh. I didn't learn anything new about either Flint or DeRicci.
The first 2/3 of the book dragged so much that I almost gave up many times. I only stuck with it out of hope she'd pull things together by the end. She did, barely. A 3 star ending.
Almost no world building. No aliens and very little information about dome life, how humans might have evolved, whatever. In fact the moon setting was never put to good use other than to create a closed habitat setup for viral catastrophe. Characters? Meh. I didn't learn anything new about either Flint or DeRicci.
The first 2/3 of the book dragged so much that I almost gave up many times. I only stuck with it out of hope she'd pull things together by the end. She did, barely. A 3 star ending.
February 15, 2024
A continuation of the Retrieval Artist series. Miles Flint is now in business for himself, after buying Paloma's agency. There are many intertwining themes in this story. From an epidemic to a marathon ran on the moon, an interesting idea. Also with Covid being not too distant past was an interesting theme. There are many twist and turns to take you down many rabbit holes. It's a whodunit that will keep you trying to figure it out to the end. Can't wait to read the next in the series. Highly recommended.
September 6, 2019
7/10 Good, but could have been great. I don't know if it's too "soft" sci-fi for me or if it's the "hardboiled PI" thing, or both, but this book didn't quite click with me.
EDIT: I think I figured out what bothers me about these books and why I still keep reading:
The mysteries are great, the characters are pretty good, the alien cultures are fascinating, and the viewpoint characters weave together excellently.
But at the same time the politics, society, and especially the technology are just so weird and removed from how I think things (should?) work�
EDIT: I think I figured out what bothers me about these books and why I still keep reading:
The mysteries are great, the characters are pretty good, the alien cultures are fascinating, and the viewpoint characters weave together excellently.
But at the same time the politics, society, and especially the technology are just so weird and removed from how I think things (should?) work�
April 22, 2020
Really enjoying Rusch writing. I am further along in this series but went back to this when I got an eReader. The timing is eerie bcz it about virus and we are currently in a world wide pandemic with Covid 19 - a new virus. If I read this in order I would have been long past it before being in the pandemic. Sometimes I wonder...
August 12, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. It's the second in the series, and I haven't read the first book, but I didn't have any trouble following along. The story is about a marathon on the moon that is distributed by a murder.
September 1, 2017
Mystery taking place in a future setting on the Moon. I thought well written, I liked the characters and it moved quickly.
November 12, 2018
A great series continues
Loved this book as it held my attention from beginning to end. Not a mystery in the true sense of the word but still entertaining and worth the read.
Loved this book as it held my attention from beginning to end. Not a mystery in the true sense of the word but still entertaining and worth the read.
December 13, 2018
Love this series.
Sci fi style JP Beaumont from the JA Jance series. Very well written. Strong supporting characters. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
Sci fi style JP Beaumont from the JA Jance series. Very well written. Strong supporting characters. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
May 9, 2019
I love this series. Smart Scifi writing combined with good characters - you can't ask for more.
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