#BookReview: Grinders by C S Boyack @Virgilante

Hi everyone! Today, I have a book review for friend and fellow SE author, Craig Boyack. I’m way behind on his books, so I’m happy to have read this far. I love the humour and characters that Craig writes  >>>

About the Book:

51478986. sy475 Jimi Cabot made one mistake as a starving college student. When she went to work for the San Francisco Police Department, it nearly cost her the job. The union stepped in and they had to reinstate her. They did so by assigning her to the duty nobody wants, Grinder Squad.

Grinders are people who use back room surgeries to enhance their bodies with computer chips, and various kinds of hardware. Jimi is sure that if she can just bust one grind shop, it will be her ticket back.

Paired with veteran cop, she soon learns that Grinder Squad is a cash-cow for the department. They are nothing more than glorified patrol cops, and generally get the worst assignments.

Matchless is the most wanted grinder of all time. He disappeared years ago, leaving only the evidence of those he enhanced during his career. With these pieces, Jimi picks up the cold trail to try working her way back to more respectable duty.

Grinders is a cyberpunk story set in a world where global warming has eroded coastlines, and society has solved many of our current problems by replacing them with new ones. There are cyber shut-ins, cyber-currency skimming schemes, and more in this futuristic tale.

This book also takes the opportunity to poke a stick at current issues that seem to have lasted into the future. Entitled people, helicopter moms, overzealous homeowner associations, and lack of decent jobs are all present. Never preachy, these issues make up the day to day work of a patrol officer.

 

My Review:

🌟🌟🌟🌟

‘Jimi Cabot rolled over in bed, but the black cat pawed her face once more.’

From this opening line, the author takes his readers into a futuristic world of robotic and/or holographic house companions, constant advertising, body alterations via various weird and wonderful implants/modifications, a grid that manages traffic, and a police Grinder squad, which is viewed as the police dumping place for officers they don’t want or who are past their prime. Jimi has other ideas after getting dumped into the Grinder squad, and when she pairs with veteran cop, Lou, things get interesting fast. Here are some lines which stood out for me:

 

(Lou talking to his ‘companion’) ‘You’re still cheaper than both my ex-wives, and you take no for an answer.’ This had me chuckling away … oh, the benefits of a non-human live-in!

and

‘Parenting advice from a hologram?’ I loved the indignation and humour in this whole exchange.

There’s a lot of information to take in, and lots of conversation in this novel, but it works. I enjoyed this read and soon got through the book. The writer brings us a satisfying ending with all the threads nicely tied up. Grinders gets a solid 4 stars from me.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.


I’d love to hear what you think of this review. Thanks for stopping by 🙂

 

For anyone interested, here are the Amazon links …

UK … https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

US … https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08R8XRTB2/

 

32 Comments on “#BookReview: Grinders by C S Boyack @Virgilante

  1. Sounds like a great read, Harmony. I like the premise, not something I’ve seen before. And Craig’s imagination never disappoints. Thanks for the review and recommendation!

  2. Oh, I loved Grinders! I can still visualize the electric forest and the cute little plants in the restaurant that light up when you shake them. And, of course, (as a cat person) Cole.

    This is my favorite book of Craig’s. All of his work is imaginative, but this one just had that extra something special. And I LOVED the ending.

    Nice review, Harmony. Congrats to Craig!

    • The things he thought of are wonderful and so imaginative. Thanks, Mae 🙂

    • Means a lot to me. Thanks, Mae. I might make this a giveaway when my radio interview happens. It could use some more love.

      • If you do, let us know, Craig, and we can help promote 🙂

  3. So glad you enjoyed the story, Harmony. Thanks for sharing your review.

    • This was a fun read, Craig. And you and your books deserve all the praise everyone is giving. Best wishes with everything 🙂

  4. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this book, Harmony. I’ve read nearly all of Craig’s work but this one and it is on my Kindle waiting. I loved your review! Congrats to Craig!

    • Thanks, Jan. This one is a bit different. I had some things to say, but tried not to get preachy. Hope you enjoy it.

    • You’re welcome. I think you’ll enjoy this one. Thanks, Jan 🙂

  5. Had to chuckle at your statement of being behind on books. I’ll never catch up with the ones on my TBR list.

    Nice review, Harmony!

    • Yep, I made the mistake of scrolling through my list yesterday … it wasn’t pretty! LOLs. Thanks, Joan 🙂

  6. What a great review, Harmony. Thank you for sharing. Congratulations to Craig! 😊