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Aug. 1st, 2010 05:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jennariaYOU'VE GOT MURDER, by Donna Andrews.
Cover copy: Normally a workaholic techie, Zack has missed work for several days. So his friend, Turing, does the only neighborly thing, and checks to see if Zack has logged in from home No luck. Then she skims the databases of local banks to find his personal identification number. Nothing. Next she searches police and hospital records throughout the state. No Zack.
Turing is no crazed stalker: she is an artificial intelligence personality of Zack's creation. But, unlike other AIPs, Turing is sentient -- and she senses foul play. Fortunately, when Zack created her, he downloaded into Turing every murder mystery in his library, so Turing would think like a detective. She does find some clues to Zack's disappearance, but the enemies may well lie in the real world -- where Turing has no ability to move.
Fresh, funny, and surprisingly moving, YOU'VE GOT MURDER is a novel you'll never forget -- and the first mystery to feature the equally unforgettable character of Turing Hopper, a mainframe computer with a mind like Miss Marple and hardware that hides a suspiciously human heart.
Gender of detective: either female or neuter, depending
This was actually much better than I expected, to be honest. Turing is not Miss Marple, and indeed the whole thing tread the line between mystery and thriller, as Turing gradually uncovers a plot to 'murder' - not Zack - but every AIP working for her company. Turing is helped by a 50-something human female (who knows that Turing is an AIP), and a 20-something human male (who doesn't), which help 'humanize' Turing further.
*
Dammit. Why is it so much easier to think of things to say when I don't like something? Of course, my complete lack of brain probably isn't helping here.
Hark, the sound of the kettle boiling! Tea is calling my name. Sweet tea, gentle tea, hath no fellow. ...somebody stop me, I already did my Shakespeare-related mystery.
Cover copy: Normally a workaholic techie, Zack has missed work for several days. So his friend, Turing, does the only neighborly thing, and checks to see if Zack has logged in from home No luck. Then she skims the databases of local banks to find his personal identification number. Nothing. Next she searches police and hospital records throughout the state. No Zack.
Turing is no crazed stalker: she is an artificial intelligence personality of Zack's creation. But, unlike other AIPs, Turing is sentient -- and she senses foul play. Fortunately, when Zack created her, he downloaded into Turing every murder mystery in his library, so Turing would think like a detective. She does find some clues to Zack's disappearance, but the enemies may well lie in the real world -- where Turing has no ability to move.
Fresh, funny, and surprisingly moving, YOU'VE GOT MURDER is a novel you'll never forget -- and the first mystery to feature the equally unforgettable character of Turing Hopper, a mainframe computer with a mind like Miss Marple and hardware that hides a suspiciously human heart.
Gender of detective: either female or neuter, depending
This was actually much better than I expected, to be honest. Turing is not Miss Marple, and indeed the whole thing tread the line between mystery and thriller, as Turing gradually uncovers a plot to 'murder' - not Zack - but every AIP working for her company. Turing is helped by a 50-something human female (who knows that Turing is an AIP), and a 20-something human male (who doesn't), which help 'humanize' Turing further.
*
Dammit. Why is it so much easier to think of things to say when I don't like something? Of course, my complete lack of brain probably isn't helping here.
Hark, the sound of the kettle boiling! Tea is calling my name. Sweet tea, gentle tea, hath no fellow. ...somebody stop me, I already did my Shakespeare-related mystery.