Book Review: Paloma (Retrieval Artist #5) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Paloma by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher: Roc

Summary:   As a Retrieval Artist, Miles Flint helps the Disappeared, saving the lives of those oppressed under the Earth Alliance regime. He owes his livelihood, and his very sense of honor, to a woman known as Paloma. It was she who was responsible for setting him on this path—and now she has been murdered.


Summoned by Paloma’s desperate call, Miles reaches her apartment too late. She is already dead, and a seemingly indifferent police force wants no part of Miles’s officer of assistance. So he undertakes his own investigation and uncovers a link between Paloma’s death and the Moon’s largest law firm. The executives there are known to be ruthless—and they have a secret they are clearly willing to kill to protect…


The fifth installment of the Retrieval Artist series takes place over the course of about 24 hours. Paloma, retired Retrieval Artist, is found in her posh apartment, the victim of a grisly murder. Miles is her main beneficiary, quickly the prime suspect in her murder and also of an explosion of one of her ships, the Dove. That's a lot on a plate, even for a Retrieval Artist.

I really liked that what I suspected about Paloma and her secret involvement with the Wagners was so. When the law firm WSX was introduced, I had hoped this would come back around for a proper explanation and this really delivered. In good news for further reading in the series, the full reckoning is yet to happen. I can't wait to read the takedown.

I thought this one was well done (like the others) but admit that I did find myself wanting to skim some of Detective Nyquist's investigative parts because as a reader, I knew Miles was in no way guilty so the details felt a bit tedious. I didn't skim read though and when Nyquist reaches his clarity points it was very satisfying. Noelle didn't have much to do in this one but as she's off in a different level of the Moon security structure, it made perfect sense. She was still used to good effect and had good chemistry with Nyquist so she wasn't entirely tertiary. I do look forward to more about her investigation on all those other quarantined ships as it feels like there's a story or three there. I still don't really care about Ki even though I think decent effort went into rehabbing her and trying to make her relevant for future books. I did very much like attorney, Maxine Van Alen. I'd recommend this one if you're reading the series and you want the intel on Paloma.


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