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    Standing on the corner of a major intersection in your particular city (in this case Seattle), your senses are almost overwhelmed by all the activity surrounding you. You hear the rattle of the lock on a truck as it drives over a pothole, the hiss of the vehicle's tires on the wet road. You inhale the putrid exhaust fumes, and the stench of the homeless woman beside you, waiting for the light to change. Teenage boys are laughing at some joke, and glancing at them you see the current "street" fashion- heavily padded jackets, sweat pants with one leg rolled up to the knee, a knit cotton hat worn low over the eyes. A bus rumbles by, you feel it in you shoes, and the wind funneled behind it blows your hair back. A person bumps your shoulder as they hurry by, indicating the lights have changed. The rain is light, but constant. With droplets of water working their way down your face, you join the mass of bodies crossing the street....
    City living is very textured, very physical. Some people move into the country to get away from all this sensory input. Others, like me, thrive on and enjoy, the variety. Detective Frank Carlucci is a city dweller. Though his city is 21st century San Francisco, and is much more stimulating. It is a city with walled communities like the pristine, anesthetic Financial District, and the chaotic, exotic Tenderloin District. It is a city suffering the effects of an over-productive 20th century: humid, wet, cloudy, smog-filled days. In 21st century San Francisco people attempt to cope with society as best as they can; some enjoy the intensity of the Tenderloin and its vices, others seclude themselves in their "quiet" communities and ignore night life altogether. Detective Carlucci keeps his feet in both worlds. The father of two girls, and a loving husband, his family serves as an anchor when his job as a policeman takes him into the heart of the Tenderloin, investigating murders, rackets, and conspiracies. Carlucci doesn't hate the Tenderloin. Others might blame the inhabitants of the district for their "deviant" behavior, but in his recent experience, Carlucci knows that evil resides in many different forms, including suits and corporations. And this knowledge places Carlucci in a very dangerous situation. Where other cops would turn their back, Carlucci can't let crimes slide. Yes, he's one of the last good, caring cops in the city.

    I was introduced to this fascinating, hard-boiled city when I picked up a copy of Carlucci's Edge off the shelf purely because of the cover illustration! I read the blurb on the back of the book and, several weeks later, after picking the book up and putting it back many times, I read it. I was hooked! I was fascinated by the complexities of this city, the wonderful cast of characters roaming the pages (Mixer was my favorite, after Carlucci). Also intriguing is the genre-blending aspects of Carlucci's Edge. It's a mystery thriller with cyberpunk elements, and a hard Sf ("Blade runner" is often cited as a comparison) novel, all in one.