Review: Hot Ash and the Oasis Defect by Philip Wyeth

The Book

Welcome to 2045. Automation has freed humanity from the drudgery and limitations of blue-collar labor. For twenty years, a remarkable group of female bureaucrats has overseen an ambitious construction program that is spreading equity, prosperity, and peace worldwide.

But Detective Ashley Westgard of the Jacksonville Police Corps senses that beneath all the glimmer and shine, a new malaise has taken root in society. From brazen acts of criminality and rampant party pill abuse, to her own insatiable desires... All is not well on the road to paradise.

Ash is beautiful, vain, headstrong, and erratic. A symbol of her time as she careens from impulsive shopping sprees to drunken fights to escapades of sin. But now that a methodical killer is on the loose, she must rise above apathy and doubt in order to forge her raging inner fire into a fearsome weapon of justice.

My Thoughts

This is a futuristic detective story with a pulpy feel and a noir vibe. The story charges along at pace and the twists and turns keep you guessing. I read it in one sitting. The world the author has created is immersive and there is a strong sense of place.

The only criticism I have is Ash herself. This book is clearly written by a man from a female POV. At times I felt that Ash was more of a man’s ideal of what a feisty woman should be like, rather than someone who, as a female myself, I could relate to.

But unless that really bothers you it won’t distract from what is at heart a fun romp. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It’s short, but it’s entertaining.