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Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: May 18th, 2021
176 Pages
Synopsis: Daryl Gregory’s The Album of Dr. Moreau combines the science fiction premise of the famous novel by H.G. Wells, with the panache of a classic murder mystery and the spectacle of a beloved boy band.
It’s 2001, and the WyldBoyz band are the world’s hottest boy band, and definitely the world’s only genetically engineered human-animal hybrid vocal group. When their producer, Dr. M, is found murdered in his hotel room, the “boyz” become the prime suspects. Was it Bobby the ocelot (“the cute one”), Matt the megabat (“the funny one”), Tim the Pangolin (“the shy one”), Devin the bonobo (“the romantic one”), or Tusk the elephant (“the smart one”)?
Las Vegas detective Luce Delgado has only twenty-fours to solve a case that goes all the way back to the secret science barge where the WildBoyz journey first began—a place they used to call home.
The Album of Dr. Moreau gives the typical locked-room mystery, an absolutely wild and zany spin that could only come from the mind of Daryl Gregory. There are dark moments which you’d expect from a story that’s based on the H.G. Wells classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, but there are surprising moments of levity and sweetness as well. The characters as you can probably guess from the synopsis are quite unique, although they share some personality traits with certain members of well known boy bands. I actually grew more attached to them than I expected given this is a 170 page novella. The big reveal wasn’t a huge surprise, but that didn’t matter because it was so much fun getting there. This is the third book I’ve read by Daryl Gregory, and I’ve concluded that he’s an author who isn’t afraid to take risks and go places where many wouldn’t even imagine. The Album of Dr. Moreau may be a little out there, but it’s a wonderful little respite from the real world that I highly recommend!
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