The City and The City by China Mieville

(I'll be merging all of these into one blog soon, but in the meantime...)

This book was an incredibly fun mystery that delivers as only Mieville can. Inspector Tyador Borlu lives in Beszel, a city (presumably in Eastern Europe or thereabouts) that exists simultaneously in the same space with the city of Ul Qoma. Certain sections of each city are "total", but others are overlapping, or "cross-hatched", and in these sections, citizens of each city must "unsee" things in the other city. Failure to do so constitutes Breach, and will bring a swift and severe punishment from a shadowy entity that polices all cross-city transgressions.

Borlu gets the call to investigate the discovery of a dead female, which leads him on a labyrinthine investigation through Beszel and (after some political wrangling) Ul Qoma. He is drawing the attention of government officials, dissidents, and rebels as he gets closer to the truth. The crux of the murder motive hinges on Orciny, a fabled city that exists between Ul Qoma and Beszel.

Philosophy, politics, and Mieville's signature "weird fiction" style permeate this story, and the narrative feels like a genuine translation from a foreign language. The rhythms and slang of these two foreign cities feel complete and real, as if Mieville has visited both. There's more to figure out in this tale than just whodunit, and the theoretical implications of The City and The City linger long after the book is finished. I highly recommend this book for those who like their mysteries a bit on the odd side.