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In all, I think this was a pretty fun book propelled by a very interesting core conceit that was, at least for me, not nearly as fleshed out as it could have been -- but that would have drawn away from the sort of pulp, dimestore detective novel that it is at it's core. Conflicted as to the last twist w.r.t. the academic being behind the villainy after all, and it being relatively mundane, but it makes sense from a Dick Tracy sense.

Also thought that the "those that Breach become Breach" angle was a little bit meh, particularly because CM doesn't do a very good job describing the ins and outs of what being Breach actually is, aside from a bit of mundanity and the idea that their authority is held up by shoestrings, which, again, not particularly new or novel. Hehe, novel.

Can't decide if the piece would have been better if Orcincy was real, but the construction of the narrative didn't really allow for it save adding in a very unsatisfying ending, I suppose. Still not in love with the writing style but it's Raymond Chandler's influence and that's purely stylistic.

My copy of the book has several series of questions in it for your local (digital) book club. I'd be happy to type them out for everybody if wanted but your thoughts have me thinking about one in particular that suggests not Borlu as the narrator but Dhatt or Corwi. I went back to the esteemed Dick Wolf, master of all things Law and Order. Dhatt is of course your somewhat typical bad cap. The Elliot Stabler if you will. Corwi is probably criminal intents Alexander Eames. She can't be SVU's Benson because she doesn't have the leadership vine. Borlu is naturally Robert Goren from Criminal Intent, always tracing his thoughts to the thoughts of the criminals, traversing these ethereal lines to and fro in efforts to make understanding of the crime.

As to Orciny, I'm inclined to agree that I think the book is perhaps more interesting if Orciny is reality but it would be created an entirely different ending. Maybe he ending the book needed. Bowden being the bad guy and everything coming together so abruptly with quick thoughts felt too tacked-on. Borlu makes all these assessments that as readers we're never privy to making ourselves. And while we could've have simply decided that Bowden is behind it all our reasoning would not have matched that of the ending because Boric's involvement lacks major foreshadowing.

I enjoyed the book despite its finality being largely rooted in a whodunnit unfolding which felt atypical to the prose leading up to it. Ultimately, I'm a fan of that type of shit. And I'm a fan of the weird and magical and mystical so I was destined to enjoy my time spent on the book.

Theyve just tried to havd the case over to Breach and are travelling back from there.
Love that whole concept. Kinda caught me off guard at first. I thought I had missed something about the concept of crosshatching. Then it dropped.