BOOK REVIEW: Mr. Panama: An Analogue Detective In A Digital World.

TITLE: Mr. Panama: An Analogue Detective In A Digital World
AUTHOR: Max Drayton
PUBLISHED BY: Cranthope Millner

Fast forward to 2082; imagine the UK being under the control of the World State of China. Hard to imagine?  This futuristic political thriller takes the reader on a journey discovering that as technology has advanced so far, Earth’s inhabitants no longer combat the challenges of starvation and famine. People have the luxury of plentiful food but the ruling State’s severe dominating conditions are hard to endure. The persistent marketing slogan of  “Product placement is everything” resonates throughout the city. Flying in a pilotless aircraft is the norm. The re-designed UK national flag is now the traditional Chinese flag with a small British flag in the top right-hand corner, which brazenly flies on every State building.  Great Britain’s parliament is defunct and Westminster’s once famous, Big Ben, is now renamed Big Yuen. The World State of China governs most of the world, having yet to gain control of USA and Russia.

Detective Ned Panama is taxed with solving a triple murder case. His police partner, Xiu Wong of the EDF (Enforcement Disciplinary Force), better known as the Terracotta Army, is a fiery tempered enigma, equipped with high tech devises which often prove inadequate for the complexities of human vagaries.  Hence, analogue detective Panama’s services are required.

As well as unravelling a threefold killing, Panama is determined to round up all the State miscreants and end the UK insurgency, clearing a way for a peaceful resolution and hopefully the withdrawal of the World State of China whilst the words of Dutch philosopher Desiderius Erasmus whirl around in his head, “If you keep thinking about what you want to do or what you hope will happen, you won’t do it, and it won’t happen”. He has an important decision to make; should he support the WSC or battle for liberty with the freedom fighters?  He knows his choice will change the norm of the world as he knows it forever.

Laced with humour and a dash of romance for Panama from an unexpected source, this futuristic detective novel is an exciting excursion into a frightening make-believe future which could possibly come true.

Reviewer - Anne Pritchard.