Identity Theft by Robert J. Sawyer
Alex Lomax, a private detective on Mars, has been hired by Cassandra Wilkins to find her missing husband, Joshua Wilkins. At first the solution to the mystery seems obvious, but Lomax soon discovers that it’s a lot more unusual, complicated, and dangerous, than he originally thought. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins are Transfers — they’ve had their consciousnesses uploaded to artificial bodies. But that’s not the only reason the Wilkins case isn’t routine — it also involves a paleontologist who has discovered a large cache of valuable Martian fossils. Can Lomax solve the crime without getting himself killed?
Identity Theft is fast, fun, exciting, and peopled with interesting characters in an original setting. The idea of uploaded consciousnesses isn’t new for Robert J. Sawyer, but he asks some intriguing questions about that idea here. I’m looking forward to reading “Biding Time,” another story featuring the clever detective Alex Lomax.
Identity Theft has been published in print in Down These Dark Spaceways, The Nebula Awards Showcase 2007, and Identity Theft and Other Stories. It was a finalist for the 2005 Hugo and Nebula Awards and won the top SF award in Spain in 2004. I listened to the audio version which is 2½ hours long. It was produced by Blackstone Audio and read by Anthony Heald who is excellent. If you purchase the audio version, pay attention to the prices. I purchased mine at Audible for significantly less than the CD version. It currently lists at $6, but I got it on sale for less.
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