A review by arbieroo
Mindstar Rising by Peter F. Hamilton

3.0

Peter F. Hamilton's debut novel is an entertaining thriller set in a near future where global warming, a Credit Crash and far left wing totalitarianism wrecked the British economy, Scotland has become independent and Wales gets no mention at all.... England's recovery from all of this is underway but it's fragile and many are still living under the influence of gangs and corruption.
The protagonist, a war vet with medically boosted empathy and intuition, is hired by the hi-tech company leading the way in dragging the economy forward out of egrarianism and bartering to solve a case of industrial espionage and illegal spoiler tactics.
It is a straightforward narrative that soon grips and is not bloated. Fun and followed by two sequels involving the same protagonists. Readers of the Night's Dawn trilogy or the Commonwealth Saga will find this something of a stylistic contrast.