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The Death I Gave Him

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

A Twenty-First Century Hamlet.

Hayden Lichfield's life is ripped apart when he finds his father murdered in their lab, and the camera logs erased. The killer can only have been after one thing: the Sisyphus Formula the two of them developed together, which might one day reverse death itself. Hoping to lure the killer into the open, Hayden steals the research. In the process, he uncovers a recording his father made in the days before his death, and a dying wish: Avenge me...

With the lab on lockdown, Hayden is trapped with four other people—his uncle Charles, lab technician Gabriel Rasmussen, research intern Felicia Xia and their head of security, Felicia's father Paul—one of whom must be the killer. His only sure ally is the lab's resident artificial intelligence, Horatio, who has been his dear friend and companion since its creation. With his world collapsing, Hayden must navigate the building's secrets, uncover his father's lies, and push the boundaries of sanity in the pursuit of revenge.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from July 31, 2023
      Liu (If Found, Return to Hell) recasts Hamlet as a high-tech thriller in this ingenious sci-fi retelling of Shakespeare’s classic. When Elsinore Labs’ Operating System AI, who prefers to be called Horatio, accesses data from Dr. Graham Lichfield’s lab, he’s shocked to find that Lichfield, the creator of neuromapper technology that preserves “your ongoing thoughts, your way of thinking, everything that makes up who you are” after death, is dead himself. Lichfield’s son Hayden, a researcher into longevity and the first person on the scene, utilizes the neuromapper to communicate with his late father—who discloses that he was murdered and asks his son to avenge him. Hayden’s suspicions initially focus on his uncle, Charles, but Liu manages to make the mystery suspenseful even for those who know the original story well. Nimble perspective shifts—Horatio, Hayden, and the Ophelia stand-in, Felicia Xia, daughter of the labs’ security head, all narrate—help keep readers guessing about what actually happened. This is a nail-biter. Penelope Burns/Gelfman Schneider Literary Agents

    • Library Journal

      August 1, 2023

      Liu (If Found, Return to Hell) offers a retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet, set in a futuristic biotech lab. Hayden Lichfield and his father are close to a breakthrough on the Sisyphus Formula, a serum to reverse death. When his father is murdered while working late, Hayden hides their research before it can fall into the wrong hands. Elsinore Labs is put on lockdown until the research is found, and Hayden is locked in with his uncle Charles, lab tech Gabriel Rasmussen, intern Felicia Xia, and Felicia's father Paul, who is head of security. Over the course of one night, Hayden must avenge his father's death and defend his father's work and legacy. Hayden's one ally is Horatio, the lab's AI assistant, who will stop at nothing to protect his friend. Deft characterization and smart nods to Hamlet keep the tale feeling fresh. Like the original, this is less a murder mystery than a study in grief, full of complex characters and situations. Hayden is just as vulnerable, grief-stricken, and impulsive as Hamlet, while Felicia gets the more nuanced and robust storyline that wasn't given to Ophelia. VERDICT This is a fantastic and innovative retelling. Highly recommended for adventurous readers.--Portia Kapraun

      Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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