Tears in the Rain by Rosa Montero

How can any sci-fi fan resist reading a book with such an obvious reference to Bladerunner! The links with Bladerunner / Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep are clear but not important - there are a couple quotes from the film and some discussion how the 'Reps' in this are different to those in the film (the comparisons are all made to the film not the book). This is NOT a Bladerunner rip-off though, after a while I was able to ignore the comparison and read this book as a good book in it's own right - the two are different with some similarities. 

Bruna Husky, a ex-combat replicant who is now a private detective gets drawn into (and targeted we later find within) a conspiracy against Earth and Techno-humans (replicants):

• by a neighbour trying to kill her in her apartment who then kills herself;
• finding out there have more of these cases; 
• then the whole thing going political and Husky being accused of many things but including the murder of human-separatist leader.

Don't this put you off, what you actually have is a story with several levels:

• A detective story around a series of murders and the politics;
• A near-future story about aliens, humans and artificial humans; their conflicts and biases;
• About someone not just 'finding themselves' but actually creating what they want to be; who they do or don't want to be with;
• Last but not least, an enjoyable read.

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