In a not-so-distant future, the Great Quake has devastated the infrastructure of the Bay Area so severely that oligarchies of private security forces called "peacers" (i.e., peace officers) now rule much of the world, and San Francisco is in effect an independent city-state. For BASS officer Michael Ares, the line between good and evil, order and chaos, is about to be tested as he uncovers the motives behind the brutal murders of his four-year-old daughter and best friend in Dave Swavely's fiction debut, Silhouette.
Swavely, a Presbyterian pastor and author of four previous works of self-help rooted in Christian faith, spins a fast-moving, believable tale of flying aerocars, all-seeing falcon drones, mind-control microchips and ethical relativity as he navigates Ares through the investigation to discover the shadowy figure behind the crimes. In his quest, Ares begins to question his unconditional devotion to his long-time mentor Saul Rabin--as well as his brotherly rapport with Rabin's heir apparent, Saul's son Paul--and confronts his emotional failings as a father and husband.
Although the ending becomes increasingly predictable, Silhouette's saving grace lies not in the unfolding mystery but in the very real scenarios that Swavely paints. Echoes of Blade Runner and A Scanner Darkly run throughout a society ruled by corporate interests, sharpening the divide between the have and the have-nots. Ares's soul-searching journey echoes Swavely's own philosophical ministrations, where "risk and destiny are synonyms" and "the greatest men are the ones who make the most difficult choices." --Nancy Powell