Neon Empire

Minh creates a nonstop social media frenzy amid a rich cyberpunk landscape in this vivid debut. Cedric Travers travels to Eutopia, the always-networked vacation mecca, after his estranged wife, Mila, goes missing amid accusations of corporate espionage and terrorism. Instead of finding answers to Mila’s disappearance, Cedric gets romantically entangled with A’rore, Eutopia’s conniving lead influencer, and ultimately steps into Mila’s job running the vicious marketing machine that keeps Eutopia trending and guests visiting. But to its creators, keeping Eutopia running smoothly is worth killing for. When tech journalist Sacha Villanova starts unraveling Eutopia’s dirty secrets, not even Cedric’s ploys may be enough to stop Eutopia from imploding. With shifting points of view and sharply detailed descriptions, Minh sets up a gripping, if uneven, dynamic between the characters, spicing the intrigue with action. Fans of SF thrillers will enjoy this colorful high-tech mystery and its echoes of the present-day hunger for likes, favorites, and going viral. (Sept.)