Artificial Selection: A Near-Future Science Fiction Mystery Novel (The ArkTech Series Book 1)

HIGH TECH, HIGH WATER, AND THE HEAD OF AWKWARD QUESTIONS

A funny, thoughtful British mystery from the winner of the Green Stories Prize!

The year is 2101, and half of England is underwater.

But society is recovering from the Melt, thanks to ArkTech, whose eco-friendly headquarters sit serenely above the newly formed Fenland Sea.

As ArkTech's Head of Awkward Questions, Charlotte Vance is dedicated to helping Ben, the company's quirky AI. Ben has a fondness for dad jokes, a knack for spotting anomalies, and happens to be Charlotte's best friend.

Naturally, when Ben notices a geneticist vandalising pre-Melt books and a librarian looking the other way, he sends Charlotte to investigate.

What starts as a curious case of stolen blank pages and clandestine book clubs soon leaves Charlotte caught between the black-market operation she thought she'd left behind and the company she's always trusted.

In a world where everyone has their reasons, can Charlotte answer the most awkward question of all – what does it mean to do the right thing, when the truth could cost her best friend everything?

Set in a near future that is neither utopia nor wasteland, Artificial Selection is ideal for readers who enjoy character-driven whydunnits full of heart and humour – perfect for fans of Martha Wells, Becky Chambers and Jasper Fforde.