The death I gave him

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 (Sept.)

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