When a book's description is "a synthesis of Raymond Chandler and Philip K. Dick, dreamed up in the mind of Ridley Scott" that is a pretty damn good pitch.

And the thing is that blurb is fairly on point, as this complex tales merges a group of disparate individuals - including a hard-boiled detective - in a ruthless digital world known by its users as The River. Imagine if Blade Runner, The Matrix, and Tron collided with a healthy bundle of a William Gibson-ish vibe thrown in for good measure. Then add in a deadly virus disguised as a musical melody.

That's a heady premise, and Thompson pushes through the narrative at full speed, alternating between an engaging set of characters who find themselves on a path to prevent the end of their own reality.

There are a lot of interesting tech concepts, and the VR world-building - while certainly not a new idea - is given enough genre familiarity along with its own unique, dangerous edge.